First off, hat's off to McDonald's. I don't really eat there, but I do love their coffee.  I got a cup of coffee that was, unbelievably, SCALDING hot.  I mean, the touch your lips to it and burn type of hot.  I love it that way!  An obvious error, of course, most places do not sell hot coffee anymore, they sell just above lukewarm coffee because of the stupid people that will sue if they get burned by - what else - HOT coffee.

I get funny looks from both employees and customers at convenience stores when I take a cup of freshly poured coffee and stick it in the microwave for 40 seconds. I also get asked if the coffee is cold?  No, not cold, just not anywhere NEAR hot enough for my likes.  Oh.

Apparently my trees think it's Spring.  They are putting out new buds all over the place.  I need to go out front and check the real deciduous tree - it loses all of it's leaves during winter. No, after a quick check, the pear tree does not yet concur, it's not Spring yet.  I was examining the Sissoo trees, however, and there are new buds coming out all over the place on them.  Perhaps the pear tree just needs another good watering.

Which reminds me, I need to redo most of the front yard drip system.  I had to pull out a lot of lines to get the landscaping project I was doing out there - done.  Much of it is undone and it will take some time to get it all put back together again. Not a problem, per-se, I still have 1,000 feet of 1/4 tubing and plenteous emitters, just have to get out there and get it done.

So, tomorrow going to be working.  Tonight I am doing nothing.  Well, I am watching the Star Trek movie. It's the last one they made.  Whether they will make another one, who knows.

Friday 2/17/2012

Well into February and I still don't have that trailer done.
Oh well.  I plan on working on that thing this weekend and trying to get most of the roof over and done with.
Oh, it's Friiiiiiiiiday!!
Yes!
I don't have much this morning.  Head a bit foggy.  Got the computer back and now? I can't find my carrying case for it.  How do I lose a big case like that?!!  Well I can't take it to work with me without it.

But, I can never see replacing a desk top with a  laptop altogether.  My desktop runs circles around that laptop, even though I did get a fairly good setup with that laptop.  I haven't tried plugging it into the modem directly instead of doing everything through the air card, though, I am guessing that makes a difference. \

Well, I am wordless this morning - mind got on work, there is a lot to do today and I am way over hours, meaning trying to get it all done and still get off early.

Not that I WANT to give up those hours, lol.

G'day.

ben

Government Subsidized Free Cellphone Service?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you freaking serious?  Now - for however long this has been going on - the taxpayers are paying for "underprivileged" people to get FREE cellphone service, cellphone included?!!

https://www.safelinkwireless.com/Safelink/about_us

“Lifeline Assistance is part of a program that was created by the government to provide discounted or free telephone service to income-eligible consumers. To help bring you this important benefit, SafeLink Wireless is proud to offer Lifeline Service. Through our Lifeline Service you will receive FREE cellular service, a FREE cell phone, and FREE Minutes every month! SafeLink Wireless Service does not cost anything – there are no contracts, no recurring fees and no monthly charges.”


 I'm sorry, but this is total bullshit. WHY are WE paying for people to get free cellphone service? As long as you qualify for food stamps - the only criteria - then you get free cellphone service for life.  Now, let's get all of this down on a sheet of paper:  Poor people can: Get cash assistance from the government; get food stamps - from same-said government; get free housing through Hud - yes, the government again; get WIC benefits, totally free of course - from the government;  get free medical/health insurance - yup, the governement AND NOW get free cell phone service, too?  And what about this idea of theirs to get free internet service to everyone "that qualifies" as well?

If you are a poor person and you are living free off of the government and have been most or all of your life, WHAT possible incentive do you have to get OFF of the gravy train? PLEASE tell me how this is actually helping people in any way, shape or form?  Besides, of course, to enjoy even more of my tax dollars going to  the "fairness doctrine" that Obama embraces.  The idea that we should all, for whatever reason, be equals.  Perhaps in the sight of God that is true, with life, that definitely isn't true and never is going to be.  No, this is total and complete bullshit.  I would love for anyone to please explain how this is any thing but a BAD idea?

Thursday 2/16/2012

So, overnight, the information posted on my account on HP has finally changed.  It went from "there might be a delay in shipping" to looking at the tracking number with Fed Ex and finding out my computer is at a sorting facility somewhere in Phoenix, right now and is to be delivered to my house today.

Finally.  Not that I have REALLY missed the thing, I can live without it, but I enjoy having it around when I am sitting in the semi, waiting to get unloaded and can surf the internet or write emails or whatever I want to do, really.

I am stuck with this computer - or more to the point - the company that manufactured this computer and there is no way around that.  If I ever have to buy another laptop again, it most certainly will NOT be an HP product is all I can say about that.  I am going to make sure and follow up about this free extended warranty.  I am quite sure that dude that offered it is not going to want to hear the sound of my voice ever again, so it will be good for him to simply give it to me or I will be calling the other guy again.  If you are going to promise something, then with me? Best to follow through with it, thank you.

I have $550 to go to pay off that trailer.  I will be VERY glad to get that done and over with.  That's a bit of a hit on my monthly expenses right now - just 2 full and a 3rd partial payment to go and it's done.  Then I can go about the task of trying to either sell it or trade it for a pickup.  I was speaking with my mother last night, I figure the trailer is worth around 3K.  She thinks about that and says: well what kind of truck can you buy for 3 thousand dollars?  Not a new one, rest assured, mother.  It's that or sell the thing and put a trailer hitch on my car and buy a small trailer.  Whatever the case, hopefully 3 months from now both of these trailers will be out of my driveway permanently and then I can focus my attention on my newest goal: a guesthouse/casita/whatever you want to call it.

I am saving money towards that end.  It will take a while to save up enough to build the thing, though.   I can do much of the construction myself, but I honestly have no clue how to build trusses for the roof.

