How Best Buy Managed to Ruin My Easter and Easter Hasn't Happened Yet.

Let this be a cautionary tale, should the temptation to purchase an appliance from this awful, hateful place ever arise in your life. Best Buy has ruined my Easter holiday with their disorganization and their flat out lies.

Their free delivery actually costs you the price of your sanity and freedom. You will lose time out of work as they botch your order continuously. You will get a great deal on items they won't actually deliver on the day they claim. Don't worry, when they cancel your order for no reason, they'll let a really young girl leave a valley girl sounding message on your voice mail. "We, like, totally hope that we can sell you another washer dryer."

Let me start from the beginning.

This past Saturday, I bought a washer and dryer set from the Best Buy in Signal Hill, California. My fiancé and I left the store excited for our new lives free of laundromats to begin. The woman who had helped us, Kathy, had been honest sounding and very sweet. She seemed sincere in wanting us to have the best experience, working with the measurements of our space to get us the best machines for our fit. She even set up the appliances to be delivered on Tuesday so we could have them in just a couple days.
We were so excited. We went out and bought the drip pan she said we'd need right away. Tuesday came and I couldn't believe my luck that the delivery people were on time! That never happens.
One of the movers stayed behind with the truck while the other mover came to our apartment upstairs.
He didn't measure the space, but told me right away it wouldn't fit. I told him we'd cross checked our measurements. He said that because a vent was in a certain place, it would push the machines away from the wall an extra couple of inches. This wouldn't be a big deal, except the laundry alcove has a threshold where the floor dips down two inches deep. The mover told us we would need to raise the level of the floor in order for it to fit, but that it would be fine afterwards.
I alerted my fiancé about this and right away he had his father, who is a carpenter, make a platform out of very heavy, strong wood to raise the floor level. After I spoke to him, giving the needed dimensions for the area where the platform would need to sit, I went back to the Best Buy store where we bought the washer and dryer set and rescheduled a new time for them to be re-delivered. I couldn't spare more time away from work, so I settled on Saturday.
This meant that Tim and I wouldn't be able to go on the Easter family vacation we'd been looking forward to. Anxious to get this over with, I agreed and set up the delivery time for then. That night, Tim broke the news to his parents that we wouldn't be celebrating Easter with them, after all. That they would have to go without us. We surrendered our tickets to some family friends, to our own and our family's disappointment.
This is when Best Buy turned evil on us.

This morning, Tim received a call from a teenage sounding girl apologizing that our order was cancelled, that she really hoped Best Buy could put the money towards another washer and dryer set. He called me right away and asked me to check up on it. He said he was sure the girl had made a mistake, that he had information confused, that this couldn't have happened.
"What makes you say that?" I asked.
"She used the word 'like' about 8 times in a thirty second voice mail. No one who does that can know what they're doing."
Valid point, it seems.
I called the Best Buy Signal Hill location and, this time spoke to Mike who sounded like a sincere person, but might actually have turned out to be the exact opposite.

I told Mike the whole story. He said that he saw our note from the day before, that he would call the warehouse and see. Like Tim, he was doubtful the order could have been cancelled.
"That must have been received in error. We didn't cancel the order so there's no way it could have been."
Regardless, he'd said that he'd call the warehouse and see what the problem was. I didn't hear back for over an hour.
He apologized, told me the warehouse cancelled the order, which he stressed they weren't even supposed to be allowed to do. He said the note on the cancellation was that the washer and dryer units wouldn't fit at all in the space. I told him that was not what happened and he said that he knew.
"Unfortunately, once an order is cancelled, it's cancelled. There's nothing we can do about it but create a new order. I can get the units out to you on Tuesday..."
I explained that Tuesday was unacceptable. That I had done everything right and that this was their mistake. I politely let him know that the warehouse should do whatever they needed to do to fix this mistake, and that would be getting the units I already paid in cash for to my on Saturday.
He said he'd call me back. He did, and told me that they would be shipped to me *this* Saturday. Pleased, I thanked him for all his help. Little did I know, he'd flat out lied to me.
My fiancé just received an email saying that the washer and dryer units are not supposed to be delivered until Saturday April 6th.

I have never been so disgusted with a company. I will never give my business to Best Buy again. I won't buy anything there, not a Blue Ray, not a video game. They will never get one penny out of me ever again.

And certainly, reader, they do not deserve your business, either.

3/29/13 Update: We received an email confirming the delivery will be happening that Saturday, after all. Keeping in mind Best Buy's behavior up until this point, the review will remain up until the units are actually delivered. 

3/30/13 Update: The delivery people showed up, made up a code and claimed we were breaking it. I have since researched this code and found that, for a fact, it does not exist. This means the delivery people just didn't want to do their jobs. I called the Best Buy in Signal Hill that we bought the appliances from and they sent over people who happened to be working at the time. These people showed up with a great attitude, despite the fact they were definitely doing something not in their job description. They were knowledgeable, hooked up the washer dryer set like pros, and stayed until they were sure everything was hooked up correctly. They were courteous and pragmatic in the installation process.
However disappointed I am in their choice of delivery company, I couldn't be more pleased with Best Buy's Signal Hill employees.

Today's Meditation: The War of Internal Progress

Looking back seems to lead to results of which no good ever comes. Usually, nostalgia makes me insecure, opens old wounds, makes me feel [thiscloseto] where I began when I was looking to change. Sometimes, though, the stars align, a blue moon shines down on us, and the rare occurrence happens where you look back at where you once were and can witness the obvious progress you've made.

Today, I had such a delight.

