How I spent my Mardi Gras vacation

I had originally planned to go see my daughter in Sarasota on Friday and come back Wednesday, but I also wanted my older son to come along (both for his company, and to share the driving). He did not want to miss school on Friday, so we didn't leave until Saturday, and he wanted a day at home during the break, so we came back on Tuesday. This cut two full days off my already-short trip, but I thought I'd still be able to have two full days with my daughter and her family.

Hah. Saturday night, about 10:00 p.m., 70 miles from Sarasota, our car broke down. Older son was doing 75 in the left hand lane when he started to slow down. A truck was riding right on our tail. I thought he was deliberately slowing down to irritate the truck - not something one does on a foggy road at night in a Chevy Cavalier! "What are you doing? Speed up or move over!" I said.

"I can't speed up. It won't go any faster," replied son, sounding frightened.

"Pull over," says I. "Off to the berm." The speedometer was declining rapidly. He angled the car to the right and the steering wheel locked up. Fortunately, we were on a good angle and got off to the side without incident.

I called 911, was transferred to the highway patrol, and gave them my location. I tried adding Rescue, fearing that our gas gauge was off and that we really had no fuel, not an eighth of a tank. Still wouldn't start. A sheriff's deputy came along and gave us a ride to the next exit. Four hotels - but not one had a room.

We parked in the lobby of the Comfort Inn while I made phone calls. No AAA (I'm an idiot), no hotels in Wesley Chapel, and no cabs to take us to Tampa. So, there was no other option but for my daughter to come fetch us. She arrived at 1:30 a.m. We bought a little gas can and some gas, and drove back to try the car again. Still no luck. Daughter said, "Good," meaning that if the car had been out of gas she would have had to kill me.

Terrible patchy fog, so the drive to her house was dog slow. We got there about 3:30 a.m. Her trunk wouldn't open, so I couldn't get my luggage out.

The next day, I made arrangements with GM (extended warranty!) to have the car towed (my expense - I bought the cheap extended warranty). I put more minutes on my cell phone, because it's a prepaid and my minutes were gone. This took way more time than it should have. I called a locksmith to break in to the trunk of my daughter's car. It took him an hour and a half and cost me $65. I was comforted that he was very old, and said, "In 60 years I've never had a car I couldn't get into one way or another." I showered, and older son and I went to meet the tow truck.

The truck arrived promptly, and older son and I headed back to my daughter's house. Eight miles from our exit, HER CAR DIED. Fortunately, it was daytime, and not so far away. The problem was resolved with the addition of gas (her gauge WAS off, I swear!)

That night, we went to dinner, and the next morning my daughter and I took our little boys to the beach. But we couldn't stay long, because she had to work. During the afternoon, the little boys played, and I did some of her laundry and vacuumed and stuff. We just hung out Monday evening. Tuesday morning, she drove us to Tampa to pick up my car. The fule pump was out, which was fast to fix AND covered under the warranty.

Let's find a good thing in this: During the car fiasco, I met and spoke with several people who were very kind and helpful.

Things I learned: Buy AAA. I-75 is the Bermuda Triangle of cars, and traffic there is thick and fast. Be careful! Carry enough cash. Be thankful when people are kind and helpful. Don't adjust the length of your planned stay DOWN - only UP. Buy AAA.

I hate Customer Service. Ever since I dealt with a customer service person at Cingular Wireless in 2001, I've been very wary and suspicious of them. The scenario usually is:

1. Somebody screws up. It's rarely me. I call and explain the problem, expecting it to be resolved. I am usually calm and pleasant at this point (really). Because I am hopeful that this person will be able to resolve the problem for me. This is not often the case, but it has been sometimes. Like the time my house was sold at a sheriff's auction because my mortgage company didn't pay my property taxes.


2. The person on the other end of the phone, with that certain little tone in his/her voice, tells me that I need to do A., and then I need to do B., and then I need to call back in a week and talk to someone else who will think about maybe trying to help me.


3. I lose it. It doesn't matter what they've told me to do; once they get that little tone in their voice, I'm not going to settle for anything less than an immediate resolution to my problem. I scream. I demand a supervisor. The problem does not often get solved this way, but sometimes it does...usually if the policy is stupid and the supervisor has the authority to do things.

All I want is my problem solved. I don't want false apologies. I want the person I call to solve my problem, or to refer me to someone who can.

I submitted a rebate for a Canon printer in early January. The rebate period expires on February 25. I received a card today saying the receipt was dated after the end of the qualifying period for this promotion. The promotion hasn't ended yet! How could I have submitted after the end of the qualifying period when the qualifying period doesn't end until next Wednesday! They saw my point, but couldn't help me. They will forward the information to a manager and maybe, if I'm a good girl, and I call back in a week, they'll send me my check. Maybe.

I hate it when I lose my cool like that, because they are mere cogs in the machine. But (and this is why I hate customer service) businesses should put people on the phone that can solve the problem. Not somebody who can just tell me in a snotty voice what I need to do to resolve their screwups.