Well, anyway, it's time to be off to work.  Not that much to do as of yesterday afternoon in the truck routing system.  I sort of hope that changes, but then again, there is lots of cleanup that needs to be done at the yard, I haven't had time to do much of it and it starts getting really bad looking out there after a few weeks of pulling orders and loading them on the truck. Rocks; pieces of pallets; cardboard this that and the other thing laying everywhere.

G'day.

ben

So I was reading Fin's blog - going on longer time internet friend type of thing - about his disdain for the dog that was announced the winner at Westminster this year.  Yes, I had the same thought: how can a dog that looks like it was just crapped out of an elephant's @$$ win the Best In Show?

I am apparently a racist when it comes to dogs: ugly dogs should not win dog shows. Certainly, they should not win the Premiere doggy show of basically the entire world.

Which brought back the memory of when I was reading the AKC definition of what a Great Dane should look like in all appearances including bone stucture; head; stance; etc etc etc.  I read that and thought about Duke, my 150 pound Great Dane who is, admittedly, a genetic failure.

His tail is about a foot and a half long and has a 3 inch 90 degree, permanent bend at the end.  His gait is hilarious, certainly nothing of "quality" Dane stock.  He's the goofiest dog on earth, well, he and Copper, lol, would have a go at it.  I love big dogs, don't get me wrong, but I also love to make fun of them, lol.  Anyway, Dukes' cranial structure makes him look akin to one of the Coneheads.  His ears are small, way too small for a Dane.  I mean, it's an endless list.  I have seen that dog jump back in shock at the sight of his own shadow. I am not kidding.  But, he is an entirely lovable 150 pounds of joy.

Regardless, I read this definition of their's - the AKC - of how the Dane "should" be and therefore  concluded that Duke is deficient - quite deficient - and should be put to death.  Lol.  Yes, I wrote them.  I wrote about Duke and all of his genetic deficiencies and contrasted them to the state of being that dog "should" be in.  So, I correctly concluded (sic) in that letter that I am to assume that since Duke is not the perfect Great Dane, I should have him killed.

Okay, I guess that was a bit overboard.  It was done in humor, actually, not in disdain.  Here are these people - rather high on themselves I might add - stating how elegant the Great Dane is, but only if he meets the critique that they ascribe.

But I did ask them: since the dog is obviously the result of backyard breeding and overbreeding, he therefore must be less than a "real" dog and therefore he doesn't deserve to live, at least what I am reading from your website.

Yes, I did get a response.  Oh nooooooo, we would NEVER suggest you just go out and have your dog euthanized.  I said killed, lol, not euthanized, but they had to use the politically correct statement, I guess.  Euthanizing is a nice way of saying the action of killing.

Whatever.  I really had no agenda in that exchange excepting to attempt to make them think about what they are saying.  This dog "shall" look like this and if not...........what?  lol

Here is a link to a pic of the dog that won Best In Show this year:  http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=361031997247857&set=a.361031627247894.89992.163663473651378&type=3&theater

I suppose the real tragedy is contrasted to the other dogs that were there, in contention for the grand title.

Wednesday 2/15/2012

I got home yesterday from work and had forgotten that M Power was low - like so low the power would be out by midnight.  I had to turn right back around and head up to the store.  No, not the end of the world, but that one will stick with me for a while - don't do THAT again.

Caleb just now came out and said his last day of work is today.

I wish my last day of work was today, forever.  But it isn't and isn't anywhere near it.

Did I say I am still a bit cranky this morning?

Next time I come home from work - the second time per yesterday - and people aren't leaving me alone if/when I don't feel like being around people - I am just going to disappear into my bedroom.

I need my laptop back.  What is the deal? They say they are going to fix it for free now, but they haven't got it done.  How long does it take a trained repair person to replace a computer screen on a laptop? Certainly not days.  In fact, I would imagine they would have it down to a science and have it done rather quickly.

I'll give it til' Friday.  If I don't see  a change in the status - ie: it's on a truck and being sent back - I will call and find out what's going on with it.  I don't want to get too pushy here, but, if they aren't going to do it, send it back and send it back NOW.  You have had it LONG enough and have done NOTHING with it.

Good thing I am not calling them right now, I'm not sure that conversation would end too well.  I am like half awake right now and hardly ready to go to work and start busting @$$, yet, that is exactly what I am going to have to do.

Wish me luck.

ben

When I Spend

You get home after a looooong day at work and you sometimes just want to be left alone.  I mean, 11 hours today, straight, working my @$$ off from the time I started til' the minute I ended.  It was that kind of day - most of them are, actually, but they don't normally go on that long.

I walk through the door and not 5 minutes behind that the kid that walks the dogs comes walking in.  I was in no mood.  I finally had to tell him that I am tired, had a long day at work, PLEASE.  Well, teenagers don't get hints, I guess.  He went into the living room and started messing with the dogs.  Again, PLEASE stop, now.

This kid hangs around for 1 hour and 20 minutes.  I hate to be rude and tell him to leave, so I just hoped he would do it on his own.  He  finally did.  RIGHT after that, a tenant comes out and starts cooking.   Oh my gosh.   I start hearing this story about how Lynnette crashed into a telephone pole last night, I guess it was, because she didn't want to wait for the bus.  Now her bike is trashed and so is she, apparently.  I haven't seen her, I don't really know.

I dunno.
There are times when living in a shack sounds better than having all these people around.  I can normally put up with it, but incredibly, people don't get the clue when I am not in the mood to talk.  Do I HAVE to be sociable 24 hours a day in my own home?  Are you?  No, you say, but I don't rent rooms to people.  So what.  I don't go to their bedroom doors and start knocking, either.

Ahhhhh, whatever, I'm just cranky. Going to go to bed early tonight.  I will have another long day tomorrow, probably not as long as today, but it is already filled up as far as stuff to do in the truck routing system goes.  It was nicely chilled outside all day long today.  I don't think the high was over the mid 50's.  Very nice, indeed.

