Customer Service, eh…OK…

I had to have AT&T Business come out to well, so business.  They had to install a line for me.

First, they guy pulled into the driveway and sat there.  And sat there. AND sat there.  I finally went outside and tapped on the window. He said that he was checking on availability.  Um…yeah, that has already happened.  I have AT&T, I just need another line added.  “Oh,” was his reply.

I went back in and watched him get out of his truck. It was reminiscent of sap or a belligerent child.  He was nice enough, but I could tell he was being paid by the hour for the install.  Dad could have taken care of it in about 1/4 of the time and would have done a better job.  And Dad is at least 2X as old as Corey the AT&T guy.

My friend was over while the install was going on.  She was amazed at how slow he was too. Then, he just left. we kind of looked at one another and watched out the window with a perplexed look on our faces. He pulled out of the driveway – to the front of my house where he sat in the van for 5 minutes and then pulled back into the driveway.  He never got out of the van. He came in, fuddled around, and then said he was done. He stood there awkwardly while I went up and looked at the work. We thought he would have followed me up, but no. Weird.  Then we realized, it would have just added another 1/2 hour to go up & down my 12 stairs, plus, there is a landing that would require him to turn right at the top of the stairs…may have been too much for him!

He then hands me the papers. This one is the order form. This one is to state that I tried to call before I arrived, but there was no answer.  “Ok. Wait, what? What number did you call?  I have all 3 phones right here!?”

He then reads off the number he just installed.

“Um. Yeah, that’s the number you just installed.  How could I have answered that line since, well, you just ADDED that line.  That’s why you were HERE.”

My reply from Corey: a shoulder shrug.  What an oaf.

All-in-all, I have had really good service from the U-Verse side of AT&T.  The Business side, well…that seems to be a lot less good so far.  At least they showed up and the line is working though. That’s more than I can say for my friend, Judy.  It took them something like 6 weeks to get hers up & running!

Christmas 2010

Huey, Dewy & Louie are now 8, 5, and 4.  This year, their names changed to Thing 1, Thing 2 & Thing 3, thanks to wonderfully Aunt that bought them the Seuss shirts when she was in Orlando.  I rock.

Thing 1 had expressed his desire for “the” present of all presents, the green beans.  Boy did he get them.  I found a HUGE can (gallon) at Baily’s in Toto.  It was the last gift he opened.  He, as usual, was overly dramatic about how excited he was.  Things 2 & 3 couldn’t even lift the can.  Mom & Dad just looked at the can with an expression that read “really, Aunt? What the heck are we going to do with a gallon of green beans?!”  - I later found out that they were supposed to bring a green bean casserole to their Christmas Day festivities.  Hello, I think we have a use for the gallon 'o beans!

Thing 3 was comically bratty.  He loves Dora the Explorer.  He, apparently, will not admit that outside of his immediate realm of Mommy, Daddy, Things 1 & 2.  His other Aunt got him a puzzle (I think it was the pink box that really did it though).  He opened the present, picked it up as if it was covered in toxic sludge and chucked it over to Aunt 2 and plainly stated “I do NOT want that, you can take it back.”  He hesitated a bit and then reestablished he didn’t want it, but might put it together once before she takes it back.

It is amazing that Thing 1 is 8 now.  We needed to run to the grocery store for last minute beef broth.  Thing 1 got to ride in the VW Beetle.  He was excited, he got to raise the seat, sit in the front, wear my glittens (look like mittens, but are actually gloves on the inside), but he also got to experience the glory that is “biscuit warmers.”  “Aunt, my seat is warm?!”  “Yes, Thing 1, that would be the biscuit warmer.” – hysterical laughter ensued.  He just thought that was THE funniest thing.  For me, it was the most fun I had ~ quality time alone with Thing 1.  It was just fun.

