Andrew and I have been really looking forward to our stimulus payment. I'm getting braces, so we thought it would cover a good chunk of the cost on those!
The deadline for our stimulus payment to arrive in our direct deposit was today. It finally arrived...
...at half the amount it should have.
We received $600. I mean, that's great. But we were really hoping for the full $1200 that's supposed to go to married couples who make under $75k a year.
I spent an hour on the phones trying to talk to somebody. They have a wonderful automated system that gives you two options: Do I Qualify? and When Will I Receive My Stimulus Payment? If you don't answer one of those options, they disconnect you. If you do, it's more automated crap that doesn't answer any of my questions.
I called my local office. Their automated system said they don't have agents to talk with us, either.
I called the business line and couldn't get through. I called the individual tax line, and there was no one to talk to either. Finally, through that line, by not answering any of their options through five cycles, they finally connected me to an agent...
....who connected me back to the automated system.
It was great.
So I went through the whole process again, and when an agent answered and said she were going to connect me to the automated system, I cried out, "PLEASE, please wait!"
And in one breath, I said, "Pleasewedidgetourstimulus. Wegotitbutitwasn'ttherightamount. Please,please,theautomatedsystemonlyhastwooptions. Noneofthoseoptionsapplytous. Please,it'sonlyaboutifyouqualifyorwhentoexpectthepayment. We'vealreadygottenours,it'sjustforthewrongamount. Please,Idon'tknowwhototalktoaboutthis problem."
And she said?
We have a really high number of calls. I can only redirect you to this number. You probably won't be able to talk to any agent today. You might want to call back tomorrow, and maybe you'll get to talk to someone then.
I'm glad she answered me, but they might as well have added that to their automated system. Something like If these options don't apply to you, please call back at a less busy time to talk directly to an agent.
Then I wouldn't have manned the phone for an hour to get that tidbit of info.
How did all your stimulus stuff work out? Did you all get what you expected and when you expected it?
Friday, May 16, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Everything is Beautiful
I check in on my cousin Missy's blog regularly (http://huggingthemidline.typepad.com/). It helps me stay connected to some of my extended family (Thanks to facebook.com for that, too!). That's not always an easy thing when you have a family as big as ours!
Today, I read about her thoughts on staying positive and grateful. It motivated me a bit to reflect on the positive things I have in my life.
For starters, I'm so happy to have our parents live close by. I get homesick sometimes, and it's nice to go see my parents whenever I want and get some Wii Golf time in. Furthermore, I'm glad to have Andrew as my husband. Today, for example, he came home for lunch, and we ate a delicious meal and snuggled with Bailey until he had to go. Having to go to work isn't the greatest feeling in the world, but I'm really glad we both have jobs during this recession. There are many families who have to worry about money and food and their homes every day, and I'm so, so grateful that Andrew and I aren't one of them. I'm also very glad that I have today off. I'm grateful to have these hours to myself to read, do the dishes, catch up on laundry, and add to my blog.
Today, I also felt really content when I took Bailey for a little stroll. She seemed to be doing much better after a few days of acting sick. It drizzled a bit on us, and we walked by two ducks sleeping in the pond under a tree. I love that feeling being out in "nature" causes in me; the feeling that everything is OK, and everything is beautiful.
Today, I read about her thoughts on staying positive and grateful. It motivated me a bit to reflect on the positive things I have in my life.
For starters, I'm so happy to have our parents live close by. I get homesick sometimes, and it's nice to go see my parents whenever I want and get some Wii Golf time in. Furthermore, I'm glad to have Andrew as my husband. Today, for example, he came home for lunch, and we ate a delicious meal and snuggled with Bailey until he had to go. Having to go to work isn't the greatest feeling in the world, but I'm really glad we both have jobs during this recession. There are many families who have to worry about money and food and their homes every day, and I'm so, so grateful that Andrew and I aren't one of them. I'm also very glad that I have today off. I'm grateful to have these hours to myself to read, do the dishes, catch up on laundry, and add to my blog.
