The only way to have a friend is to be one." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Linzybrooke]

Schools out! Schools out!!!!!!!! Yippee!!!!!!!

I'm done now.

Lyzziesmom, glad you were able to find someone to work on your tooth! And sorry about all the scheduling issues. Here's hoping your luck is turning around!

Amber, how exciting! Enjoy!

Hi Nicole!!!!

 

[lyzziesmom]

Congrats on booking your trip, Amber! You'll love ASMu, it's a great little value. Every time we've been there, we've ended up in the 50's buildings. I was torn for our upcoming trip whether to book there or at Movies, I like them both very much. That would be great if you guys could drive out during our visit!!

Ashley, I'm the same way, been wishing we could move our trip for my birthday. I actually might have to change dates anyway depending on school's schedule. I probably won't have a huge problem missing only one week of school, since each class is just one night per week. If I can swing it so I have a Monday class next semester, I'll only be missing one class anyway but I really don't want to miss any if I can avoid it. I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping our trip falls within the break between semesters! (We just started to get the rain here, blecch.)

I got my temporary crown on and it feels much better, but is pretty sore today. The dentist I found is great, I will probably continue to go there once I get insurance again. I asked him to numb me up to my eyeballs and he literally did! By bedtime, my ear was still numb. I go back next week to get the permanent crown.

I finally got a hold of Unemployment on the phone, apparently the temp agency filed a claim stating that I quit?! That is where all this baloney is coming from. I called the temp agency but got voicemail so I left a long rambling upset message, and fired off a long email with waaaay too many details. She called back while I was at the dentist just to say she got ALL my messages and was checking into it, but it was probably an error. (Of course, that's what they said about that last temp-to-perm job ending too. ) Unemployment said that based on the info they have in the claim, she can already tell me that I will get my payments but unless the temp agency admits their error & reverses the claim, I have no choice but to wait until my interview time on the 30th to get paid. Uggh!!

My TDS scheduling issues have been worked out. I am afraid I got my ASM in trouble because he never wrote down the shift trade. I am still scheduled for one day while my folks are gone, but it was moved to a call-in shift during the day rather that a definite shift at night. I might be able to find someone to babysit since it's only 3 hours.

Amber, Sprint's HQ is here in our town (less than a mile from my folks' house, in fact my dad works there) and they are something of a joke around here. Nobody can get Sprint service within a mile of the Sprint campus! My mom has to go outside to use her cell phone, and in the winter she drives to Target to talk to her parents in her car in the parking lot. They don't have the best customer service, I hate to say it but it's probably because most of their reps are outsourced. Even most of the reps here in town are working here on a visa on a contract basis. There are bound to be communication issues but it seems like common sense not to call a broken phone!! I'm sorry you are having issues and hope you get your new pink phone soon!

That being said, we get a fantastic employee rate and I nearly fell over when I saw Ashley's rate ($99!!) because it seems very high. I've never had to pay "real" cell prices and hope my dad never leaves this job because I'll be in for a huge shock!

I have no kids today and it's so quiet I don't even know what to do!

 

[hellokitty86]

That being said, we get a fantastic employee rate and I nearly fell over when I saw Ashley's rate ($99!!) because it seems very high.

And here I'm sitting, excited because that's a great rate for us! How funny! When we qualified it lowered our bill by about $50 (not including when I would go over the bill, then our bill would be in the $200 range!) That must be a great family discount!

 

[lyzziesmom]

Wow, I could never pay that much for phone service. I guess I didn't realize just how great a rate we get!! It just went up and is now (don't hate me!) $20 a month. I don't have unlimited minutes though, I have I think 500 minutes and unlimited night/weekend, plus free unlimited Sprint-to-Sprint. I don't talk on the phone much and have never even come close to using all my minutes. I do have unlimited texting and internet access, although I don't go online much (except facebook mobile!) because my phone doesn't have a real browser, just the Sprint portal and it is SO slow. It takes over 10 minutes just to check the weather!!

