While half the Country is out playing, Hubby Dearest has gone off (after a full week of work!) to mow our son's hay, again. I don't know why.... We have no livestock to feed, he's already put up enough for the horses who live there on the farm. But, mow he must!
They didn't lay him off yesterday, as expected, so he still has a job on Tuesday. We had a half-plan to head up to Decatur with the truck camper next week, where he could 'show up' a few mornings on the pipeline job that's going there. I had even scrounged around until I found camping facilities at the Fairgrounds! That would be Plan B, now!
The puppy has begun to "get" the whole concept of going outdoors to do his business... I'm cleaning up less puddles now! Of course, he's now hiding to leave little packages for me, and telling me he has to go out, when all he wants to do is root for acorns and chase bugs...but it's progress! :)
Meanwhile, the round, crocheted tablecloth is getting HUGE. I'm on the fourth round of six rows of pineapples! Right now, I'm on my way out the door to mail a package of beaded jewelry to my friend in Canada--to hopefully be sold at an Arts and Crafts Fair in mid-September.
Happy Weekend!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
PB&J
Tonite on the News, we learned that a nearby school system has been 'asked' by the parents of a child with severe peanut allergies, to make ALL the lunches "peanut free". INCLUDING the lunches that kids bring to school from home! The school has AGREED. Said the principal, "If we can save a child's life, it's worth the extra trouble."
There's a LIST of banned foods on the "peanut free" list, besides peanut butter...like bread with a peanut warning on the label, anything cooked in peanut oil, etc.... Where does this leave the poor people who have to send pb&j for their kids--because it's cheap?
Excuse me? What if (here comes the radical idea from the grouchy old woman) the parents of the allergic child just pack a peanut-free lunch for their child???? They might even threaten her with death if she eats anything that hasn't been packed into her lunchbox?
What's next? Or maybe I'm just being cranky.
end of today's rant
Meanwhile, in other news... Keith's little 3 day job at the Marathon refinery has been extended to Monday, at least! :) The round crochet tablecloth is back to pre-ripout size. The puppy is still not being terribly cooperative with his potty training. (A friend called today wanting me to board her 10 week old puppy for 3 days--NOT GONNA HAPPEN!) My knee is 'out', but better.
The excitement just never ends, here on the Hill!
There's a LIST of banned foods on the "peanut free" list, besides peanut butter...like bread with a peanut warning on the label, anything cooked in peanut oil, etc.... Where does this leave the poor people who have to send pb&j for their kids--because it's cheap?
Excuse me? What if (here comes the radical idea from the grouchy old woman) the parents of the allergic child just pack a peanut-free lunch for their child???? They might even threaten her with death if she eats anything that hasn't been packed into her lunchbox?
What's next? Or maybe I'm just being cranky.
end of today's rant
Meanwhile, in other news... Keith's little 3 day job at the Marathon refinery has been extended to Monday, at least! :) The round crochet tablecloth is back to pre-ripout size. The puppy is still not being terribly cooperative with his potty training. (A friend called today wanting me to board her 10 week old puppy for 3 days--NOT GONNA HAPPEN!) My knee is 'out', but better.
The excitement just never ends, here on the Hill!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Verizon Rip Off
This is shaping up to be a "consumer week"!
I had some 'issues' with Verizon Wireless over the last few weeks, so when the paper bill came this week, I actually sat down and waded through all 10 or so pages, to make sure they had gotten me credited and had the billing straightened out. Low and behold, I made a discovery that did NOT please me! (big surprise?) There was my Family Plan, at $60, the Air Card service had been removed and I had been properly credited for the 'early disconnect' fee they had mistakenly charged me last month...and there was a little item called VCast for $15 a month. "What the hell is THAT?", I thought.
So I called and asked. Turns out, the people who sold me the fancy new camera phone back in March of 2007, had failed to mention this 'wonderful feature' that Verizon was making available to me absolutely free for the first month on my new phone. I, of course, had failed to notice the $15 fee on the bill because I was just going online and paying the bill--it was a few bucks higher than I expected, by I just charged that off to the unending little fees they tack onto bills every month. Little things like: Fed. Universal Service Charge, Regulatory Charge, Administrative Charge, IL State 911 Charge, IL State Excise Tax, blah, blah, blah.
The Rep was perfectly happy to take that service off my bill for me, and refund the charge this month. After some urging, he deducted last month's charge, too. I'm still looking at $240 that I'd been ripped off over the last year+, so he transferred me to a snotty supervisor, who, expectedly, said, "Ma'am, you had many months of paper bills with that fee on it. You could have canceled that service any time." DUH. It's my fault that I let myself be screwed, of course.
But I'm still pissed at Verizon. I'm stuck with them, since the cell phones are all we have--but I'm still pissed. I'm also out $240. And so, once again--watch your back, because everyone really IS out to get you--or at least, your money!
I had some 'issues' with Verizon Wireless over the last few weeks, so when the paper bill came this week, I actually sat down and waded through all 10 or so pages, to make sure they had gotten me credited and had the billing straightened out. Low and behold, I made a discovery that did NOT please me! (big surprise?) There was my Family Plan, at $60, the Air Card service had been removed and I had been properly credited for the 'early disconnect' fee they had mistakenly charged me last month...and there was a little item called VCast for $15 a month. "What the hell is THAT?", I thought.
So I called and asked. Turns out, the people who sold me the fancy new camera phone back in March of 2007, had failed to mention this 'wonderful feature' that Verizon was making available to me absolutely free for the first month on my new phone. I, of course, had failed to notice the $15 fee on the bill because I was just going online and paying the bill--it was a few bucks higher than I expected, by I just charged that off to the unending little fees they tack onto bills every month. Little things like: Fed. Universal Service Charge, Regulatory Charge, Administrative Charge, IL State 911 Charge, IL State Excise Tax, blah, blah, blah.
