I was up early this morning, putting the final touches on packing, dressing, and straightening up my room and bathroom before leaving for the airport and a visit to see my two children. I am spending half my time with my son in Canada and the other half with my daughter in Virginia, with a bridge flight taking me from Canada to Virginia. Today's start time was 8 a.m., so I got up nice and early for a shower, dressed in comfy clothes, and got dropped off at the airport a bit before 7 a.m.
On the mark, get set -- go!
In this case, however, it was no-go. There was an issue with the plane, but it should be back in service within a half-hour, so just relax and we'll be on our way soon. The half-hour turned into an hour, then an hour-and-a-half, then two hours, at which time we were assured that the crew was in the waiting area with us and we'd be on our way soon. Well, I'm not sure of the airport's definition of soon, but we went from believing the every 15-minute update, to the half-hour update, to the 45-minute update, and all the passengers and the flight crew were still grounded.
At noon, I gave up. I was tired, cranky, and wired in a bad way, so I wanted something done NOW!
That was when we got the real news: the flight was cancelled and no one was going to San Francisco without a complicated process of rebooking through a different carrier. I stood in the queue as long as anyone else who hoped to find a work-around, but I finally gave in and asked if I could try this again tomorrow: just forget that I ever showed up, change the date on my itinerary, and I would go home, regroup, and then return tomorrow.
I'm home now and all rebooked for tomorrow, which involved rebooking one "leg" of my 3-legged vacation trip. I'm going to Canada, then to Virginia, and then home, which is 3 separate "trips" and 3 separate itineraries. Because I wanted to add back the lost day to the Canada leg of the trip, I had to rebook leg 2 of the trip (from Canada to Virginia). I approached that undertaking with some concern because I was afraid it was going to cost me to make the change, and cost me it did: I basically had to repay for that itinerary as if it were a new ticket, which was a bit of a jolt coming at me as it did after an unexpected trying morning.
We'll try this again tomorrow and see if I can get to Canada and start my va-ca at 5:15 am, the rebooked time, and a 7-hour lay-over in Toronto. You take what you can get and just suck it up.
There's always a good that comes from the upset: my dogs were thrilled to have me back home if only for a few hours before I leave again. God bless the dogs and their undying love.
Friday, August 17, 2018
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Sparkle
This is a months' long story about a stray dog, a beautiful German Shepherd pup that has wandered the neighborhood for at least 6 months. She looked so lonely and emaciated that I finally got her to trust me and come with me to my yard, where I fed her and gave her water. I called the pound 3 times and had them pick her up, but she'd be back out wandering around within a day. I couldn't put any pieces together, so I just kept feeding her and watering her and being friendly.
Fast forward to learning that the next-door neighbors "own" the dog. Their idea of taking care of an animal is to leave her in the yard with a pail 1/4 filled with filthy water -- and no food. The dog kept getting out of her yard and coming over to my home, where she received good, clean water and fresh food. One weekend, the neighbors took off for Mexico and left the dog tied to a post with a dog leash, which is probably 3 feet long. She quickly wound the leash around the pole and was well and truly stuck: she couldn't get to the pail of filthy water, much less any food. I tried to look the other way, but that's not who I am, so I went and freed the dog and brought her to my house.
I called the pound and asked them to take the dog away from the neighbors, but when the pound worker came to the house, the neighbors were back from their trip and promised to be better dog owners, so the worker left the dog with them. Sure enough, the next day the dog had escaped from the yard and was at my house for food and water. That was the beginning of what would become several months of me caring for the dog at my house, then returning her to the next-door neighbors when they came to get her. It wasn't ideal, but I didn't know what to do when the pound kept returning Sparkle to her "home."
A woman who works for an animal rescue became involved as she, too, was appalled at the abuse. I told her I had called the pound 3 separate times, but they kept returning the dog to the neighbors and I didn't know what else to do. She said she would take care of the situation, so I thought we were done with watching this beautiful, smart dog be abused.
Nope, she took the dog to the local shelter, where a call was made to the owners to come pick up their dog.
I spent weeks with the dog at my house, and we were working on potty training, but I'm going to be gone for 2 weeks, so I had to "do something" other than keep the dog here while I was gone. I talked to the animal rescue lady again, and we decided to find her a foster family. Meanwhile, the dog has been injured by the 2 boys living with her, as they like to pile onto her and wrestle, and they injured her leg in one of their play sessions. I asked the woman owner if she was going to take the dog to the vet to see what happened to the dog's leg and she said yes, but since then all I've heard is that her husband is gone, she has 3 children, and she can't drive. I offered to take the dog to the vet, but Y had a fit and told me no, this is not my dog and I need to let go of it.
