...because "don't nuttin get past him"
Being the mother of a goalie is one of the most nerve racking, nail biting jobs out there. I manage somehow. Nevertheless, you'll know that I am a huge fan when you hear me yelling "Be Beastly!!!" during the games. Now I have a new nickname to add to "BEASTLY!".... STONEWALL - cause nuttin get's past him - after Indian Tech's win against Perdue.
GO WARRIORS!
I talk to MsPattey (AKA HandyHotNESS-Kentucky) almost every day - sometimes 2-3x a day - just depends on what's going on. Lately we have been talking about fitness, working out, eating healthy and just DOING THE DAMN THING to be better - stronger. She has been following TriBecca's Journey and loves the fact that we (some of the Usual Suspects here in the DMV) support each other, workout together, talk with each other and basically help each other stay accountable in our journey of fitness, health and achieving new goals.
She lamented that she wished she had that out her way. She doesn't have a Tribe or a couple of Usual Suspects that she can hang with, run with, workout with...etc. etc. I have to admit that this blog/FB/Twitter thing and the subsequent friendships that I have made here in the DMV and beyond is just amazing. I appreciate it and value the relationships that have come from it. However, right now...I am MsPattye's "Tribe" (and Swaz too).
It takes a village to not only raise up kids, but it takes a village to keep us accountable to our goals and visions...to believe in us when we stumble...to pick us up when we fall and put us back on the road. It takes a village to be a cheering squad, to provide great advice as well as constructive criticism.
...And isn't it wonderful when you achieve that goal - the dream, to have A Village there with you to celebrate. They were there for the journey and they are there at the triumphs (and even the setbacks).
I ask you to join me and add one of my bestest friends in the world to your "Tribe" - your village and follow her as she Embraces the Journey. Check out her blog...and let's all
GET 'ER DONE!
Today! we have resolution. After 30 days of no service, 1 service call where the tech didn't really want to do what it was gonna take to make the repair (trace every jack in the house), 3 more scheduled appointments - 3 no shows...I managed to get a tech to come to the house.
What did it take...practically an Act of Congress. I have a friend who is a liaison for a Congressman. This person saw my rants on FB and asked me if she could help. I said I would take all the help I could get. A few phone calls & emails and I had a point of contact at Verizon that had some power/pull to make things happen. I talked with this VERY NICE woman this morning and she promised I would have a tech out to my house today. She even called me twice with updates. I don't know exactly what she did, but the tech told me on the phone (I couldn't believe I was actually talking to the repair man) that someone had freed up his afternoon schedule and moved my call up in line...he would be at my house in 15min.
After all the drama, I was stunned to say the least.
The tech arrived - a very nice young man - who had to test every jack to trace where the short was, rewired some stuff and WHA LA! I was back in business. It took him an hour. He revealed that it was possible that the previous tech knew what it was going to take and how long, knew he had to make more calls today to make "quota" (did you know that those guys have to make so many FIOS & copper calls a day or "they" start investigation you...to be fired? - WOW), and decided to bolt. It is possible.
I even received an email today from a customer service rep telling me when I would be getting a credit for the time I did not have service.
An Act of Congress.
I still have to say, shame on you, Verizon, for the aggravation, for the poor customer service, for the amount of time that it took you to make this repair & for the fact that it took a phone call from a Congressional Liaison to make this happen. What about all the customers who don't have that kind of advocate? I wonder.
Many thanks to my friend. Many thanks to Ms. S at Verizon, who had the patience of Job with me and made things happen.
I am grateful but DAMN - it should NOT have taken An Act of Congress.
20 6year old kids, Chuck E Cheese and a birthday - wear is my flask.
"Are we out of district?" - The location was off Rt 40 in Baltimore. We didn't have a problem identifying any of our guests and helping directing them to our tables & booths. Imma let you figure out why.
Yet The FireMarshall quipped all dead pan..."We are having a 'We Are The World' party". I hollered.
Why was there a moment when I thought I needed to have security for Princess Cara's gifts. They took up an entire booth. THANK YOU! There was some longing eyes.
"You invited the entire Kindergarten class?" *Knitting brow, thinking who was I gonna leave out* Yes. "Wow, must be nice."
I hate people sometime.
YES! I did arrange to have snacks & sodas for the parents. Why? Cause most parents stay with their kids. I just think it is polite. It wasn't Filet Mignon & champagne. Stop walking around all shocked with a wing in your mouth. Seriously.
Princesses Erin & Charlee were the BESTEST sisters in the world. They ensured Cara had a good time, supervised all the kids and allowed me to just take pictures. Job well done!
Princess Cara was just SOOOOOO happy today. Wait till I make her sign all these thank you notes. Good home training is painful sometimes.
Master Gabrielle came over for a "playdate" after the party. I haven't heard hide nor hare from the two. I think we need to have more playdates.
Happy 6th Birthday, Princess Cara. We love you!