Today, I also felt really content when I took Bailey for a little stroll. She seemed to be doing much better after a few days of acting sick. It drizzled a bit on us, and we walked by two ducks sleeping in the pond under a tree. I love that feeling being out in "nature" causes in me; the feeling that everything is OK, and everything is beautiful.
Monday, May 12, 2008
American Idol and Digital Receivers
Andrew and I don't have cable; we don't watch all that much TV, so we've been sticking with broadcast and saving a bit of money there. A few months ago, we started hearing about digital receivers and such, so Andrew sent in for our free coupon thing from the government.
Yesterday, we finally hit up Best Buy to get our receiver. While we were there, I picked up a copy of Wii American Idol karaoke.
I might not be a fan of the show, but American Idol for the Wii is too fun. They have a selection of maybe 4 dozen songs or so, everything from that song, "It's Beautiful" (Or is it "You're Beautiful"?) to "Bohemian Rhapsody." You sing along with the song, and the judges from American Idol (Randy, Paula and Simon; see, I know my pop culture trivia!) critique you based on keeping with the rhythm of the song and keeping the right pitch. Based on how well you do, you might bomb out or else go gold or platinum (I have yet to get a diamond). The more platinum songs you get, the more songs you unlock (5 more until I unlock "Somewhere Over the Rainbow!").
Anyway, I wasn't sure what to expect from the game, but it's a lot of fun. Andrew said it's exactly like Rock Band, only it's without all the other instruments. I guess that means I might like Rock Band... or that Rock Band fans might like American Idol!
So far, my best song is "Tiny Dancer." I did surprisingly well on Aerosmith's "Don't Want to Miss a Thing," too. I'm really bad at the low pitch songs; the pitch mic has a hard time recognizing my low notes (no matter how low I go, I can't seem to get low enough for some parts of "Knocking on Heaven's Door").
I'm thinking about bringing the karaoke game over to my parents' house. There's a chance my mom'll get a kick out of it. That or Guitar Hero. I wonder if you can rent that along with the guitar from Blockbuster? Hmm.
Anyway, back to our Best Buy purchases. The digital receiver works *really* well. A few of our channels came in really static-y, but with the receiver, it's just as clear as having a cable connection. Andrew commented, "If I'd known it worked this well, I wo uld have sent for hte coupon a long time ago!" We have a second coupon, so we're planning on picking up another for our other TV. The digital picture is widescreen, too (I didn't know TV shows were filmed in widescreen; did you?). I'm excited to catch "House" tonight!
Yesterday, we finally hit up Best Buy to get our receiver. While we were there, I picked up a copy of Wii American Idol karaoke.
I might not be a fan of the show, but American Idol for the Wii is too fun. They have a selection of maybe 4 dozen songs or so, everything from that song, "It's Beautiful" (Or is it "You're Beautiful"?) to "Bohemian Rhapsody." You sing along with the song, and the judges from American Idol (Randy, Paula and Simon; see, I know my pop culture trivia!) critique you based on keeping with the rhythm of the song and keeping the right pitch. Based on how well you do, you might bomb out or else go gold or platinum (I have yet to get a diamond). The more platinum songs you get, the more songs you unlock (5 more until I unlock "Somewhere Over the Rainbow!").
Anyway, I wasn't sure what to expect from the game, but it's a lot of fun. Andrew said it's exactly like Rock Band, only it's without all the other instruments. I guess that means I might like Rock Band... or that Rock Band fans might like American Idol!
So far, my best song is "Tiny Dancer." I did surprisingly well on Aerosmith's "Don't Want to Miss a Thing," too. I'm really bad at the low pitch songs; the pitch mic has a hard time recognizing my low notes (no matter how low I go, I can't seem to get low enough for some parts of "Knocking on Heaven's Door").
