GRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Can someone who knows me please explain exactly what it is about me that says "If you want to take a vacation, but can't quite afford it, go with Amie, she will front you until you can come up with the money!". I actually thought I've been quite vocal in my annoyance at that happening before, I've shared the story, in fact, I've shared the story with the new parties involved, but it didn't appear to sink in. Apparently, what ever it is about me that says "If you want to take a vacation, but can't quite afford it, go with Amie, she will front you until you can come up with the money!" is way stronger than anything else that I actually have vocalized.

Currently, I am sitting in a beautiful condo right on the ocean in Florida on the 22nd floor and I am so seething angry I cannot even go sit on my balcony to enjoy the view. Well, I also can't go because there isn't wireless internet and the cable won't reach the balcony.

This trip was planned weeks and weeks and weeks ago. The dollar amount was discussed multiple times before anything was booked. I booked the condo at the end of June and paid for it in the beginning of July. And by paid for it I mean with a check, not a credit card...there was no grace period. The rental car was discussed, the dollar amount was discussed, and I paid for it on MY credit card. I'm not sure what about this was difficult to understand...just because something is paid for on a credit card does not mean that you have eternity to pay it off, it's not a free ride, paying it off during that billing cycle is sort of important otherwise the cost just goes up. And, when something is paid for with a check, there is NO GRACE PERIOD. This was all stated, although a little nicer than how it's typed above.

I was asked before we left it would be okay if I were given some money ahead of time and the rest when we returned, and I was fine with that. Only it didn't happen. Last night the guy from the other couple asked me if it would be okay if he and his wife paid me $50 each from their pay checks until it was paid off. I said okay. Now, you might be going "well, why the heck did you say okay?!?!?!"? I'll explain. This couple is my boyfriend's best friend in the world. It was obvious as this conversation took place that there was not an alternative, saying 'no, that's not okay' would not have accomplished anything because they obviously did not have the cash to hand over to me. Starting a disagreement with people that you have to spend the next day with and drive with for twelve plus hours on the way home would not be the ideal situation. It can be discussed later, but now isn't good.

My annoyance is that first of all, why in the heck would someone just assume that I have the cash to back their vacation? What about me says that I do? Secondly, why in the heck did this conversation take place DURING the vacation? Obviously the other couple knew well before mid-trip that they didn't have the cash available, wouldn't you mention it before hand? And, thirdly, if you want to make payments out of your paycheck every week, why the heck didn't you start that BEFORE we left, not after we return?

Let me also state that I did not want to go to Florida in August. I did not want this other couple to go on vacation with us, I wanted a vacation with Marc and I by ourselves. I also did not want to front this trip for them, but apparently I just don't get what I want. (Shut up, you're on vacation in Florida...I KNOW!).

And, while I'm complaining I'll also throw this out there....I spent hours and hours of time, and had the assistance of a friend in locating this condo. *I* found it. I checked condo after condo looking for the perfect one. The contribution of the other couple in the search for where to go in Florida was "Where ever is cheaper", because I'm a freaking travel agent and have the time and resources to look at every city and location in the entire state and figure out where the cheapest place to travel is. I booked the condo. I paid for the condo. We get inside, they waltz into the master bedroom and declare "We would like to have this room!". Really? You want the master bedroom with the view of the ocean? With the kink sized bed? With the private attached huge bathroom? Really? You want that? You don't want the tiny other bedroom with the double bed and small not so private bathroom and the crappy view? Really? Of course, take it...that's fine, I'll pay for your trip AND give you the good bedroom. (Marc actually told them that was fine they could have that room. I said we could switch half way through. Marc didn't see the big deal. Until we switched last night...now he gets it). I also see that "where ever is cheapest" should have been a clue, but when things are discussed MULTIPLE times and NO ONE indicates that price was a problem how in the heck should I know that it is?

Seriously.

Okay, I'm finished now. Venting here will allow the next couple of days to go by peacefully. I hope.
Cheers!

I need some more sweet tea...

So...allergies have been kicking my butt all week. Today I can actually talk. Which is a plus because for the past two days I really couldn't. Not only was my voice practically nonexistent...talking brought on coughing, coughing brought on a sore throat, which went back to the not being able to talk. Strangely enough, the allergy reaction put a stop to the ache in my back that has been going on for the past few months after I sleep on a mattress for more than four or five hours. Goodbye back ache, hello sore throat. I'm not sure which I would take if I actually got to choose.