Like I said, I have no idea what "normal" cell rates are so you probably do have a great rate, especially for unlimited minutes. I will definitely have to change plans in the next couple of years, because Lyzzie has discovered the phone. The other day she talked to her friend for almost 2 hours -- that's almost 1/4 of my minutes!!

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

Lyzziesmom, I hope the temp agency admits it's mistake, so you don't have to wait until the 30th.

As much as Sprint annoys me, they do usually fix the issue and give me a credit for my trouble (AFTER I speak to several people). I pay $40 a month for Mike and I and I have 1000 minutes, free nights and weekends, amd free Sprint to Sprint. I don't think we have come close to going over our minutes, even when Mike was using his phone for work.

I am suppose to have my new phone in the new few days. I LOVE the Centro, so I am glad they have fixed the issue with the newer model.


I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday; it's raining, yet again.

 

[lyzziesmom]

That sounds like you have a pretty good plan Amber. My dad has the Centro too and it looks nice, I love how he can email from it, but those buttons are so darn teeny! Every time he sends a text it has a bunch of random extra letters in it.

Do any of you use AT&T U-Verse for your cable/internet? I am thinking of switching and they have the best deals but they're pretty new around here and I haven't heard much about the service. It looks really good, I especially like the DVR - you can record 4 channels at a time (as if I'd ever have time to watch that much TV!!) and you can program it online in case you forget to set it to record something, plus if you have more than one tv you can record a show on one DVR, like in the living room, and watch it on another, like in the bedroom. I think that sounds fantastic. They offer some great intro rates and even cash back and have lots of plans to choose from so it can be pretty custom. It sounds too good to be true and I was wondering if any of you have heard anything about if it's any good or if there is a catch. I'm always a little afraid of the unknown and hate to make changes (Libra!) so I've been putting it off.

One more sign my luck is changing for the better -- I got a call yesterday from Sam's Club that my contacts prescription was expiring at the end of the day and giving me a chance to reorder. I've worn contacts for 20 years, and glasses for 27 years, and never once has anyone ever done that. That was so nice. So now I don't need to get a new eye exam for another year and saved that $100 (even though the contacts cost a small fortune but I'd have needed them anyway.)

Now if only I can get these fleas under control... yuck!

 

[hellokitty86]

I pay $40 a month for Mike and I and I have 1000 minutes, free nights and weekends, amd free Sprint to Sprint.

Wow!!! I wonder why our bill is so much more than you guys?! Our bill went DOWN when we got the unlimited plan, because it was a special promotion for loyal customers- before we had 1000 minutes (that I always went over) for both of us to share and it was about $150/month!! Oh well, I'm just going to pretend that those rates don't exist since we are locked into a contract.

Tonight we are going to dinner with my Grandma and Mom to a restaurant called The Field- http://www.thefieldirishpubdania.com/. It is really fun, it almost feels like you are in the shire from Lord of The Rings!! My Grandma is a little sad today because it's her Mom's birthday, my Great Grandma, who passed away in 2005. We are going to hopefully cheer her up!

We took Ruby to PetCo today- it was fun!! Of course everyone in the store was fawning over her! She's exhausted now though! She has such a hard life!

 

[hellokitty86]

Do any of you use AT&T U-Verse for your cable/internet?

I was wondering how the service is too! Someone came by our house the other day trying to have us sign up for it. It seems like a good deal and it is much cheaper than Comcast!!! I am definitely interested in getting it. (Let's not talk about how much we pay for cable because I know we have a high bill. )

Sorry about the flea problem! I've heard after you get rid of the infestation you can put a flea collar in your vacuum cleaner bag and it helps keep them away.

 

[hellokitty86]

I'm always a little afraid of the unknown and hate to make changes (Libra!) so I've been putting it off.

I didn't see this the first time I read your post. I am cracking up! I am totally the same way!! We are too much alike!!

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

Lyzziesmom, I haven't heard about that service; it sounds great! Mike would never go for it though, because he likes DirecTV (they are they only ones that have NFL Sunday ticket).

