Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
SUGAR!
What with the new jobs and moving and general chaos, it's been a while since I spent any time being creative in the kitchen.
Yup. New job. I started on January 9 at a new company, back in supplier quality. So far, so good! The only fly in my ointment right now is the 26 mile (each way) commute. As much as I love Petunia, gas mileage is NOT her strong suit.
The new job means, of course, new coworkers. And I like most of these people, which is a significant change over the last job and probably has a great deal to do with my willingness to spend hours slaving over hot icing.
I doubled this recipe, and it made 25 heart cookies. Each of them was approx. 3 inches across at their widest, and probably 1/4 inch thick. I LOVE this recipe... it's quick, you don't have to chill anything or fool around with it, it works fine with my kitchenaid mixer; it's forgiving, and since I'm usually baking at 1 am, this is a good thing; and the cookies taste fantastic.
My Mom's Cut-Out Cookie Recipe:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream together butter and sugar. When well mixed, add egg and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add gradually. Note: once you start adding flour, you can toughen the cookie with handling. Use a low speed and be gentle - don't mess with the dough any more than you have to.
The dough will be kinda crumbly looking in the bowl. Lightly flour your work surface, grab enough dough to make a softball-sized ball, form the ball, then roll out. Thickness is up to you; I prefer these cookies a bit thicker so 1/4" is perfect. Use your favorite cookie cutters, then place cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet. I just use my counter as my work space, and the dough will stick a bit. I have an offset spatula (from the Wilton Tent Sale, of course) that I use to remove the cookie from my counter. It is totally worth paying retail for one of these things, just in the sheer frustration saved.
I take my softball-sized ball, roll it out, fit as many cookies in as possible, and then put the bits off to one side. (I save one little bit to use as a thickness gauge for the new ball of dough.) Make another ball from the bowl (finish off what's left in there if doubling) and repeat. After I've used all of the "fresh" dough, I combine the scraps for the second run, and then the third.
Here they are on my wonderful HUGE cookie sheet (also from WTS)...
Bake at 400 degrees. I put them in for 6 minutes, then turn the cookie sheets and give them another 3 - 4 minutes. This will vary with your oven, size and thickness of cookies.
Scoop them off the cookie sheet onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
Icing:
3/4 cup sifted confectionars sugar
~ 3-4 T water
food coloring
For the double batch of cookies, I used 2 cups of confectionars sugar, started with 11 T of water, and then just dumped a bunch more water in until it was the right consistency. Then I put some in another bowl, and added red food coloring. You can just brush the icing on and call it a day. I broke out the syringes, paint brushes, toothpicks, and my sprinkles collection.
For the marbled ones, I used the brush to paint on a layer of icing in one color, then I had another color of icing in the syringe. Put a squiggle of the other color on, then pull a toothpick thru in straight lines like you are drawing a checkerboard. It works better if you "draw" each line in a different direction. (So vertical line up, vertical line down, vertical line up all the way across. Then horizontal line left, then right then left, etc all the way across.)
Once the cookies were iced, I stumbled off to bed and left them to dry.
Any time I use confectioners sugar, I have an explosion with it and have to clean EVERY surface. Seriously, it's like my super power, to make confectioners sugar cover every square inch of my kitchen. Happily, my cabinents are white so it's hard to tell. The visible aftermath was bad enough...
All packed up and ready to go for Valentine's Day:
I brought these in for Valentine's Day on Tuesday. They were joined by my coworker's chocolate cake (OMG, best chocolate cake I've ever eaten!!), and her chocolate covered strawberries.
Then came Thursday, and this coworker's birthday. I'd ended up agreeing to bake the birthday cake but after Tuesday, I decided that bringing this woman a chocolate birthday cake was like bringing inferior tea to the Chinese - maybe not the best idea ever. So I went with a favored standby: Texas Sheetcake.
CAKE:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup butter
1 cup water
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
FROSTING:
6 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a jellyroll pan.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in mixer bowl.
3. Add butter, water and cocoa to saucepan; bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Add cocoa mixture to the flour mixture, mixing until blended.
4. Beat in the buttermilk and eggs.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. For the icing: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, cocoa and butter. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, mixing until blended. Spread frosting over cake. (Cake can be warm or cool when iced.) If desires, sprinkle nuts over top. (I usually put nuts on half the cake.)
So, yeah. I've pretty much spent the whole week in a sugar coma. I'm going to go have a salad for dinner tonight.
Yup. New job. I started on January 9 at a new company, back in supplier quality. So far, so good! The only fly in my ointment right now is the 26 mile (each way) commute. As much as I love Petunia, gas mileage is NOT her strong suit.
The new job means, of course, new coworkers. And I like most of these people, which is a significant change over the last job and probably has a great deal to do with my willingness to spend hours slaving over hot icing.
I doubled this recipe, and it made 25 heart cookies. Each of them was approx. 3 inches across at their widest, and probably 1/4 inch thick. I LOVE this recipe... it's quick, you don't have to chill anything or fool around with it, it works fine with my kitchenaid mixer; it's forgiving, and since I'm usually baking at 1 am, this is a good thing; and the cookies taste fantastic.
My Mom's Cut-Out Cookie Recipe:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream together butter and sugar. When well mixed, add egg and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add gradually. Note: once you start adding flour, you can toughen the cookie with handling. Use a low speed and be gentle - don't mess with the dough any more than you have to.
The dough will be kinda crumbly looking in the bowl. Lightly flour your work surface, grab enough dough to make a softball-sized ball, form the ball, then roll out. Thickness is up to you; I prefer these cookies a bit thicker so 1/4" is perfect. Use your favorite cookie cutters, then place cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet. I just use my counter as my work space, and the dough will stick a bit. I have an offset spatula (from the Wilton Tent Sale, of course) that I use to remove the cookie from my counter. It is totally worth paying retail for one of these things, just in the sheer frustration saved.
I take my softball-sized ball, roll it out, fit as many cookies in as possible, and then put the bits off to one side. (I save one little bit to use as a thickness gauge for the new ball of dough.) Make another ball from the bowl (finish off what's left in there if doubling) and repeat. After I've used all of the "fresh" dough, I combine the scraps for the second run, and then the third.
Here they are on my wonderful HUGE cookie sheet (also from WTS)...
Bake at 400 degrees. I put them in for 6 minutes, then turn the cookie sheets and give them another 3 - 4 minutes. This will vary with your oven, size and thickness of cookies.
Scoop them off the cookie sheet onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
Icing:
3/4 cup sifted confectionars sugar
~ 3-4 T water
food coloring
For the double batch of cookies, I used 2 cups of confectionars sugar, started with 11 T of water, and then just dumped a bunch more water in until it was the right consistency. Then I put some in another bowl, and added red food coloring. You can just brush the icing on and call it a day. I broke out the syringes, paint brushes, toothpicks, and my sprinkles collection.
For the marbled ones, I used the brush to paint on a layer of icing in one color, then I had another color of icing in the syringe. Put a squiggle of the other color on, then pull a toothpick thru in straight lines like you are drawing a checkerboard. It works better if you "draw" each line in a different direction. (So vertical line up, vertical line down, vertical line up all the way across. Then horizontal line left, then right then left, etc all the way across.)
Once the cookies were iced, I stumbled off to bed and left them to dry.
Any time I use confectioners sugar, I have an explosion with it and have to clean EVERY surface. Seriously, it's like my super power, to make confectioners sugar cover every square inch of my kitchen. Happily, my cabinents are white so it's hard to tell. The visible aftermath was bad enough...
All packed up and ready to go for Valentine's Day:
I brought these in for Valentine's Day on Tuesday. They were joined by my coworker's chocolate cake (OMG, best chocolate cake I've ever eaten!!), and her chocolate covered strawberries.
Then came Thursday, and this coworker's birthday. I'd ended up agreeing to bake the birthday cake but after Tuesday, I decided that bringing this woman a chocolate birthday cake was like bringing inferior tea to the Chinese - maybe not the best idea ever. So I went with a favored standby: Texas Sheetcake.
CAKE:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup butter
1 cup water
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
FROSTING:
6 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a jellyroll pan.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in mixer bowl.
3. Add butter, water and cocoa to saucepan; bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Add cocoa mixture to the flour mixture, mixing until blended.
4. Beat in the buttermilk and eggs.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. For the icing: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, cocoa and butter. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, mixing until blended. Spread frosting over cake. (Cake can be warm or cool when iced.) If desires, sprinkle nuts over top. (I usually put nuts on half the cake.)
So, yeah. I've pretty much spent the whole week in a sugar coma. I'm going to go have a salad for dinner tonight.