Dave's Mormon Inquiry Weblog had an entry on Monday about a Mormon Women's Blog Ring. The rules are not surprising, but still somewhat irritating. Why is it that faithful Mormon sites/rings always seem to want to limit their contents and participants to people who think exactly as they do?

I'm not much good at reading Pro-LDS sites, but I read soc.religion.mormon and post there pretty regularly. And I enjoy Dave's Blog very much, with it's neutral approach and gentle reflection on issues. I'm not devout any more, but that doesn't mean I want to read polemics all the time. Perhaps, though, if I had limited myself only to positive sites when I was devout, I would still be devout.

I love our new camera. What a fun toy! DH and I agreed to a $5 limit on Valentine's Day gifts. I bought a picture frame, knowing I could get a picture taken of whatever I wanted to put inside. Older son convinced me that, as his valentine, I should give DH a picture of myself. I had Older Son take a picture of me last night, and I printed it out this morning. I was able to edit out the flash reflection on my glasses, and it really looks very nice. I hope he likes it. But, if he doesn't, he'll most certainly keep it to himself.

I had a very productive seven-minute conversation with my prof today. She may be getting a grant and might be able to fund a job for me this summer. Part to full-time, doing research, and not half-bad pay. Flexible hours, and I could take some classes. DH's face glowed with respect when I used the word "research." The prof said she was hoping to get someone more mature than her usual assistants for this particular grant. That's me...mature.

I was advised by a headhunter about a contract job doing technical writing for 2-3 months in Baton Rouge. It's a long drive (2 hours each way) but I could probably deal for a couple of months, and maybe, since it's a writing job, I could work from home a couple of days a week.

I took my first exam in my computer class today. Slam dunk. (Yawn). I do wish I didn't have to mess with this. But, it'll be another 4.0 for my GPA, and the more the better, I guess. I'm going to have to take Economics in the summer, and I have head that it is one tough course.

I keep changing my plan. Here is the plan for now. I will get a job. I will get out of debt. It will take 3-5 years, depending on the job. During this time, I will take one course per semester, either at the school where DH is a prof or at the community college in my little town. Once we are out of debt, I will quit my job and go to school full-time. I think I want to be an accountant. It will probably take me two years to finish up. When I am done, I will either go for my MBA or I will take the CPA exam, or both. Then, I will hang out my shingle and be a self-employed tax person until (and maybe after) retirement age.

Today was another "do stuff for me" day, but of a different sort. (Any guys reading? You may want to avert your eyes...) I spent the morning at the outpatient clinic of a local hospital. I got a two-hour glucose tolerance test (which takes three hours, counting all the waiting for them to call you and all). I also got a mammogram (my first...bad me!) The mammogram was kind of a trip...the tech (a female) was maneuvering my very large breasts onto the x-ray/machine plate like they were slabs of beef. And then, when they squished the plates together...holy cow! Figuratively, of course. All those cubic inches being spread out into cubic inches only 1-2 inches thick takes up a LOT of surface area. It was kind of weird to see.

I stopped at the registration counter to see if I could fill out my mammogram paperwork after my 2nd draw, and it was a good call. As a result, they did my mammogram between blood draws, and I didn't have to come back an hour later.

Small son is only going to "school" twice a week now, in a money saving effort. I have made some activities for us, but I don't know how long they'll last. I also bought some workbooks, so we can stay busy for an hour or so a day with different learning activities. Tomorrow, Tuesday, we will go to story time at the Library.

I have my first mid-term in my computer applications class this Friday. The material is SO much a review for me...but that doesn't mean I should read it, so I'm prepared.

I read a wonderful article in the September, 2003 issue of Smithsonian Magazine. (Link is a summary, not the whole article.) Alfred Wainwright, an accountant, mapped several walking tour maps in the 1970's and published them in book form. The writer and his wife walked the coast-to-coast tour; 190 miles in 14 days, from the Irish to the North Sea, stopping at B&B's on the way. It sounds like a wonderful adventure...both the walk and the books.

I did stuff for me today. Not all day, but still. I colored my hair. The white stripe is gone. It's kind of an odd shade, but I'm sure it'll be normaller in a day or three and meanwhile, it is not gray any more. Hallelu! Just $6 for the color, Clairol's Natural Instincts Toasted Almond. Next time, I will get Suede, which does not have the golden (aka yellow) tint in it.

I ran some errands, and then got my hair cut. It's a little longer than I like, but I got some light layers at the face so it has some shape.

I look 10 years younger.

Little boy and I went to McD's today and he played on the indoor play equipment for two hours! He was quite the sweaty little boy when he was done.

And I got my license plate from the stolen car turned in and took an Rx back to the ordering MD to be faxed to the mail order place.

I did not get the job I interviewed for last week. My MS Exchange Server skills were not up to snuff. How did they know? Well, because I told them. I have printed off a list of most frequently asked interview questions and I'm going to mentally prepare (and maybe even write down) answers to all of them. Starting out with "where do you see yourself in five years?" My answer is "debt free." Not sure how I'll expand on that.

I am hoping to go to Sarasota to see my daughter for the Mardi Gras holiday. DH has a huge project due at the end of the month, and is going to be no fun until then, so we might as well go to the beach, right?