I LOVE my phone! I don't text too much, so the small letters don't bother me. I love that I can use load music onto it, so I don't need to carry my ipod around.

Ashley, my rate is so low, because I called and told them that I could get a similar deal through Alltel. They didn't want to lose us, so they matched the deal. I've had that rate for about two years now. My MIL signed up with them a few months ago and she pays $70 for 950 minutes.

to you Grandma. Have fun tonight; that restaurant looks great!

 

[lyzziesmom]

Sorry about the flea problem! I've heard after you get rid of the infestation you can put a flea collar in your vacuum cleaner bag and it helps keep them away.

I've never heard of that, neat idea! I have all wood floors so I don't even actually have a vacuum. It's funny when we get fleas (every summer) because they totally stay on the cats. They don't bite any of us or even get in our furniture but the cats are hopping with them. My mom said she will get me some Advantage or Revolution from the vet when they get back next week, for 3 fat kitties it's $$$.

I bet Ruby had a great time at Petco! We love to go there and see other people's doggies. Last week they let us play with the ferrets but the lady was kind of nutso about them, she would ask Emma if she wanted to hold one and put it in Emma's arms, then snatch it away after 2 seconds. She didn't even get a good hold on it!

Have fun at your dinner with your Grandma, it sounds like a nice evening.

Amber, I have an MP3 player built into my phone too but I've never bothered to figure out how to use it. Is yours easy to use? I pretty much only listen to music in the car anyway these days. Lyzzie has a generic MP3 player and some iTunes gift cards but I can't figure out how to get iTunes music to play on a non-iPod player. Everything I've found says you need to buy software to convert the files and the software costs as much as a cheap iPod.

 

[lyzziesmom]

I hope you're all having a great Sunday! Mine has been quiet and uneventful -- just the way I like it.

Ashley, how was your dinner last night? Did your Grandma cheer up?

 

[hellokitty86]

Ashley, how was your dinner last night? Did your Grandma cheer up?

It was very nice!! My Grandma seemed ok. My Great Grandma would have been 95 yesterday!! She lived a long life, she died when she was 91!

Today we are going to see UP with my Mom, Grandma and my Aunt. Jeremiah is excited to see it, I'm running with it cause its rare he wants to see any Disney movies. I am prepared with tissues but it does have a happy ending right?

 

[lyzziesmom]

UP is a great movie!! Yes it has some sad parts, but they are mostly in the beginning. There is definitely a happy ending. You might need tissues for the happy parts, too.

Well the girls got home early so I'm going to go play with them for a little while before I have to go to work!

 

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

I quit my job today, and of course it was drama-filled, so feel free to skip.

My coworker got in trouble for making a mistake on a return the other day (it was a simple mistake, I've made the same mistake before and didn't get in trouble for it), so my manager told me yesterday that she was going to restrict her access (meaning no returns, overrides, etc.) My coworker came in today and found out and was very angry.

She then called my manager about the situation, but she didn't pick up. My manager called a few hours later and talked to me about it, she didn't want to talk to her. My coworker overheard the conversation and started crying and sent a text to our manager saying that she quit. I then put the phone on the charger in the back. I know I shouldn't have done it, but I did. We were in the front of the store so we didn't hear the phone ring. When we went into the backroom the phone was ringing and I picked it up and my manager said "You're next to be fired." I flipped out and said that I couldn't take the drama and that I quit. My coworker was shocked, she didn't expect that from quiet little me!

My manager came and we turned in our keys. I hope she had fun closing the store, because she has no idea how! I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders!

 

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

Lyzziesmom- I am SO jealous of your rate! That's awesome! My rate for about the same number of minutes and 300 texts a month is about $65! How's your tooth doing? I'm glad you were able to reorder your contacts!

Amber- I'm glad you were able to get a new phone!

Ashley- So what did you think about UP?

 

[hellokitty86]

Hey guys!!!