Driving back to the yard today in heavy traffic.  Took off from a light and had gotten my speed up to where I was behind the vehicle in front of me.  There is a lane to the right of me - but it ends.  Everyone knows it ends cause' it is WELL posted.  But, people try to use it as a passing lane and cut other drivers off, anyway.  All the time.  Well, this guy in this pickup truck comes flying up beside me.  The lane ends - but not for about another 200 or more feet.  He starts coming over - into my lane - into ......me!  I had nowhere to go and I just kept driving.  The driver is either going to get the clue that he is going to slam into my truck and back off or - he is going to slam into my truck.

People see trucks and use them as cut points.  They don't care what they do directly in front of you, either.  Cut you off with half a car's length distance and then slam on their brakes to avoid rear-ending the car in front of them, notwithstanding the fact that they are causing me to apply heavy pressure to the braking system on the truck in an attempt to avoid a collision because they are too freaking stupid to understand that what they have just done in cutting me off in a semi truck is akin to an elephant stamping on an ant in "elephant traffic".

More likely, they don't give a damn.  The driver backed off and got behind me, which is what he should have done in the first place.  Actually, the lane he was in was a turning lane, not a passing lane and it is - as I said - clearly marked.

Highway Patrol.  Came flying up beside me in the HOV lane today and camped out beside me.  No clue.  Well, yes, a clue.  He's inputting information into a computer - taking the number off the door.  That particular number identifies the company, not the truck.  What comes up is the company's standing in the newest system they have, which identifies where the company is at in terms of compliance.  Long story not going to go into, it's all on the net anyway.  I wasn't speeding, I WAS too close to the car in front of me but only because that driver saw the cop and hit the brakes, hard.  I let the safe distance accumulate again.  A few minutes of this and he sped up - way up and took off down the highway.

I am, at this point, doing whatever I can to simply avoid Highway Patrol and all the rest of the law enforcement agency's Commercial Vehicle Enforcement officers driving particular style vehicles.  The cities have them, the county has them, the state has them oh and let's not forget about the Feds.  I had the wonderful pleasure of being pulled over at random by Feds once.  An hour and a half.

The reason for avoiding them - not at ALL costs but certainly as much as possible - is the endearment for preservation of job.

Anyway.  It's almost my bedtime,  a bit earlier than usual, yes.  I had some strange dreams last night - but entertaining once I woke up and thought about it, lol.  Dreams can have you or others doing things that are physically impossible to do, lol.

Later.

ben

Tuesday 2/14/2012

I get it now why this other guy was so adamant about sending the computer in versus having a tech come out and do it:  so he could make me eat it.  He had claimed that I had verbally abused his buddy associate by using profanity and this, that and the other thing.  I calmly replied that I had not used any profanity, not even the hint of it and that she was the one that hung up on me after insisting that I wasn't "her" customer, she therefore couldn't and wouldn't answer my questions.

I could be way off on that guess.  The guy clearly didn't want to talk to me, which is unfortunate for him because I will be calling him back and asking him about the extended warranty. I will be calling the manager from Denver back and thanking him for his intervention - once I get my laptop back, that is.  Whatever the case, I do expect to see it landing soon.

Umm, I just looked: I finally got automated email apologizing for "delay" (in reality, this thing should have been done and sent back to me by last MONDAY) and that it may take a while longer to get it shipped out to me.

Well I just burned up my pre-work hour and now I have to leave.  A huge order to pull this morning, I know the manager didn't get it all done, so I will be busy today : )

G'day.

ben

HP And My Laptop

I had all but admitted defeat on this one.  That's because of the unbelievable attitudes with that company that I received across the board.  Umm, excepting on individual, the manager from Denver.

The only thing I had definitively concluded was that I was NOT going to pay them $359 to have a new LCD screen put on the thing and if that mean voiding the warranty, who cares.  If that was the price everywhere, it probably would not have gotten fixed.  Instead, I had received quotes for $125 and $150 to replace the screen - screen included in that price.

Well, as one of my final attempts, I called the guy from Colorado who did not answer, of course, since it's his off days, and left a message.  The message was plain and to several points.  Why is your company wanting to charge me $359 to replace a screen on a computer that I bought for not much more than that?  When I have found 2 places already, locally, that will do it for a third of the cost?  And other things.  I actually did not expect to hear a reply from him, but I will try all avenues available until it becomes obvious that I am wasting my time.

Again, this was one situation where I was throwing in the hat.  I lost, they won.  I have a great track record with the W's and VERY few L's.  And frankly, to pay $125 to fix it really wasn't the end of the world for me.

So, it was with great surprise - really it was - to get a call from home today while I was at work and hear Lynnette on the other end of the phone telling me a man named **** had called from HP and told Mark, who had taken the call, to give me a message.

Ohhhh, and what message was that?  I imagined being told to f*** off or something that says that without actually saying it.  Lol.  The man said that the computer was going to be fixed today, post haste and that they would have it sent back to me asap.  Reeeeeeally?

Hmm, maybe putting up with all that BS from people in India and the Philippines was worth it after all.  I was hung up on; interrupted countless times; attempts to belittle me after I would ask them to speak to their manager; on and on and on.  I wonder if I am going to get the extended warranty as well - for free, of course.  I'll wait until I have my computer in-hand before I attempt to even address that one.  That idea came from the guy that was handling my case, not the dude from Colorado.  However, it was the dude handling my case that came up with the $359 figure, according to the person in the Philippines whose accent was so thick, I had to ask her to repeat herself frequently.

I'm guessing that this won't ever happen again with this company, be happy that I got what I am getting for free and that is that.  Yes, happy.  Especially after being told that it will not be fixed unless I ante up the $359, to which I loudly laughed.  Yeah, right.  I'll go out and buy another laptop - from a different manufacturer - before I do that,  I replied as curtly as the statement was made to me.