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Broken
Pardon me while I freak out. I just need to get this out, and this is about the only place I have that is still unknown to my real-life life. Yay to parents on facebook, right?
Broken... Well, not yet but it's coming. I can feel it looming and when I think about it too closely, I can't breathe. I can feel the cracks in me, like fault lines. When I think about you, and us, and where we are going, I can feel the cracks and I know that one day, I'll shatter.
It's not like you've been anything less than honest with me. You were. I just didn't see you coming. How can I feel like this for someone who was just a voice over the phone? I have a little voice in my head, and she warns me when it's time to run. Always before you, I listened. I ran. Usually across the country. (No intimacy issues here!) And it worked, and I stayed whole. Untouched, really. She tried with you, and I didn't listen. I didn't believe her. Yeah, we talked for hours and hours, and no one has ever managed to keep up with me the way you did - intellectually, and with your sheer randomness and your goofy sense of humor - all so like mine. But you lived in my "friend" box, and there you were going to stay. I was safe.
And then your facebook status changed to "in a relationship" and unlike a friend, I was not happy for you. Not even a little. I wanted to scratch her eyes out - which is an entirely new feeling for me. And then she posted that picture of the two of you, and you were asleep, and she was smirking into the camera with this "he's mine" look on her face and it nearly killed me. And I thought, "oh, shit." I have very strong feelings about poaching, in that I don't, and feeling like this for someone I'd never met who lived across the country AND who now had a girlfriend wasn't something I had any intention of nurturing, so I pulled back. A lot. And it hurt. A lot. And you kept calling. Friend. *snort*
Sometimes, the phone would ring, and I'd see your face on the caller id, and I'd curl into a ball on the couch and just stare at the phone. Then you'd call my home phone, and I'd cave and answer and just say that my cell was charging. And then we were off on the random talks and deep philosophical debates and pointless bickering and next thing I knew, it's 4 hours later and I was going to hate myself in the morning. You told me that I was your favorite female. And like a lovesick teenager, I held that to me.
She lasted about a month. You gave me several perfectly valid reasons why it didn't work... she's too young, she's too vanilla, she's going to be moving out of state, she didn't "get" you. And you dropped a bomb: "She wasn't you." And our nightly two to three hour conversations resumed.
On October 29, you told me that you loved me, and I was your best friend. About an hour later, you told me that you were IN love with me.
November 3 was an awful, wonderful day. I had no idea what we were doing or where we were going but it hurt. It was the least productive day of my professional life to date because I spent the whole day on the phone to my brother, my dad, my mom, several friends... all spent freaking out over you. Yeah, I told my parents all about you. They haven't heard about a guy I was interested in since Jeff, and he's been gone a long time. And then you called. So I now find myself in an "open" relationship with someone that I really truly fell in love with.
We all have a history. Yours is not one I ever suspected I'd be telling my mother about. YOU are not anything I ever saw myself bringing home to meet the family. A lot of your past, while not something I'm happy about, is not something I will hold against you. Or at least, I'm trying hard not to. You were a dumb kid, you screwed up... and your brain and your very different perspective on things were what attracted me the most.
But some of the things that you like scare me. YOU scare me, sometimes. Safe, sane, and consentual are words that I live by and I'm not sure, entirely, that you do. That is probably part of your allure.
The thing that will probably be the deal-breaker, though, is that "club" that you took an oath to. I've lost friends to motorcycles, and I hate them. My family has a history with those "clubs" and we're not even remotely fond of them. The worst, though, is that pesky oath. You told me that if I made you chose, I'd lose. Fair enough. I've been warned.
You have already planned the tattoos that you think we should get to go under the wedding bands. And that, my love, is where you will lose me. I love you. I've never felt for anyone the way I feel for you. I'm looking for jobs in California to be near you, in spite of swearing to never live there again. In spite of my family being in Ohio. In spite of loving my life here in Chicago.
As you've said, I am not exactly the poster girl for monogamy. I am, with a like-minded partner. But that's not you. I think you think that marriage to me would be like open relationship with me, except with rings and matching tattoos. But it's not. I'm much more conservative on some things than you suspect. If I take an oath to you, you have to be free to take an oath to me. And you can't. I'll never be first for you. Also? Not into open marriage. And I highly doubt I'll ever be the only for you.
I'm going to enjoy this ride while it lasts. I may as well; I've never been here before and may never be again. But it's a very bittersweet ride. Because you are going to break me into a million pieces. I hope I can put them back together again.
Broken... Well, not yet but it's coming. I can feel it looming and when I think about it too closely, I can't breathe. I can feel the cracks in me, like fault lines. When I think about you, and us, and where we are going, I can feel the cracks and I know that one day, I'll shatter.
It's not like you've been anything less than honest with me. You were. I just didn't see you coming. How can I feel like this for someone who was just a voice over the phone? I have a little voice in my head, and she warns me when it's time to run. Always before you, I listened. I ran. Usually across the country. (No intimacy issues here!) And it worked, and I stayed whole. Untouched, really. She tried with you, and I didn't listen. I didn't believe her. Yeah, we talked for hours and hours, and no one has ever managed to keep up with me the way you did - intellectually, and with your sheer randomness and your goofy sense of humor - all so like mine. But you lived in my "friend" box, and there you were going to stay. I was safe.
And then your facebook status changed to "in a relationship" and unlike a friend, I was not happy for you. Not even a little. I wanted to scratch her eyes out - which is an entirely new feeling for me. And then she posted that picture of the two of you, and you were asleep, and she was smirking into the camera with this "he's mine" look on her face and it nearly killed me. And I thought, "oh, shit." I have very strong feelings about poaching, in that I don't, and feeling like this for someone I'd never met who lived across the country AND who now had a girlfriend wasn't something I had any intention of nurturing, so I pulled back. A lot. And it hurt. A lot. And you kept calling. Friend. *snort*
Sometimes, the phone would ring, and I'd see your face on the caller id, and I'd curl into a ball on the couch and just stare at the phone. Then you'd call my home phone, and I'd cave and answer and just say that my cell was charging. And then we were off on the random talks and deep philosophical debates and pointless bickering and next thing I knew, it's 4 hours later and I was going to hate myself in the morning. You told me that I was your favorite female. And like a lovesick teenager, I held that to me.
She lasted about a month. You gave me several perfectly valid reasons why it didn't work... she's too young, she's too vanilla, she's going to be moving out of state, she didn't "get" you. And you dropped a bomb: "She wasn't you." And our nightly two to three hour conversations resumed.
On October 29, you told me that you loved me, and I was your best friend. About an hour later, you told me that you were IN love with me.
November 3 was an awful, wonderful day. I had no idea what we were doing or where we were going but it hurt. It was the least productive day of my professional life to date because I spent the whole day on the phone to my brother, my dad, my mom, several friends... all spent freaking out over you. Yeah, I told my parents all about you. They haven't heard about a guy I was interested in since Jeff, and he's been gone a long time. And then you called. So I now find myself in an "open" relationship with someone that I really truly fell in love with.
We all have a history. Yours is not one I ever suspected I'd be telling my mother about. YOU are not anything I ever saw myself bringing home to meet the family. A lot of your past, while not something I'm happy about, is not something I will hold against you. Or at least, I'm trying hard not to. You were a dumb kid, you screwed up... and your brain and your very different perspective on things were what attracted me the most.
But some of the things that you like scare me. YOU scare me, sometimes. Safe, sane, and consentual are words that I live by and I'm not sure, entirely, that you do. That is probably part of your allure.
The thing that will probably be the deal-breaker, though, is that "club" that you took an oath to. I've lost friends to motorcycles, and I hate them. My family has a history with those "clubs" and we're not even remotely fond of them. The worst, though, is that pesky oath. You told me that if I made you chose, I'd lose. Fair enough. I've been warned.
You have already planned the tattoos that you think we should get to go under the wedding bands. And that, my love, is where you will lose me. I love you. I've never felt for anyone the way I feel for you. I'm looking for jobs in California to be near you, in spite of swearing to never live there again. In spite of my family being in Ohio. In spite of loving my life here in Chicago.
As you've said, I am not exactly the poster girl for monogamy. I am, with a like-minded partner. But that's not you. I think you think that marriage to me would be like open relationship with me, except with rings and matching tattoos. But it's not. I'm much more conservative on some things than you suspect. If I take an oath to you, you have to be free to take an oath to me. And you can't. I'll never be first for you. Also? Not into open marriage. And I highly doubt I'll ever be the only for you.