I'm thinking about bringing the karaoke game over to my parents' house. There's a chance my mom'll get a kick out of it. That or Guitar Hero. I wonder if you can rent that along with the guitar from Blockbuster? Hmm.
Anyway, back to our Best Buy purchases. The digital receiver works *really* well. A few of our channels came in really static-y, but with the receiver, it's just as clear as having a cable connection. Andrew commented, "If I'd known it worked this well, I wo uld have sent for hte coupon a long time ago!" We have a second coupon, so we're planning on picking up another for our other TV. The digital picture is widescreen, too (I didn't know TV shows were filmed in widescreen; did you?). I'm excited to catch "House" tonight!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Hurray for our Stimulus!
Huzzah, Andrew and I have officially paid off one of our student loans! One down, one to go. Our finances seem to be in such good order, we've started to talk about looking for a house!
Our lease ends soon, so we'll renew it for another year, but we're hoping (hoping!) that we'll be able to find something and afford something the following year. Hurray!
Strangely, once we starting talking about it, my thoughts went immediately to Bailey. She's starting to show signs of getting older, and walks with a definite limp. I wondered if she'll make it through next year to be able to see our house and play in the yard. Thinking that it's a possibility she won't be there made me cry.
It's weird, I guess. In some ways, she's really an attachment to my childhood. My parents gave her to me a week before my 14th birthday, so I got to train her in Chicago and raise her here in Denver. She got to be with me for the end of my childhood and throughout the years of teenage angst. She was with me throughout college and still here now that I'm married.
Don't get me wrong. She's not on her death bed or anything. It just scares me to think that one day she won't be here in another stage of my life. It's hard getting used to the idea of not having someone around who's always been there. Sadly, that's something I've had to learn time and again over these last few years.
Our lease ends soon, so we'll renew it for another year, but we're hoping (hoping!) that we'll be able to find something and afford something the following year. Hurray!
Strangely, once we starting talking about it, my thoughts went immediately to Bailey. She's starting to show signs of getting older, and walks with a definite limp. I wondered if she'll make it through next year to be able to see our house and play in the yard. Thinking that it's a possibility she won't be there made me cry.
It's weird, I guess. In some ways, she's really an attachment to my childhood. My parents gave her to me a week before my 14th birthday, so I got to train her in Chicago and raise her here in Denver. She got to be with me for the end of my childhood and throughout the years of teenage angst. She was with me throughout college and still here now that I'm married.
Don't get me wrong. She's not on her death bed or anything. It just scares me to think that one day she won't be here in another stage of my life. It's hard getting used to the idea of not having someone around who's always been there. Sadly, that's something I've had to learn time and again over these last few years.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Pitter Patter
We barely made it through the first rain of the season.
So Bailey thinks, anyway.
Andrew and I fell asleep around 6:30 last night, we were so tired. Some time after that, it started to rain. I'm assuming the rain kept me asleep all night, until Bailey woke us up at 1am from her fear of the thunder. When it storms, she shakes violently, and no amount of cuddling or petting or playing will help. When she'd settle down enough, we'd fall back asleep, only to be reawoken later.
Her strategy to wake us up? Sit on our faces. I kid you not. She focused particularly on Andrew, which I find pretty funny. I'd wake up every couple of hours to hear, "Get off my face." Poor Andrew. Poor dog.
Andrew took her to the bathroom in the middle of the night, which allowed me to sleep in. I slept until 9:30am! Sleeping 15 hours was the greatest feeling, ever. When I finally woke up completely, I put on a light jacket and took Bailey out into the rain. There's nothing like listening to raindrops on my hood or watching the rain hit the pond.
Bailey has taught me to hate the thunder (whenever I see lightening flash, I immediately think, "Oh crap, I've got to get home to the dog!"), but nothing will teach me to hate the rain! I'm a bit disappointed it's stopped, but it's nice to have all the ducks and birds out again.
So Bailey thinks, anyway.