Yesterday I called to cancel my electricity from my apartment. Yeah, I'm that quick at doing things. For some reason, I thought the apartment complex took care of that...and I was wrong. Duke Energy has a very helpful automated menu that asked twelve hundred questions from my account number, to the day I wanted service stopped to the name of my pets. When I finally got a human on the phone I figured everything would be right there in front of him, and he would know exactly what I needed and all of the details. And I was wrong. So...Duke Energy, I ask you, WTF is the automated system for because it didn't speed up my call, it ssssllllloooowwweeeddd it down? Is it really necessary for me to answer questions twice? Is it a test to see if the answers match? The CSR on the phone apparently was unable to access the twelve hundred questions it just asked, and I had to squeek them out again. I guess thank goodness for lack of a voice because the dude evidently felt sorry for me and just did what I asked without any other crap. Of course, this was the electric company, and I moved...it wasn't like there was another service he could push.

We're finally a stop closer to having a room addition. We're working on getting a loan to fund the project, and, due to the economy things have changed. Who knew what we were missing out on? Say goodbye to the days of construction loans that you could get money to fund your entire project...they aren't offerred any more. As for home equity loans, say goodbye to the days when you could borrow 95% of what your house is worth...it is now 70% (down from 75%, which it was two days ago...). It is supposed to take two to three weeks to get everything worked out with the bank, and hopefully while that is being done we can finalize things with our contractor (we've narrowed it down to two...), and get started. Hello new kitchen...hello countertop space...and my two favorite things, hello dishwasher and hello washing machine, you can finally come back home. I never thought things on my wish list would be a washing machine and a dishwasher. Apparently, I'm old. Or domesticated, I'm not sure which...but neither really sounds good.

And, lastly...hey, Dish Network...it's Thursday, and it's almost 8:00. Even though it's sunny outside I expect that you're working out some way to screw up Survivor for me this week. Or, maybe you're truly evil and you're just going to wait until the finale on Sunday to pull something. You suck.

Cheers!

I want a new iPod Touch....

Dear Dish Network:
Let me start by saying that initially I loved you. You brought me things that Comcast could not (or, really, stopped bringing me, they too used to offer these things)...The Real Housewives, Project Runway, Top Design, Millionaire Matchmaker, Flipping Out and 90210 (the ORIGINAL, not the new...). I loved you, Dish Network...I looked forward to the day when I would be living in the house with you, and not just visiting you occasionally to have you tease me with the channels I could not view. I loved your DVR with countless hours of recording, by far superior to my puny Panasonic Showstopper which could only hold a 20 hours of programming, you held 100. Finally, the day came that I moved in with Marc and I could enjoy you for all of my tv viewing. I caught up seasons of shows that I had missed...The Real Housewives of Orange County, The Real Housewives of New York, Project Runway, Top Design...and still you had hours to record new shows. You were the most amazing thing ever.
Last week everything changed.
It was raining.
And...five minutes into Survivor a horrible thing happened.
You stopped working.
Sure, that had happened before....but never in the middle of something as important as Survivor. Instead of being able to see what Sierra's fate was, I could just see a message that said something like "Please don't call. We are aware of the problem and are working to correct it. You can continue viewing a non-local channel". What? What? What? Then it came to be time for Hell's Kitchen...and you still weren't working. I grew disappointed with you. But, as I caught up on The Real Housewives of New York I forgave you, I forgot about your errors. I knew you wouldn't do it again.
Here it is Survivor night...I wait until 8:40 to start watching so that I can skip through the commercials. I sit back and start the episode and about 8 minutes something horrible happens...right in the middle of the auction it ends. I will never see what what's his name purchased with his $160 because it ended. And the message reaapeared...don't call, we're aware of the problem, watch another channel...blah blah blah.
I look outside. Perhaps I was just unaware of the thunderstorm or the tornado that was outside that must have caused the satellite to allow me to watch survivor. Nothing. Completely clear and calm.
So, Dish Network, WTF? I don't want to watch another channel, I wanted to watch CBS. I WANT to call and yell at you, and if you do this again that's what's going to happen.
Are you doing this on purpose?
Are you teasing me? Because it just seems to coincidental that you stop working right after Survivor begins. This has to be done on purpose. Just know, it isn't funny.
Is this a challenge to see if I can now navigate my way to the CBS website to watch the episode online without seeing who was kicked off?
All I know is that our love affair is over. I now hate you, Dish Network. Keep it up and I'll be leaving you for your enemy, Direct TV.

I'm going to lunch tomorrow...but I don't know where...