Let's just put it this way: HP has some serious customer relation problems.  Allegedly, many customers have complained about the treatment they received from the call centers in India and the Philippines.  If you're going to have call centers in different nations, you better darn well make sure that the people that are employed speak FLUENT English and that their culture and way of seeing things isn't going to obscure the way they treat us - HP's customers.  The only thing getting an attitude from these people makes me want to do is not ever buy anything from their company again.  I will rethink that now that I found out at least ONE person in that entire company agreed with me and actually had the juice/power to do anything about  it.

Sunday 2/12/2012

Umm, well, here we are.
Sunday.  No more NFL football.
Not a big fan of basketball anymore, not because I don't like the game but because of the abundant, stupid, selfish attitudes of the players. I have never liked soccer.  Hockey I watch once in a blue moon.  Baseball I also steer away from, though I used to be an avid fan.

No great loss, just musing.  Went to church today and the guest speaker was back for round 2.  Good sermon, but I am considering leaving the church altogether.  I have never been a fan of the cliques in church.  I saw them when I was a leader in the church and balked at it.  People get into these little groups and will not go beyond them.  I never thought it was anything Christian to engage in such and now on the receiving end of it, I definitely don't think it is now.

Receiving end meaning these people have been together for years, it's a church plant from Memphis, Tennessee.  I cannot find a way into any of it, though I have tried.  These people want to impact the Tempe area, yet they can't even find a way to reach out to people that come to their own church.  Heck, I'll even name the name of it: Freedom Gate Church of Tempe, Arizona.

When I was in a different place in church - before the divorce and meaning I was a part of the leadership - I made it a point to reach out to new people and do whatever needed to be done to make sure they were made a part of it, if that's what they wanted.  I would drag other members into it with me just because I felt so strongly about it.  Who wants to go to church and feel like an outsider forever? That was the reason I went to such great lengths at the time and now?  Doesn't seem like I can catch a break at this place.

Cliques may be a part of human life, but that doesn't make it right for the Christian church.  Well, it's been 7 or 8 months of going to this church but I might as well be a newcomer that showed up for the first time this morning.  The lack of engagement is astounding.  I saw another guy that had started coming regularly to the church who was also in the same predicament.  I reached out to him, but he ended up leaving as well as others I have noted that have come and gone.

I listen to their grand plan of impacting Tempe, but as long as they are stuck in their little groups and would rather not be bothered by "outsiders", they aren't going to go anywhere.  Just an observation from - an outsider.

Of course, that information will never hit the ears of the people it needs to hit, I am just venting.  I sat alone, eating at a table today, while the little cliques all enjoyed the company of their friends.  I felt like throwing the food in the trash can - I am not poor, I can buy my own food - the point of eating "with" others is the "fellowship" aspect.  It was even more amazing that people were standing or sitting there, staring at me, as if I was an alien that just landed from outer-space.  Am I having a pity party?  I dunno, maybe.  It's just that I have been involved with the church for quite a long time now - sans 7 years of visiting churches here and there but not really wanting anything to do with it until I came to this church and resolved in myself that I would become a part of it as much as I could.

I am beginning to revert back to the mindset of: "I can visit a church here and there" mode.  I could go about this in a totally different way.  People ask you how you are doing at this church? I could look them in the eye and tell them that they are asking a question that they could care less whether they hear the answer or not.  Lol.  I could reply that they are only asking that question to make the appearance of actually caring.  See, I have seen this in the Christian church for decades, it's nothing new.  I would challenge any pastor to tell me I am wrong, number 1 and number 2, that anything is ever done to change it.  And, when I first started noticing this phenomenon over 2 decades ago, that's when I decided I would do my best to INCLUDE people, not just give them a passing "gee, nice to see you" and move on stance.

Whatever.

I dunno if I will be going back next week.  If I do, it might be on a more confrontational clause.  Is it worth it?
Maybe.  They want to sit there and talk about their vision for this area, endlessly, yet they don't even see what's going on in front of their faces. That would be the only point to it.  Yet, in my mind, I know it would be a waste of time and energy, so why bother.

Well, it's outside to the great blue yonder.  Beautiful day out there and I have some things I want to get done.

G'day.

ben

Qwest - or whatever it's called now (Century Link)

This company is  another on my "loser" list and it's going to go away at this point. I have had enough.  I have put up with years of incompetence, poor service, bad internet connections and am finally ready to just pay the price - I will have to buy a cable ready modem - and get it over with.  I WILL be trying the grass on the other side of the fence.

If it isn't any greener, then so beit, but I have had Qwest internet for too long and for too long - it goes out altogether or it goes down to half the connection speed that I am paying for.

Yes, I was on the phone with them today, again, for the 50th time attempting to get the connection speed back up to par - that's the point.  This supervisor I was speaking with stated - after I spent a bit of time telling him how I think about his company - that "it doesn't take that long to get to someone".

As if I should HAVE to get to anyone.  Their internet doesn't work as agreed and paid for as often as it does.  I have spent some time looking into Cox internet today, not that I believe it's going to be any better, but I at least have to try it once.  It's certainly a faster connection speed for only a few dollars per month more - if it works.  That's the problem I have with Qwest/ Century Link - it doesn't WORK as often as it does work.

I have had technicians out here 2 dozen times now in the last 4 years.  I am sick of having to call them to deal with connectivity issues.  SICK of it.

So, I am going to buy a Cox compatible modem that also serves as a wifi router and see what happens.  It is going to cost me $129 for modem/router combo I want, but, again.  Too much history with Qwest.  Them changing their name to Century Link has changed NOTHING about the service.  It totally sucks.

Yes, my connection has been going down for several days now - I finally contacted them today, enough is enough.  Did they fix it? Yes, this time, one of the few that has ever occured, over the phone, but it took over an hour of it.  I have been through more than enough hours of it and if I went into all of it, well, this entry would go on and on and on - 20 paragraphs at least worth.

