Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Please Join Aspen's Journey
If you've been following along watching Aspen's Journey unfold, please visit www.joinaspensjourney.blogspot.com to see how you can be part of blessing this amazing family in their time of uncertainty and need. You will find several ways you can help... please take a few minutes to consider how you might be able to join Aspen on her Journey!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Pain, Pain Go Away...
*This post is full of groaning and moaning. I don't blame you if you skip this one!*
I had an appointment with a Rheumatologist Thursday. It was a good appointment and Dr. Ladd was really nice. He took nearly 45 minutes with me and didn’t leave me feeling like the pain is all in my head. He didn’t have any answers for me yet however.
I got some blood drawn. He’s checking specifically for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lyme disease. He’s also checking my antibody counts to check on other possibilities such as Lupus, Sjorgen’s etc.
I conveyed to him my fear of having Lyme disease but having it diagnosed as something else. The reason I fear that is because the longer Lyme disease goes on, the more damage it causes and I really don’t want to continue to deteriorate at this rate. He told me that he would not be opposed to treating me with a month-long dose of Tetracycline to see how I respond. The side effects are minimal, but the possible benefits make it worth it in my mind. Unless the tests are really conclusive in one area or another I intend to take him up on the antibiotic treatment.
So I have a follow up appointment in 3 weeks and I’ll keep you updated.
The pain has been all but unbearable on many days. Then again, I also have days where it's not so bad. It stinks because I don't feel well, but I'm not bad enough off that I can sit in bed all day and feel sorry for myself!
Friday morning I woke up with a numb arm and tingling in my hand and arm and a little in my foot also. It felt like pins and needles were poking me. I was especially irritated by any touching because of this. It really isn't fun. It lasted through Saturday and Sunday, though it's mostly subsided as of today.
I went to the Chiropractor today and I also got a massage. It hurt so bad, but felt so good if you know what I mean! I wish I could go to the Chiropractor every week, but a $25 co-pay leaves me trying to stretch it out to every 3-6 weeks depending on my pain level.
I'm 26, it's pathetic that I'm even posting about this! Argg, I feel like I'm 86. Now I know why old people are so cranky though! It takes a toll on you to be in constant pain. Even if the pain itself isn't excruciating... the consistent aches and pains are enough to drive anyone batty!
Well, I should be off now, I think I've ranted long enough about my pathetic pain!
Check out Aspen's Blog for some good news and also check out the blog of another girl in our church named Allison who has Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, www.alekonab.blogspot.com. I can't imagine going through this kind of pain at Allison's age. Please continue to pray for these girls... they are so precious!
I had an appointment with a Rheumatologist Thursday. It was a good appointment and Dr. Ladd was really nice. He took nearly 45 minutes with me and didn’t leave me feeling like the pain is all in my head. He didn’t have any answers for me yet however.
I got some blood drawn. He’s checking specifically for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lyme disease. He’s also checking my antibody counts to check on other possibilities such as Lupus, Sjorgen’s etc.
I conveyed to him my fear of having Lyme disease but having it diagnosed as something else. The reason I fear that is because the longer Lyme disease goes on, the more damage it causes and I really don’t want to continue to deteriorate at this rate. He told me that he would not be opposed to treating me with a month-long dose of Tetracycline to see how I respond. The side effects are minimal, but the possible benefits make it worth it in my mind. Unless the tests are really conclusive in one area or another I intend to take him up on the antibiotic treatment.
So I have a follow up appointment in 3 weeks and I’ll keep you updated.
The pain has been all but unbearable on many days. Then again, I also have days where it's not so bad. It stinks because I don't feel well, but I'm not bad enough off that I can sit in bed all day and feel sorry for myself!
Friday morning I woke up with a numb arm and tingling in my hand and arm and a little in my foot also. It felt like pins and needles were poking me. I was especially irritated by any touching because of this. It really isn't fun. It lasted through Saturday and Sunday, though it's mostly subsided as of today.
I went to the Chiropractor today and I also got a massage. It hurt so bad, but felt so good if you know what I mean! I wish I could go to the Chiropractor every week, but a $25 co-pay leaves me trying to stretch it out to every 3-6 weeks depending on my pain level.
I'm 26, it's pathetic that I'm even posting about this! Argg, I feel like I'm 86. Now I know why old people are so cranky though! It takes a toll on you to be in constant pain. Even if the pain itself isn't excruciating... the consistent aches and pains are enough to drive anyone batty!
Well, I should be off now, I think I've ranted long enough about my pathetic pain!
Check out Aspen's Blog for some good news and also check out the blog of another girl in our church named Allison who has Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, www.alekonab.blogspot.com. I can't imagine going through this kind of pain at Allison's age. Please continue to pray for these girls... they are so precious!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
So That's What I'm Good For?
I didn't want to wake up this morning. Truthfully, I don't want to wake up most mornings. I'm not a big morning person!
Well, Rob sicked the kids on me--I mean, encouraged the kids to come give me hugs and kisses to wake me--because he was about to head out the door. Leeann crawled up on my bed showered me with hugs and kisses and was proclaiming in a loud voice, "Wake up mommy I want breakfast." I mumbled something under my breath about staying in bed all day and Leeann said, "But who will make breakfast and lunch and dinner?" I said, "Is that I'm all I good for?" Rob chimed in, "No, you're also good for making mochas!" Ah, the joys of being a woman!