Last night, the dog rescue lady and I were sitting outside with the dog, talking about what to do and how to go about it. When I reached the point of not knowing what to do, I told Nancy that I just had to give this to God and let Him do what's right. About 10 minutes later, the lady from next door came over to us and said that if we wanted to find the dog another home, she was willing to let the dog go. She realized that her children pose a danger to the dog, and that she isn't taking very good care of her. Nancy said that I must have a direct line to the Big Guy in the Sky to get a response that quickly after putting it in His hands!
There is no end yet, but I'm hoping that Nancy can come through and get the dog a foster family before anything else happens to her. I've been going next-door and getting Sparkle each day and keeping her with me, but my trip starts next week, so I have to wean her off being at my house. I thought that Animal Control would at least keep her away from the family, but I guess that's not the way they operate the shelter. I'll be sad to see her leave, but I know she has to find a family to love her and take proper care of her, especially in t he 120-degree heat we've been having in the desert.
Addendum: I was sitting in the livingroom this morning, watching one of the early talk shows, when I heard barking at the back gate. I went outside to see what was going on, and there was Sparkle. I opened the gate, she came into the house, went directly to her bed I made up for her, and hasn't moved in 2 hours. I'm not going to go over to the house and tell them she's here -- and I doubt that they will even wonder where she is. I just hope that Nancy and I can find her a new home soon.
Fast forward to learning that the next-door neighbors "own" the dog. Their idea of taking care of an animal is to leave her in the yard with a pail 1/4 filled with filthy water -- and no food. The dog kept getting out of her yard and coming over to my home, where she received good, clean water and fresh food. One weekend, the neighbors took off for Mexico and left the dog tied to a post with a dog leash, which is probably 3 feet long. She quickly wound the leash around the pole and was well and truly stuck: she couldn't get to the pail of filthy water, much less any food. I tried to look the other way, but that's not who I am, so I went and freed the dog and brought her to my house.
I called the pound and asked them to take the dog away from the neighbors, but when the pound worker came to the house, the neighbors were back from their trip and promised to be better dog owners, so the worker left the dog with them. Sure enough, the next day the dog had escaped from the yard and was at my house for food and water. That was the beginning of what would become several months of me caring for the dog at my house, then returning her to the next-door neighbors when they came to get her. It wasn't ideal, but I didn't know what to do when the pound kept returning Sparkle to her "home."
A woman who works for an animal rescue became involved as she, too, was appalled at the abuse. I told her I had called the pound 3 separate times, but they kept returning the dog to the neighbors and I didn't know what else to do. She said she would take care of the situation, so I thought we were done with watching this beautiful, smart dog be abused.
Nope, she took the dog to the local shelter, where a call was made to the owners to come pick up their dog.
I spent weeks with the dog at my house, and we were working on potty training, but I'm going to be gone for 2 weeks, so I had to "do something" other than keep the dog here while I was gone. I talked to the animal rescue lady again, and we decided to find her a foster family. Meanwhile, the dog has been injured by the 2 boys living with her, as they like to pile onto her and wrestle, and they injured her leg in one of their play sessions. I asked the woman owner if she was going to take the dog to the vet to see what happened to the dog's leg and she said yes, but since then all I've heard is that her husband is gone, she has 3 children, and she can't drive. I offered to take the dog to the vet, but Y had a fit and told me no, this is not my dog and I need to let go of it.
Last night, the dog rescue lady and I were sitting outside with the dog, talking about what to do and how to go about it. When I reached the point of not knowing what to do, I told Nancy that I just had to give this to God and let Him do what's right. About 10 minutes later, the lady from next door came over to us and said that if we wanted to find the dog another home, she was willing to let the dog go. She realized that her children pose a danger to the dog, and that she isn't taking very good care of her. Nancy said that I must have a direct line to the Big Guy in the Sky to get a response that quickly after putting it in His hands!
There is no end yet, but I'm hoping that Nancy can come through and get the dog a foster family before anything else happens to her. I've been going next-door and getting Sparkle each day and keeping her with me, but my trip starts next week, so I have to wean her off being at my house. I thought that Animal Control would at least keep her away from the family, but I guess that's not the way they operate the shelter. I'll be sad to see her leave, but I know she has to find a family to love her and take proper care of her, especially in t he 120-degree heat we've been having in the desert.