Whatever.  There are occasions when a relationship with a company needs to be cut and this is definitely one of them.

Saturday 2/11/2012

Well, now that I have as much of the HP situation done as I can for today - I waited for a week to hear from them - now I can move on to other things.
Lynnette is coughing, hacking, coughing away. Has been for days.  I had asked about the use of cough syrup, I didn't get an answer.
Hmmm.
Well, whatever, I don't want her walking around the common areas of the house hacking away like that, I don't want to get sick and I don't want anyone else to get sick, either, is all I can say about it.

I was going to have that kid come over and do some yard work today, but, his phone isn't working and he hasn't responded to my email, so that is also going to get blown off.

Which leaves me to find a new mattress for the travel trailer and also get up on the roof and begin work on the other roof vent that needs replaced.  I have the vent, just gotta get up there and get to work!  It's only 10:00am and I am waiting until it warms up bit more before doing that.

I am hoping to get a nice, used mattress for around $100.  Delivered.  lol.  I can get a new one for $150 but we're not talking Sealy for that kind of money.  Not in a big hurry to do that, but - on the other hand - wanna get it done while the money is available to do so.  There is no mattress in that trailer currently.

Caleb is still having sleep issues - can't help him with that unless he wants to go to a doc and get sleeping medication.  At his age?  I slept through the night.  In fact, I didn't start having sleeping issues until I got divorced at the age of 41.  I have always been a light sleeper, but I found ways around that problem by using ear plugs and a fan to cover up noise at night.

Church service last night was a bit different.  The guest speaker had everyone come up front and we all prayed.  There was no sermon.  I'm not complaining or saying it was bad, just saying it was definitely different.

That's it.  I have a pond filter I need to disassemble and clean out.  Not the funnest thing on earth but it's really the only thing I ever really have to do to maintain it.  Other stuff I can or cannot do - if I wanna, lol.  I actually can let the filters go for extended lengths of time, but then it gets so filled up with fish waste that it's very difficult to clean out with all the goo.  Yuck.

My Broken Laptop - Hewlett Packard Substandard Service

I hadn't received any kind of contact from HP - at all - since I sent it in excepting an automated email saying that they had received it.
Getting annoyed with it, I went back into that email and found a link to their site to check the status of the repair.

Going to that site and inputting the required information, a screen comes up telling me that the LCD screen is cracked and that it was going to cost $359 to repair it.

$359.00??!!!

I then attempted to call the case manager in their executive department - closed on weekends.  Then tried calling their main 800 number.  Besides the endless prompts - which I have now figured out how to get around - you get routed to either India or the Philippine Islands.  Indian accents, as I have repeatedly stated on this blog, are so thick and heavy it is often times difficult to understand anything they are saying.

I basically got hung up on a couple of times from that side of the world as I asked to speak to someone who actually speak intelligible English.  I guess that doesn't go over too well with them.

I then started connected to the Philippine Islands.  Their accent is readily recognizable.  It has a high-pitched, irritating twang to it.  Perhaps the irritation is with the company itself, I don't know, but they don't really speak English too well, either.  After 4 more attempts with them, I finally got a lady that - about half English speaking I would estimate.

She gets back on the phone after taking my information which I had to repeatedly give to her and tells me the same thing: cracked LCD screen, you have 2 options.  Pay me $359 now, over the phone or we can just send it back to you.  Well I can tell you right now that I ain't paying $359 to have a computer laptop screen fixed, I will find some way to get it done cheaper (which I already have, thank you).

I ask to speak to her supervisor, which is when she starts getting cranky with me.  Note  that I wasn't asking to speak to her supervisor about HER, but about the situation.  Here's my guess, and it's probably right on: anytime you end up speaking with a supervisor in that particular company, it's a ding on the rep that couldn't solve your problem.  Many companies are like this. Instead of getting a supervisor, you are either put back into the general incoming call system with their computer automatic voice system or you are hung up on altogether.

The last few weeks of my experiences with Hewlett Packard have confirmed to me one thing: I will never buy another Hewlett-Packard product again.  There are MANY other manufacturers of laptops out there, HP certainly doesn't have the corner on that market.  As for now, however, I am stuck with this laptop and nothing I can do.

Moving on, I then tried to call the higher level manager in Denver, Colorado (he repeated that to me several times, apparently he likes Denver Colorado).  I got his voice messaging.  I left a message about the high cost of the replacement and what is the point of spending that much money to fix it.

My next search was on Newegg.com.  See what a replacement screen actually costs, or at least something close to the amount.  Around $90.  If I can buy a replacement screen for $90 on Newegg, how much do you think it actually costs the manufacturer who MAKES the screen?  Yeah.  What a ripoff.

I then moved my search to Craigslist. There are always people on there that advertise for fixing computers.  I don't use those services anymore- that's the people fixing desktops of which I no longer need help with fixing.  Hardware or software, I can deal with all of it.  Laptops?  Totally foreign field to me, though, of course, they work no different than a  desktop, they are definitely a different deal as far as how they get all of that crammed into that little case.

Anyway, I found a couple of people advertising on their, one of which has his own shop.  I already called him: Yes, that's the new screen, I will charge you $125.00 total to replace it.  There is a FAR cry of difference between $359 and $125, thank you very much.

I have now filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau concerning this situation, since they promised to fix this computer and yes, I paid to get that promise fulfilled.

We'll see where this goes in the coming days.

As for now, I can't do anything until Monday to contact the case worker and find out why they think replacing an LCD screen is worth almost the entire cost of the computer.  I filed the complaint because they apparently respond to such complaints, as evidenced by what I saw on their BBB profile. However, in the end, I am guessing I will have to have them simply send it back and I will take it to a local person to fix it for a 1/3rd of the cost that they are attempting to charge me for it.  This may be one of the few cases where BenB does not win against the company.  If so, oh well.  I have a pretty good track record of getting things fixed or problems solved - though I am not done with this situation yet.