Well, Rob sicked the kids on me--I mean, encouraged the kids to come give me hugs and kisses to wake me--because he was about to head out the door. Leeann crawled up on my bed showered me with hugs and kisses and was proclaiming in a loud voice, "Wake up mommy I want breakfast." I mumbled something under my breath about staying in bed all day and Leeann said, "But who will make breakfast and lunch and dinner?" I said, "Is that I'm all I good for?" Rob chimed in, "No, you're also good for making mochas!" Ah, the joys of being a woman!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Lessons Learned
Last week we borrowed 2 movies from the library. Just after we borrowed one called "The Leap Frog Math Circus", I caught Leeann biting the case as she was watching the movie. She wasn't being mean or destructive, she just had the thing in her mouth and was mindlessly chewing on it as she zoned out to the leaping numbers on screen.
Well, I told her she was going to have to pay for it out of money from her piggy bank, which she had a really hard time with at first. She seemed to understand why that was necessary after she calmed down and we talked about it though.
Today we went to Target to get the Math Circus, but they didn't carry it there so we headed over to the library to pay for it.
I lifted Leeann up to the counter and she handed the movie and a $20 bill over to the librarian and she pointed at the bite marks and said, "I'm really, really sorry that I bit the movie and I would like to buy you a new one." She was such a big girl about it and so apologetic, I was so proud of her!
I was, however a little shocked when she said it would cost $19.98. They only cost $9.44 at Wal-Mart but that doesn't cover the cost of them purchasing the movie and processing it and such I suppose.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure Leeann learned a good lesson out of the ordeal. Although, they did let her keep the damaged movie, so I hope the lesson that she learned isn't, "If I bite the movie I get to keep it." That would be bad!
Well, I told her she was going to have to pay for it out of money from her piggy bank, which she had a really hard time with at first. She seemed to understand why that was necessary after she calmed down and we talked about it though.
Today we went to Target to get the Math Circus, but they didn't carry it there so we headed over to the library to pay for it.
I lifted Leeann up to the counter and she handed the movie and a $20 bill over to the librarian and she pointed at the bite marks and said, "I'm really, really sorry that I bit the movie and I would like to buy you a new one." She was such a big girl about it and so apologetic, I was so proud of her!
I was, however a little shocked when she said it would cost $19.98. They only cost $9.44 at Wal-Mart but that doesn't cover the cost of them purchasing the movie and processing it and such I suppose.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure Leeann learned a good lesson out of the ordeal. Although, they did let her keep the damaged movie, so I hope the lesson that she learned isn't, "If I bite the movie I get to keep it." That would be bad!
New Habits
Moving to a new house requires developing a whole new set of habits. These are just silly little things, but it's irritating to have to acquire new habits!
Where to I set my keys and purse?
Where should I take my shoes off?
Where on earth did I set my cell phone?
Where does the mail go?
Now I have to bring clothes into the bathroom with me (I do miss my Master Bath!)
Opening a door (to the pantry) and stepping on the garbage can lever to throw garbage away. My garbage has been under my sink my whole life, but it won't fit there anymore!
Putting the diaper in the Diaper Champ on the back porch instead of in the garage.
I can't get Titus's diapers out of his bottom drawer anymore because the kids are sharing a dresser.
These are just a few of the little things that change when you move. My favorite change of all, however, is a change to a new dishwasher. This means that I don't have to pre-rinse my dishes anymore! I used to have to rinse them completely clean but I now I throw them in caked with yesterdays spaghetti and they come out clean! Now, that's a new habit I don't mind getting used to!
Where to I set my keys and purse?
Where should I take my shoes off?
Where on earth did I set my cell phone?
Where does the mail go?
Now I have to bring clothes into the bathroom with me (I do miss my Master Bath!)
Opening a door (to the pantry) and stepping on the garbage can lever to throw garbage away. My garbage has been under my sink my whole life, but it won't fit there anymore!
Putting the diaper in the Diaper Champ on the back porch instead of in the garage.
I can't get Titus's diapers out of his bottom drawer anymore because the kids are sharing a dresser.
These are just a few of the little things that change when you move. My favorite change of all, however, is a change to a new dishwasher. This means that I don't have to pre-rinse my dishes anymore! I used to have to rinse them completely clean but I now I throw them in caked with yesterdays spaghetti and they come out clean! Now, that's a new habit I don't mind getting used to!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
"Be Ready to Preach, Pray or Die on a Moments Notice."
These are words made famous by Pastor Denny. He's been known to tease my husband by calling him on Saturday nights asking him if he's ready to preach. I think he's actually had to call my husband to preach last minute only a time or two over the last 6 years. Tonight is one of those nights.
Denny's not feeling well and Rob got a 9:45 phone call to be ready to preach, so he's up studying. We've made kind of a crazy commitment to one another to go to bed together whenever possible, hence my 10:50 pm blogging!
Rob's been at Convergence for the last couple of days and was fighting with a blind he was trying to install when he got the call. He's a trooper though, and I'm excited to hear him preach. I know he really likes to pray through and practice his sermons, and he generally has them finished at least a couple days in advance so he can really let it work through him. It's fun to see him pull things together last minute too though, because it really is something that only God can do through him. Have I mentioned lately that I have an amazing husband?