I'm going to enjoy this ride while it lasts. I may as well; I've never been here before and may never be again. But it's a very bittersweet ride. Because you are going to break me into a million pieces. I hope I can put them back together again.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
October?!?
How the hell did that happen?? I blame Facebook. And google+. And at least one other site. That's where I've been spending my online time lately.
I'm doing well. Still at the same company. Still don't like it. Believe it or not, but I only have a couple of months to my one year.
The house is okay. It's NOT what I had in North Carolina, but it's okay. Gods know that it's got its quirks (terrifying electric, mice, no porch light, weird animal smells, balls of random wires, roof bubbling off, etc etc etc) but thankfully, it's a rental.
I'm having a ball, actually. I'm still doing pottery (Mondays & Saturday mornings), AND I'm back to doing Stamp Camp with the girls (one Tuesday a month), AND making my own wine (Thursdays), hanging out with friends, and so on.
In addition, I've starting dating again and really, I need to get some of this written down. Wow. Some people... No one serious, and that is absolutely fine.
My family is well. The cats are good. No real complaints here. Well, except that winter's coming and Accuweather claims that we're going to get hammered this year - yay. And I totally knew what I was getting into there, so I have no one to blame but me.
So. How's you?
I'm doing well. Still at the same company. Still don't like it. Believe it or not, but I only have a couple of months to my one year.
The house is okay. It's NOT what I had in North Carolina, but it's okay. Gods know that it's got its quirks (terrifying electric, mice, no porch light, weird animal smells, balls of random wires, roof bubbling off, etc etc etc) but thankfully, it's a rental.
I'm having a ball, actually. I'm still doing pottery (Mondays & Saturday mornings), AND I'm back to doing Stamp Camp with the girls (one Tuesday a month), AND making my own wine (Thursdays), hanging out with friends, and so on.
In addition, I've starting dating again and really, I need to get some of this written down. Wow. Some people... No one serious, and that is absolutely fine.
My family is well. The cats are good. No real complaints here. Well, except that winter's coming and Accuweather claims that we're going to get hammered this year - yay. And I totally knew what I was getting into there, so I have no one to blame but me.
So. How's you?
Saturday, April 23, 2011
A Quandary...
I started this job the Monday after Thanksgiving last fall. I knew it was a risk, moving from dealing with suppliers to dealing with customers, but I REALLY wanted out of North Carolina.
Now, I work in a very small office (<30 people). The manufacturing plant is in Mexico. I like the company, I like my boss, and I like most of the people that I work with here. But. Oh man, BUT... I really dislike my job.
I really dislike not having the plant close enough to get my hand on them. I REALLY dislike dealing with the customer. I flat out hate the total lack of ownership or responsibility from people in the plant.
And none of that is going to change. Nothing I do is going to fix this. My boss sends out red fonted, bold faced emails to people telling them to do their jobs and they don't. He's the director - if they aren't listening to him, they sure as hell aren't going to listen to me.
Some deadweight (the guy who I dealt with when this company was MY supplier, the same one that I banned from my site 'cause he was a moron) left the company a couple of months ago, so I've been doing his job too. And I hate it. I hate customer visits and trying to act like an electronics technician when I'm not and don't want to be one. I've been trying to just hold on 'till we got a new hire in, but a couple of weeks ago, my boss mentioned that they may not be replacing him. I've said that I hate customer visits, but I don't know if that's going to make any difference.
Even if they hire someone for that role, I still can't actually FIX anything - I can't get to the plant. My whole job is pounding on other people to do their stuff. There hasn't been a single thing - not one - in nearly 5 months that I've needed from the quality manager down there that I've gotten in a timely fashion, if I even get it at all. Huge presentation to the customer - a monthly one, so it's not like they didn't expect it - on Friday. I'm supposed to send the presentation to them on Monday before. I didn't get some of the critical data from the qm until 2:30 am the night before the presentation. So I was at work at 6 am, throwing this thing together, to send to them 10 freaking minutes before the meeting started.
So, I guess I'll polish the resume AGAIN and start poking around to see what's out there. I really don't want to move again this soon... at least not until I've finished the HUGE claim for this move. (Note: Wheaton Mover = evil. Evil, evil, evil. Stay away!) I don't want to leave my boss high and dry - he's been good to me. But there's no other place for me to go in the company here, and I really don't want to stay either. Gah.
Now, I work in a very small office (<30 people). The manufacturing plant is in Mexico. I like the company, I like my boss, and I like most of the people that I work with here. But. Oh man, BUT... I really dislike my job.
I really dislike not having the plant close enough to get my hand on them. I REALLY dislike dealing with the customer. I flat out hate the total lack of ownership or responsibility from people in the plant.
And none of that is going to change. Nothing I do is going to fix this. My boss sends out red fonted, bold faced emails to people telling them to do their jobs and they don't. He's the director - if they aren't listening to him, they sure as hell aren't going to listen to me.
Some deadweight (the guy who I dealt with when this company was MY supplier, the same one that I banned from my site 'cause he was a moron) left the company a couple of months ago, so I've been doing his job too. And I hate it. I hate customer visits and trying to act like an electronics technician when I'm not and don't want to be one. I've been trying to just hold on 'till we got a new hire in, but a couple of weeks ago, my boss mentioned that they may not be replacing him. I've said that I hate customer visits, but I don't know if that's going to make any difference.
Even if they hire someone for that role, I still can't actually FIX anything - I can't get to the plant. My whole job is pounding on other people to do their stuff. There hasn't been a single thing - not one - in nearly 5 months that I've needed from the quality manager down there that I've gotten in a timely fashion, if I even get it at all. Huge presentation to the customer - a monthly one, so it's not like they didn't expect it - on Friday. I'm supposed to send the presentation to them on Monday before. I didn't get some of the critical data from the qm until 2:30 am the night before the presentation. So I was at work at 6 am, throwing this thing together, to send to them 10 freaking minutes before the meeting started.
So, I guess I'll polish the resume AGAIN and start poking around to see what's out there. I really don't want to move again this soon... at least not until I've finished the HUGE claim for this move. (Note: Wheaton Mover = evil. Evil, evil, evil. Stay away!) I don't want to leave my boss high and dry - he's been good to me. But there's no other place for me to go in the company here, and I really don't want to stay either. Gah.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
BLIZZARD!
They said it would snow, and I kinda didn't believe them. They always say it's going to snow. They said six to ten foot drifts, and I said "whatevs, not gonna happen." I did wonder about my coworkers' somewhat hysterical reactions - BLIZZARD! OMG! BLIZZARD! - 'cause I'm NOT in North Carolina anymore, and frankly I expect a bit more, rational weather-wise, from people who live in Chicago. And then it started.
We all went home early, although I couldn't resist playing with the Xterra in the snow. Petunia is a tank. I also gave some guy a ride to his house from the train station, which gave me a golden opportunity to play in the snow some more.
Of course, the cable was the first to go, so I huddled in my little house while the wind howled and gusted and the lights flickered. When I got bored with that (which didn't take long, given my attention span), I covered the bedroom window with a quilt to help with the draft situation and went to bed.
The next morning, it turned out that weathermen do occasionally know what they're talking about.
Happily, my neighbor did my sidewalk while he had the snowblower out doing his.
It only took 45 minutes to unbury my porch. (That is after I had to remove the glass from the storm door and shovel through the door to clear enough of the porch to open the door to start shoveling.) I'd been out there a bit over an hour when my other neighbor's son came over to help me dig. And about thirty minutes after that, his dad brought their snowblower over. All told, we didn't do the whole driveway (I have a HUGE driveway!), and it still took nearly four hours to dig out. Thank the gods for my neighbors or I'd still be out there.
And I'll be damned if I didn't have six foot drifts in the driveway. There's just something fundamentally WRONG with having to reach UP to shovel.
I had 22" of snow in my yard, in the sheltered spots, with drifts several feet high. (I'm not sure how high exactly because I wasn't willing to wade out there to check. I actually measured the drifts in my driveway 'cause I'm a dork like that.) Also? For the first time EVER, my company was shut down for a day. (That was the best part.)
So, is it Spring yet?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes
Wow, life's been crazy for me lately.
There's really no part of my life I haven't changed in the last couple of months. I moved back to the Chicago area (and holy smokes was THAT a nightmare! OMG moving SUCKS!). I changed jobs. I got a new vehicle. I've started (may the gods be merciful) dating again. Changed, changed, changed.
Well, except for my hair. So this weekend, I'm getting that highlighted. My life already feels pretty surreal, why not scare the hell out of myself every time I pass a reflective surface?