That's because I found an address for their corporate headquarters and am going to see if there is a local number that will take me to something other than their so-called executive team.  Of course, I did end up talking to a higher level manager after insisting on speaking with someone other then this executive team, so I guess if I just call that number back and am relentless, well, you know the story.

I have decided that I am going to go to the special church meeting tonight.

I don't really feel like it, but I feel oddly compelled to go.  Which usually means I will definitely get something out of it.  What, exactly, I have no clue, but I will find out when I get there, I guess.

Which reminds me, I need a new Bible.  My brother gave me $60 cash for Christmas which is still sitting there.  I figured to use it for something that I wanted, not needed.  Okay, I did say I "need" a new Bible, translate to I WANT a new Bible.  Of course, reading the Bible on line is way cool since you can look up as many different versions of any particular scripture you want to search out as you want.

However, the old-fashioned way of reading the Bible is also quite appealing to me.  I like reading it both ways, really: online and on paper.

Whatever the case, I must leave soon and need to freshen up a bit.

Later.

ben

Friday 2/10/2012

So there it was.  Opened up my online account and saw the paycheck with the 2 weeks extra pay in there, shining in all it's monetarial glory.
Wait a minute.  It's  just money, no glory about it.
I'm going to finish the trailer with the extra money and hopefully have it ready to be moved in the not too distant future.
I'm figuring another $500 should finish the job on it nicely.

2 more years.  Geeeeeze.  That's how long it is until the car is paid off.  Endless car payments.  Eternal.  Sick of it.

Plans this weekend include continuing work on the trailer roof, I need to get that done now that I have the means to get everything else done on it.  That kid I've hired twice now to do a bunch of junk outside that I don't want to do wants to come back. I have stucco paint and I am considering having him paint the wall out front of the house next to the sidewalk and running up alongside the west side.

There is a special church meeting going on tonight that I am considering going to as well.  I've also been invited to go to the movies, though it's with a person I have some serious reservations about in several factors of consideration.

My laptop allegedly is getting sent back to me today, at least according to the email I read several days ago.  Maybe they have an update email in there.  No, nothing yet.  Something tells me - based upon my limited experience with this company - that they aren't going to be doing ANYTHING before they say they are going to.  I do expect it to get sent out today, however, and if it's not, I'll be going through the phone maze again with them.

And that's it for now, as work day calls and I must be leaving in a few minutes.  Lots to do today, too, keep me busy all day long and then some : )

G'day.

ben

Body Fat

The contest at work started early last year.  It was a contest started by an aspiring salesman to see who could lose the most body fat in a specific time period.  It was supposed to end in November.  I was has my body fat measured at the beginning of it, in the 18% range.  Okay, not great.

Certainly not considering the fact that at one point in my life, I was at 4.9% body fat.  I had so little fat on my body that I had people asking: "Do you feel good?".  Why, I would ask?  "Because you have no fat!".

Those days are gone - although I maintained that kind of body fat until my late 30's.

Well, I got a call from that salesman today: "Hey bro (younger guy, early 20's, usually pretty cool, but we won't go into the "uncool" times), wassup?".  If nothing else, it is always good to try and maintain as good a relationship with the people at your employment as you possibly can, even if they are arrogant, condescending, snooty, high-minded. god-like in their own eyes - you get the picture.  I am actually not referring to this dude in that context, though.  Just saying.  I could go into another associate who had an attitude that would take a jackhammer to break today.

Nothing, dude, what's going on?  I thought he was going to throw a late delivery at me - which usually doesn't bother me, either, it's all OT for me.  "Hey man, I heard you took out that delivery today for me to *****?"  I won't name the names of the contractors we deal with, not a good idea, really.  Yes, I replied, I am there right now, waiting for them to come unload the truck.  "Cool man, thanks!".  Okay.  "I need to get all of the measurements done for the final tally for the body fat contest, I need to get yours taken today".

Okay.  No problem.  When I get back, of course.  We end that call, he is going to show up and get it over with.  I didn't want to be measured, to be honest, looking at myself in the mirror, it seems that I have gained fat, not lost it.  I figured I had only increased in my fat content, not lost any.  I had brought that up to him that conversation.  His reply: "EVERYONE says that, dude, but it's never the case.  Everyone has actually increased muscle mass and lost body fat!".

I still didn't believe it, not from appearances.  But whatever.  I get back to the yard and end up having to go right back out to get a part for someone that needs it immediately.  Back again - time to get off the clock.  I clock out and go into the room this salesman is in.  A large number of people are suddenly using our new facility, lol, it's pretty nice, has plug-ins to access the company intranet in every room (lots of empty rooms in there) and lots of places for privacy to shut doors for those that need it when talking with contractors and such.

I go into the kitchen - this is this guy's preferred room to do his business, lol.  I weigh myself, 2 pounds heavier than when I weighed in last year.  My weight is up and down but, unfortunately, pretty much stays at the same weight.  I say unfortunately because I would like to get it to the low 180's, not the mid 190's.  He gets out the calibers and starts taking the measurements.  Nothing.  Nothing.  Referring to my biceps and triceps - lean parts of my body that show no fat.  Nothing referring to nothing, not really measurable amounts of body fat there.  You pinch the skin and that's what you get, skin.  Which I really like considering I am 48 years old.

My stomach? He takes several measurements and then gets to the upper and lower back and then the thigh and then the calf area.  He starts telling me I have lost body fat and increased muscle mass.

Noooo, I still don't believe it.  He inputs all the measurements into the required fields - lots of them - and then it comes back.  My once 18%? Now 14%.

