It had been eons since we heard from the Dodge dealership and we were wondering what was going on (last update was they had a theory and were waiting for a part). Robert gave them a call today to find out what's up. We received the following joyous news:
*The guy who was handling our case quit today, so they had to look us up in the computer.
*The part came in. They installed it. It didn't help.
*They tried something else. It didn't help, either.
*The van is now back to giving the "No Bus" message that it was giving back when these ass clowns replaced the main computer and pronounced it 'fixed' last year.
*Obviously the thing has NEVER been fixed. The problem was simply staved off for a while.
*They have no idea what's wrong with it. They think it might be electrical but have no idea where to start.
*The guy who's now dealing with us wants to talk to his manager on Monday and see if he thinks they should call Chrysler and ask if they can help fix it. (See also: Things That Qualify as a Bad Sign)
*All this fruitless dicking around has run up a price tag of $400 so far, with no end in sight if we actually want the thing fixed, IF they could ever even figure out what's wrong with it.
We had a potential deal worked out here in town that would've gotten us two new vehicles but it hinged on trading in the van, which is not going to happen now because no dealership in its right mind is going to give us $5500 for a van that does not work, has no apparent fix and probably will never work again.
It's times like these I really question the existence of a higher power, or if there's one I question its sense of humor. We had a complete shitstorm for two years and then the tide finally turned and our recovery culminated in us finding this van, the exact sort of vehicle I'd dreamed about, for exactly the amount of money we had to spend. Seems serendipitous. Except that the vehicle has gone on to cause nothing but problems, cost thousands of dollars in repairs, and ultimately end up unusable. If that's not a big middle finger at us, I'm not sure what is. Think of all the hundreds of thousands (millions?) of Dodge owners to whom this has never happened. But it happened to us! Of course it did.
Incidentally, we do have the ability right now to get another vehicle for me that will actually run. So it's not that I'm being forced to be permanently car-less once again. What makes me angry is that we now owe thousands of dollars, all of which will have to be paid back, on a vehicle which is basically worthless and undrivable and will remain so. Instead of improving our situation somewhat we will end up worse off (financially, at least). Yeah, because we are just ROLLING in dough, so that shouldn't be a problem.
I guess I should go count my blessings that a freaking asteroid hasn't hit our house or something.
An hour later: May have posted too soon. Stay tuned for updates.....
And it's on Facebook.
On an impulse (triggered by a discussion Robert was participating in on FB) I searched Robert's ex-wife's name and, what do you know, the name popped up. I had Robert check the tiny picture that was with the name to see if it was really her. Much to his dismay, it was. I told him I'd give him fifty bucks to send her a Friend request. He declined, and may not sleep much tonight for all the nightmares.
All in a day's work, ladies and gents.
I am so upset right now. I missed the opportunity to go watch the Oscars with a group of ladies. I haven't been asked anywhere since last year's Oscars! The invitation was sent through Facebook so it also appeared in my email inbox. On, like, every other day but this one I'd have been online ten different times by 5 p.m. but today a bunch of factors combined to keep me off the computer. I slept late then got up and was dealing with the kids, getting them ready to go to the park with Robert. When they left I had something to eat and watched a DVR'ed show and then had to start getting ready to take the older two kids to ECU's production of Cinderella. We left at 1:30 and didn't get home until 6:00, as we went to dinner afterward. When I got back the kids wanted to go online so I let them take turns, along with also bathing Eliza and Johnny. Then it was bedtime for the three. All told it was 8:30 before I signed on and found the invitation.....a full two hours after the festivities started and probably too late to go join in. I just cannot believe it. It's so unlike me to go eight or nine hours without checking in online and damn it if the one day I do it is the one day there was something I really needed to see.
Always next year, I guess. *sob*
Facebook status updates I could have posted in the past week, but didn't.
Mary...
...knows that baby wipes probably shouldn't be used to clean an LCD t.v. screen but is too tired to care.
...mocks people who use their Facebook statuses to promote their blogs, but is secretly wondering if she should do the same thing.
...thinks there's not much cuter than an almost-two-year-old singing "Hey Jude."