Andrew and I fell asleep around 6:30 last night, we were so tired. Some time after that, it started to rain. I'm assuming the rain kept me asleep all night, until Bailey woke us up at 1am from her fear of the thunder. When it storms, she shakes violently, and no amount of cuddling or petting or playing will help. When she'd settle down enough, we'd fall back asleep, only to be reawoken later.
Her strategy to wake us up? Sit on our faces. I kid you not. She focused particularly on Andrew, which I find pretty funny. I'd wake up every couple of hours to hear, "Get off my face." Poor Andrew. Poor dog.
Andrew took her to the bathroom in the middle of the night, which allowed me to sleep in. I slept until 9:30am! Sleeping 15 hours was the greatest feeling, ever. When I finally woke up completely, I put on a light jacket and took Bailey out into the rain. There's nothing like listening to raindrops on my hood or watching the rain hit the pond.
Bailey has taught me to hate the thunder (whenever I see lightening flash, I immediately think, "Oh crap, I've got to get home to the dog!"), but nothing will teach me to hate the rain! I'm a bit disappointed it's stopped, but it's nice to have all the ducks and birds out again.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Spring Time at Tamarac
Ode to spring.
While perhaps not always a fan of warm weather, sometimes even I appreciate stepping outside and feeling the sun on my skin.
Yes, indeedy, once again our lively planet is tipping toward the sun. I'll probably be cranky and overheated come July, but, for now, I feel quite pleased listening to the ducks in the morning and watching the trees bud.
I'm excited to plant some flowers in some pots that I don't have yet for the balcony. I've helped my mom with her planters and Grandma's planters in the past, but I've never had my own (I've never had any reason to!). I'm going to have such a good time picking out bright, colorful flowers!
I'm hoping to take my mom out to Lowe's Mother's Day weekend. She and I can both go nuts, and we can plant together (preferably at her house so she can have the mess ;-) ).
Attached to this post is a picture of the courtyard below my balcony. It's where I take Bailey to pee every day. As a matter of fact, I snapped this exact picture when she stopped to do her doody. The cherry trees are so pretty! Check out the geese, too. We're fortunate to have lots of geese and even more (typically dozens) of ducks!
Yes, indeedy, once again our lively planet is tipping toward the sun. I'll probably be cranky and overheated come July, but, for now, I feel quite pleased listening to the ducks in the morning and watching the trees bud.
I'm excited to plant some flowers in some pots that I don't have yet for the balcony. I've helped my mom with her planters and Grandma's planters in the past, but I've never had my own (I've never had any reason to!). I'm going to have such a good time picking out bright, colorful flowers!
I'm hoping to take my mom out to Lowe's Mother's Day weekend. She and I can both go nuts, and we can plant together (preferably at her house so she can have the mess ;-) ).
Attached to this post is a picture of the courtyard below my balcony. It's where I take Bailey to pee every day. As a matter of fact, I snapped this exact picture when she stopped to do her doody. The cherry trees are so pretty! Check out the geese, too. We're fortunate to have lots of geese and even more (typically dozens) of ducks!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
I can see the finish line
Today, I ran the Cherry Creek Sneak 5k with my mom. Portapotties were nowhere to be found, and the bathroom line at Safeway wrapped around the produce aisle. Twelve minutes to start time, and I would certainly pee my pants before the finish line if I didn't go. So I went in the men's room. It didn't smell as nice as women's washrooms, but it did the job. We were off!
My mom and I got separated within 100 yards from the starting line. I decided not to worry too much about it and pressed on. I loved running by the creek, and after about a half mile, I finally passed most of the people who ran at a slower pace than me. I got in sync with a mob of people that ran at a pace I was comfortable with.
I passed the mile mark, and I thought I could certainly keep going. A volunteer at the mile marker announced that we were at 11 minutes 18 seconds, and I felt so proud because I knew it had taken me about a minute to reach the start line. That meant I was doing 10-minute miles! After a mile and a half or so, I thought about taking a walk break. I heard a woman near me tell her daughter, "We're at the half way point." I decided, hell, I could keep going!