I had to start thinking.  Of course.  All of that heavy, heavy material that has come in for 2 huge jobs.  It isn't like lifting  a piece of paper out of a ream.  Most of it is large diameter material and is VERY heavy.  I force myself, for the most part, to lift it out physically instead of using the forklift to lift it out of there.  Not always - if it's jammed into a crate or otherwise an impossible situation, then yes, I let hydraulics take over.  But I consider it a workout and that, it is.

So I'm not losing weight because I have been increasing muscle mass.  Okay, I can accept that. : )

Bills

I had completely forgotten about the new Verizon Wireless account for mobile broadband.  I paid the first month plus the next month plus the activation fee.  But, I haven't had the laptop in a week now and the bill went into the cobweb sector of my brain.

I don't really know what brought it up in my mind, I didn't receive a notice or a phone call or anything.  It just popped up: uh-ohhhh, you have a bill you forgot about.  So, finding the paperwork, I call their 800 number and go through the automated system.  Turns out it's only 1 day late and also turns out that I am not going to be hit with some sort of outrageous late fee, such as you definitely expect to get hit with with credit card payments that are late.

Caleb informed me that he put in his 2 week notice.  Notice to quit work, that is.  I mean, he had informed me a few days before that that he was going to quit - in a month or two.  Suddenly that is ratcheted up to 2 weeks from now.  I didn't say anything to him at the git-go, there are times I tend to speak my mind about things and in this kind of scenario, that probably isn't going to come out sounding like a walk in the park and the person it is intended for probably is going to be offended.

The reason I wasn't happy about this is that I wanted him to sit on it for a month - at least - think about it and perhaps think through all the little paths of "potential consequences" that it can take you through.  Otherwise known as analytical thinking.  You know, you think things through - well through - and do so for a while - before you make a decision about something as important as quitting your job?  Yeah, that little tidbit.

I then asked how much volunteering he was going to be doing at the church - the alleged reason he was quitting his job.  Fridays.  I bit my tongue. At his age, I was working 2 jobs and burning the midnight oil. Many days would start at 6 am and end at 12 midnight.  Now, he's apparently going to go to school, yes, but replace his job with 1 day a week volunteering?

I was good with him replacing the hours he was working to volunteering, yes, I was.  I dunno what's going through that boy's head, but I am going to chalk this one up to a learning experience - for him, not me.  He is going to find out that being broke and having no money isn't exactly a fun thing.  It may also be that if he decides after a bout of being broke that he wants to go find another job, it may not be all that easy to do so.  I'm not feeling really compelled to pay his insurance on my other car plus pump gasoline into it for him to drive around.  I'll feed him and continue to pay his health care coverage as I have been doing for his entire life, but the rest of it?

Yes, life can smack you in the face and when it does, especially at that age?  Look out.  He sort of dealt me a hand that I wasn't expecting after he made his initial intentions known.  I am not going to hold his hand and lead him through life.  At his age, better learn quickly.  He already stated his intentions of getting a bicycle and the fact that he won't be able to do Muay Thai anymore.  No, I am not paying for his Muay Thai.  I had thought this scenario was going to be a weeeee bit different than what is unfolding.  I am going to continue to keep my mouth shut about it - but my wallet will also stay shut.  The only caveat is that I want to go "sport fishing", they call it, again this year and if he wants to go - providing I am able to save up enough money for such a trip - then I will pay his way for that as I did last year.

Well whatever.  I am not going to lose sleep over it.  I do think he should have followed the course that he had originally pronounced in stating that it would be a month or two, at least, before he quit.

Moving on?  What am I going to move onto.  Oh, yes, the initial plan/goal of building a casita.  Thank you for reminding me of that, I need to go out and take some measurements, be right back! ROFL!!

Hmmm.  I think I could so a 15x20 unit.  300 square feet of space.  The design is already in my head.  Front door leads into a living/bedroom situation.  At the other end is a small kitchen.  It does have a microwave, oven with stovetop, refrigerator and sink, just isn't huge.  It has cabinet space as well.  Small closet to the right upon entry.  Bathroom is aligned with the kitchen at the far end.  One window, next to the door.  Large window, though.

That's it.  But plenty and considering a private residence in this location? Should be easily rentable.

That's it.

2/9/2012 Thursday

Not a heckuvalot going on right now.
Not that there always needs to be, lol.
No new news on any tenants - just that one broke the knob off the hot water valve for the shower in the bathroom and left an apologetic message this morning.
Nice.  A tenant finally takes responsibility for something.  Not that I hold it against that person, I will replace whatever needs to be replaced and that will be the end of that.
Was going to take some measurements yesterday and see how much space I would have for building a casita - but I totally spaced it out.  I think  I was a bit tired yesterday and just wanted to relax after a long day at work.

Gilbert - the 21 year old tenant - was out on the side of my house taking pics and videos of my ponds yesterday.
He stated he was going to send them to his mother and try to convince her to do her own pond.  These small ponds are incredibly easy care/maintenance.  Clean out the filters every 2 to 3 weeks or even a month and that's about it besides feeding the fish.  Occasionally you have to go through and trim down the plants - I try to give them away whenever anyone wants some - keep the water level up, that's about it.

One of my ponds has a very nice mixture of plants that looks really nice.  I do hope we don't get another freeze like last year which about wiped them all out.  They eventually grew back but it took 8 months for that to happen.

Anyway, time to be off to work.

G'day.
ben

Wednesday 2/8/2012

The more I think about it, the more I am glad that Americredit did what it did.  If I end up owing the IRS, so beit.  I am not, in other words, thinking that I am going to get any kind of return this year considering that thing being dumped on me.

HP refunded my money for the extended warranty, I was just noticing on my credit card account.  I didn't ask them to do that, they offered it.  The reason I didn't ask them to do that is because I wanted that coverage.  Now that they've done it, I'm going to make sure, once I finally get my computer back - that they are going to give me the free coverage that they claimed they would.  If they do that, then all that time spent on the phone with those people will have been worth it.