He felt compelled today to stop by Lloyd Center on his way home and he picked up presents for us. I got cute hair clips, Leeann got a beautiful butterfly necklace with purple 'jewels' in it (her favorite color) and a car from the movie Cars, and Titus got 2 cars. Our gifts were wonderful! Titus was double fisting his cars all night, having a blast with them!
It's good to have Rob back. Even though he was only gone for a couple of days... it's still always hard. I'm usually sooo ready for him to be home by the time he gets back from work on an average day. I'm REALLY ready to have him home when it's been a couple of days. I'm glad that after 6 years of marriage that I'm still quite smitten. I love my husband.
I think I'm going to try to make some good use of my time this evening by putting away laundry. I did 7 loads at the laundry mat yesterday. That could be a whole other post in and of itself. Let's just say 2.5 hours and $21.50 later I was fried! I can't imagine doing that on a regular basis. Well, I suppose the laundry is calling my name. Good night!
Denny's not feeling well and Rob got a 9:45 phone call to be ready to preach, so he's up studying. We've made kind of a crazy commitment to one another to go to bed together whenever possible, hence my 10:50 pm blogging!
Rob's been at Convergence for the last couple of days and was fighting with a blind he was trying to install when he got the call. He's a trooper though, and I'm excited to hear him preach. I know he really likes to pray through and practice his sermons, and he generally has them finished at least a couple days in advance so he can really let it work through him. It's fun to see him pull things together last minute too though, because it really is something that only God can do through him. Have I mentioned lately that I have an amazing husband?
He felt compelled today to stop by Lloyd Center on his way home and he picked up presents for us. I got cute hair clips, Leeann got a beautiful butterfly necklace with purple 'jewels' in it (her favorite color) and a car from the movie Cars, and Titus got 2 cars. Our gifts were wonderful! Titus was double fisting his cars all night, having a blast with them!
It's good to have Rob back. Even though he was only gone for a couple of days... it's still always hard. I'm usually sooo ready for him to be home by the time he gets back from work on an average day. I'm REALLY ready to have him home when it's been a couple of days. I'm glad that after 6 years of marriage that I'm still quite smitten. I love my husband.
I think I'm going to try to make some good use of my time this evening by putting away laundry. I did 7 loads at the laundry mat yesterday. That could be a whole other post in and of itself. Let's just say 2.5 hours and $21.50 later I was fried! I can't imagine doing that on a regular basis. Well, I suppose the laundry is calling my name. Good night!
Just in case you were wondering...
A dwarf is defined as someone who has an adult height of 4'10" or less.
I'm 4'11.5"... or 1/2 inch taller than needed to be considered a dwarf. Or, would that be 1.5 inches? It depends on how you define 4'10" I suppose.
Anyway, when I get older and start shrinking do I go from not being a dwarf to being a dwarf? My Aunt Patty and Grandma B would probably fall into that category I think. My cousin Jenni might be one too I suppose! At least I'm in good company :0)
I was reading on the news the other day that there was a really tiny dwarf who wasn't diagnosed until she was 5. It got me wondering about my son who doesn't seem to grow, but his doctor doesn't seem to be concerned. I weighed him at a friends house the other day and he's up to 24.5 pounds :0)
In other strange news if I could self-diagnose myself I'd say I have Lyme Disease. Strange eh? Well, I should have another doctor's appointment in the next couple of weeks so hopefully I'll have some more answers. I can't definitively say this is what I have, but given how my symptoms match up, it wouldn't at all surprise me if this is what I have. I kind of hope it is, because it's mostly treatable. Granted, I'd be going on 5 years of having it so it would be a little more difficult to treat and I might not fully recover, but at least I wouldn't get worse. I'll certainly keep you updated.
Well, Rob's going to be home from school soon so the kids and I need to run around the house and try to reverse the tornado that seems to have come through here. That tends to happen any time that Rob's away for more than a couple of hours!
I'm 4'11.5"... or 1/2 inch taller than needed to be considered a dwarf. Or, would that be 1.5 inches? It depends on how you define 4'10" I suppose.
Anyway, when I get older and start shrinking do I go from not being a dwarf to being a dwarf? My Aunt Patty and Grandma B would probably fall into that category I think. My cousin Jenni might be one too I suppose! At least I'm in good company :0)
I was reading on the news the other day that there was a really tiny dwarf who wasn't diagnosed until she was 5. It got me wondering about my son who doesn't seem to grow, but his doctor doesn't seem to be concerned. I weighed him at a friends house the other day and he's up to 24.5 pounds :0)
In other strange news if I could self-diagnose myself I'd say I have Lyme Disease. Strange eh? Well, I should have another doctor's appointment in the next couple of weeks so hopefully I'll have some more answers. I can't definitively say this is what I have, but given how my symptoms match up, it wouldn't at all surprise me if this is what I have. I kind of hope it is, because it's mostly treatable. Granted, I'd be going on 5 years of having it so it would be a little more difficult to treat and I might not fully recover, but at least I wouldn't get worse. I'll certainly keep you updated.
Well, Rob's going to be home from school soon so the kids and I need to run around the house and try to reverse the tornado that seems to have come through here. That tends to happen any time that Rob's away for more than a couple of hours!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Titus's "Surgery"
The last couple of nights Rob has been preforming surgery on Titus before he gets his jammies on. The first night Rob put a car in his tummy, this night it was a shoe. Here is Rob making the incision to remove the shoe...