There's really no part of my life I haven't changed in the last couple of months. I moved back to the Chicago area (and holy smokes was THAT a nightmare! OMG moving SUCKS!). I changed jobs. I got a new vehicle. I've started (may the gods be merciful) dating again. Changed, changed, changed.
Well, except for my hair. So this weekend, I'm getting that highlighted. My life already feels pretty surreal, why not scare the hell out of myself every time I pass a reflective surface?
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Happy New Year
A recap of my week:
Monday: flew from Cleveland to Chicago (oh, the irony) to Raleigh, my friend picked me up and we drove to the middle of freakin' nowhere. We stopped at the house, I picked up the jeep and hauled in the mail, then off to the studio to visit and GLAZE. Got back to the house around 9:30, cleaned a bit and fell into bed. (It's funny - I had never had keyless entry before Petunia. Within two weeks, I was totally ruined. WTF do you mean, I have to use a key?? At first, I found myself pretty much incapable of figuring out how the jeep worked. How quickly I forget...)
Tuesday: Up at 8:00, the packers arrived shortly after that and then I spent the day trying (with marginal success) to get them to pack what needed to go while leaving what needed to stay. While they were busy downstairs, I stealthily managed to pack up all of the liquids and chemicals that they wouldn't pack that were upstairs. (This was 8 boxes of stuff from the bathroom closet and the laundry room.) I went out at lunch and picked up food for them. (It's best to keep these people happy, after all.) Packed: my hairbrush, towels (but I managed to grab a couple of clean "junk" towels so I could actually shower), the carrying case to my toothbrush, the 3 bags for goodwill [that I had signs (STAYS!) on, told 3 people they stayed and hid in a previously empty closet], a secretaries desk, all of my trash bags, and a bunch of other stuff I probably need. I kept stashing packing paper, boxes, and tape so I could keep packing after they left, they kept taking my stashes away from me and putting them back in the truck. I finally resorted to hiding paper and tape outside when they weren't looking, and just demanding that they leave boxes. Headed to my friends' for dinner (their homemade lasange - YUMMY!) then back to the house where I spent several more hours packing up all of the liquids that I wanted them to take. (The customer service guy at the movers basically said that if I packed it, they'd take it with no questions - wink, wink, nudge, nudge.)
Wednesday: I didn't hear the alarms on my phones (alarm clocks got packed), or the huge truck pulling up. The driver pounding on the door woke me up. The day was spent riding herd on the loaders. There was a lot that the packers didn't pack, and it turned out that the driver had already picked up two over-sized loads, so there was about half of the space for mine that there was supposed to be, so he loaded up the heavy stuff and called for a second truck. The second truck didn't arrive until 5:00, and that bunch was completely incompetant. I had to instruct them to put everything in boxes, even though they KNEW it was going into a warehouse and needed to be better packed than if it was a straight shot in one truck. Then I had to stand there and make sure they did it. They didn't leave until after 7:00. My friend had come over when I started squawking about the second truck. She and I grabbed burgers and headed to her house. We ate and watched "Nunsense" and then I crashed there.
Thursday: Up around 9:00, to PetSmart for Nature's Miracle cat treatment, then to the house, treated the carpet then off to deal with the Post Office, electric company, gas company, return the cable box and remote, so on and so on. Then to the studio to work on glazing. Then my friend and I went to dinner to use the "baseball bucks" from my previous company. I had $75 in baseball bucks, dinner (drinks, appetizer, 2 dinners, desserts and coffee) was $75.15. SO SO SO good! Then I went back to the house and cleaned and packed up misc stuff until 2 am. Then I sneaked quietly into my friend's house and fell into bed.
Friday: Up around 8:30, did the final walk-thru with my landlord, then finished cleaning the stove. Wrapped my plants up in stretch wrap, loaded everything into the jeep, went to the studio, finished glazing, loaded my pottery supplies into the jeep and hit the road around 6 pm for Ohio.
I arrived at my parents' house about 11 am this morning, and fell into bed for about 5 hours. I'll leave here later tonight to head for Chicago with the cats. I have an appointment tomorrow at 2:00 to meet my new landlord and pick up my keys.
The first truck is supposed to arrive with my stuff on the fourth. No clue when the second truck will arrive. Maybe someday, this hell will actually be over...
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Tomorrow...
I will fly from Cleveland to Chicago to Raleigh and one of my friends will pick me up in Raleigh and drive me back to No Man's Land, where I will wander my house and (hopefully) play in the studio.
Tuesday morning, the movers will arrive to pack up my stuff. Wednesday, they will load up my stuff. And then sometime between the third and the fifth, the movers will deliver my stuff to my new house. (Or so the theory goes...)
Ironically, my new house is only about 2 blocks from my old apartment. It's a bit smaller than I was hoping to find, but it's a 2 bedroom, 1 bath bungalow with a full basement (with an outside door) and a two car garage. So, it'll be okay I think. And it's walking distance to the train station and the library, so it's where I want to be.
It's also only the second house of the millions that I looked at that was even habitable. I wish now that I'd thought to take pictures of the bright orange counters, falling down ceilings, small dead mammals, inoperable bathrooms, sinks with no water, a garage with a body marked on the floor... seriously, it's been quite an adventure.
I've spent three weeks in an extended stay hotel, which was perfectly adequate... but omg am I glad to be out. One room living, camping out with a toaster, a microwave and 2 sparking burners is just not cool.
So, all's well here although even more nuts than usual. If you think of it, please send good karma my way - I could really use it this week!
Tuesday morning, the movers will arrive to pack up my stuff. Wednesday, they will load up my stuff. And then sometime between the third and the fifth, the movers will deliver my stuff to my new house. (Or so the theory goes...)
Ironically, my new house is only about 2 blocks from my old apartment. It's a bit smaller than I was hoping to find, but it's a 2 bedroom, 1 bath bungalow with a full basement (with an outside door) and a two car garage. So, it'll be okay I think. And it's walking distance to the train station and the library, so it's where I want to be.
It's also only the second house of the millions that I looked at that was even habitable. I wish now that I'd thought to take pictures of the bright orange counters, falling down ceilings, small dead mammals, inoperable bathrooms, sinks with no water, a garage with a body marked on the floor... seriously, it's been quite an adventure.
I've spent three weeks in an extended stay hotel, which was perfectly adequate... but omg am I glad to be out. One room living, camping out with a toaster, a microwave and 2 sparking burners is just not cool.
So, all's well here although even more nuts than usual. If you think of it, please send good karma my way - I could really use it this week!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
The Spirit Of Christmas
May the gods help me, I'm about to go brave the mall to finish (ahem, start, then finish) my Christmas shopping. This is the first time in years that I've had to deal with a real mass of humanity in a mall, so this should be exciting. And awful beyond words. But, what I did already get for people is in North Carolina and will be until after Christmas and I don't actually have an address for shipping so... it's off to brave the mall. *whimper*
This is exactly what I needed to get me into the right mood. I love Jenny. She's almost as insane as I am, but in a much more funny way. It started here, when Jenny offered up gift cards to the first 20 people who commented that they needed help. When she read the comment from #21 that needed help, her heart sank. And then, a few comments further, someone said that they'd handle assistance for #21. And then it snowballed. Comments on her blog have helped literally hundreds, and several of her readers have done the same on their blogs.
This is what it's all about - just reach out a hand if you can. Or give an hour. Or don't stab the bell-ringer. You know, do what you can. And today (at least until I start the war for a parking place at the mall) I can believe that maybe, just maybe, all humans don't suck.
This is exactly what I needed to get me into the right mood. I love Jenny. She's almost as insane as I am, but in a much more funny way. It started here, when Jenny offered up gift cards to the first 20 people who commented that they needed help. When she read the comment from #21 that needed help, her heart sank. And then, a few comments further, someone said that they'd handle assistance for #21. And then it snowballed. Comments on her blog have helped literally hundreds, and several of her readers have done the same on their blogs.
This is what it's all about - just reach out a hand if you can. Or give an hour. Or don't stab the bell-ringer. You know, do what you can. And today (at least until I start the war for a parking place at the mall) I can believe that maybe, just maybe, all humans don't suck.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Hungover Owls
I'll bore you silly soon with my mis-adventures in moving. For today though, this site made me hoot with laughter. :-D
(Due to language - aka an INSANE number of f-bombs - I'd rate this NSFW.)
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The End...? (aka Jones Junction = Jones Nissan = Bel Air Nissan = Evil)
The story behind how I acquired Petunia is here, and here, and there.
On 11/23/10, Roxanne told me that the Garmin was on order and it would be delivered in 2 weeks or maybe 3 due to the holiday.