...probably shouldn't admit how glad she is that Eliza has finally started watching some t.v. (DON'T JUDGE ME.)
...thinks it's really whack that she is 34 and still bumming rides off people.
...would like to thank the TX county judge who set a trial for today, and by "thank" she means "invite to bite her."
...should REALLY stay off of eBay.
...has realized that Gymboree addiction never really goes away. It just lies dormant to lull you into a false sense of security.
...couldn't care less who put the bop in the bop-shoo-bop-shoo-bop.
...has, belatedly, begun to question the wisdom of trying to find "the person (you) want to spend the rest of (your) life with" in twelve weeks on a reality t.v. show.
...says "New season of Survivor AND The Amazing Race...ahhhhh, bliss."
...has begun to have a Pavlovian reaction every time she sees an iPhone. NEED.
...Seriously. Don't judge me about the t.v. thing. YOU try spending the day with Velcro toddler and getting anything done. The kid is co-dependent.
After not having come within a mile of eBay since probably last summer, I unwisely signed on this afternoon and am now the proud winner of five separate auctions. Ostensibly I was there to look for Bear in the Big Blue House paraphernalia for Eliza but I detoured into the Gymboree toddler listings and one thing led to another and, well.....five auctions later Eliza now has two new dresses and two shirt-and-pants combos. The fifth auction is actually for a lot of Bear books which I will put up for her birthday; proof I didn't completely lose focus.
Am now accepting donations via Paypal for this worthy cause. ;)
I'm off to the Norman/Moore area this afternoon to eat, do a little shopping (shh, don't tell Robert) and see Coraline in 3D. I haven't seen a 3D feature since the Muppets attraction at Disneyland's California Adventure when Madalyn was two.
For now, I leave you with this story:
An Oklahoman and a Texan were walking along the banks of the Red River, on the Oklahoma side, when the Texan spotted an oddly-shaped bottle lying in the sand. He picked it up and rubbed it with his sleeve to clean it when out popped a genie.
"I'm a bit pressed for time today," the genie explained, "so I'm only handing out one wish apiece."
The Texan piped up immediately. "I wish for you to surround my beloved Texas with a hundred-foot-high cement wall, so that no Okies or anyone else can get in for all eternity." Then he splashed across the river to the Texas side to wait.
"Done," said the genie, and the wall appeared. Turning to the Oklahoman he asked, "And your wish?"
The Okie smiled, jerked his thumb in the direction of the wall and said, "Fill that with water."
I just spent five minutes plundering JZ's Valentine's goodie bag, looking for conversation hearts. I hadn't bought any this year and, indeed, thought to myself, "Eh, they aren't that great. I won't bother." But poor Johnny came home with a bag full of booty from his class Valentine's party and, right on top, was a packet of Necco conversation hearts, which I proceeded to confiscate and plow through. Then I went looking for more. Apparently decades of consumption has caused me to acquire a taste for the things which will not be denied. Unfortunately the only other convo hearts in the bag were chalky-tasting knock-offs. I foresee a run to Walgreens in my future to pick up a few boxes of the good stuff.
Seasonal candy.....gets me every time. Next up will be the Cadbury Creme Eggs.
Ever tried to make plans for Valentine's night two days before the date?
It doesn't go well.
Every good restaurant in the city (meaning OKC, not motherbleeping Hooterville) is booked solid the entire day. Oops. I figured it would be a close call but thought that, if we were ready to eat at like 4:30 or 5:00, we might be able to swing it. To which the online reservation systems said, and I quote: "HAHAHAHAHAHA. Suck it, loser!"
So we've now ratcheted down our standards from "having a really good meal" to "eating something that is scarcely a step above fast food." We're also going to attempt to go to a movie; that is, unless every frakking theater in the metro is sold out, as well. Fortunately we can book the tickets online so at least we'll know; we won't just have to show up at the theater an hour early and cross our fingers.
I know it is all our own faults. We should have planned all this three or four weeks ago. The problem is I'm not used to having anyone to call for babysitting and I'm also used to special occasions falling on days when Robert is not here. So it never occurred to me to even check which day of the week Valentine's is on, let alone that we actually do have an option for childcare, until Robert pointed it out to me.