I think this is where Rob pulls the hidden shoe from underneath his legs.
Yay, Titus, there's no more shoe in your tummy!
The kid gets quite excited once the items are 'removed' from his tummy. He likes the game but I think it kind of freaks him out to have random objects in his tummy. But, hey, if Daddy says it, it must be true!
Our Bedroom
I took this picture to give the false impression that our room is clean and totally put together...
These pictures show a more distinct reality however!
Funny thing about this closet, it only fits my clothes. Rob's are in the playroom. He suspects I'll make room for his clothes in the next 6-8 months. He's probably right :0)
A Few House Pictures
Okay, now I know this one is ridiculous, but I had to blog it. One of the reasons I was quite excited about this place is that we would be getting new carpet that would actually leave lines to show when you've just vaccumed. Believe it or not, in all the places Rob and I have lived during our 6 years of marriage, we've never had carpet like this. I have fond memories of coming home from school to my mom working hard and a freshly cleaned house, with carpet streaks. There's something about carpet streaks and clean counters that make all the difference to me...
Monday, April 14, 2008
Book Worms
A Look on the Brighter Side
Last night Rob and I were finally able to wash the living room walls, mop the floor and make progress cutting through the dust. Today... our living room furniture gets to come in! Yay! I never would have known how much I'd miss having couches. It's hard to snuggle next to your husband on dining room chairs!
I've got some cute pictures, and I'll try to post them soon.
We made a list last night of all that we still have to do. Yikes! My goal is to have our whole house completely finished by the Summer Solstice so we can have a big reveal and lots of ice cream for everyone who helped out! That's 2 short months away, but I think we can do it!
I've got some cute pictures, and I'll try to post them soon.
We made a list last night of all that we still have to do. Yikes! My goal is to have our whole house completely finished by the Summer Solstice so we can have a big reveal and lots of ice cream for everyone who helped out! That's 2 short months away, but I think we can do it!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Did I mention how much I dislike Dell?
After I cooled off last night I decided to call technical support since they are open 24 hours, to see if they could help me or at least add up the number of hours I've spent on the phone with them so I can document that.
Well, the first thing they ask for is your service tag number, which I entered (I now know the thing by memory!)... and it sent me straight to a recording telling me that my warranty has expired and I'll have to call the out-of-warranty department during regular business hours in order to get technical support. Minimum price, $39. ARGGGGG!!! I HATE DELL! I swear when the last customer service rep transferred me over to the already closed department she knew it would get rid of me for good because now I can no longer talk to a human without paying money.
As I remember it, these are just a few of the problems I've had in the past year: Vista is not compatible with ANYTHING, causing a failure to print for several months, inability to use a particular photo software that cost me many frustrating hours during VBS, and presumably some of the other issues mentioned below.
I've also had loud noises coming out of my speaker, making it impossible to work because the thing was screeching at me.
My computer has been unable to turn on past the point of obnoxious lines across the screen.
My C.D./DVD player randomly decides not to play certain disks.
My computer won't come out of a hibernation state causing me to turn off the computer, turn it back on and recover anything I was working on.
It wouldn't connect to the Internet in multiple locations, though Rob's was working just fine.
My screen randomly turns black on occasion, or has glitches in it.
My computer will act like it's out of battery even though the battery is full, and it won't turn on until it's plugged in... but then it shows that my battery is indeed full.
I'm trying to find my emails from Dell to see what else there has been, but my Yahoo filter search is not currently working... bummer.
I've personally torn the face off of my computer (the casing and keyboard) as instructed by a technician to do something with the power source. I have removed my battery and numerous occasions and unscrewed my C.D. drive, plugging it back in to fix the sound issues. I've let a technician take-over my computer numerous times, to allow them to try to fix my problems, and I've spent HOURS AND HOURS on the phone with them. I've spent even more hours re-formatting things because my laptop wasn't printing and I had to switch it over to other computers (which don't have Vista... requiring me to fix all the random things it messes up).
Anyway, none of these things are so severe that they haven't been able to be worked through, or done without... but it seems to me that a fully functioning computer wouldn't have so many problems. They're irritating! I feel like I've been unnecessarily patient... but now I'm obviously about to lose it!
The worst part is, we saved for this computer for a long time and it's been so useful. However, I don't know when we're going to be able to save that kind of money again or when we'll be able to move that to the top of our purchasing priority list. I was so excited to get this computer just one year ago... I'm sad it's causing me such a headache now, and I hate the fact that I know it'll putz out on me shortly.
Anyone want to take bets for how long it will take?
Well, the first thing they ask for is your service tag number, which I entered (I now know the thing by memory!)... and it sent me straight to a recording telling me that my warranty has expired and I'll have to call the out-of-warranty department during regular business hours in order to get technical support. Minimum price, $39. ARGGGGG!!! I HATE DELL! I swear when the last customer service rep transferred me over to the already closed department she knew it would get rid of me for good because now I can no longer talk to a human without paying money.
As I remember it, these are just a few of the problems I've had in the past year: Vista is not compatible with ANYTHING, causing a failure to print for several months, inability to use a particular photo software that cost me many frustrating hours during VBS, and presumably some of the other issues mentioned below.