Here's a traveling tip for you when flying. Always shave your armpits. Okay, let me correct myself. Here's a traveling tip for the ladies when flying. If you do forget, I hope you're not unfortunate enough to be wearing a tank top with a hoodie. Cuz when you go through security you're going to have to take that hoodie off. Male security cards seem to think they're jackets...and I just don't agree. It's a hoodie. It's part of my outfit, not outerware. But, what ever, you're going to have to take it off. You might think you're safe because you can just leave your arms down for those few moments you're without it. And, you might be wrong. Because if they make you go through the special security air blowing thingy you will have to lift your arms. That's awesome. Lifting your arms for ten seconds while everyone else going through security is staring at you. And your pits.

Here's another traveling tip for you. Well, for those of you who travel on I-465 in Indy. If you're driving on 465 and you suddenly come upon a group of cars (otherwise known as a wolfpack...there's a drivers ed term for you) that are going the speed limit, 55MPH, slow the hell down. There's a 99% chance they are doing so because there is a police car nearby. Don't be the jackass that has to try to weave through the traffic riding the butt of the car in front of you to display your impatience. We're all impatient. We're also smarter than you.

Here's a home remodeling tip for you...before you select a new bathroom floor go to all of the stores first. Don't go buy one, arrange for an install, and then come back an hour later to return it. Not that I've done that, I'm just letting you know to go see all of your options first. It's the smart thing to do. Otherwise you might feel foolish returning said bathroom floor. Maybe. Then again, I have a friend who once returned a house, so anything will seem minor to that.

Cheers!

My eighth move in thirteen years....

So...I've packed all of my food (the non-cold non-frozen food of course). I figured since I've packed all of my pots and pans it was useless any way (ha...like I USED pots and pans to prepare food). I stopped at Kroger's last night because I needed a breakfast food that could go in the car with me. I opted for PopTarts and cake. The cake wasn't for the car, the cake was because I wanted cake. And...yes, I'm aware it's still Lent, and I gave up sweets, and therefore I shouldn't be eating either of those things, but I received my Girl Scout cookies from Lynn, and that was it. I failed. Again. Any way, I went to the self check out at Kroger's since I only had two items (really I didn't want the cashier to judge my horrible eating habits...I would have had to grab a can of corn to feel better and I couldn't do that since all of the food is packed). At Kroger they have these machines that sometimes will print out coupons while your receipt is printing. Usually they are for something you bought. Yesterday mine was for Lean Cuisine. Thanks, Kroger's, I'm already aware.

I was waiting for Marc to get dressed for work the other day. He appears in the brown suit that is his new uniform and is covered in cat hair. He comments that he didn't know where it came from since he came home, took it off, and laid it out for the next day (it came from my sofa, where he had sat the night before...before going home to lay it out for the next day...). He then commented that he wished he had a hook to hang it up with. A hook on the wall where he could just hang it up and it would be ready for the next day, cat hair and wrinkle free. I was very excited to let him know that there already was such a hook, right there in his own house...an amazing hook that would allow him to hang that suit up every day, keeping it cat hair free...

Cheers!

I want a new bed...

Canceling credits cards is an almost impossible task. I don't mean that I find it difficult to let go of them, I mean that calling and actually getting them canceled is a challenge. I have had credit cards that I didn't use for years, and, I kept them not because of fear that I might need them, but because I absolutely hate calling to cancel them. I think that some of the companies must have in their training book the steps to wear you down so you eventually give up and just keep the card so that you can get off of the phone. American Express was by far the worst. They had a clever scheme where the original person you got on the phone (you know, after you went through the thirteen step voice prompted menu) wasn't able to close the account for you. Even though you told the voice prompt computer that's what you wanted to do. They would then keep you on the phone talking about the values of the card while you "waited" for the specialist to join or while you "waited" for the computer to process the request. This exchange from years ago scarred me, and I procrastinated on getting rid of other cards. Until today. Today I learned the values of my cards, the cash back rewards I would be missing out on, the low interest rate, the check for cash they could send me right away...and on and on and on...but, I succeeded, they are canceled and shredded and it is done. I thought it would be a simpler process today since I read yesterday that both Citibank and American Express were actually paying some people to cancel their accounts, I assumed that would mean they would be happy to get rid of any others as well. And I was wrong. Well, except for JCPenney, they didn't really give a crap.

I decided on giving up sweets/desserts for Lent. So far so good. Of course, I realized ahead of time that this decision ALWAYS coincides with the arrival of Girl Scout cookies and that my Thin Mints would have to go straight to the freezer to taunt me. This year stashing them at Marc's house so that I won't be tempted won't even be an option...soon enough I'll be following them there.