On 11/24/10, Steve Zell told me that he hadn't returned my calls because the service manager was supposed to be handling it, and they couldn't get the nav system or the cradle. Also on the 24th, I talked to the registration people and the title people in Ohio and they still hadn't received anything BUT I could bring in the bill of sale and some other paperwork and get a 30 day temp tag from Ohio. I talked to Tracy and she said that she'd fedex copies of the papers that they'd sent to Ohio so I'd have them and that they'd arrive at my parents' house on Friday.
On Friday, nothing happened.
On Saturday (11/27/10), I called Tracy's cell phone to demand to know where the fedex package was. She checked the tracking number, and it was never shipped. So she went into the office, scanned the papers and emailed them to me. I printed them out and kept them with me. (The theory was that if I did get pulled over, I'd have proof that the registration was in process.) Also on Saturday, I moved into the Extended Stay hotel in one of the Chicago suburbs.
On 11/29/10, Tracy told me that the courier company would have the paperwork from the state the next day and would fedex it directly to me. Later that day, I talked to Roxanne, who needed to know what county in Ohio. Also on the 29th, I left a message for the guy at the dealer license place to let him know that the situation was not resolved. And I got a message from my parents saying that the fedex from the dealership arrived at their house today. Also, I started my new job.
On 12/1/10, I left several messages for them but didn't hear anything.
On 12/2/10, I talked to the registration and title people in Ohio again and learned that the registration had been completed the day before. Yay! I also got a message from Roxanne with the fedex tracking number of the registration coming to me at my new place of work.
On 12/3/10 (the day after my 60 day temp tags expired), I received the package with my registration and Ohio temp tags, with the note that my plates were being manufactured and I'd get them via fedex in the next 2 weeks.
On 12/7/10, I talked to my dad, who told me that Petunia's tags are at their house. Success! Yay! I'll pick them up when I'm home for Christmas, and I have the temp tags (which are good until 12/29/10) until then.
Now I wait and see if the dealership has the nerve to call and try to collect the additional taxes... I have been keeping track of the hours that I've spent on the phone for this, and there's a lot of them. If they call me for the taxes, I will bill them for these hours and it will be substantially more than the tax difference, and if it comes to it, I will take them to court. I am so sick of businesses pulling shit like this because they know that they will get away with it because there isn't any way for you or I to do anything about it without a significant output of time, money and energy which most of us just can't afford. At this point, I'm almost hoping they do call - I need a target for all of the rage and stress, and they'd be a handy one.
Interesting Side Note:
I need a local Nissan dealership here so I started researching the Nissan dealerships around here. I found one that did the same thing to a guy buying the vehicle from Virginia. And a lady I talked to in North Carolina went through something very similar when buying a car in Florida. I have a hard time believing that this is a coincidence. So, if you are buying a car out of state, BEWARE.
Lessons Learned:
1. Get everything regarding pricing and available options in writing, preferably notarized, from someone with the authority to give it. Hint: sales guy probably doesn't have the authority.
2. Make sure writing is CLEAR. (Something scribbled on the side of the brochure = not clear.)
3. Eat BEFORE you go. Take snacks.
4. Read everything. Question anything that is not perfectly clear. (If you can't explain to someone else and have it make sense, it is not perfectly clear. Ask.)
5. Research the dealership carefully. This includes an address search! (I researched by Jones Nissan and Jones Junction, which is what all of the advertising says. The actual name of the dealership is Bel Air Nissan, and THAT is where the bad reviews live. Yes, they are operating under an alias to hide from their bad press. That never occurred to me. I will not forget in the future.)
6. Try to get something in writing from them before you leave stating that you have paid everything that you are responsible for - I don't know if this will work, but if it does, it will probably save you being called weeks later for additional fees.
7. Learned from a forum online: do not mention a lawyer unless you have one. Most dealerships will immediately stop talking to you and go straight to their lawyer. Don't try to bluff this one.
8. The Attorney General, the BBB, the corporate parent company (Nissan Corporate Customer Affairs), the finance company, the clerk of courts in Maryland and Ohio, AND the registration people in Maryland and Ohio were sympathetic, but useless to resolving the situation. I think my calling several times a day for several months helped, and I think I'd still be fighting with them had Agent Hubbart from the Maryland Dealers Licensing Department not called and snarled at them for me. So, don't forget the dealer licensing people if you have a problem.
On 11/23/10, Roxanne told me that the Garmin was on order and it would be delivered in 2 weeks or maybe 3 due to the holiday.
On 11/24/10, Steve Zell told me that he hadn't returned my calls because the service manager was supposed to be handling it, and they couldn't get the nav system or the cradle. Also on the 24th, I talked to the registration people and the title people in Ohio and they still hadn't received anything BUT I could bring in the bill of sale and some other paperwork and get a 30 day temp tag from Ohio. I talked to Tracy and she said that she'd fedex copies of the papers that they'd sent to Ohio so I'd have them and that they'd arrive at my parents' house on Friday.
On Friday, nothing happened.
On Saturday (11/27/10), I called Tracy's cell phone to demand to know where the fedex package was. She checked the tracking number, and it was never shipped. So she went into the office, scanned the papers and emailed them to me. I printed them out and kept them with me. (The theory was that if I did get pulled over, I'd have proof that the registration was in process.) Also on Saturday, I moved into the Extended Stay hotel in one of the Chicago suburbs.
On 11/29/10, Tracy told me that the courier company would have the paperwork from the state the next day and would fedex it directly to me. Later that day, I talked to Roxanne, who needed to know what county in Ohio. Also on the 29th, I left a message for the guy at the dealer license place to let him know that the situation was not resolved. And I got a message from my parents saying that the fedex from the dealership arrived at their house today. Also, I started my new job.
On 12/1/10, I left several messages for them but didn't hear anything.
On 12/2/10, I talked to the registration and title people in Ohio again and learned that the registration had been completed the day before. Yay! I also got a message from Roxanne with the fedex tracking number of the registration coming to me at my new place of work.
On 12/3/10 (the day after my 60 day temp tags expired), I received the package with my registration and Ohio temp tags, with the note that my plates were being manufactured and I'd get them via fedex in the next 2 weeks.
On 12/7/10, I talked to my dad, who told me that Petunia's tags are at their house. Success! Yay! I'll pick them up when I'm home for Christmas, and I have the temp tags (which are good until 12/29/10) until then.
Now I wait and see if the dealership has the nerve to call and try to collect the additional taxes... I have been keeping track of the hours that I've spent on the phone for this, and there's a lot of them. If they call me for the taxes, I will bill them for these hours and it will be substantially more than the tax difference, and if it comes to it, I will take them to court. I am so sick of businesses pulling shit like this because they know that they will get away with it because there isn't any way for you or I to do anything about it without a significant output of time, money and energy which most of us just can't afford. At this point, I'm almost hoping they do call - I need a target for all of the rage and stress, and they'd be a handy one.
Interesting Side Note:
I need a local Nissan dealership here so I started researching the Nissan dealerships around here. I found one that did the same thing to a guy buying the vehicle from Virginia. And a lady I talked to in North Carolina went through something very similar when buying a car in Florida. I have a hard time believing that this is a coincidence. So, if you are buying a car out of state, BEWARE.
Lessons Learned:
1. Get everything regarding pricing and available options in writing, preferably notarized, from someone with the authority to give it. Hint: sales guy probably doesn't have the authority.
2. Make sure writing is CLEAR. (Something scribbled on the side of the brochure = not clear.)
3. Eat BEFORE you go. Take snacks.
4. Read everything. Question anything that is not perfectly clear. (If you can't explain to someone else and have it make sense, it is not perfectly clear. Ask.)
5. Research the dealership carefully. This includes an address search! (I researched by Jones Nissan and Jones Junction, which is what all of the advertising says. The actual name of the dealership is Bel Air Nissan, and THAT is where the bad reviews live. Yes, they are operating under an alias to hide from their bad press. That never occurred to me. I will not forget in the future.)
6. Try to get something in writing from them before you leave stating that you have paid everything that you are responsible for - I don't know if this will work, but if it does, it will probably save you being called weeks later for additional fees.
7. Learned from a forum online: do not mention a lawyer unless you have one. Most dealerships will immediately stop talking to you and go straight to their lawyer. Don't try to bluff this one.