I've also had loud noises coming out of my speaker, making it impossible to work because the thing was screeching at me.
My computer has been unable to turn on past the point of obnoxious lines across the screen.
My C.D./DVD player randomly decides not to play certain disks.
My computer won't come out of a hibernation state causing me to turn off the computer, turn it back on and recover anything I was working on.
It wouldn't connect to the Internet in multiple locations, though Rob's was working just fine.
My screen randomly turns black on occasion, or has glitches in it.
My computer will act like it's out of battery even though the battery is full, and it won't turn on until it's plugged in... but then it shows that my battery is indeed full.
I'm trying to find my emails from Dell to see what else there has been, but my Yahoo filter search is not currently working... bummer.
I've personally torn the face off of my computer (the casing and keyboard) as instructed by a technician to do something with the power source. I have removed my battery and numerous occasions and unscrewed my C.D. drive, plugging it back in to fix the sound issues. I've let a technician take-over my computer numerous times, to allow them to try to fix my problems, and I've spent HOURS AND HOURS on the phone with them. I've spent even more hours re-formatting things because my laptop wasn't printing and I had to switch it over to other computers (which don't have Vista... requiring me to fix all the random things it messes up).
Anyway, none of these things are so severe that they haven't been able to be worked through, or done without... but it seems to me that a fully functioning computer wouldn't have so many problems. They're irritating! I feel like I've been unnecessarily patient... but now I'm obviously about to lose it!
The worst part is, we saved for this computer for a long time and it's been so useful. However, I don't know when we're going to be able to save that kind of money again or when we'll be able to move that to the top of our purchasing priority list. I was so excited to get this computer just one year ago... I'm sad it's causing me such a headache now, and I hate the fact that I know it'll putz out on me shortly.
Anyone want to take bets for how long it will take?
Saturday, April 12, 2008
I HATE DELL!!!
So, here's the deal... don't buy Dell. Period. I don't think it would be healthy for me to spout off to my faithful readers exactly why I hate Dell... at least not tonight because I have my angry eyes on and I know I have some younger blog readers.
So, what I'm proposing is that I back everything up on my computer frequently, wait for it to break again (which shouldn't be long given it's track-record), then make some hilarious video destroying the stupid thing that I can post on YouTube for the whole world to see.
So, what I'd like from you is some input on how to destroy a computer in a really funny manner--like throwing it off a tall building, running over it with my van, boiling it in a big pot. etc...
This $600+ investment on my part has been nothing but a waste of my time, money and energy and out of principle I REFUSE to put more money into this lemon that Dell refuses to stand behind. They want me to pay $100 for another year's worth of a warranty, and I'm not sure my computer is worth it. That $100 will be better spent saving up for my next NON-DELL computer. Okay, that's enough of my ranting, but I'll leave you with a copy of something that I posted on Dell's forum... which only minutely begins to explain the problems I've had with Dell.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My warranty runs out today, and I do not believe I should have to pay an additional $100 for an extended warranty. I say this because I have spent upwards of 20 hours on the phone with technical support over the past year and I continue to have problem after problem with my computer. I have a LEMON. We own 2 other Dell's and I've been happy with those, but I've been given the runaround with this one and I'm so frustrated!
I spoke with 3 customer support representatives in the past 24 hours, asking for an extended warranty at no cost, or a fix to my problems. I hung up on one after a fruitless conversation where he kept talking in circles refusing to help me.
The second HUNG UP ON ME, after I requested 10 times to speak to his manager, only to be told his manager was too busy to speak with me and wouldn't be able to help me anyway. I continued to ask him who could help me then, and he finally hung up on me!
I called back a third time and a lady again told me that there was NO ONE IN CUSTOMER SUPPORT WHO COULD HELP, but that I could speak to someone in the extended warranty department who may be able to. I asked her to confirm that they were still open because I knew customer support was closing soon. She confirmed that they were open and she transferred me over only to receive a recording that they were closed!
Now customer support is closed too and I tried to see if I could extend my warranty online only to be told that they can't help me because MY WARRANTY IS EXPIRED.
Is there anyone at Dell who actually has the authority to make customers happy? If so, how on earth do you get a hold of them, and how many more fruitless hours am I going to have to spend on the phone in order to get someone who can actually help me? Or does Dell actually refuse to stand behind their products and care less about customer retention and satisfaction? Am I fighting a losing battle?
Please help,
Robyn
So, what I'm proposing is that I back everything up on my computer frequently, wait for it to break again (which shouldn't be long given it's track-record), then make some hilarious video destroying the stupid thing that I can post on YouTube for the whole world to see.
So, what I'd like from you is some input on how to destroy a computer in a really funny manner--like throwing it off a tall building, running over it with my van, boiling it in a big pot. etc...
This $600+ investment on my part has been nothing but a waste of my time, money and energy and out of principle I REFUSE to put more money into this lemon that Dell refuses to stand behind. They want me to pay $100 for another year's worth of a warranty, and I'm not sure my computer is worth it. That $100 will be better spent saving up for my next NON-DELL computer. Okay, that's enough of my ranting, but I'll leave you with a copy of something that I posted on Dell's forum... which only minutely begins to explain the problems I've had with Dell.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My warranty runs out today, and I do not believe I should have to pay an additional $100 for an extended warranty. I say this because I have spent upwards of 20 hours on the phone with technical support over the past year and I continue to have problem after problem with my computer. I have a LEMON. We own 2 other Dell's and I've been happy with those, but I've been given the runaround with this one and I'm so frustrated!
