You know what that means! A whole bunch of stuff that is unrelated and possibly, probably, likely, just me rambling...
1. To lash or not to lash. This was the question. It has been the question for a number of years...I've never liked my eyelashes particularly. I mean, they are okay, but not thick, not long, just okay, so...I decided to get extensions. Yes! I did. I decided for a number of reasons. To start with, it is super cheap here and I've wanted to forever. To end with you get great looking eyelashes plus no more eye makeup for me (not that I wore it that often anyway). I am now down to lips only. LOVE that. By having this done I conquered a LONG, LONG time fear of things in and near my eyes. Which was born by cutting my cornea three separate times as an adult. There are no words to describe this pain and discomfort. As a result I've spent a good portion of my life being terrified of anything...drops, eye doctors, random comments like "you have a hair on your eyelash"...anything to do with the vicinity of my eyes. Today, I sat for an hour and a half while the lashes were extended! I wish I could show you a picture but I'm still seeing spots from practically blinding myself trying to take self portraits of my new eyelashes.
2. I just picked up our dry cleaning from the last trip we were on and then I packed some of it in the suitcase for the trip we leave on tomorrow. I said to Mr. Ken that I am ready to hang at home for a few weeks now. It will be fun to go to Perth again, we always enjoy our time there but...I'm committed to stay home after this trip until we go to Thailand at the end of May. Unless something very provocative comes up that is. Like Seoul or northern Italy (hint, hint).
3. Customer Service. Don't EVEN get me started. Okay, well since I started it, here we go. So, in January in Houston we mailed our tax return (which was extended, and extended again because of moving, illness, expat status, etc.) and it had to be signed, and postmarked by January 30 on its way to the IRS. That date was difficult for us but we made it to the Friendswood post office in the nick of time. We then received the certified, returned receipt back from the IRS signed and dated 2/1/2012. A few weeks ago we receive in the mail (in Houston) a letter stating we owe some $1200 and change because our return was not mailed on time. This amount was based on the return, and hence the payment, being TWO days late as it was due on 1/30/2012. Hello? It only has to be postmarked that day. So, then I go into overdrive trying to find the receipt from the post office showing WHEN I mailed, not when they received it. I couldn't (okay, I take the blame for this part). So, I went online to USPS.com. I was able to open a "complaint/problem send an email thing" which the website said they would get back to me within 24 business hours. Some six days later, minus an answer, I explored their website further (for about two hours) and figured out how to track and find the information I needed. I got it, printed it, and sent it off to the IRS. A couple days later I received an email asking me to complete a survey saying how well USPS.com had done to solve my problem. Are you kidding me? Serious. I STILL, at that point, had NO response at all on the complaint/problem, only the email with the survey. Needless to say I let them HAVE it in the survey...well, at least as much as multiple choice answers really can convey letting them have it! Today, some 13 days later I received a response from USPS.com stating that I was welcome to go back to my local Friendswood post office and have them print me a copy of all the tracking details. WHAT? As far as I am concerned this just further added insult to injury! They could have AT LEAST explained how to do this myself online (which I had already figured out)...particularly since my original email explained that I didn't live in the US and that was the one reason I went for online help. And, let's just take the complete inability of the government to do anything correctly to the next level which says - HELLO, you signed for it on 2/1/2012 which must in some form or fashion mean it HAD to be mailed prior to that date! I could even have wrapped my head around a one day penalty, but TWO? I could NOT have mailed it in Friendswood, Texas and it be received in Charlotte, North Carolina the same day. NOT EVEN FedEX can claim something like that. Third, that same return was returned back to us in February stating that our federal tax withholding on line 41 (or whatever) didn't match our W-2's. I sent that back and said, yes, yes, it does, if you add BOTH W-2's together, you seem to only be capturing one. Really. Come on.
4. Speaking of customer service...my blackberry died an unnaturally early death about a month ago. It was taken back to the store where purchased (picture the Malaysia Sprint, because they just don't cut it as the Malaysia AT&T, LOL). To date it has been sent off twice for repair, come back three times, not repaired so far and now I'm being told I somehow voided the warranty. Well, I didn't. I don't even know how to do that or anything about what they are saying would cause this. What I have realized is the first "Sprint"" place I went to was actually just a reseller, not a provider. What? Why didn't they tell me that? They were actually not even authorized to take my phone and send it off for repair, but they did. Once this all came to light I raised....my voice, loudly, and presumably the provider I was at was listening. Then they called yesterday and said to come get my phone...it isn't repaired because the warranty has been voided but come get it (I've already been down this same road twice). I, again, explained this entire month long scenario only to be told they have to get back with me. Okay. Bring it on. I'm still upset about the IRS and that my phone has been gone for a month. And, now that I have new eyelashes I wouldn't be above batting them if it would help. Jeez, I just want my phone fixed! I don't want to play games for a month. Come back and say it will cost this and maybe we can negotiate...maybe not...maybe I will move all three of my accounts elsewhere...but PLEASE, let's get on with something already.
5. Extended eyelashes are MUCH heavier than real ones. If you ever suffer from heavy eyelids, like sleepy or ... maybe a little too much wine...these will make that happen WAY faster. I can barely see to type now. Because I'm tired, not because of wine. UMPH. Wine, blog, never. Ever.
6. As I mentioned I was packing earlier...in a small amount of time the DES has peed on the floor (once), refused his monthly medication (which he normally gulps down with a bit of cheese), and taken my carry on bag apart, pulling out all paper products. Paper products inclusive of kleenex, a note pad and my passport. "Yes, Mr. Immigration officer, I realize my passport has a big chunck torn out of it...my dog ate it!" Fortunately, his favorite pulp product is kleenex and he was caught, tried and convicted before he got to anything important. Poor baby, he just hates suitcases and what they mean.
7. I was writing this yesterday (up to here), now it is today (Wednesday) ... I had to stop writing when after I saved a draft it went all haywire on me and lost all format plus went to something other than HTML. Then I login today and all is well again UGHHHHH. I just don't understand!!! My sweet friend Sandra is going to do an online tutorial with me when we get back so hopefully we can figure out how to stop this craziness with the blog and the Macbook. I also found out the IStudio offers classes every Thursday night to learn to love your Apple product...we will see. But I am going to sign up for one of those as well. I intend to give it all the chances it deserves! Heaven knows it is the user who has issues, not the computer.
8. Back in Singapore now, flight out early in the morning. Mr. Ken has a conference call at five and one at nine so it looks like I will just be rambling around the St. Regis on my own most of this evening. There are definitely worse places to ramble.
Here is a big ole WINK ;) with the new lashes! Love, spajunkie
