Bad Customer Service = Bad Pinky

We've all had experiences with bad customer service - whether it be a lazy/rude server, a lame company, or an overworked and unsatisfied call center worker who deems it necessary to take their aggression out on you. Having worked on the other end of the phones and being on the receiving end of what can seem like a neverending barrage of stupid questions, I know it can be frustrating. I do. I can relate and empathize with their situation. That being said, I also know it shouldn't be that hard to answer a simple question without giving off major attitude.

For the past few weeks I've been battling with an idiot company who was *supposed* to send me the entire season of Silver Spoons on DVD. Instead, all they're doing is giving me grief. The first time I spoke to their customer service department, I couldn't understand the girl who just called me ma'am after every word and talked in circles. I asked to speak to her manager, who wasn't much better. She told me I needed to call my bank to approve the charges. Well, this order was placed online and my card is fine. I shouldn't have to call my bank OR call her back in a few days to make sure my order and verify it's being processed (which she also asked me to do). I told her that the way this works is I give them my credit card info and they send me the merchandise. Simple, right? Wrong.

I could go on and on about the experience, but that would take all day. Long story short, they don't respond to emails, they've stopped answering their phone, and they claim to have shipped my order via CANADA MAIL on 5/21. Hmmm. When I went online to file a complaint, I found a whole site dedicated to people complaining about this company and how much they suck. Wish I'd seen that before they charged my card.

So, yesterday I decide to call my credit card company and dispute the charges, since this is a fraudulent company and everyone's apparently had the same terrible experience with them. Unfortunately, the person who answered the phone at the credit company wasn't much better. Now, granted, I know I've got a mean, bitchy side just like anyone else, but I really try not to let that show. I try. And when I call places, I do try to be nice. But when they're rude or ignorant or stupid, I just lose it. Before I know it, I'm saying something like (well, actually, it's almost always this), "Thank you for nothing!" and hang up. What is that? Why can't I just hang up on the phone like a normal person and not last out at the idiot on the other end? There's definitely something loose in my brain.

All's Quiet on the Pink Front

I've got a major headache. Having this many scents on my desk is sending my sniffer into a tailspin. On a random note, did you know that Hootie himself, Darius Rucker, from Hootie and the Blowfish, is now singing country songs solo? What the heck? I heard his song on the radio this morning and was thinking the voice sounded familiar....now I know why! :)

Hello Sugar Loves Me Back

Happy day! Happy day! It's my best day!!! :) I just ran over to Bath and Body Works at lunch to see if *by chance* they had any Hello, Sugar! lotion left (it was a clearance sale, after all) and they had (drum roll please) not one, not two, but TEN BOTTLES of lotion at (this is the best part) HALF PRICE!!! :) Could I BE any more excited?!?!!? Of course I had to buy them all AND the super cool lip gloss. Look at my face. Pure happiness and joy. It's my best day! :)

Shameless Scentsy Plug

I'm a huge candle freak. I LOVE being surrounded by hot stuff scents that make me happy. My challenge has been that for whatever reason (and it's possible it's a user error, but I doubt it), my candles explode. Yes, that's right, I said explode. I'll be lying down, taking a peaceful nap while burning my fave scent and then hear the dreaded POPPING sound of my candle exploding. If you come into my place and look up at the ceiling, you'll find candle wax. Everywhere. It's in my bathroom, all over the walls, cabinets, floor, and shower (freaking flying wax). Apparently, both my candle warmers seem to be possessed and while I probably should have just pitched them, I guess I couldn't admit that they both had trouble (hence using them in different rooms to see if perhaps the plug was the problem).

Imagine my delight to discover the Scentsy candles. Has anyone tried the amazing Scentsy products? Oh my goodness, I'm totally hooked. I bought a warmer and the pumpkin spice scent about a month ago (just to try it for research purposes) and I'm thrilled to report that my front room is wax free (well, except for the old wax that exploded there). Not only that, but my place smells terrific and I'm clamoring for new scents and ways to mix it up. I want to get a burner in my room, in my bathroom, in my car (they have car candle things), everywhere! Oh wait, am I starting to obsess? That's unusual. Admittedly, I was a little leery going into the first purchase, thinking they couldn't really be that much different from normal candles, but I was wrong. They're amazing. They're revolutionary (OK, now I'm going overboard). Oh, and did I mention they're on sale now?? :) Wow, see it IS a shameless plug - but, to be fair, I did put it right in the title (so I did warn you). I just so happen to be hosting a Scentsy catalog party until Monday (the 9th). I've got a huge tub of scents on my desk at work (to play with) and would be more than happy to share them with anyone interested (shameless!!!). Or, you can check out the website: http://www.scentsy.net/. Whether or not you're interested now, I still think they're a white hot item that should be looked into at some point. If you love candles (and really, who doesn't?), then you deserve some love! Oh, and can you figure out which of the burners in the picture above is the one I selected? Ten points to the first person with the right answer! (Really? 1o points? Were we playing a game? Interesting).

