Thursday, August 28, 2008

Random Thoughts

My bank’s website adds your savings to your checking available balance if you have over-draft protection. But in the “Total Funds” column, they have that amount, plus they add your savings in again, so it makes it look like you have more money than you really do. If I were like a couple of my college friends, I would be seriously over-drawn because I would think I really had that much money.

I got a pedicure Tuesday night and had my toenails painted a bright pink. I’ve never painted them pink before because I don’t wear a lot of pink…but I kind of like it. Side note, the pedicure lady was a little rough last night and made me bleed. Jenn also made a comment that her lady was hurting her last night. What was up with that?

When I was in college, some of my guy friends thought I reminded them of a baby seal. They never would tell me why. After college, one of my managers at Eddie Bauer told me the same thing. What was it about a baby seal that made them think of me…and do I still possess that quality? I have to wonder if that was a good thing since they wouldn’t tell me why. I think that is weird.

When you eat a lemon or lime Skittle with M&M’s, it taste like dirty feet (and yes, I know what that tastes like…let's just say I've done some weird things on a dare in my younger years). Grape, Cherry or Orange tastes like a Tootsie Pop. Why do I know the answer to this? The M&M’s and Skittles leftover from a dinner got mixed together. You think you’re getting chocolate and then you don’t. It’s a very odd experience.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Is This Early Old Age?

My brother’s birthday was last week. Not knowing what to get him, I bought him a couple of shirts (he claims he likes the clothes I pick out for him). Well, he called me this weekend to thank me for them and asked if the red one looked familiar. It seems that I gave him an almost identical shirt (also red) last year for his birthday. I guess the only difference was an extra stripe the other didn’t have. I included the gift receipt so he has the option to exchange it. This is something my mom would do. I’m becoming my mom much sooner than I had hoped!

Friday, August 22, 2008

Takes Me Back

There is a lady who comes into our office every Friday morning who wears the same perfume my grandmother did. Between that and the smell of coffee brewing in the workroom, it’s like my grandmother is there and it makes me miss her all the more…especially today. I’m going to leave it at that because I’m already tearing up.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Week’s Like This

It’s not any secret that I have been looking to make a career change for quite a while, but I don’t want to change jobs just for the sake of changing jobs. I really want to find something I’m good at and is challenging in a positive way.

Its weeks like this when I feel more motivated than ever to make a change. Weeks where I’ve had about all that one human being should have to take from a cell phone company (I figured it up…I spend on average 10 hours a month trying to resolve company cell phone issues. I’m already past that average so far this month and it’s not even over yet). Weeks when people think you have nothing better to do than to completely redo a bulletin because they forgot to give you an announcement earlier in the week (yes, one announcement can totally mess up a layout). Week’s when last minute seems to be the norm and accumulating comp-time you may never get to take is the only way to get it all done.

I’m having one of those weeks. If I make it to 5:00 tomorrow without a complete melt down, I’ll consider myself lucky.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Authorized Order Placers Unite!!!

If you are in charge of the cell phone account for your company, than you might possibly feel my pain. It is by far the worst job I have. At one point today I IM’d a coworker and said “shoot me NOW!” Here is today’s run down, but this is pretty common every time I have to call…even for the simplest thing:

Try to use company’s new “Premier” website because it’s supposed to be “so much easier”.

Can’t figure out how to order a phone and add it to a group, so call phone number given to me Friday when I first started this process.

Sit on hold for 45 minutes listening to “on hold” music. The only thing worse than on hold music, is on hold music that doesn’t change. Listening to the SAME tune over and over again for 45 minutes might just make a person go insane!

Finally speak to real person. Real person tells me I can’t add a new phone to a group on the “Premier” site. Will have to order phone, set up on individual plan, and then call (and sit on hold for 45 minutes) to have phone switched from individual plan to group plan. Also run risk that I will have to pay individual plan rate for 2 billing cycles because it takes them that long to correct their records. Everything is on computers these days. Shouldn’t it be instant?

Ask Real Person why then should I bother placing the order online if I’m going to have to call anyway…and risk paying too much for the service plan?

Real Person responds “because it’s easier.” Real person also tells me that if I want to order the phone over the phone, I’ll have to call another number.

Call other number. Sit on hold 20 minutes. In place of “on hold music”, I got “oh hold commercial” brought to you by annoying voice lady.

Real Person #2 comes on the line. Tell Real Person #2 I need to order a phone. Real Person #2 sounds confused and asks lots of questions not normally asked. I’m starting to wonder how long Real Person #2 has been on the job. Not in the mood to deal with a newbie by this point.

Real Person #2 proceeds to tell me step by step everything she’s typing/doing. When Real Person #2 isn’t talking, she’s breathing heavy. Fearing Real Person #2 might keel over before phone is ordered.

Real Person #2 tells me that price of the phone. Even though I’m ordering the phone from the same company, with the same Foundation Account Number, phone is $20 more expensive.

Ask Real Person #2 “Are you kidding me?”

Real Person #2 talks to manager and give me a “One Time Courtesy Price Change” as if all of this is my fault.

Real Person #2 proceeds to talk me through the rest of the ordering process…toss up to which is worse, her talking or her breathing.

Real Person #2 FINALLY gives me my order number.

Real Person #2 tells me the next time I need to place an order, I should go through their National Business Key Contact Center and gives me their phone number.

Phone number is the number I used to use until NBKCC tells me I should us their new Small Business Center number instead (which was who I had been calling the last 2 months).

Real Person #2 also tells me that any future “Premier” website issues should be directed to a particular phone number. I told Real Person #2 that I did call them first, but the number she just gave me was not the number I was given on Friday.

Two hours later, I finally get off phone with cell phone provider and HOPE I have managed to order a cell phone.