8. The Attorney General, the BBB, the corporate parent company (Nissan Corporate Customer Affairs), the finance company, the clerk of courts in Maryland and Ohio, AND the registration people in Maryland and Ohio were sympathetic, but useless to resolving the situation. I think my calling several times a day for several months helped, and I think I'd still be fighting with them had Agent Hubbart from the Maryland Dealers Licensing Department not called and snarled at them for me. So, don't forget the dealer licensing people if you have a problem.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Best Snackies EVER
My friends gave me their old dehydrator when they got a bigger one for Christmas last year. I have only used it a couple of times but this totally makes storing it worthwhile! Another kitchen tool that I have but seldom use is the mandolin. So making apple chips is awesome in many ways - I get to play with seldom-used kitchen gadgets AND I get super yummy and nutritious snacks out of it. Win win!
This "recipe" is from the same friends that gave me the dehydrator. We went to Sam's Club the other day and found big bags of Jonagold apples. We both squeaked with joy and pounced.
Ingredients:
Apples (I prefer Jonagolds for this.)
Orange Juice
Directions:
Pour orange juice in a bowl. Wash apples, quarter and core them. Use mandolin with thickest slicer attachment (mine is about 0.25 inches) to slice apples.
As each quarter is sliced, put slices in bowl of orange juice.
When the bowl is full, arrange slices on dehydrator trays.
Stack the trays, turn it on and let it go. (I use the middle of the fruit setting - 135 degrees.) After a couple of hours, I flip the chips over to keep them from sticking to the trays. I also restack the trays with the top on the bottom, front in the back to ensure even air flow.
They're done when the apples are dry to the touch. Or you can't wait anymore, whichever comes first. I store mine in freezer bags in the cupboard, but they never last long - it's an act of will to not snarf them all down as soon as I turn the dehydrator off.
If you don't have a dehydrator, you can probably use the oven on its lowest setting. You should try, 'cause these things are seriously delicious!
This "recipe" is from the same friends that gave me the dehydrator. We went to Sam's Club the other day and found big bags of Jonagold apples. We both squeaked with joy and pounced.
Ingredients:
Apples (I prefer Jonagolds for this.)
Orange Juice
Directions:
Pour orange juice in a bowl. Wash apples, quarter and core them. Use mandolin with thickest slicer attachment (mine is about 0.25 inches) to slice apples.
As each quarter is sliced, put slices in bowl of orange juice.
When the bowl is full, arrange slices on dehydrator trays.
Stack the trays, turn it on and let it go. (I use the middle of the fruit setting - 135 degrees.) After a couple of hours, I flip the chips over to keep them from sticking to the trays. I also restack the trays with the top on the bottom, front in the back to ensure even air flow.
They're done when the apples are dry to the touch. Or you can't wait anymore, whichever comes first. I store mine in freezer bags in the cupboard, but they never last long - it's an act of will to not snarf them all down as soon as I turn the dehydrator off.
If you don't have a dehydrator, you can probably use the oven on its lowest setting. You should try, 'cause these things are seriously delicious!
Friday, November 26, 2010
To Give Thanks
I'd classify myself as more spiritual than religious, and as I'm about as deep as a dry creek bed, probably not very that either. And I'm much more inclined to believe that if anyone IS watching over us, it's because we're someone's ant farm more than for any other reason.
Having said that, however, I think that it's a good idea to reflect on what's good in your life and to try to find a positive spin for what's bad and to be grateful for what you have. Sending good thoughts in the direction of karma, or luck, kismet, fate, the divine - whatever floats your boat - can't be a bad idea. A friend on facebook puts her daily note of thanks to the universe up every morning and while I'm not willing to be quite as public about it as she is, her doing so has made me think more about it, which was probably the point of her making it public to begin with. (That sentence just gave me a headache. I'm going for the Bailey's, back in a jiff.)
Right. Now fortified! Yum. Warm Bailey's. Where was I? Right, thankful. I'm thankful for warm Baileys...
I'm not sure exactly when it occurred to me - undoubtedly several years after it should have - but being who, what, when and where I am makes me one very lucky lucky lucky person. I am blue-eyed, mostly blond, blessed with my health, the product of a rock solid marriage by two people who loved each other and their children. I have a world class college education, which I worked for - but not nearly as hard as it was necessary to for others. I live in a country that gives me recourse if I am treated unfairly because of my gender or my age or my sexuality or any number of other things, in a time where nearly all things are possible.
I got an email a while ago, and while I don't remember most of it, it was basically a check list of things that I usually take for granted that most of the world's population is without. And that got me thinking about how much I do have and being rather statistically inclined, I started thinking about THAT and realized that I am probably more fortunate than more than 90% of the world's total population. Think about that for a minute.
As I whine, and plod through my days, and mutter at gas prices and groceries, vet bills, MOVING (omg, the whining. you have no idea. yet.), drama with Petunia, my family and their complete lack of all rational thought processes, the new job, the search for a house, etc it's very easy to overlook what I have.
So I'm going to bundle up and go sit next to my thinking tree and say thanks, to the universe or anyone else who might be listening. Fate? Karma? Random good luck? Whatever it is, I've already won the best lottery of all. (There's another email that I get occasionally that blathers on about being grateful for all of this painful stuff - I'm grateful that my back hurts because it means I accomplished something blah blah blah - that mostly makes me want to punch the nut that came up with it, but I guess I do understand the thought behind it.)
Anyway, next time you have a moment, even if it's just at a red light, stop and say thanks. Who knows who is paying attention, and frankly the atmosphere can use the positive energy.
Having said that, however, I think that it's a good idea to reflect on what's good in your life and to try to find a positive spin for what's bad and to be grateful for what you have. Sending good thoughts in the direction of karma, or luck, kismet, fate, the divine - whatever floats your boat - can't be a bad idea. A friend on facebook puts her daily note of thanks to the universe up every morning and while I'm not willing to be quite as public about it as she is, her doing so has made me think more about it, which was probably the point of her making it public to begin with. (That sentence just gave me a headache. I'm going for the Bailey's, back in a jiff.)
Right. Now fortified! Yum. Warm Bailey's. Where was I? Right, thankful. I'm thankful for warm Baileys...
I'm not sure exactly when it occurred to me - undoubtedly several years after it should have - but being who, what, when and where I am makes me one very lucky lucky lucky person. I am blue-eyed, mostly blond, blessed with my health, the product of a rock solid marriage by two people who loved each other and their children. I have a world class college education, which I worked for - but not nearly as hard as it was necessary to for others. I live in a country that gives me recourse if I am treated unfairly because of my gender or my age or my sexuality or any number of other things, in a time where nearly all things are possible.
I got an email a while ago, and while I don't remember most of it, it was basically a check list of things that I usually take for granted that most of the world's population is without. And that got me thinking about how much I do have and being rather statistically inclined, I started thinking about THAT and realized that I am probably more fortunate than more than 90% of the world's total population. Think about that for a minute.
As I whine, and plod through my days, and mutter at gas prices and groceries, vet bills, MOVING (omg, the whining. you have no idea. yet.), drama with Petunia, my family and their complete lack of all rational thought processes, the new job, the search for a house, etc it's very easy to overlook what I have.
So I'm going to bundle up and go sit next to my thinking tree and say thanks, to the universe or anyone else who might be listening. Fate? Karma? Random good luck? Whatever it is, I've already won the best lottery of all. (There's another email that I get occasionally that blathers on about being grateful for all of this painful stuff - I'm grateful that my back hurts because it means I accomplished something blah blah blah - that mostly makes me want to punch the nut that came up with it, but I guess I do understand the thought behind it.)
Anyway, next time you have a moment, even if it's just at a red light, stop and say thanks. Who knows who is paying attention, and frankly the atmosphere can use the positive energy.
Monday, November 22, 2010
The Saga Continues...
Where did we leave off? Ah, yes. Here.
Well, after I talked to the finance people, and learned that the dealership had until January 10 to send them the title and paperwork, I was pretty upset. This meant that I HAD to go through the dealership to get Petunia registered - I couldn't cut them out and go directly to the state myself. And then I got to thinking... I couldn't get them for myself unless I got the temp tags extended to past the date that the finance people had to have the paperwork. THEN (so my theory went) I could get the finance people to send the title to the state and I could just deal with it then. Ha HA!
So a new quest began - to hunt down the vehicle registration people in Maryland and see if there was any way to extend the original temporary tags. I talked to Tina there, who told me that the temp tag is a one time thing - there were no extensions. Then I unloaded the whole sordid story on the poor woman and she told me to call a number and tell the guy that answered my experience. I owe Tina flowers. And my profound gratitude. THANK YOU, TINA!! Because that guy - who's name I didn't quite catch in spite of his saying it several times - is the guy that handles the license that the dealership must have to operate in the state.