Then came the two mile point. We were at 22 minutes! Insane. I was pretty much keeping pace. I blew past the 2-mile marker, and I knew that that was officially the furthest I'd ever run without taking a walk break. With that accomplished, I thought about walking. Then I thought, "Wouldn't it be amazing if I could run the whole thing?"
All around me, people started to walk. After almost 2 and a half miles, my knees started to hurt so, so bad. That's when I knew I *could* use a walk break, but I thought I could keep pressing it. I figured, the faster I go, the sooner it'll be over. I wanted to run the whole thing.
At one sharp bend, I was psyching myself up to running the last section. I knew I'd feel so good if I could run the whole 5k, and I kept telling myself, "Andrew will be so proud." Then some volunteer announced we had half a mile to go. I think he thought that was a good thing, but I could have punched him. I thought about walking, but decided to ignore the half mile in front of me and keep pace.
I turned another bend, and way down the street, I could see the Finish Line. I could do this! I started to cry, actually, because I was so happy I could do it. I think I even said it out loud, "You can do this." I pushed and pushed. My pace definitely slowed because people started to pass me. I kept at it. Kept running. When there was about 50 yards left, I started to pick up my heavy feet and tried to sprint. I crossed the finish when the time read almost exactly 35 minutes. 35 minutes!
Andrew and my dad were standing off to the left. My smile couldn't have been bigger. I knew my timing chip would put me in more like 34 minutes. I ran a 34-minute 5k! I ran 11-minute miles the entire time.
I hugged Andrew and my dad, I pet Bailey, and I was still teary. I don't think they quite understood the accomplishment. I'd decided on the way to the Sneak that there'd be no way I could hit the 40-minute mark, because that would involve keeping up with 13 minute miles. Here I was with a 34 minute finish time!
When I finally found my mom (who finished in 41 minutes; not bad for our first 5k of the season!) a half hour later, she understood what my time meant to me. I got a big hug from her. It felt so good to make her so proud.
At that point, my dad and Andrew were watching people trot in at 50 minutes and even an hour and more. I think they started to realize that my 34 minute 5k was very, very good for a beginner. I got a great hug from Andrew, and, later, a knee rub.
I think I'll be walking funny the next couple of days. But it's worth it. It's so worth it.
My mom and I got separated within 100 yards from the starting line. I decided not to worry too much about it and pressed on. I loved running by the creek, and after about a half mile, I finally passed most of the people who ran at a slower pace than me. I got in sync with a mob of people that ran at a pace I was comfortable with.
I passed the mile mark, and I thought I could certainly keep going. A volunteer at the mile marker announced that we were at 11 minutes 18 seconds, and I felt so proud because I knew it had taken me about a minute to reach the start line. That meant I was doing 10-minute miles! After a mile and a half or so, I thought about taking a walk break. I heard a woman near me tell her daughter, "We're at the half way point." I decided, hell, I could keep going!
Then came the two mile point. We were at 22 minutes! Insane. I was pretty much keeping pace. I blew past the 2-mile marker, and I knew that that was officially the furthest I'd ever run without taking a walk break. With that accomplished, I thought about walking. Then I thought, "Wouldn't it be amazing if I could run the whole thing?"
All around me, people started to walk. After almost 2 and a half miles, my knees started to hurt so, so bad. That's when I knew I *could* use a walk break, but I thought I could keep pressing it. I figured, the faster I go, the sooner it'll be over. I wanted to run the whole thing.
At one sharp bend, I was psyching myself up to running the last section. I knew I'd feel so good if I could run the whole 5k, and I kept telling myself, "Andrew will be so proud." Then some volunteer announced we had half a mile to go. I think he thought that was a good thing, but I could have punched him. I thought about walking, but decided to ignore the half mile in front of me and keep pace.