The Bachelorette's Having a Giddy-Up Time

I think I've found something I enjoy almost as much as The Bachelorette. If you get a chance, check out this guy's (yes, a guy, which is surprising, since he kind of sounds like he's channeling my brain) live blog during The Bachelorette. It's freaking hysterical. To my extreme and total joy, he writes reviews for a bunch of my fave shows (she says, shrieking with glee). The website address is: http://blogs.abc.com/bachelorette_live/ From there you can get over to his other reviews (or at least through his profile).

So, last night's show. I missed the beginning because I didn't know it started so early (another two-hour episode? Suprising!), but I'm glad I caught it pretty close to the beginning. I turned it on right as poor little Richard was on his one-on-one date. Awwww. That was harsh. Being sent home from a one-on-one date (where you're riding around in a Cinderella carriage and it stops in the middle of the road to dump you off) is AWFUL! I couldn't believe they made him go home in the cab of shame. Poor kid. I just want to give him a big hug.

The line dancing stuff was super fun. Hello, cowboys! They all looked delicious (well, not ALL of them, but the ones who didn't are disposable anyway - in my humble opinion, that is). How adorable was DeAnna with the braids? She couldn't have been any cuter. I really like her.

I'm so glad Jason finally told her about his son. Her reaction was PERFECT. I was a little worried about (after she broke Richard's poor little heart and all) but she was so great. Having a star named after his son? That was super hot stuff. He's totally my fave.

Oh! LOVED the boys being on Ellen, but I'm dying to know who Ellen pointed to and said he wouldn't be around much longer? Does she hate the same people I do? OK, OK, hate is a wee bit strong (this is just a TV show after all). All the guys wearing Ellen boxers was great! :)

I still have no idea why stupid Twilley is on the show, but I'm stoked that Sean finally cut his hair (a mullet? Really? What century are we in?). I was surprised she picked him again, but yay for Ron to hit the road. That guy was lame and couldn't stop crying over the other guys. Is it just me, or do they all seem way too chummy?? It doesn't seem like the girls get that chummy when they're all together. Who does everyone like so far? Thoughts?

Oh no!

I've officially entered the next "age bracket" when filling out surveys:

Into which one of the following age categories do you fall?
Please select one response only.
Under 18 years
18-24 years
25-34 years
35-44 years
45-54 years
55 -64 years
65 years or older
Prefer not to answer

Kill me now.

Noises Shmoises

Does anyone have any really irritating sounds that drive them crazy? I was in a meeting earlier today when someone was jingling the change in their pocket and realized it might make for an interesting discussion. What other sounds drive me bonkers, you ask? Aside from jingling change, here are my top three:

1. Unanswered telephones


2. Someone clipping their fingernails (it's like nails on a chalkboard, but that's too generic to use) - especially when they're at work. Don't they know that other people can hear them?? I do work in a cubicle farm....


3. Gum being chomped, popped, and snapped. Makes me want to pull that gum out and whip it around on their face or shove it up their nose (wow, so angry!)

Now, it's entirely possible I'm just anal-retentive and overly critical, but I'm almost positive that's not the case. :)

Hi Honey, I'm Home

Since I don't have anyone to actually say this to when I walk in the door after a long drive, I'm glad you're here. :) So, here's a question: Why does the drive home always go so much faster than the drive there? Does some sort of break in the time-space continuum come into play? :) It's always a mystery. The picture taken above was taken from my BFF's front window. How gorgeous is that?

Everything was so beautiful and green on the drive - I had to stop and take a few pictures.

I'm very excited to take my new snowglobes to work so they can join their many snowglobe friends on my desk. My BFF brings me them from all over the world.

Here's a picture of the snowglobe friends on my desk:

I stopped at a mall on my way to hit up the big semi-annual sale at Bath and Body Works to see if they had my lotion. Sadly, they didn't, but they had other cool deals and some Hello, Sugar bath soap for half off.

Yakima - The Palm Springs of Washington

Today was a gorgeous day and we spent most of it tooling about town in a convertible Mustang (because that's how I roll). :) I had no idea Yakima would be as beautiful as it is (yes, I'm being serious). There are amazing vineyards and fields of green everywhere you look. Of course, on the other hand, there are also plenty of funny signs around town. Here are some entertaining signs and places we found.

Who thought of this? In the middle of a hop field (I have no legs!)

What exactly is Yakimex?
Does something look wrong with these lights?

My hair looks so cool while riding in a convertible :)

I'm heading home tomorrow...fun times lie ahead with my long drive I'm sure.

Postsecret - Top 5 of the Day

Here are my Top Five secrets from today's batch:
Happy Sunday! :)

Safe and sound

Greetings from beautiful Yakima, Washington. I made it safe and sound last night and really enjoyed the scenic drive, especially the few hours spent driving through Oregon. I tried to take some pictures with my iPhone during the drive (yes, these were all taken with my phone, but the pics from the comedy show were done with my new camera - yay!). Last night we grabbed some dinner, took a little drive around the town, and started the Seinfeld marathon. However, this morning I woke up wanting to cut off my head. As gorgeous as the area is, I'm in allergy hell. Apparently, the pollen is some sort of super pollen that wants to kill me. I took about a handful of every allergy pill known to man and am currently waiting for my congested head to drain...wahoo! I know you're jealous of all the fun I'm having so far. :)

As soon as we get ready, we're off to see the Sex and the City movie (although, I'm sure he'd be totally fine if the movie was sold out).