Addendum: I was sitting in the livingroom this morning, watching one of the early talk shows, when I heard barking at the back gate. I went outside to see what was going on, and there was Sparkle. I opened the gate, she came into the house, went directly to her bed I made up for her, and hasn't moved in 2 hours. I'm not going to go over to the house and tell them she's here -- and I doubt that they will even wonder where she is. I just hope that Nancy and I can find her a new home soon.
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Banking Schmanking
Finances are not my strong suit: I usually try to do things simply and carefully because I just don't have the mind that likes figuring out issues involving math. I have one checking account and one savings account, and I have to balance those each month and keep accurate track of what I'm spending or saving so everything is kosher. That is enough financial world interaction for me.
Since June 5, my on-line records show that I did no savings account transactions, which I know is not accurate as I paid for my October trip and transferred the money from savings to checking. I also have a couple of credit card bills for my upcoming August trip, and I did the same thing: pay them out of checking and transfer the money from savings. Today I decided it was "the" day to go online and figure out why, in the course of the month of July, my savings account grew by $4000+ dollars, rather than depleting by the cost of my two trips and monies spent for them.
I waited on the phone for a full 15 minutes before Darcy came on and then I presented the issue to her very simply: why can I spend money from my savings account and, rather than losing money, it grows by $4000+. She went through all of my records and told me that I had zero activity on the account in July, which I know is not the case, and the balance showing on my screen is correct. I disagreed with her assessment, but she was adamant that my records are correct.
And, maybe she's right: maybe I didn't do any transactions involving my savings account since June 5, but if that's so, how do you explain the extra money? Isn't that a "transaction" that came from somewhere and appeared in my account?
There comes a time when it's prudent to give up, quit the argument, and end the discussion. Darcy assured me that the records are accurate, so I'll accept that and move on. No, I won't go hog-wild and spend money I don't have, so I'll leave it as a nice little "egg" in my financial basket.
Since June 5, my on-line records show that I did no savings account transactions, which I know is not accurate as I paid for my October trip and transferred the money from savings to checking. I also have a couple of credit card bills for my upcoming August trip, and I did the same thing: pay them out of checking and transfer the money from savings. Today I decided it was "the" day to go online and figure out why, in the course of the month of July, my savings account grew by $4000+ dollars, rather than depleting by the cost of my two trips and monies spent for them.
I waited on the phone for a full 15 minutes before Darcy came on and then I presented the issue to her very simply: why can I spend money from my savings account and, rather than losing money, it grows by $4000+. She went through all of my records and told me that I had zero activity on the account in July, which I know is not the case, and the balance showing on my screen is correct. I disagreed with her assessment, but she was adamant that my records are correct.
And, maybe she's right: maybe I didn't do any transactions involving my savings account since June 5, but if that's so, how do you explain the extra money? Isn't that a "transaction" that came from somewhere and appeared in my account?
There comes a time when it's prudent to give up, quit the argument, and end the discussion. Darcy assured me that the records are accurate, so I'll accept that and move on. No, I won't go hog-wild and spend money I don't have, so I'll leave it as a nice little "egg" in my financial basket.
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Amazoning
I'm going on vacation in a few weeks, so I've started the pre-packing we all do before dumping it all out and starting again the day before we leave. I've been enjoying my adult color books, so decided to go to Amazon and find a new book for my journey. As I browsed through the selections, I found 4 that were kinda the same, but different slightly, so I selected them, one at a time, so I could make my choice and then purchase it.
I don't know what I did or how I did it, but I ended up receiving all 4 of the coloring books in the mail today. I laughed, then decided that I would not send the extras back because I'll probably use them in the future, but I still have to decide which book to take with me on vacation.
I don't know anything about marketing strategy, or maybe I'm the only one who has ever selected a product to review and ended up receiving it, but I'll be more careful in my future "browsing" tactics. I did also order a new coffee maker as my 15-year old Senseo finally gave up the ghost -- hope I don't get 4 of them as this is an expensive coffee maker!
UPDATE: What is that song, Oops! I did it again? I remember ordering coffee on Amazon, and dithering between a 2-pack combo and a single bag, but I thought I ordered the double-pack, which I did receive today--along with a single pack too! I bought a new coffee maker, which arrived today, and that came with 6 sample packs of flavored coffees, so I now have enough coffee to last through the coming winter! And, the good news is that I only received one new coffee-maker.