I turned another bend, and way down the street, I could see the Finish Line. I could do this! I started to cry, actually, because I was so happy I could do it. I think I even said it out loud, "You can do this." I pushed and pushed. My pace definitely slowed because people started to pass me. I kept at it. Kept running. When there was about 50 yards left, I started to pick up my heavy feet and tried to sprint. I crossed the finish when the time read almost exactly 35 minutes. 35 minutes!
Andrew and my dad were standing off to the left. My smile couldn't have been bigger. I knew my timing chip would put me in more like 34 minutes. I ran a 34-minute 5k! I ran 11-minute miles the entire time.
I hugged Andrew and my dad, I pet Bailey, and I was still teary. I don't think they quite understood the accomplishment. I'd decided on the way to the Sneak that there'd be no way I could hit the 40-minute mark, because that would involve keeping up with 13 minute miles. Here I was with a 34 minute finish time!
When I finally found my mom (who finished in 41 minutes; not bad for our first 5k of the season!) a half hour later, she understood what my time meant to me. I got a big hug from her. It felt so good to make her so proud.
At that point, my dad and Andrew were watching people trot in at 50 minutes and even an hour and more. I think they started to realize that my 34 minute 5k was very, very good for a beginner. I got a great hug from Andrew, and, later, a knee rub.
I think I'll be walking funny the next couple of days. But it's worth it. It's so worth it.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Tuesday Run
Today, I did 1.5 miles on the treadmill. I feel really good, because I know I could have definitely gone longer. My mom bought me these really nice new running shoes that seem to help my knees. However, I definitely need to break them in. At about the one mile mark, my two big toes started going numb, so I think the shoes might be just slightly too narrow. I'll run in them a mile at a time for a while to get them broken in a bit more.
I walked the first .05 miles and the last .05 miles today at a minute a piece. So, although I did 1.5 miles in 18.5 minutes, I ran 1.4 miles at 16.5 minutes... I'm under the 12 minute mile mark!
Hurray for the accomplishment there. I'm thinking I might be able to hit my highest goal of 40 minutes at the Cherry Creek Sneak. That would be awesome!
Less than a week away!
P.S. Macy's still sucks ;-)
I walked the first .05 miles and the last .05 miles today at a minute a piece. So, although I did 1.5 miles in 18.5 minutes, I ran 1.4 miles at 16.5 minutes... I'm under the 12 minute mile mark!
Hurray for the accomplishment there. I'm thinking I might be able to hit my highest goal of 40 minutes at the Cherry Creek Sneak. That would be awesome!
Less than a week away!
P.S. Macy's still sucks ;-)
Macy's Sucks.
I'm going to be straight with you. I'm writing this blog to (hopefully) convince you not to waste your money with Macy's. This week, I had the most horrendous problems/customer service with them, and it's left me upset, frustrated, and embarressed.
My sister's birthday is Sunday, April 27. On Thursday, April 17, I decided to order her birthday gifts so that way it would definitely get to Omaha in time for her big day.
First, I went to Williams-Sonoma, and I ordered her some Sprinkles cupcake mix (because it's so tasty). On Target.com, I found a cupcake decorating kit and a book on how to decorate cupcakes into puppies and other cute things. I thought she'd love it.
Then, on Macys.com, I found the same cupcake carrying case that I have. I thought it'd be good for the gift because it came with cupcake pans (for large and small cupcakes!). I went as far to think it would be good for her because she could bring cupcakes with her to school in the case. It seemed like a great gift.
The next day (Friday), as I was glancing through my confirmation emails, I realized that the cupcake carrying case had an expected shipping date of June 1 on it. I was mad at myself for not seeing that when I ordered it. Then I remembered I had checked the info on the cupcake case. I remember worrying when I ordered it because it said it ships in 3 business days and can take up to 5 business days after that to arrive. I remember thinking, "Crap, maybe she won't get it on time." Just to be sure, I went back on to Macys.com to look at the item, and, sure enough, plain as day, it said it is in stock and ships out on average of 3 days. It still said that on the website (they hadn't updated it).