I have a love/hate relationship with Angie's List. I had the subscription a while back, and when I went to reinstate it, I was informed I would have to pay the "one time processing fee" again. The frustration I felt over that should be obvious. They made me so angry I just didn't reinstate it. I emailed their customer support with my frustration, and they didn't really care. I then sent a sarcastic email letting them know that I didn't think "one time processing fee" was the correct name for the fee since that wasn't an accurate description and suggested a few other names for them..."fee you'll pay once and then might have to pay again in the future", etc. They responded to me with a polite email saying they would take my suggestions into consideration and if enough people suggested that they would do so. I am a fan of the polite response to the crappy/rude comment. There's really nothing that can be said in response when that happens. Now, Awesome Man has subscribed to Angie's List so that we can find a contractor. Apparently, they remembered me and my crappy emails. I received a bag of M&Ms from them in the mail as a thank-you gift for referring Marc. Once again, a polite response, but I really think they knew about Lent and that's why they sent them so that they arrived the day after it started. I bet you think you got me there, Angie's List, but I might take you up on your polite offer that if I didn't like plain M&Ms I could request a bag of Peanut. Ha. Keep sending them biotches.

Cheeres!

Have you seen Lobbie...?

I'm trying to figure out what to give up for Lent this year. First off, I'm not Catholic, not have I ever went to a church that actually participated in Lent, but for the past ten plus years I've given something up. The past couple of years I've failed, and I need to do better this year. I've given up sweets, carbonated beverages, Coke and similar sodas, red meat...not all at the same time, of course. For me, carbonated beverages was the most difficult. Although I did succeed, I'm not feeling up to that challenge this year. I'm addicted to Diet Coke, and the year I opted to do that I worked as a waitress. It was like torture to pour Cokes for other people and not be able to have one myself. Sort of like being a crack dealer but trying to kick the habbit. And, although one would think eventually the desire for Coke would just go away, it didn't. Apparently, Diet Coke is like smoking to me...you sometimes hear some smokers who have quit say that they could just start again like they never stopped, that's how Coke was. I think I have a law suit against Coca-Cola...there isn't a warning on their can that it's addictive, that if I quit drinking it I will suffer from caffeine withdrawl headaches. I wasn't warned, and because of that I need 12 million dollars. But, back to Lent...I was contemplating giving up games...online, computer and video...but I think I'm going to go for desserts. And, I'm going to actually make it this year.

I actually feel like I really just need to get myself together, in essence. I used to walk four miles a day. Now, I sit on my ass eighteen hours a day. Well, probably not, but it certainly seems like it. For all of you who think it would be awesome to have an office job and work from home, let me tell you, there are some negatives to this. I don't have to walk ANY WHERE. I sit at my desk, the printer/copier/fax is right beside me. The bathroom is ten feet away. The kitchen is practically as close. I walk NO WHERE. Unless, of course, I'm out on appointments, but that doesn't require THAT much walking either. And, to get there, I'm sitting in my car, sometimes for hours (Thursday it was over seven...). I need to get motivated to walk, to go outside (which would be a heck of a lot easier if it were not so freaking cold). I need to get my house organized and clean. Actually, the house cleaning task might be a little easier than it seems because:

I'M GOING TO BE MOVING SOON.

In case you were unaware, we're still working on renovations to Marc's house. The original plan was to renovate a bedroom, a bathroom and the kitchen and then I would move in with him. Then, we would start on an addition. Because this has taken soooooooo long, there's a change of plan. The bedroom is done with the exception of the closet which needs the shelving hung (the MOST important part of the WHOLE ROOM). The bathroom wil hopefully be began and finished this week. Of course, if the bedroom was any indication of the speed of progress, it will take four weeks. I'm going to move in after it's finished instead of waiting on the kitchen. We're speaking to contractors again about the addition which now includes the kitchen. This makes me incredibly happy because I cannot really express how ready I am to get out of this apartment.

My lease ended last July, and since we thought the renovations would be a fairly quick process I opted to go month to month instead of signing a new lease. Now, they raise my rent about every three months. I think it would have been more economical to sign the lease and just break it. Besides the obvious reasons (renting is like throwing money away, I have to be quiet, I hate sharing walls with others, I hate sharing a parking lot with others), there is a new very motivating reason.

I have new neighbors below me.

And they stink.

One would not think that would be an issue, but it is. It is when the smell from their apartment creeps into mine. I know it's coming through the vents because for the few days it was warm last week and I had the heater off and the windows cracked the smell disappeared. As soon as the furnace was on again, the smell returned. It's probably creeping up through the floor as well. All I know is that I can't stand it...it's like stale cigarette smoke and something else, which I cannot describe. Well, I take that back, I can describe it. BAD. STANK. NASTY. GROSS. I do not want to leave my house smelling like that, and I have a feeling as the smell penetrates my clothes that's exactly what's going to happen. So, if I'm hanging out with you and I stink that's why.

Cheers!