The other tradition at my brother & sister-in-laws house is the annual wrapping of the present.  Yes, not only do I generally have to wrap the presents that I bring, and the ones my Mom (and Dad) bring, but I typically have to help my s-i-l wrap the gifts, then, I help my brother wrap my s-i-l’s gifts too.  Like I said, it’s tradition.  I like to feel needed, so I enjoy it too

I decided to give the knitted blanket to my s-i-l, it was a good choice.  She was ever so grateful. Thing 2 likes to find hidden pictures, so I told her that she could make a game of the blanket & have Thing 2 find all the Amish parts.  My sister received a few handmade items for Christmas, including a lap quit that Mom made and a sewing caddy that is both a pincushion and scrap bag that sits on/hangs off the end of the sewing table.  She also got the “grass” rug I knitted, but technically that was for her birthday which is Wednesday.  I received a lovely woven scarf that my sister made; Mom received a table runner.  We are such the crafty bunch!

Aunt 2 & Uncle left at the same time I did.  Grandma & Grandpa stayed behind to wake up with the kids on Christmas morning. we chose a good time to leave, the kids were overtired and fast reaching meltdown mode.  So was I.

My New Relationship a/k/a Pity on the Uncoordinated

I got a Wii Fit Board (PLUS! – I can’t forget the “Plus” according to my nephew).  Funny thing was, I didn’t have the Wii Gaming System.  Yes, I wanted the WFB+, but it’s kind of important to have the gaming system too.  I opened the WFB+ on Christmas Eve and I would be opening my gift from my parents on Christmas Day, so I figured my sister-in-law spoke to Mom & they coordinated.  Nope.  I, of course, didn’t say anything.  I do, after all, want the WFB+.  On Christmas Day, I opened my 2 gifts – both of which were negative scanners.  Yes, Mom somehow didn’t coordinate with herself.  Hmm…OK…Umm… The explanation was that she had already purchased one and then I saw one on sale @ Meijer (Midwest version of Wal-Mart).  So, she purchased that one too.  I could then decide which I wanted and which I could return.

I decided to put the money for the returned scanner toward the Wii.

Today, I hooked it all up. Then, I just looked at it for awhile.  Visited with a friend.  Went to lunch. Watched some TV.  Alright, alright!!  I’ll play with you.

I only have the games that came with it, which is fine with me.  I will probably get some of those dance ones.  Problem is, I have digital confirmation that I am horribly uncoordinated. Desperately uncoordinated.  I mean…according to this piece of technology, I have no rhythm.  It was berating me. Taunting me even.  “Do you HEAR the music?  Seriously, are you deaf, if so, I apologize.”

Ok, so it was right to challenge my intelligence to some extent.  I was, after all, the one that had the balance board set up backwards so when I leaned left, it went right.  And, it was me, after all, that was blaming the board for being difficult and dare I say “stupid” for having the game set up so weird. 

BUT, how dare it tell me I have the Wii Fit Age of 55 just because  I am not use to playing on a game system.  Bollocks to you, Wii!  the funny thing is that the 1st time I did the Wii Age, I was 30Wii years old.  The next 2 times, I was 48 and 55.  Then, I was 29.  I have no balance, but I have excellent posture. Hmmm. 

And how can it be that this silly piece of plastic & wires can hurt my feelings.  Seriously!  “You’re OBESE” *giggle giggle* – whatever you techno-bitch.

How did it get to be December 23rd?

Seriously?  How did it get to be the end of 2010 already?  Not that I am complaining…I will be glad to see it go.  this year has sucked for me for the most part.  However, there have been a smattering of bright points.  I feel the need to recap the positives to get the nasty 2010 taste out of my mouth.

At least 10 (positive) things I want to remember in 2010:

1) my friend’s Aimee & Shaun’s wedding

2) my friends, Laura & Chris, having their 2nd child

3) my friends, Michele & Dave, having their 1st

4) finding out my dear friends, Chris & Steve, are going to be having their 1st

5) my Mom starting to be more like herself again after not having seen “her” for so long

6) there are a few (yes FEW) others that wed and/or are also expecting now too

7) winning an iPad from work

this is starting to get hard…

8) hearing my nephew ask for green beans for Christmas warmed my heart

stretching now…

9) oh! I lost +/-40 pounds this year.  I still have a way to go, but I have made such great progress!