In the end, though, neither of us is a big fan of Valentine's Day, and this is really just an excuse to have date night, so it's all good. We're getting out and that's the important thing. Oh, and we're going to try to see "Slumdog Millionaire" so I'm pretty stoked about that.
Dear Cosmo,
When, in an effort to curry your favor and affection, thereby securing my possessions from being urinated upon, I open the door to let you out and it's raining, snowing, sleeting, or otherwise nasty, there is no need to glare at me balefully as you saunter away from the door, nose high in the air, on your way to sleep for the next ten hours in comfort on my bed. Despite the fact that I procure your food in a manner which is inexplicable to you and make your litter box deposits disappear, seemingly magically, I am, in fact, not omnipotent and cannot control the weather. It is not my fault.
Sincerely,
The Human
This thing has gone viral on Facebook and I joined in there but then I decided to do an entirely new list, with no repeats, for my blog. Here are 25 random things about me which you may or may not know.
1. I am a perfectionist when it comes to things I do myself. If I can't do something and do it well, or properly, I'd rather not do it at all. When I look at something I've done or something I own all I can see is what's wrong with it or what could be better and I'm convinced that's what everyone else notices first, too.
2. I had a baked potato for dinner last night, cooked my favorite way. I stab a bunch of holes in the skin with a fork, brush on some melted butter, then sprinkle on kosher salt and Lawry's. Then I wrap it in foil. I don't actually eat the skin but the flavor penetrates to the inside.
3. I cry when I tell a scary story. Actually, I don't know if "cry" is accurate. I don't sob and I don't feel like I'm crying in fear. My voice remains normal and steady. But my eyes water profusely. This also happens when I try to have a heart-to-heart conversation with my kids. I have NO idea what causes it.
Whose idea was it to have Meryl Streep sing and dance? And while wearing overalls, no less. Cuh-reepy.
Also, how is it that they made a musical using ABBA songs before someone thought to make one using Beatles songs?
I'm here. It's been a while.
My original intent was to make a decision re: blogging soon after the new year, as in, within the first week. Then the first week became the second, then the third, and so on and so forth. That darned time, it moves on, inexorably, whether you want it to or not.
My main focus when I started my blogging break, back in December, was to figure out not only if I wanted to keep blogging but figure out if it was important enough to me to continue doing even if no one is reading. For whatever reason my comments slowed to a trickle and then came to a screeching halt over a very short period of time. Part of this is my fault. My updates and entries were spotty, at best, and I was doing no self-promotion at all. I thought that, all along, I was blogging mainly for myself but now I realize that wasn't entirely true. Part of my purpose was to get feedback from friends and family and have that interaction with them. I was convinced people were reading my blog to keep up with me. Maybe they are; maybe they aren't. What really needs to be decided is whether or not I think it's worth my time to write here even if they aren't.
So here's where I am: at this time I don't feel as though I'm ready to give up this blog. Now, whether that's because I enjoy writing in it, or whether it's because I've had it for so long I'd feel guilty dumping it remains to be seen. But I'm going to give it another whirl. And I'm not going to worry about writing something "good." That was part of my problem before, I think. I started feeling like I needed to be "on" whenever I wrote, to entertain the (very small) masses. I was having difficulty coming up with entries I felt fit that bill, so I just didn't write anything at all. I am going to keep writing here but I am going to do it for ME. I accept the fact that I can't compete with the really good blogs I read, and so I'm not going to worry about even trying any more. I'm going to write what's on my mind. Sometimes it might come out kind of funny, or insightful, or thought-provoking. Other times it's going to be completely boring crap like, "I went to the store today and now I'm watching t.v." I won't feel bad or discouraged if I can't make it more interesting than that. Some bloggers can make anything into a great story. That is not my forte. Sometimes I have a good story and sometimes it's just a laundry list of things that are floating around in my head, bugging me until I write them down. I can accept that. And I am going to try not to be disappointed if I get no comments. I have other forums in which I can re-post some of these things if I really, really crave that feedback.
And there you have it. Onward and upward, I say.