I'll figure out what I'm screwing up and stop making these order-on-top-of-an-order purchases. In the meantime, I have to find a place to store all the coffee.
AH-HA Moment: I pressed the "cart" option, so the item went into my cart, and then I checked out and got all the items I thought I was just previewing. I now know NOT to press the "cart" option unless I want to purchase the item.
I don't know what I did or how I did it, but I ended up receiving all 4 of the coloring books in the mail today. I laughed, then decided that I would not send the extras back because I'll probably use them in the future, but I still have to decide which book to take with me on vacation.
I don't know anything about marketing strategy, or maybe I'm the only one who has ever selected a product to review and ended up receiving it, but I'll be more careful in my future "browsing" tactics. I did also order a new coffee maker as my 15-year old Senseo finally gave up the ghost -- hope I don't get 4 of them as this is an expensive coffee maker!
UPDATE: What is that song, Oops! I did it again? I remember ordering coffee on Amazon, and dithering between a 2-pack combo and a single bag, but I thought I ordered the double-pack, which I did receive today--along with a single pack too! I bought a new coffee maker, which arrived today, and that came with 6 sample packs of flavored coffees, so I now have enough coffee to last through the coming winter! And, the good news is that I only received one new coffee-maker.
I'll figure out what I'm screwing up and stop making these order-on-top-of-an-order purchases. In the meantime, I have to find a place to store all the coffee.
AH-HA Moment: I pressed the "cart" option, so the item went into my cart, and then I checked out and got all the items I thought I was just previewing. I now know NOT to press the "cart" option unless I want to purchase the item.
Silly Girl
Having already seen the "big" film of the week, MI, my movie buddy and I decided to see Eighth Grade because she supervises student teachers and wanted to know if this movie was of any help with working in the middle school setting. We left the theater thinking that the film would be appropriate for middle school students to see, but they can't because (for some unknown reason) it's R-rated!
The basic story is somewhat poignant, watching an 8th grade girl struggle to be accepted and normal. She doesn't dress flashy/splashy, and she doesn't have the steady stream of cool speak ready at a moment's notice, but she's a nice girl trying really hard just to have a safe place to be in a sea of really cool classmates. She makes a weekly film blog about being strong, being courageous, putting yourself out there, but it's easier to make the blog than it is to make it happen in real life.
There is no reason for the film to be rated R, and if the target audience is teens, they cannot be admitted to the theater to see the film, and many of that demographic would benefit from seeing the film. The "tuned out" life of a teen is portrayed well, always on the phone/computer and totally removed from what's going on in front of her. The dismay of not being popular is portrayed quite well, and the movie lets its star have lots of acne and angst, as well as being just a bit chubby. The scene at the pool party said it all: all the cool girls have on itsy-bitsy bikinis, while our girl is wearing a one-piece with cut-outs. In my opinion, she's dressed more appropriately than the showing it off girls, but I'm out of step with today's trends.
No, I wouldn't recommend this film to an adult audience, but conversely, the entire audience viewing it with me were adults and they seemed to enjoy it. The two men who came together to the film (for whatever reason) laughed and applauded and had a great time, but perhaps they have a fixation with young girls that got a boost from the pool scene?
The basic story is somewhat poignant, watching an 8th grade girl struggle to be accepted and normal. She doesn't dress flashy/splashy, and she doesn't have the steady stream of cool speak ready at a moment's notice, but she's a nice girl trying really hard just to have a safe place to be in a sea of really cool classmates. She makes a weekly film blog about being strong, being courageous, putting yourself out there, but it's easier to make the blog than it is to make it happen in real life.
There is no reason for the film to be rated R, and if the target audience is teens, they cannot be admitted to the theater to see the film, and many of that demographic would benefit from seeing the film. The "tuned out" life of a teen is portrayed well, always on the phone/computer and totally removed from what's going on in front of her. The dismay of not being popular is portrayed quite well, and the movie lets its star have lots of acne and angst, as well as being just a bit chubby. The scene at the pool party said it all: all the cool girls have on itsy-bitsy bikinis, while our girl is wearing a one-piece with cut-outs. In my opinion, she's dressed more appropriately than the showing it off girls, but I'm out of step with today's trends.
No, I wouldn't recommend this film to an adult audience, but conversely, the entire audience viewing it with me were adults and they seemed to enjoy it. The two men who came together to the film (for whatever reason) laughed and applauded and had a great time, but perhaps they have a fixation with young girls that got a boost from the pool scene?
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