10) I was able to see my Ana from Brazil along with my Uli!  It was only an evening, but I got to see them none-the-less.  All three of us together.  It was lovely.

and now the memories are flooding in!

11) a day with my friends at Frederick Meijer Gardens and the Chihuly Exhibit.  It was HOT (and I wasn’t uber pregnant like some were!), but great friends and an all around great day.

12) my almost daily walks with my friend, Jodie. For spring and summer we walked about 5 miles a day at least 4 days a week.

13) got to go to Hogwarts   when I was in Orlando on business. 

14) I do have a couple other memories, but I think there are some that I want to keep for myself.

12

False Increase

I weighed in today.  It wasn’t pretty, however, I am calling it a “false gain” because I know that a great deal of the gain was sodium based.  I had a pizza grinder for lunch yesterday and I am certain it inflated the numbers.  That’s my story & I am sticking to it!

The Annual Changing of the Blog Format

So, I get bored with the template.  I am not sure I am sold on this one, so I am going to try it on for a few days…we’ll see, but don’t be too terribly surprised if it changes again soon!

DONE!!

It’s tiny, but it’s done.  I may try to block it again now that it is all sewn together, but we’ll see…I don’t expect a miracle! So, without further adieu ~~ here is THE BLANKET!

And here is a close up of the December Square:

Of course, I screwed up.  I didn’t understand how to do the twists at first, so I just didn’t do it.  Then, I figured it out and then had to try to mimic the pattern on the other end.  I think I did quite well…for being a screw up!

I know my sister-in-law will appreciate it, but I feel bad that it’s the size of a baby blanket.

November in a week

I know time is running out, so I had to step it up & get caught up on the square of the month.  I was able to plug November’s out in a week.  Of course the trademark screw ups are in there…as I stated before, I am OK with that.  It’s a hobby and I am relatively new at it.

The flub up on this one stands out more in the picture than it does in person.  I have found that it the case with a few of the  screw ups I have had in these. Regardless, they are my screw ups and the end result is still going to be a (small) blanket.  Just one square away…now, to go shower so that I can head to the knit shop to pick up the pattern!

Down!

Yay! getting back on track after a few tough weeks. It was only 0.6lbs down, but it was DOWN!  Do I blame the program? Absolutely. Is it the program’s fault that I didn’t track my meals? Sure.  Is it the program’s fault that I “guesstimated”? Yep.  It is not my fault at all!

Of course I am being silly.  However, this is a common thing that does happen with Weight Watchers and any program.  “It doesn’t work” – No, that’s not the case.  The program works if you work the program.  I was lazy, lethargic.  I got bored, lost interest.  Then, whined when I wasn’t losing the weight.  What should I expect? I stopped walking the 5-7 miles 4-5 times a week.  I stopped tracking & just used the guessing game & mentally tracked.  I tell ya folks, that isn’t following the program!

This morning, my NMW (Naked Morning Weight) was down even more.  I am inspired to continue being a good girl so I have an even better weigh in this week. 

Amish October

Yes, so October started off promising… then it didn’t.  I really like the pattern too, darn it. It was the center portion that looks braided…except in the parts that it’s not!

I have decided that I am going to give the blanket to my sister-in-law.  She knits too and will appreciate all the work that went into it…regardless of how deformed it is!

Here is the almost finished thing.  I am hoping that blocking it will help it to uhm, well, not look goofy!  The one I am most worried about is “May” – the blue one (front & center) that knitted really tight & small!

September

Yes, it’s December.  Sue me.  I actually managed to make it through most of the square without messing up, but to keep in character, I didn’t cable the last row.

I was told by a “professional” knitter that I am like the Amish.  Apparently, they always make sure that there is some mis-stitch because only God is perfect.  I like their thinking!  I am 1/4 of the way through October and I seem to be VERY Amish in this square!