Here is Verizon = Fail, Part 1 - where they made me wait 25 days for a service call, because that was the earliest that they could get a technician out to my house. REALLY? WTF?
Now we are at day 27 and I still have no phone service and Verizon is simply an EPIC FAILURE when it comes to customer service and technical support - EPIC FAILURE.
VERIZON - YOU ARE A FRIGGIN "NO GO" AT THIS STATION!
They set me up for my "service call" for Thursday, February 25th with a "window of opportunity" of....WAIT FOR IT....8am - 7pm. ALL FRIGGIN DAY. The technician shows up around 1pm, tinkers with the wires for about 5 min and comes up to tell me that my alarm system has shorted out the line and that he can't work on my alarm so I'll have to call the alarm company and have them fix it. DA HELL?
He leaves.
I immediately call the alarm company, they run a line test...and guess what, there is a friggin DIAL TONE at the alarm box and they are getting a signal. It is not a short in the alarm system.
MAD ABOUT IT!
So, I have dial tone at the junction box, dial tone at the alarm box - BUT NO DIAL TONE ANYWHERE ELSE IN MY GOTDANG HOUSE!!!!
I call Verizon Repair and tell the the situation. The person on the phone apologizes profusely and promises to have a new technician out the next morning. They schedule me for 8am-11am today.
AT 1PM I STILL HAD NO TECHNICIAN. NO TEXT. NO UPDATE. NO NOTHING!
I call Verizon Repair and they tell me that they are going to "escalate this up to a supervisor" and call me back with an update on the status of my repair.
AT 3PM I STILL HAD NO TECHNICIAN. NOT TEXT. NO PHONE CALL. NO UPDATE. NO NOTHING!
I call Verizon Repair and am left on hold for exactly 82 minutes and 24 seconds. They tell me that someone will definitely come out to my house today as soon as a technician picks up my "ticket". YOU WOULD FUGGIN THINK THAT THEY COULD TELL A TECHNICIAN TO DO THEIR DAMN JOB. But no, a technician can "pick" a ticket. GTFOOHWTBS!
AT 7:30PM I STILL HAD NO TECHNICIAN. NOT TEXT. NO PHONE CALL. NO UPDATE. NO NOTHING!
I call Verizon Repair and this poor soul had to deal with my "irritation". However, it didn't make one damn bit of difference what I said. He told me that he would have to reschedule me for tomorrow - between 3-7pm. "I'm sorry for all the inconvenience, but that is the best we can do."
DA HELL YOU SAY.
I told that young man that you could have the common courtesy to return a call when you say you are going to do it; to at least say "fugg you, we're not coming."; to let the customer know that they can stop sitting around the damn house all day waiting for your lazy azz-pick a ticket when they want to tech. THAT IS THE LEAST YOU CAN DO.
I guess because there is no other land line service in this area, you feel that you can just screw customers and get to them when you damn well please. Right now, I hate you with the heat of a thousand suns.
VERIZON...YOU ARE AN EPIC FAIL.
I sit here dabbing a hot compress to my eyes, dousing my eyeballs in battery acid Visine & sipping on a glass of a loverly red wine to dull the aches from a workout tonight with our own Becca - who has decided to complete a Triathlon (TriBecca: My Journey to the first Triathlon)for the first time in her life...
...A woman who a month ago didn't know how to swim, hadn't been on a bike in about 20 years and running...well, we gotta work on that.
We met at my gym and started with a 30 min run on the treadmill. Mind ya, I'm NOT anything close to being a trainer - I just know what works for me on this run thing...and here was Becca, asking questions, trying to implement a technique, giving anything a try. We did intervals and then went to dress for the pool. We spent a little over an hour just working on the skills she has been learning in her swim classes. I'm wading around with my mouth hanging open at this chick who don't know how to swim 'splaining to me what she needs to work on. AMAZING.
She is worried about this swim thing, but I firmly believe that she is gonna get this thing. The whole float on her back thingy...it's a control issue. We will get past that. Imma get her to relax and let go and she will have that down. After she made me swim a gazillion laps with her - SHEZ GOT DIS! A woman, who a month ago COULD NOT SWIM, is doing the freestyle. By the time she realized that I was exhausted, she as able to breath without swallowing a gallon of water.
I WAS INSPIRED!
Becca's enthusiasm, her pure-ness (is that even a word), her willingness to learn... AND HER ABILITY TO RECRUIT...is beyond inspiring. How did this chick get me to commit to 1x per week in the pool with her AND to running all these extra training races with her? WHAT DID I JUST SIGN UP FOR, HUH?
I WAS INSPIRED!
I will have goggles & a swim cap by next week. I will be getting me run game tight. I will be there for my friend who has inspired me AND reminded me that you are never too old & there is no such thing as can't. We are not just talking about it...We are BEING about it. GO BECCA!
P.S. ...and I'm watching you too, Pattey. YOU GO GIRL! Meow!
It's The TravelDiva's 44th Birthday! 44 Years of Magnificence!