I received an email from them stating the turnaround to send the computer back will be on the 10th.  So much for the expedited service, that thing has been with them since - last week.  Oh well, I can live without the thing.  Don't necessarily need to be tied down to electronics all the time.

Whatever the case, I have identified the only real place on my property that a small guest quarters could be built.  Right smack dab where on of the travel trailers is sitting.  No worries, that trailer will be moved out of here soon enough, no later than the end of May.  I am going to use the bonus money on my next paycheck to buy the new mattress and microwave for it and probably going to re-carpet the thing as well.  My mom thought it looked okay, I am thinking different. It really doesn't look that good to me at all.  Not that I am going to live in it, but I want the thing nice and new carpet will definitely make it nice.  It doesn't have to be fancy carpet, just new.  In fact, I want carpet that hides dirt and can withstand a bunch of dogs on it. lol

Anyway, if I can fit it, I'm thinking something like a 15X15 unit.  Not very large, no, but big enough to do what I want with it.  If I can find more room than that, great but I don't want the thing to take up the entire side of my house.  I have to figure out how big I want the thing before I can begin to calculate how much it is going to cost to build it.  Unfortunately, there is a lot of unusable space on my property thanks to the City of Phoenix imposed 25 foot setback from the street out front and 20 feet from the property line in the rear.  No permanent structures can be built on any of that - building the thing behind my house would be ideal.

Can't do it because the utilities are running underground back there - gas, electricity, phone, dunno what else.  Cable is running down the street.

Well, it's sorta stuck in my mind now that I am going to eventually build this guest house and rent it out for additional income.  If it ever comes to fruition, that income will go directly to my savings account.

Whatever the case, the work day is arriving and I must get moving.

Later.

ben

I'm Sorry, Did You Say I Have To Pay Taxes On My Taxes? Americredit - A Miserable Auto Loan Company

I got 4 of these 1099 forms from the State of Arizona today.  They're attempting to tell me that my tax refunds that I received last year from previous years is - taxable income.

Now let me get this straight.  I file my TAX returns to the State of Arizona.  I get refunds.  The next year, during tax season, I get 1099's saying that that is "income".  Yes, it's income THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN TAXED and is the return on the OVERPAID taxes!  

Whatever.

Americredit. A miserable company, to say the least.  I washed my hands of them after the head-on collision that wasn't my fault and the truck was destroyed.  A VERY long story I won't bother going into here, but they "repossessed" the destroyed truck - in the impound yard since it had been towed there after the accident - and "gave" it to the insurance company.  I had had numerous conversations with them about getting the truck out of the yard and into my driveway, where I would strip the engine and transmission out of it and that would repay the $1,500.00 I had left owing on it.  The original loan was for $17,500.  I had paid $12,000 on it in payments and the insurance company gave them 10 grand on it.

No sympathy from them and didn't care about the truck.  Hindsight being 20-20, I should have just paid the storage fees for the truck and had it towed to my driveway - behind my gate.  I was intent on simply the remaining usable parts on the truck and that would have paid off the debt.

Instead, they played some mind games with me that infuriated me and had me on the phone for a long, long time with what eventually got to corporate headquarters.  A "man" in Dallas, Texas - some facility there that houses these people for their business - had me wanting to punch his lights out.  It is ever-so-loving easy to talk trash and speak insults over a phone, it is never that easy in-person.

Whatever the case, I refused to pay the amount "owing" after they refused to do anything for me.  They didn't care, neither did I.  When they let the truck go to the insurance company, who called me to inform me that they had been "given" the truck, that was the end of it for me.  I have left a lot out here, I would have to write a novel on the situation that unfolded and quite frankly, I don't want to stir all that up within me again.

Today was their final blow.  I got a letter from Americredit today.  I haven't spoken to them since maybe a few months after that accident and the phone calls transpired. They "forgave" the debt.  Great?  Not hardly.  They reported it as income or whatever to the IRS and sent  me a 1099. In other words, I have to pay taxes on that "forgiven" debt.  I am not going to report it.  The IRS can come back and audit me. Americredit is going to have to prove that the amount they stated is the amount that was "forgiven".  The original amount "forgiven" was about $1,499.  The amount they are claiming is almost 3 grand.

I contested it from the beginning.  I contested it on my credit report.  I have never not contested it simply because of the extreme circumstances behind all of it.

I don't expect to get a tax refund this year, in case anyone is wondering.  I will file my taxes, but that s*** isn't going on there and when the IRS comes back and demands payment or modifies the return, I am going to fire right back at them.  Well, not really fire at them, but inform them of the situation that actually is occurring.  Americredit cannot make false claims and they are going to have to provide proof.

The only plus side to this?  This nightmare will go away on my credit report.  That's right, Americredit has been reporting since August of 2005 that I am "late" on my payment.  Well, actually,  no payment has been received.  It has dinged my credit for almost 7 years now.  The legal limit that they could "sue" me in court is 6 years in Arizona. Yeah, that passed a while back.  My credit score, after this is reported to the big 3 reporting agencies and after 3 or more months have passed - will rise up quickly.  If I have to end up paying the IRS, then I will pay it.  This is the one case where I would rather pay the IRS.

Whatever.  It's a chapter in the book of my life that I have been wanting to have closed for some time now, but I absolutely REFUSED to give Americredit ANYTHING.  You can't refuse the IRS - they will eventually just take it from you and then you will REALLY be hurting if what they take is your lifeblood.

There were several companies that picked up this debt, including one that claims a 99% collection rate.  I went to their website after they contacted me on the phone and I basically told them to but off.  I thought, not in this case.  I figure whatever I was going to get back this year from the IRS will just pay this off and if I have to write them a check, so beit.

Better to have this monkey off my back than to attempt to let it go forever.