He asked me what dealership it was, and when I told him, he was surprised - he said that they were pretty good. So I informed him about the F rating with the BBB, and the 15 pending cases with the Attorney General's office (both of which were news to him) and then I related what I've been through. He basically said that I was SOL on the garmin, since I'd gotten nothing in writing, and then asked why in the world I'd bought the extended warranty. (My brother already raked me over the coals for that - it's a huge money maker for dealerships. Never buy the extended warranty on a new car - you can apparently buy one at any time before the factory warranty expires for much less money. Sigh. Live and learn.) He asked when I bought the vehicle. (The paperwork says 9/29/10 even though I picked it on on 10/2/10.) Then he told me that he'd call me back within half an hour and hung up.
In less than 10 minutes, the dealership called ME, for just about the first time ever, to explain that the paperwork was with the state and everything would be fine and and and... they crawled. It was awesome.
Ten minutes after THAT, he called back. I meant every word when I said he was a god and I loved him. He told me that the dealership has until 11/28/10 to get this situation resolved, or they answer to him... and he can yank their license to be a dealership. YAY!!!! I'm to call them every day, and let him know what happens either way.
Finally, after 8 weeks of fighting with them and countless hours spent on the phone either talking to people or waiting to talk to people and countless more hours researching online and many many MANY countless hours spent going completely mental over this situation, finally FINALLY, I have a glimmer of hope.
Well, after I talked to the finance people, and learned that the dealership had until January 10 to send them the title and paperwork, I was pretty upset. This meant that I HAD to go through the dealership to get Petunia registered - I couldn't cut them out and go directly to the state myself. And then I got to thinking... I couldn't get them for myself unless I got the temp tags extended to past the date that the finance people had to have the paperwork. THEN (so my theory went) I could get the finance people to send the title to the state and I could just deal with it then. Ha HA!
So a new quest began - to hunt down the vehicle registration people in Maryland and see if there was any way to extend the original temporary tags. I talked to Tina there, who told me that the temp tag is a one time thing - there were no extensions. Then I unloaded the whole sordid story on the poor woman and she told me to call a number and tell the guy that answered my experience. I owe Tina flowers. And my profound gratitude. THANK YOU, TINA!! Because that guy - who's name I didn't quite catch in spite of his saying it several times - is the guy that handles the license that the dealership must have to operate in the state.
He asked me what dealership it was, and when I told him, he was surprised - he said that they were pretty good. So I informed him about the F rating with the BBB, and the 15 pending cases with the Attorney General's office (both of which were news to him) and then I related what I've been through. He basically said that I was SOL on the garmin, since I'd gotten nothing in writing, and then asked why in the world I'd bought the extended warranty. (My brother already raked me over the coals for that - it's a huge money maker for dealerships. Never buy the extended warranty on a new car - you can apparently buy one at any time before the factory warranty expires for much less money. Sigh. Live and learn.) He asked when I bought the vehicle. (The paperwork says 9/29/10 even though I picked it on on 10/2/10.) Then he told me that he'd call me back within half an hour and hung up.
In less than 10 minutes, the dealership called ME, for just about the first time ever, to explain that the paperwork was with the state and everything would be fine and and and... they crawled. It was awesome.
Ten minutes after THAT, he called back. I meant every word when I said he was a god and I loved him. He told me that the dealership has until 11/28/10 to get this situation resolved, or they answer to him... and he can yank their license to be a dealership. YAY!!!! I'm to call them every day, and let him know what happens either way.
Finally, after 8 weeks of fighting with them and countless hours spent on the phone either talking to people or waiting to talk to people and countless more hours researching online and many many MANY countless hours spent going completely mental over this situation, finally FINALLY, I have a glimmer of hope.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Bel Air Nissan Is Evil, Even For A Car Dealership
Being me, I researched my vehicle purchase A LOT. I did scads of internet research, narrowed down the list of vehicles, went and test drove several of each and finally decided on the Nissan XTerra. Then I researched some more, drove more of them, looked at available options and decided that I wanted a 2009 or 2010 XTerra with the off road package, a 6 speed, and oh yes, a dark color - preferably the Night Armor. THEN I spent over a year looking online, in the papers, and so on for my new vehicle.
Finally, late in September, I found a black one in Georgia and a night armor one in Maryland. Both were 2010 models with the off road package and a 6 speed. The 2011 models were out, and my Jeep was definitely feeling its age so I needed to act. The black one was used, but with less than 4000 miles on it. They were offering $27500 for it. I contacted the dealership (Jones Junction, aka Bel Air Nissan) in Maryland and told them that if they could beat the price on the black one, I'd be in the next weekend. Dave Himer, the internet sales guy, asked me to make an offer so I came back with $26000. He went off to talk to his sales manager, came back and said okay.
I arranged for a loan thru my bank but agreed to let them run the numbers to check what they could get me. Dave came back with paperwork thru Nissan that was for a better interest rate, so I said that I'd go thru them. He fedex'd the paperwork, but spelled my name wrong then told me they'd just reprint it at the dealership. When I called and asked about the mileage and whether a Garmin was included with the vehicle, he put me on hold for 10 minutes to go check and came back and gave me the mileage and said that the Garmin was included.
The first weekend in October, I drove from NC to pick up the vehicle. I told them several times that it would be registered in Ohio. My drivers license is from Ohio. My permanent address is in Ohio. The insurance is based in Ohio. When I arrived for the appointment, I was told that i'd have to wait since others had arrived before me. There was no Garmin in the car and when I questioned them, they said that it wasn't listed on the sticker on the car and they didn't have any in stock. Then they said there was a problem with the financing and the interest rate was going to be higher than what my bank could give me. Then they made me wait longer to talk to some female who tried to talk me into a manicure and spending an additional $1000 on some clear coat protective paint thing. Then I waited longer to deal with the finance guy (Ron) who kept hitting on me. We had several discussions about where their numbers came from since they didn't agree with my numbers.
I finally escaped from the dealership after 5 hours, dizzy and half starved, without a Garmin to find my way home, with a higher interest rate AND - I found out later while reviewing the papers - that they charged me nearly 4 times what they quoted for the extended warranty. But, I left with Petunia and I love her.
It is now 7 weeks later, and they are telling me that they didn't charge me enough tax to register the vehicle in Ohio and they expect me to pay an additional $800+ to them. I have been on the phone with Roxanne or Tracey or Steve or Chad damn near every day. Chad is useless - he never once returned a phone call. Ever. Roxanne is nice when you talk to her, but doesn't call back either. Actually, Steve is the only one who DID call when he said he would, and even then it wasn't every time.
They claimed to have the tags from Ohio. This week, I talked to people at the title place and the registration place - they have gotten NO paperwork from the dealership, even though Roxanne claimed to have sent it 2 weeks ago. When I called her on that, she said that there was one more form that she had to fed-ex out and they should have gotten it yesterday. One other thing that makes me believe that she hasn't done anything she said that she would - the sales tax in my county is 6.75%, not the 6% that they've been mentioning.
Today, I talked to the finance people because Ohio won't let you register the vehicle until they have the title. The finance lady (Doreen) told me that they didn't actually have the title yet and the dealership HAD to be the one to handle everything... and they have TWO months from the date of the first payment to get everything under control. This means that they don't have to get things organized until January 10.
Steve Zell is the one who I'm primarily dealing with now. I don't actually know his title, but I think it's "enforcer." I read a review on Edmunds.com that talked about how he made some woman cry from getting after her so badly. Last week, I told him that if they provided the garmin and the cradle that were supposed to be on the vehicle, I would pay the tax that they screwed up and didn't charge. He had to talk to the owner to get approval. Then he came back and said that the the deal had been approved but the garmin and cradle had been discontinued but he'd look on Amazon and take the price of the garmin out of the tax. I said no. He was supposed to call yesterday and SHOCK did not. I talked to him this morning, and he said he didn't call because their service manager said that he was going to call me.
I'm at my wit's end. I talked to someone from the Attorney General's Office in Maryland last week and they told me that I was probably going to need a lawyer, which will cost more than just paying the confounded tax. They said this because there are more than 15 pending cases currently open with their office against this dealership. I filed a report with the BBB, but they already have an F rating there. I talked to Nissan Corporate Customer Affairs, and Ryan told me that there was nothing he could do - the dealership is independently owned. He also said that he'd called the dealership and they told him that the issue had been resolved. So, they lie to corporate too.
I am moving from North Carolina NEXT WEEK. I NEED to have this handled NOW. And I have no idea what to do. So if you have any ideas, please share them... and DO NOT ever ever ever ever buy a car from this dealership!