I decided to shoot them an email to ask why it was expected to ship on June 1. I told them my sister's birthday is April 27. I thought, by giving them this information, they'd look into it and maybe get it to her ontime. Or, if that didn't work, I thought maybe they wouldn't charge me the $10 shipping fees.
This morning, I finally got to my email again. There, in my inbox, was a response from Macy's. You won't believe what it said.
They told me that the item is backordered from their vendor (which is fine. Crap happens. But, still, maybe they'd give me free shipping, or a shipping coupon to use at a later date. something. anything. but no.). They then started quoting this law to me. They said that when an item's shipping date is rescheduled, they tell the purchaser. If the purchaser does not respond within 30 days, they can legally cancel the order.
They then said because I did not repond within 30 days, they have cancelled my order.
What?
I made the purchase less than a week ago. I made it on THURSDAY. It hasn't been 30 days. I never received any email explaining it was backstocked. All I'd gotten until that point was a confirmation email from my order saying the expected ship date was June 1. That's it. How can they cancel my order?
I'm not even making this up. Seriously, check out their email to me:
Dear Rebecca Shattuck,
Thank you for your recent e-mail regarding order # 446******.
Recently, we had sent you a notification regarding the following merchandise: CC/CAKE CARRIER 5PC SET These items were backordered with the vendor.
Federal Trade Commission guideline requires that we obtain an acceptance of this new shipment date within 30 calendar days from notifying the purchaser. If we do not receive contact from the purchaser within the 30-day timeframe to accept the new shipping date, the order is required to be canceled. As we did not receive this contact within the 30-day timeframe, we consequently canceled your order for the merchandise in question. Please note that this merchandise has not been charged. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you.
30 days my butt! They didn't notify me about any backstock until this same email in which they told me my order was cancelled. And there definitely wasn't any 30 day notice. What the hell!
Do me a favor, spend your money somewhere where they don't screw you over. I'm pretty sure Target's getting Julie's birthday present to her on time. I'm going to order a similar case from Target, but not before making sure everyone knows how crappy Macy's is.
Macy's sucks.
My sister's birthday is Sunday, April 27. On Thursday, April 17, I decided to order her birthday gifts so that way it would definitely get to Omaha in time for her big day.
First, I went to Williams-Sonoma, and I ordered her some Sprinkles cupcake mix (because it's so tasty). On Target.com, I found a cupcake decorating kit and a book on how to decorate cupcakes into puppies and other cute things. I thought she'd love it.
Then, on Macys.com, I found the same cupcake carrying case that I have. I thought it'd be good for the gift because it came with cupcake pans (for large and small cupcakes!). I went as far to think it would be good for her because she could bring cupcakes with her to school in the case. It seemed like a great gift.
The next day (Friday), as I was glancing through my confirmation emails, I realized that the cupcake carrying case had an expected shipping date of June 1 on it. I was mad at myself for not seeing that when I ordered it. Then I remembered I had checked the info on the cupcake case. I remember worrying when I ordered it because it said it ships in 3 business days and can take up to 5 business days after that to arrive. I remember thinking, "Crap, maybe she won't get it on time." Just to be sure, I went back on to Macys.com to look at the item, and, sure enough, plain as day, it said it is in stock and ships out on average of 3 days. It still said that on the website (they hadn't updated it).
I decided to shoot them an email to ask why it was expected to ship on June 1. I told them my sister's birthday is April 27. I thought, by giving them this information, they'd look into it and maybe get it to her ontime. Or, if that didn't work, I thought maybe they wouldn't charge me the $10 shipping fees.
This morning, I finally got to my email again. There, in my inbox, was a response from Macy's. You won't believe what it said.