We loved UP. It was really cute!! Wasn't happy that it was $24 for both of us to see the movie though (and that was with the ticket girl taking pity on us and giving us the student discount!) Mr. Fredricksen reminded Jeremiah of his Grandpa. I totally see the resemblance. I didn't cry, but got close at the end (happy moment!)

After the movie was over we ended up going to The Field again rather spontaniously, LOL. What can I say, we like that restaurant and it was close by! And it was good because my Aunt got to go with us, she couldn't go last night.

Nicole- What a horrible thing your manager did!!! I don't blame you one bit for quitting- she has some nerve!!!! Sending you so you can find another job soon!! And you deserve some relaxation after dealing with that stressful environment! BTW, I still think you should do another Disney CP.

 

[lyzziesmom]

Nicole, this may sound weird but I'm glad you quit. Bravo!! That place (and especially that woman!) was driving you nuts. She sounds very unprofessional. Hopefully you will find something else soon and it'll be much better. It's too bad that you had to deal with the drama for as long as you did. I agree with Ashley, you should do another CP while you have the chance!

I had another issue with the new lead CM last night. I won't get into details, but some people get a little taste of power and let it go to their heads. Add into the mix someone who never liked me much in the first place and it gets quite uncomfortable. I am really learning to bite my tongue -- literally! It hurts!

Ashley, yikes movies are expensive!! I thought we spent too much on UP and it was $22.50 for the 3 of us, and that's only because it cost extra to see it in 3D. It was well worth it since we only go to first-run movies 2 or 3 times a year. If you got the discount, how much was the full-price ticket??

My tooth is doing ok. I go in next week to have the permanent crown put in. I'm glad it's way in the back because the temporary crown has turned a lovely shade of neon green! I did eat some candy the same day I got it put in, so I hope that's what's going on.

I got a call from the temp agency today and they say they never put in a claim to unemployment, so I am baffled as to what's going on. The company won't contact unemployment before they receive the review paperwork. It's all so stupid. Unemployment said they will drop the whole thing if the agency calls to say the claim was an error. The agency says they can't call, because it technically wasn't an error since they never submitted a claim at all. So it looks like I will get my payments, I will just have to wait until next month.

I have a job interview later this week at the place where my brother works. It's not a great job but the pay is good and benefits start on Day 1. It's basically a call center ("customer service representative") where they process prescription claims to insurance companies. It sure isn't what I'd really like, but at this point I can't really be picky. I was hoping to be able to continue working part-time and temp until the end of the summer semester so I could get used to being back in school (and I'm really enjoying spending so much time with the kids) but it's all just too uncertain.

My first day of school is tomorrow. I am so nervous!! I know it'll be fine. I never really learned how to study -- I was one of those kids who everyone hated because school came pretty easy to me, I either knew the material or I didn't -- but my brain works differently now so I'll have the added challenge of learning how to study on top of just trying to juggle everything. (Hmmm, do adult students qualify for the WDW CP? How funny would that be?!)

 

[lyzziesmom]

I would just like to say that I'm sorry my posts tend to be so long. I actually edit a lot before posting, you should see the "before"s!

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

Nicole, I'm with Lyzziesmom, I'm glad you quit. It's not worth the hassle sometimes to be at a place you hate.

Lyzziesmom, good luck with your interview. I have worked in a couple calls centers and they weren't horrible.

I don't mind your long posts at all!



We just got back from the bank (WAMU) and I nearly smacked the people there. We opened two accounts (checking and savings) there the 30th of March. We still have a Bank of America account too, so we didn't really use WAMU yet. Well, today we go to make a deposit and they tell me the account is closed!!! So, I go in and no one can me what happened. The manager comes over, makes a call, and says it was closed due to inactivity (although, they had been taking money from my checking each month to put into savings, so the was some activity). I was upset since we had received NO notice. He had to open a new account, but linked the debit cards, so we didn't have to order new ones. Hopefully, everything is all fixed now. He was extremely apologetic about everything.