Finally, late in September, I found a black one in Georgia and a night armor one in Maryland. Both were 2010 models with the off road package and a 6 speed. The 2011 models were out, and my Jeep was definitely feeling its age so I needed to act. The black one was used, but with less than 4000 miles on it. They were offering $27500 for it. I contacted the dealership (Jones Junction, aka Bel Air Nissan) in Maryland and told them that if they could beat the price on the black one, I'd be in the next weekend. Dave Himer, the internet sales guy, asked me to make an offer so I came back with $26000. He went off to talk to his sales manager, came back and said okay.
I arranged for a loan thru my bank but agreed to let them run the numbers to check what they could get me. Dave came back with paperwork thru Nissan that was for a better interest rate, so I said that I'd go thru them. He fedex'd the paperwork, but spelled my name wrong then told me they'd just reprint it at the dealership. When I called and asked about the mileage and whether a Garmin was included with the vehicle, he put me on hold for 10 minutes to go check and came back and gave me the mileage and said that the Garmin was included.
The first weekend in October, I drove from NC to pick up the vehicle. I told them several times that it would be registered in Ohio. My drivers license is from Ohio. My permanent address is in Ohio. The insurance is based in Ohio. When I arrived for the appointment, I was told that i'd have to wait since others had arrived before me. There was no Garmin in the car and when I questioned them, they said that it wasn't listed on the sticker on the car and they didn't have any in stock. Then they said there was a problem with the financing and the interest rate was going to be higher than what my bank could give me. Then they made me wait longer to talk to some female who tried to talk me into a manicure and spending an additional $1000 on some clear coat protective paint thing. Then I waited longer to deal with the finance guy (Ron) who kept hitting on me. We had several discussions about where their numbers came from since they didn't agree with my numbers.
I finally escaped from the dealership after 5 hours, dizzy and half starved, without a Garmin to find my way home, with a higher interest rate AND - I found out later while reviewing the papers - that they charged me nearly 4 times what they quoted for the extended warranty. But, I left with Petunia and I love her.
It is now 7 weeks later, and they are telling me that they didn't charge me enough tax to register the vehicle in Ohio and they expect me to pay an additional $800+ to them. I have been on the phone with Roxanne or Tracey or Steve or Chad damn near every day. Chad is useless - he never once returned a phone call. Ever. Roxanne is nice when you talk to her, but doesn't call back either. Actually, Steve is the only one who DID call when he said he would, and even then it wasn't every time.
They claimed to have the tags from Ohio. This week, I talked to people at the title place and the registration place - they have gotten NO paperwork from the dealership, even though Roxanne claimed to have sent it 2 weeks ago. When I called her on that, she said that there was one more form that she had to fed-ex out and they should have gotten it yesterday. One other thing that makes me believe that she hasn't done anything she said that she would - the sales tax in my county is 6.75%, not the 6% that they've been mentioning.
Today, I talked to the finance people because Ohio won't let you register the vehicle until they have the title. The finance lady (Doreen) told me that they didn't actually have the title yet and the dealership HAD to be the one to handle everything... and they have TWO months from the date of the first payment to get everything under control. This means that they don't have to get things organized until January 10.
Steve Zell is the one who I'm primarily dealing with now. I don't actually know his title, but I think it's "enforcer." I read a review on Edmunds.com that talked about how he made some woman cry from getting after her so badly. Last week, I told him that if they provided the garmin and the cradle that were supposed to be on the vehicle, I would pay the tax that they screwed up and didn't charge. He had to talk to the owner to get approval. Then he came back and said that the the deal had been approved but the garmin and cradle had been discontinued but he'd look on Amazon and take the price of the garmin out of the tax. I said no. He was supposed to call yesterday and SHOCK did not. I talked to him this morning, and he said he didn't call because their service manager said that he was going to call me.
I'm at my wit's end. I talked to someone from the Attorney General's Office in Maryland last week and they told me that I was probably going to need a lawyer, which will cost more than just paying the confounded tax. They said this because there are more than 15 pending cases currently open with their office against this dealership. I filed a report with the BBB, but they already have an F rating there. I talked to Nissan Corporate Customer Affairs, and Ryan told me that there was nothing he could do - the dealership is independently owned. He also said that he'd called the dealership and they told him that the issue had been resolved. So, they lie to corporate too.
I am moving from North Carolina NEXT WEEK. I NEED to have this handled NOW. And I have no idea what to do. So if you have any ideas, please share them... and DO NOT ever ever ever ever buy a car from this dealership!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
November 24 - TSA Opt Out Day
I've read several articles lately that said that the American public is perfectly okay with the new body scanners at airports because that is necessary to make them safe. Every time I read it, my head explodes.
When you allow a government to control your actions, words and deeds, it is not a democracy. Safety is an illusion. You are not safe. The government can't protect you. It SHOULDN'T protect you because that is not its job. The government is not your parent. You are not a child. A government controlling its citizens is tyranny. And I am sick to the eyes of people claiming they are safer if the government controls how much liquid you can bring on a plane, or makes you strip off your coat, shoes, belt, sweater, jacket, hat, hoodie, etc or makes you deposit your laptop, keys, cell phone, pda, etc in the little basket. Personally, I'd feel much more secure if everyone on board was armed to the teeth. I find it interesting that our government is subjecting us to searches that US soldiers are not allowed to administer on hostile ground.
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
This is attributed to Ben Franklin. Smart guy, that Ben.
Why do so many people have such a problem understanding that the bumper stickers are absolutely right? Freedom isn't free. The cost, however, is not just sacrificing our soldiers on some foreign soil. The cost of being free includes knowing that it is possible for 9/11 to happen. And happen again.
The cost of being free is knowing that freedom to act, to speak freely can allow the extreme few to act in some horrific fashion.
It is way past time that the citizens of this country remember that. And remember that the government works for us, not the other way around. (I'll rant about the job of politician being one that no one who wants it should be allowed to have another day.)
So, on November 24, if you are flying anywhere in the 'States, opt out of the screening. And if you're male, wear a kilt. Commando style. We have to start somewhere in taking back our freedoms, and why not start with making the TSA as miserable as we are?
Update: I like her take on things. I applaud the decision of California DA Steve Wagstaffe to prosecute TSA employees who are guilty of sexual assault. I feel for Erin and what she went through at the Dayton airport.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Final Countdown
I have many posts in edit that maybe some day I'll actually finish and post but that's probably not going to happen any time soon. I will be leaving North Carolina the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to head to my parents' house for the holiday. And then on Saturday, I'll be heading to the Chicago area to start my new job on Monday. (Yes, I know... moving TO Chicago in DECEMBER. My brilliance knows no bounds.)
My contract job ended last Friday. They extended the original contract for 2 weeks, and the global director of quality was pushing for them to extend it again, but I kind of needed this week to get stuff done (especially in the studio) and I'm pretty much done with that company. (That's actually one of the posts in edit.)
Done:
I've talked to the movers and have a quote.
I've arranged temporary housing.
I have a plan for leaving and what I'm taking now and not.
Some laundry.
Some (very little) cleaning.
Not Done:
Talk to landlord.
Cancel phone, cable.
Talk to utilities.
Talk to post office.
Deep clean house as much as possible (walls, blinds, ceiling fans, etc)
Organize and get rid of approx. 4 tons of stuff
More laundry.
More cleaning.
401 other things that are buzzing around in my brain like angry hornets right now.
Not Done but Can't Do Until I'm There:
Find a place to live.
Have I mentioned that I hate moving? Oh wait. Yes I have. As a matter of fact, I whined incessantly for months. Brace yourselves, folks, it's about to start again!
My contract job ended last Friday. They extended the original contract for 2 weeks, and the global director of quality was pushing for them to extend it again, but I kind of needed this week to get stuff done (especially in the studio) and I'm pretty much done with that company. (That's actually one of the posts in edit.)
Done:
I've talked to the movers and have a quote.
I've arranged temporary housing.
I have a plan for leaving and what I'm taking now and not.
Some laundry.
Some (very little) cleaning.
Not Done:
Talk to landlord.
Cancel phone, cable.
Talk to utilities.
Talk to post office.
Deep clean house as much as possible (walls, blinds, ceiling fans, etc)
Organize and get rid of approx. 4 tons of stuff
More laundry.
More cleaning.
401 other things that are buzzing around in my brain like angry hornets right now.
Not Done but Can't Do Until I'm There:
Find a place to live.
Have I mentioned that I hate moving? Oh wait. Yes I have. As a matter of fact, I whined incessantly for months. Brace yourselves, folks, it's about to start again!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
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