I spoke with 3 customer support representatives in the past 24 hours, asking for an extended warranty at no cost, or a fix to my problems. I hung up on one after a fruitless conversation where he kept talking in circles refusing to help me.
The second HUNG UP ON ME, after I requested 10 times to speak to his manager, only to be told his manager was too busy to speak with me and wouldn't be able to help me anyway. I continued to ask him who could help me then, and he finally hung up on me!
I called back a third time and a lady again told me that there was NO ONE IN CUSTOMER SUPPORT WHO COULD HELP, but that I could speak to someone in the extended warranty department who may be able to. I asked her to confirm that they were still open because I knew customer support was closing soon. She confirmed that they were open and she transferred me over only to receive a recording that they were closed!
Now customer support is closed too and I tried to see if I could extend my warranty online only to be told that they can't help me because MY WARRANTY IS EXPIRED.
Is there anyone at Dell who actually has the authority to make customers happy? If so, how on earth do you get a hold of them, and how many more fruitless hours am I going to have to spend on the phone in order to get someone who can actually help me? Or does Dell actually refuse to stand behind their products and care less about customer retention and satisfaction? Am I fighting a losing battle?
Please help,
Robyn
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Important Things...
We have one blind up in our bedroom, and the living room ceiling now has primer on it--meaning we can officially clean up the dusty white mess for good!
Most importantly Leeann went on a several hour date with Daddy today and I had a date with my handsome little man Titus. Leeann and Rob went to the library, the park, out to dinner at Applebees and enjoyed some snuggle time.
Titus and I went to the Dollar Tree, where he got a dollar to spend on a book for himself and one to buy a book for Leeann. He was so proud of himself and ran around the store clutching tightly to that dollar! Then we enjoyed dinner at Denny's. He had the smiley face alien pancakes... the face is made from whip cream and cherries... he was a little excited to say the least! It was so good to spend time with just him, I'm reminded of how important it is to do that more often.
Anyway, I'd say it's our most productive day yet... our kids really needed that time with us, and I think we needed it with them too! They've been troopers, but we've been up and at em and busy with projects for pretty much an entire month straight. I love my kiddos, they're so precious!
Most importantly Leeann went on a several hour date with Daddy today and I had a date with my handsome little man Titus. Leeann and Rob went to the library, the park, out to dinner at Applebees and enjoyed some snuggle time.
Titus and I went to the Dollar Tree, where he got a dollar to spend on a book for himself and one to buy a book for Leeann. He was so proud of himself and ran around the store clutching tightly to that dollar! Then we enjoyed dinner at Denny's. He had the smiley face alien pancakes... the face is made from whip cream and cherries... he was a little excited to say the least! It was so good to spend time with just him, I'm reminded of how important it is to do that more often.
Anyway, I'd say it's our most productive day yet... our kids really needed that time with us, and I think we needed it with them too! They've been troopers, but we've been up and at em and busy with projects for pretty much an entire month straight. I love my kiddos, they're so precious!
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Updates!
Popcorn ceiling is gone, dishwasher is in, toilet is complete, shower works... and the clean up and repairs continue!
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
I found my modem!
The modem has been MIA for several days now, but I found it! There are many, many other items still missing... but hey, that's okay!
We're all moved in, but far from unpacked and far from fully functioning! Rob and Tony are downstairs scraping the rest of the popcorn ceiling from the living room... which will allow us to finally move our living room furniture in from the garage. A massive clean-up effort will need to proceed that however!
The kitchen is mostly unpacked, but far from functioning also. Our plants are covering most of our very little counter space, making it hard to move around. Some kitchen items are yet to be unpacked because I just don't know where to put them! One half of our sink is not working because the dishwasher is part way pulled out and I think some sort of connection from the dishwasher to that side of the sink is disconnected. Cherish discovered this when she ran some water through that side of the sink and began flowing out the bottom of the dishwasher. Whoops!
It's okay I can't do my dishes anyway until I can clean the paint out of the sink. Deborah gave me some stuff today that should aid in that process. I'll do that as soon as I'm done posting. I'm looking forward to a new dishwasher, but I think that's pretty low on the priority list. We need to paint our kitchen and cabinets... but that's also pretty low on the list!
Highest on the list is getting our bathroom put back together. I'm happy to report that we are very close! In fact, I'm really hoping to get a shower tonight! The floor is in, the tub and surround are in, the paint is done (except cutting into the ceiling... thanks Julie!), the bottom half of the toilet is in and the flooring is in. The sink and vanity, the toilet tank, a little bit of painting and hanging the mirror are all that's left. I'm SOOO anxious to get this finished! Oh, we need moulding too, and a new fan... and to get the drain to un-lock, the cabinets painted, the washer and dryer installed and the door re-hung. Minor details!
Other than that there's still lots of painting and unpacking of boxes on the horizon. One step at a time friends, one step at a time! We're all in good spirits. It's taking longer than we might have hoped, but we knew what we were getting in to. We don't expect to have it fully finished for a while yet.
Well, I suppose I should help or something... yeah... that's a good idea! I'm sure I'll post again soon, hopefully with pictures too.
