Still Sick

Puking, weak, but somehow I feel better. I think tomorrow I’ll be just fine.

Poverty Sucks

That’s all I have to say. It just does.

Still Sick

I get so angry when I’m sick. It just really ticks me off, this forced rest and non-functioning brain.

I would like to order the following:

1 large container of hot and sour soup

1 egg roll

1 gigantic pot of hot tea

Some kind of gooey pastry would be nice as well. Like a cream horn or something. And a pickle.

I’m Sick

I guess it’s the flu.

A Menopause Question

Is it possible to have a five hour hot flash? I think it is, judging from this evening.

I Love My Daughter

Awwww…I just love this kid. She called me today, just to ask me the name of a pizza place we used to go to. She always very “out there” with her emotions (wonder where she gets that), and it just thrills me when she’s happy and bubbly and enthusiastic, which she was today.

I really miss my kids on Valentine’s Day. We used to make such a big deal about it. Now I just send e-cards. Sigh….

(My daughter and her friend are coming to see me on March 15th. I cannot wait!)

I’m Feelin’ Retro

I’m mellowing out to some Donovan, man. I really dig his grooves.

I Hate Revol

I’m venting here.

For the past two years, I’ve had cell phone service with a company that I won’t mention here by name (Revol). I chose this service because although it was a small, regional outfit, at $45 per month for unlimited calling, it was sort of an idiot-proof plan. I couldn’t exceed my minutes, and the bill was always the same.

Mysteriously, it’s continuously gone up in price and is now $55.99 a month, but I haven’t complained. Until now.

I used to have automatic bill pay, but because I recently moved, and am changing bank accounts, I called a few weeks ago and asked them to just let me pay it with a credit card this month.

So, paying time rolled around, and I’m used their little automated service, and for some weird reason, it wouldn’t accept my card. I tried for about 45 minutes, then I push the button for a customer service rep. She couldn’t get the card to go through either, and says it may have something to do with my change of address. But when she looked at the record, the address was correct, and the same as the one for the card.

She told me to go online and pay, but no luck there either. I called back, and another customer service rep tries again. She told me to try the automated system again. No luck.

I called back, and another customer service rep went through the whole routine again, still unsuccessfully. Finally she said, “You’ll have to go pay by Western Union.”

I had waited until the last minute to pay, and this was my only option. She gave me the account number code that I’d need to give when I transferred the money.

So off I went to Kroger, to use their Western Union service. On the way, I called Revol, just to make sure I had crossed my t’s, dotted my i’s, and gotten all the pertinent information that I’d need. I was assured that all was well.

I got to Kroger, and the counter girl obviously mistook me for one of her royal subjects, because she was the ruler of that little cage she sits in and she was treating me like crap. She barked at me to fill out the blue form. I stood on my tiptoes to reach the counter, tilted my head way back to see the small print, and finally got it completed.

“Where do I put the account number they gave me?” I asked.

She looked at me like I was the scum on the bottom of her shoe and said, “What are you talking about? You don’t need an account number.”

“Well, Revol said I do. They said it had to be included. “

“Oh. That’s a business transfer. You’ll have to fill out the green form.”

I filled out the fucking green form, and handed it over. She entered the information in, and asked, “What’s the location code?”

Location code?

“I don’t know, but I can call and find out right now.” I was being nice, because my tactic is that the bitchier someone is, the more I kill them with kindness. She should have been close to death throes by now.

I called Revol and spoke to a rep who had no clue as to what I was talking about. She put me on hold while she spoke to her supervisor, and came back with a code called, “Cleveland Unlimited.”

“Don’t go away,” I told her, because I sort of knew what was coming. I gave the code to the Queen of the Kroger Western Union Cubicle, who said that there was no such code. I passed this along to customer service woman, who said,

“My supervisor says that we don’t take Western Union payments anymore. They’re too much trouble.”

I was about to scream. “May I please speak to your supervisor?”

She happily said, “He just walked out the door.” Five minutes early, I might add.

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked her. I’ve talked to about ten people from your company today who all told me to go to Western Union. I’ve done exactly as you guys instructed me– I’ve tried to pay via the automated system, through Customer service, and online. Now I’m at Western Union, and you’re telling me I still can’t pay? They’re going to shut off my service at midnight. Is there a way you can put some sort of note in the computer, saying that I’m trying to pay this? Can you put a hold on disconnecting me until tomorrow?”

“I’m sorry ma’am, there’s nothing I can do.”

“I don’t want to pay a reconnect fee– I’ve done everything that you guys have instructed me to do. Now what do you suggest?”

All together now: “I’m sorry ma’am. There’s nothing I can do.”

I hung up, thanked Queen Kroger (who would not even make eye contact with me), and left.

Now have no cell phone service. Thanks, Revol.

Nancy Grace – Ugh

Nancy Grace drives me insane. She’s seriously psycho. Every once in a while (like tonight) I’ll watch her, just because I like to keep my imitation of her honed. But she just pisses me off with her disgusting opportunism, thinly disguised as compassion. Tonight, Natalie Holloway’s poor dad was on her show (why do people subject themselves to this woman?). He’s suffering, he’s in pain, and at the end of the interview (or whatever you call that thing she does), Nancy said to him in a voice just dripping with concern: “I just don’t understand how they could call Natalie a bitch and a whore while she was just laying there dying.” I’m paraphrasing, but that was close. She says things like this just to twist the knife that’s already in a someone’s heart, just to elicit some dramatic response. But bless Mr. Holloway’s heart, he didn’t say a WORD. There was just this looooooooooooooong silence. He didn’t take the bait, didn’t respond her transparent ruse.

How do you respond to that crap? She’s such a witch.She did the same thing with Elizabeth Smart. Elizabeth was on the show last year, promoting a bill that Orrin Hatch was trying to push through. But Nancy Grace was trying to be all tabloidy with her fake, nicey nicey passive-aggressive questions about the kidnapping. Elizabeth Smart tried to avoid these questions gracefully, but good ol’ Nance just kept twisting that knife. Finally, Elizabeth got angry and said basically,” I tdon’t appreciate what you’re doing.” It was a great!

The more disgusting and prying, the more she tries to elicit some emotional response, the more faux nice Nancy G becomes. She’s generally very harsh and abrasive, but when she’s twisting that knife, she tries her best to soften her voice and pretends that she knows what it’s like to be gentle and compassionate. It’s hilarious, I tell you.

Nancy once suffered her own personal tragedy– years ago, her fiance was murdered by some muggers in Georgia. I seriously doubt that anyone took advantage of her tragedy by asking her to sit through an interview while they dragged her around by her emotions, saying things like, “I just can’t imagine what that would have been like for you, Nancy (twist, twist). I mean, how horrible. There he is, the man you love, soon to be married, heartlessly and ruthlessly murdered in cold blood by thugs (twist, twist).” If she didn’t start crying, they’d just go on in a softer, honey-twinged southern accented voice, the special voice they used to make the tears start flowing– “Imagine for us, would you, Nancy– what do you think your beloved soon-to-be-husband’s last words were? What could his thoughts have been as he lay there on the sidewalk in that pool of blood?”

No. I doubt that anyone did that to her.

Ugh.

My Carriage is About to Turn into a Pumpkin

It’s ten ’til midnight!

POST!!!!