Last Comic Standing

I'm a pretty big fan of the TV show Last Comic Standing. Actually a HUGE fan of not only the show, but all forms of stand-up comedy. I love it. Always have. Always will. Even tried performing it for a few years in college...but that was a million years ago. Anyway, in the past month there've been not one, but two past winners from Last Comic Standing - Josh Blue and Alonso Bodden - performing at a local club. I took my friend Angie for her birthday last month to see Josh and then tonight my friend Jenny took me to see Alonso (yes, apparently I'm on a first name basis with both of them) for mine. They were SO funny! I'm always so refreshed and inspired after laughing for an hour solid. I had to take notes just to be sure I remembered how funny the jokes were (I hate when I forget!). We had a great time and Alonso was gracious enough to take a picture (well, two, actually, since I didn't like our first one) with me. Yay! :)

Here's our pic with Josh Blue last month:Off to pack a bag for my big trip...I'm leaving tomorrow morning. Never fear...I'll try to blog from Washington (if you're lucky). Happy Friday! :) Think Pink!

Sex and the City (and stars galore!)

In honor of the Sex and the City movie coming out tomorrow (YAY!!!!), I thought it only appropriate to share my super cool photo with SJP herself (or, to you commoners, Sarah Jessica Parker). She came to Sundance this year to promote Smart People and I didn't think in a million years I'd be able to get a pic with her. I was even sitting in the front row at her movie and was totally convinced she wouldn't be nice or pose for photos. I don't know why I thought that. You know how sometimes you get a preconceived notion about someone without any basis? I was sitting by a girl who said she wanted to get her picture taken with SJP, her husband Matthew Broderick, AND Dennis Quaid (who was also in the movie) and I think I said something like, "Uh, good luck with that." Even I doubted that was possible.

Luckily, I was completely wrong about SJP. After the Q&A period was finished (where they take questions from the audience for the cast and crew after the movie), I jumped up and asked her if we could take a pic. She was so cute. She said, "Sure, but is it OK? Am I going to get in trouble?" I was like, "Um, no, you're SJP, you can do what you want." OK, I didn't really say that (but I thought it in my head). I think she was worried about squatting near the edge of the stage, but as you can see from the pic above, it all worked brilliantly (except for that putz sticking his head in my picture. Seriously. Really?). After I got the pic, I feverishly walked through the throngs of people and caught Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller himself) just as he was about to leave. Score!

Then, I decided, what the heck? I'll go for the trifecta and went out back where the stars/entourage exit to see if I could catch Dennis Quaid. What did I have to lose? Oh my goodness, can I just say that all three of them were SO nice to the fans. Especially Dennis. He took pictures and signed autographs for anyone who wanted one and after our picture he actually asked, "Was that OK? Do you need another one?" I was like, "Um, no, that's good, thanks." Can you believe that??? What a sweetheart! On a separate note, I also got his brother, Randy, the day before (he was wearing a full length fur coat!). Love it!

Woman's Poem/Man's Poem

This was just way too funny not to share:

A WOMAN'S POEM:

Before I lay me down to sleep,

I pray for a man, who's not a creep,

One who's handsome, smart and strong.

One who loves to listen long,

One who thinks before he speaks,

One who'll call, not wait for weeks.

I pray he's gainfully employed,

When I spend his cash, won't be annoyed.

Pulls out my chair and opens my door.

Massages my back and begs to do more.

Oh! Send me a man who'll make love to my mind,

Knows what to answer to "how big is my behind?"

I pray that this man will love me to no end,

And always be my very best friend.

A MAN'S POEM:

I pray for a deaf-mute gymnast nymphomaniac with

huge boobs who owns a bar on a golf course,

and loves to send me fishing and drinking.

This doesn't rhyme and I don't give a shit.

And the prognosis is....

Yee-haw, kiss your grandma!! :) My beloved little car will live to ride again. The dealership called and said that Wal-mart (yes, I get my oil changed at Wal-mart) failed to put my air filter back on right, which is what set off the sensor. They also had a few suggestions...an oil change, spark plugs, a new battery, new wipers, and cleaning my fuel injectors (whatever those are). I approved some of the suggestions, not all, since I figured spark plugs and a battery are always good to have and I needed an oil change anyway. The rest of the suggestions can wait.

As for my road trip....I'm driving to Yakima, Washington to visit my BFF. We're planning on watching the last season of Friends and Seinfeld and then go to see the new Sex and the City movie. He's been bugging me to visit forever, so now that the ice has melted and the roads are safe, I'm on my way! Should be fun to get out of the city and see a new place. Plus, he's been holding my snow globes hostage (he buys me snow globes on his many travels, but won't send them until I come visit).