We're all moved in, but far from unpacked and far from fully functioning! Rob and Tony are downstairs scraping the rest of the popcorn ceiling from the living room... which will allow us to finally move our living room furniture in from the garage. A massive clean-up effort will need to proceed that however!
The kitchen is mostly unpacked, but far from functioning also. Our plants are covering most of our very little counter space, making it hard to move around. Some kitchen items are yet to be unpacked because I just don't know where to put them! One half of our sink is not working because the dishwasher is part way pulled out and I think some sort of connection from the dishwasher to that side of the sink is disconnected. Cherish discovered this when she ran some water through that side of the sink and began flowing out the bottom of the dishwasher. Whoops!
It's okay I can't do my dishes anyway until I can clean the paint out of the sink. Deborah gave me some stuff today that should aid in that process. I'll do that as soon as I'm done posting. I'm looking forward to a new dishwasher, but I think that's pretty low on the priority list. We need to paint our kitchen and cabinets... but that's also pretty low on the list!
Highest on the list is getting our bathroom put back together. I'm happy to report that we are very close! In fact, I'm really hoping to get a shower tonight! The floor is in, the tub and surround are in, the paint is done (except cutting into the ceiling... thanks Julie!), the bottom half of the toilet is in and the flooring is in. The sink and vanity, the toilet tank, a little bit of painting and hanging the mirror are all that's left. I'm SOOO anxious to get this finished! Oh, we need moulding too, and a new fan... and to get the drain to un-lock, the cabinets painted, the washer and dryer installed and the door re-hung. Minor details!
Other than that there's still lots of painting and unpacking of boxes on the horizon. One step at a time friends, one step at a time! We're all in good spirits. It's taking longer than we might have hoped, but we knew what we were getting in to. We don't expect to have it fully finished for a while yet.
Well, I suppose I should help or something... yeah... that's a good idea! I'm sure I'll post again soon, hopefully with pictures too.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Our Last Night
Tonight is our last night in our beautiful home that I so dearly love! I'm sure I'll learn to love our new home too, but it will be hard to leave this place! We're mostly packed up with just a few things here and there that need to be boxed and moved over. A few of the men in our small group came by tonight and moved several things, including much of the garage stuff over into the new house. This was especially nice because a lot of it went straight into the monsterously huge attic at our new place, and it won't end up getting mixed in with the non-storage stuff we'll be moving tomorrow.
Toby and Eroica, and Megan, a girl in the youth group, came by for an hour or so tonight and cleaned the upstairs bathroom... so at least one portion of the house is completely ready to go. I know I've said it before, but my friends are such a blessing!
My pain has been manageable today. I've continued to feel a dull ache in my legs, but it isn't something that I couldn't get past. I've had better days, but I've also had worse days. I'm just grateful I could still function today... that was such a huge blessing!
Well, it's 10:30 and I best be getting to the last of the things on my to-do list. At least I'm confident that one way or another, I should be moved into my new home by tomorrow afternoon! Woo-hoo!
Toby and Eroica, and Megan, a girl in the youth group, came by for an hour or so tonight and cleaned the upstairs bathroom... so at least one portion of the house is completely ready to go. I know I've said it before, but my friends are such a blessing!
My pain has been manageable today. I've continued to feel a dull ache in my legs, but it isn't something that I couldn't get past. I've had better days, but I've also had worse days. I'm just grateful I could still function today... that was such a huge blessing!
Well, it's 10:30 and I best be getting to the last of the things on my to-do list. At least I'm confident that one way or another, I should be moved into my new home by tomorrow afternoon! Woo-hoo!
A bad way to start the day
We got SO much work done yesterday. I have some great friends who came over and packed up my kitchen, hauled everything over to my new house and unpacked it! I seriously have some of the coolest friends known to mankind :0)
I may have over-worked myself however. I fell into bed about midnight and woke up in terrible pain around 2:30. I don't usually have problems sleeping even when I'm dealing with my bouts of pain, but last night was an exception. My legs felt like they were throbbing dead weight. It kind of felt like those terrible growing pains I'd experience as a kid, where it feels like you have a giant charlie-horse up and down your legs. I couldn't get comfortable and I couldn't get back to sleep. I finally switched sides of the bed with Rob and managed to get a decent nights sleep all things considered.
I woke up this morning in tears though. My legs just hurt... and this is a bad day for my legs to hurt. I've had almost a whole week where I've been feeling relatively good so I thought I was getting over this stretch of pain. Arg! Of all days though... this is a bad one. The move crew should show up before 9:00 am tomorrow meaning everything I own needs to be boxed for tomorrow or moved today. Minor details! Oh, and I'm giving the keys to our renters tomorrow afternoon so this place needs a top to bottom cleaning before we hand over the keys. Did I mention I'm not feeling so hot?
Really, all things considered I'm in good spirits though. We've had a lot of help and we've actually gotten a lot done so I'm hoping the rest will just fall into place. I'm gonna take some Tylenol crank up the music and push through the pain. Once I do that I usually begin to feel better... it's just the pushing through part that's tough. Anyway, I should probably do that. It's 11:00 in the morning, and last I checked it's not getting any earlier! If you think about it, pray for me today, that my pain will decrease and that we'll get everything done in a timely manner! And soon, I'll post pictures of our house with the new carpet in. Yay for new carpet!