The Rep was perfectly happy to take that service off my bill for me, and refund the charge this month. After some urging, he deducted last month's charge, too. I'm still looking at $240 that I'd been ripped off over the last year+, so he transferred me to a snotty supervisor, who, expectedly, said, "Ma'am, you had many months of paper bills with that fee on it. You could have canceled that service any time." DUH. It's my fault that I let myself be screwed, of course.
But I'm still pissed at Verizon. I'm stuck with them, since the cell phones are all we have--but I'm still pissed. I'm also out $240. And so, once again--watch your back, because everyone really IS out to get you--or at least, your money!
Monday, August 18, 2008
The ChinaMart way...
The other day, I got a $50 Walmart Money Gram in the mail, sent by someone who owed us some money. Now, you would expect to be able to carry this in to the Service Desk and get cash.
First, they had to place a call to make sure the Money Gram hadn't been canceled? Then the associate couldn't remember exactly how to handle the rest of the transaction, so called a boss. We waited for that person, who finally came, looked the Money Gram over and said, "Oh, we can't cash that." ???? Her reason? Why, the Money Gram was filled out with my name as the payee, the name and address of the payer, and the amount. A no-brainer, right? You'd think that all that remained was for me to endorse it on the appropriate line on the back of said Money Gram and get my cash! But NO! According to the person in charge, they couldn't cash it because the payer had filled in the name of the payee (namely ME). I lifted my lower jaw off the floor and said, "But, if he doesn't fill in the payee, then mails me the Money Gram, ANYONE could end up with my money!"
She said, and I QUOTE: "You have to fill in your name when you get here to cash it--in front of the person handling the transaction." "It's considered a 2 party check. You'll have to take it to a bank to cash."
I wish you could have heard the gals at the bank's drive-up window when I told them this story--as they cashed it for me!
First, they had to place a call to make sure the Money Gram hadn't been canceled? Then the associate couldn't remember exactly how to handle the rest of the transaction, so called a boss. We waited for that person, who finally came, looked the Money Gram over and said, "Oh, we can't cash that." ???? Her reason? Why, the Money Gram was filled out with my name as the payee, the name and address of the payer, and the amount. A no-brainer, right? You'd think that all that remained was for me to endorse it on the appropriate line on the back of said Money Gram and get my cash! But NO! According to the person in charge, they couldn't cash it because the payer had filled in the name of the payee (namely ME). I lifted my lower jaw off the floor and said, "But, if he doesn't fill in the payee, then mails me the Money Gram, ANYONE could end up with my money!"
She said, and I QUOTE: "You have to fill in your name when you get here to cash it--in front of the person handling the transaction." "It's considered a 2 party check. You'll have to take it to a bank to cash."
I wish you could have heard the gals at the bank's drive-up window when I told them this story--as they cashed it for me!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Dog Days
All you have to do is step out the door to know that it's August. Foggy, rain-forest looking, hot, green.... Water dripping off the awning and it isn't even raining! Grass needs mowed, but it's too wet in the morning when it's cool enough to get out and push the mower! That's what I get for carving out a 'yard' here on the Hill. And SCHOOL STARTS in a couple of weeks????
I came up with the name for our little patch of IL. "Nearlybroke Walnut Farm"--in honor of all those little walnut seedlings that have sprouted in the unmowed section between the road and my 'yard'! Keith even went so far as to drive stakes beside several of them. Seems like a silly thing to start a tree farm when you're 60, but it makes him happy. :O His little garden is actually putting out a few tomatoes and peppers, too! The garden is so small that the wildlife hasn't found it! :D
Today is probably the last day of the Marathon job. Most of the other guys have already been laid off, and the turn-around is nearly done. Keith's got a list of phone numbers to call--never mind that he has a Union Local that's supposed to be lining him up pipeline work!
Puppy training. UGH. At least he's over the thing where he was totally confused and would 'hold it' until he could get back inside! Progress. :) Now if I could just get him to quit grazing on acorns while he's out there.....
I've been playing with a roll of jewelry wire, making some pieces of jewelry--but I've run out of big stones and beads, so I started a crochet tablecloth.... We had a friend once who quit buying green bananas--I expect that a thread crochet tablecloth is kinda like green bananas! The last one I made took 2 years and this one is bigger! LOL!
I came up with the name for our little patch of IL. "Nearlybroke Walnut Farm"--in honor of all those little walnut seedlings that have sprouted in the unmowed section between the road and my 'yard'! Keith even went so far as to drive stakes beside several of them. Seems like a silly thing to start a tree farm when you're 60, but it makes him happy. :O His little garden is actually putting out a few tomatoes and peppers, too! The garden is so small that the wildlife hasn't found it! :D
Today is probably the last day of the Marathon job. Most of the other guys have already been laid off, and the turn-around is nearly done. Keith's got a list of phone numbers to call--never mind that he has a Union Local that's supposed to be lining him up pipeline work!
Puppy training. UGH. At least he's over the thing where he was totally confused and would 'hold it' until he could get back inside! Progress. :) Now if I could just get him to quit grazing on acorns while he's out there.....
I've been playing with a roll of jewelry wire, making some pieces of jewelry--but I've run out of big stones and beads, so I started a crochet tablecloth.... We had a friend once who quit buying green bananas--I expect that a thread crochet tablecloth is kinda like green bananas! The last one I made took 2 years and this one is bigger! LOL!
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