They told me that the item is backordered from their vendor (which is fine. Crap happens. But, still, maybe they'd give me free shipping, or a shipping coupon to use at a later date. something. anything. but no.). They then started quoting this law to me. They said that when an item's shipping date is rescheduled, they tell the purchaser. If the purchaser does not respond within 30 days, they can legally cancel the order.
They then said because I did not repond within 30 days, they have cancelled my order.
What?
I made the purchase less than a week ago. I made it on THURSDAY. It hasn't been 30 days. I never received any email explaining it was backstocked. All I'd gotten until that point was a confirmation email from my order saying the expected ship date was June 1. That's it. How can they cancel my order?
I'm not even making this up. Seriously, check out their email to me:
Dear Rebecca Shattuck,
Thank you for your recent e-mail regarding order # 446******.
Recently, we had sent you a notification regarding the following merchandise: CC/CAKE CARRIER 5PC SET These items were backordered with the vendor.
Federal Trade Commission guideline requires that we obtain an acceptance of this new shipment date within 30 calendar days from notifying the purchaser. If we do not receive contact from the purchaser within the 30-day timeframe to accept the new shipping date, the order is required to be canceled. As we did not receive this contact within the 30-day timeframe, we consequently canceled your order for the merchandise in question. Please note that this merchandise has not been charged. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you.
30 days my butt! They didn't notify me about any backstock until this same email in which they told me my order was cancelled. And there definitely wasn't any 30 day notice. What the hell!
Do me a favor, spend your money somewhere where they don't screw you over. I'm pretty sure Target's getting Julie's birthday present to her on time. I'm going to order a similar case from Target, but not before making sure everyone knows how crappy Macy's is.
Macy's sucks.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Tree by Tree
Andrew and Aminta joined me yesterday in planting trees at Expo Park in Aurora in honor of Arbor Day and Earth Day. The goal was 90 trees by noon, but the volunteers rocked it up, and we finished with 90 trees by 10am. I learned that two hours of manual labor is more than enough. We dug holes, cracked through clay, rolled trees into their holes, and carried big buckets of mulch to spread around the new trees. Afterwards, Andrew learned that one of his good buddies goes to Expo Park regularly to play disc golf. It's nice that we know someone who'll enjoy the fruits of our labor.
With my muscles sore but my spirit high, I went to my parents' house to go for a jog with my mom. I didn't expect to get very far, but I was determined to go to get my training started. Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad. The weater was hot (75 degrees), and the trail was full of hills, but I managed to run almost the entire thing (1.5 miles worth). One and a half miles doesn't sound like that much of an accomplishment, but, seriously, the hills on that trail have been known to kick my butt in the past. I ran the entire way, except for on the last stretch when I had to walk up the last steep hill. I felt accomplished when I finished. Very proud. I also started to hope that Disney World isn't very hilly.
After our run, my parents and I played more Wii Golf, and then I headed outside to help my mom with the pond. I was thrilled to see another shovel after the tree planting adventure, but it didn't end up being too bad. I dug for an hour and headed home.
With my muscles sore but my spirit high, I went to my parents' house to go for a jog with my mom. I didn't expect to get very far, but I was determined to go to get my training started. Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad. The weater was hot (75 degrees), and the trail was full of hills, but I managed to run almost the entire thing (1.5 miles worth). One and a half miles doesn't sound like that much of an accomplishment, but, seriously, the hills on that trail have been known to kick my butt in the past. I ran the entire way, except for on the last stretch when I had to walk up the last steep hill. I felt accomplished when I finished. Very proud. I also started to hope that Disney World isn't very hilly.
After our run, my parents and I played more Wii Golf, and then I headed outside to help my mom with the pond. I was thrilled to see another shovel after the tree planting adventure, but it didn't end up being too bad. I dug for an hour and headed home.
My day off might not have been a relaxing one, but I definitely felt proud for doing so much. Further more, I'm not as sore today as I would have thought. I feel my back and triceps, but everything else seems to be working smoothly. Maybe this training won't be so bad after all.
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