I may have over-worked myself however. I fell into bed about midnight and woke up in terrible pain around 2:30. I don't usually have problems sleeping even when I'm dealing with my bouts of pain, but last night was an exception. My legs felt like they were throbbing dead weight. It kind of felt like those terrible growing pains I'd experience as a kid, where it feels like you have a giant charlie-horse up and down your legs. I couldn't get comfortable and I couldn't get back to sleep. I finally switched sides of the bed with Rob and managed to get a decent nights sleep all things considered.
I woke up this morning in tears though. My legs just hurt... and this is a bad day for my legs to hurt. I've had almost a whole week where I've been feeling relatively good so I thought I was getting over this stretch of pain. Arg! Of all days though... this is a bad one. The move crew should show up before 9:00 am tomorrow meaning everything I own needs to be boxed for tomorrow or moved today. Minor details! Oh, and I'm giving the keys to our renters tomorrow afternoon so this place needs a top to bottom cleaning before we hand over the keys. Did I mention I'm not feeling so hot?
Really, all things considered I'm in good spirits though. We've had a lot of help and we've actually gotten a lot done so I'm hoping the rest will just fall into place. I'm gonna take some Tylenol crank up the music and push through the pain. Once I do that I usually begin to feel better... it's just the pushing through part that's tough. Anyway, I should probably do that. It's 11:00 in the morning, and last I checked it's not getting any earlier! If you think about it, pray for me today, that my pain will decrease and that we'll get everything done in a timely manner! And soon, I'll post pictures of our house with the new carpet in. Yay for new carpet!
Thursday, April 03, 2008
My Babies
A few months ago I was wondering where on earth my baby doll named Sissy might be. She's a doll I had as a girl and I know she's the one toy I would never have parted with... but I hadn't seen her in years. I found myself wishing I could find her so I could give her to Leeann, but I had NO idea where she might be or when the last time is that I saw her. I began to fear that I might have misplaced her at some point.
Then, as I was going through a box in the garage the other day...
I found her! And Leeann loves her which I'm very grateful for!
She seems to know that she's very important to me and she's doing her best to be a good mommy to Sissy.Tuesday, April 01, 2008
The Destroyer!
The man with the muscle... doing all the dirty work--Or... at least making everything dirty!
And his apprentice...
Mischevious Grin if you ask me!
So, Rob has proven he can destroy, but can he put it all back together? That question has yet to be answered! I'm doing all my laundry before we move just in case (the washer and dryer are in this bathroom).
These two have been hanging out and running amok in one of the rooms. We put Titus' mattress up there so they have something soft to sit on while they watch movies on my lap top.
Leeann loves to help daddy any chance she can get. These two make a good team!I can tease Rob all I want about making a mess and destroying things, but I made not only one, but TWO ridiculous mistakes today... it almost made me cry! A friend of ours named Dave came over to paint for a couple of hours today and I gave him the wrong paint for the wall above the stairwell. I thought it looked a little dark, but somehow it didn't click that it looked a little dark because it was the wrong paint. Duh! He was just following orders, it was totally my mistake. Arg...
Then, as if that wasn't bad enough he moved downstairs to the kitchen and dining room to use the rest of the oops paint on it's proper wall. I asked him to finish rolling out the primer for the dining room wall since he already had that color on his roller. So, I grabbed the primer, handed it to him and went back upstairs. 10 minutes later I came down and almost started to cry when I realized I gave him the primer for the dark brown wall. Are you kidding me? How on earth did I make two major mistakes within mere minutes? I'M LOSING MY MIND!
Detour
We left Friday morning to head over Ellensburg (Eastern WA) for Rob's grandparents birthday party. We got just east of Portland, about 2 hours away when we decided to check the pass just to make sure we were going to be able to get through. Lo and behold, the pass requires chains and the snow was slated to continue to fall. We weren't packed for snow, Rob and Titus didn't even have jackets. Also, we couldn't really risk getting stuck over there if the pass were to close while we were there. Anyway, the decision was tough but we opted to turn around. The party ended up being postponed because most of the party-goers needed to go over a pass to get there, so it all worked out. We missed getting to see Rob's aunt Barb and cousin Stacey and nephew Aiden who flew over from Indiana... so we're quite bummed about that! We'll try to make it over the see his grandparents in a couple of weeks though.
Anyway, since we were all packed up with no place to go we went to IKEA... which is always delightful. We also decided to stay in St. Helens for the night, which was wonderful as always. I realize it's been too long since I've seen most of my family. One night wasn't nearly enough, but I'll take what I can get!
Anyway, today is a super-paint day. We're supposed to get the carpet in tomorrow or Thursday (hopefully) so we need to bust out the painting today. We're having a party from 3 'til late tonight, bring a paint brush and stop on by if you're bored!
Anyway, since we were all packed up with no place to go we went to IKEA... which is always delightful. We also decided to stay in St. Helens for the night, which was wonderful as always. I realize it's been too long since I've seen most of my family. One night wasn't nearly enough, but I'll take what I can get!
Anyway, today is a super-paint day. We're supposed to get the carpet in tomorrow or Thursday (hopefully) so we need to bust out the painting today. We're having a party from 3 'til late tonight, bring a paint brush and stop on by if you're bored!
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