I decided to tally all the work I've done for my employer which happened to make it into their runway show. It is by no means the sum of all the projects I've done for work, but it does show the strengths I've developed over the past year and a half.It shows the responsibilities they trust me with.

I added a sampling to the bottom right of the screen, if you scroll down you can see it.

When every day has felt like a fight within myself to become a better patternmaker, seeing the progress I've made is not only inspiring to continue this internal battle, but it shows me that I am valuable, that the struggle is worth it. I am worthy of working here, of being among these talented people. Of course, I borrow their talent every so often (as they borrow mine). It shows me, though, that I can do this.

Gosh darn it, I might make it, after all. 

Today's Meditation: Concentration on Lack of Exhibitionism, Intended or Otherwise

God[dess],

Please help me to "sit more like a lady." It's something I obviously need to work on.


Especially when wearing skirts.


I thank you in advance for your help in providing me with the strength to overcome this challenging obstacle and achieve the connected-at-the-knees-ness that I so desperately seek this afternoon. Please, if not for my benefit, for Everyone Else's.

God[dess] bless yourself.

-ERF

Talent Vs Aesthetic

 not the painting described below

    Recently, my fiancé and I attended an art show where someone we love was co-DJing. We showed up, drank some wine, nibbled on horsdevours, and discussed art. When we'd made our way through the gallery, we continued wandering the streets of Downtown Long Beach hungry for more art and a restless drive, hopping from one art show to the next, not quite able to get our fill. Were our interests piqued or were we bored? Surprisingly, and rather unfortunately, the difference between the two was difficult to determine.
     We found ourselves in one particular gallery looking at an abstract on a canvas so huge, it took up the entire wall of the alcove in which it hung. It was a play on colors: strong reds, three different shades of blue, some green thrown in, and organic looking black lines (for stability, I suppose). It what was I think of as a Rorschach test but in a painting form; what you see might depend on your mindset.
    My parents had a similar painting which my uncle had made in his "reckless-artist-turned-political-activist-turned-home-wrecker" phase, reached somewhere in his mid to late twenties. My mom always swears she sees the naked body of a married woman he was known for seducing within it. I see a fabulous dress and the blurry colors of lights on a busy street at night, after a rain. Like I said, everyone sees what's already inside their mind. My mom sees her brother's annoyingly carefree lifestyle. I see a party and the after effects of rain.
     There was a moment of silence while we each contemplated our own thoughts, then Tim asked, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone just gave us a piece of art like this?"
     I disagreed.
      "Why? It's art. It's interesting. It's colorful. It takes up a lot of wall space. What more would you want?"
    I told him about the painting in my parents' house, how everyone saw something different.
     "Exactly," he urged, "It's a conversation piece."
     "Yeah, but then you're stuck having the same conversation with guests over and over again. It's very monotonous. How many times can you talk about a piece of art until you do what my parents did: stick it in the basement."
     "They stuck it in the billiards room."
     "Yeah, the basement."
    He called me a cynic and accused me of being merely jealous that I cannot paint like this, to which I responded that maybe I could make a painting like this, I just don't have the motivation to because it's not a goal whose achievement I aspire to. The end result isn't a desirable one, so why would it matter if I could or couldn't? And further more, would the jealousy of not having talent to do something really be a deterrent to the perception of a work of art, or whether something is considered a work of art?
     I consider cubism to be art, and Picasso to completely be more brilliant, creative, and talented far, far, far beyond my means. That doesn't mean I'd want "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon," hanging in my living room. Although, that would be an excellent conversation piece.

 

     What exactly is the difference between accepting something as art, appreciating the talent & the creativity it took to bring the idea to life and wanting something hanging on your wall? Is it merely the [in]ability to assign part of yourself to the art - I chose this therefor something within the art represents me, or the fear thereof? Or, is it that we can love and appreciate something while also looking down on it?

I'm a Unicorn! Part II

 As you can see, it was a costume made on a tight deadline and with a limited budget. But, from what I was working with, I think I'm proud of this costume.
I'm having a lot of trouble not wearing it out on the streets of Long Beach as if it were a regular top.
Does it have to be a costume??

Prenatal Vitamins and the Art of Faking Conversation.

I've been trying to take Hair, Skin, Nails vitamins for a while now. They're glamour vitamins, similar to One-a-Days but with extra amounts of certain vitamins that make you look better. Some cheap HSNs contain only the "beautifying" vitamins, but I have been picking ones with the full range so my health doesn't suffer for my vanity.
Daily V's have always given me tummy aches, so it came as no surprise when the beefed up ones gave me wicked stomach cramps. Not the Boston version of 'wicked,' but the original, real meaning. These cramps were evil. Since the dosage was two pills, I split them up with my meals: one at breakfast, the other at lunch. I still would feel uncomfortable, though.
So, at a recent check-up, I happened to mention my issue and my doctor recommended Prenatals, but in a chewable, gummy version. She said that they are easier to digest (it is) while containing basically the same nutritional boost (it's pretty close).

On the way to Target a few days later, I started to tell my fiancé about what my doctor said. We had a convo that started with my story but then morphed into him also getting chewable vitamins in case the gumminess made taking a one-a-day more tempting/easier for him to take, too.
We spent half and hour to gather $80 worth of crap, of which ten minutes of that time as spent in a vitamin isle. I noticed Tim was acting strangely during this time but thought nothing of it because of how much he dislikes going to Target. I just figured he was cranky.
We bought our items, grabbed our two bags & paper towels, and headed to the car. When we were out of earshot from toddlers and their pearl clutching mothers, Tim nudged me with the edge of his bag and, in a deliberately calm voice, asked, "What the hell?"
Assuming I'd missed something epically Orange Trashy County or classically Long Ghetto Beach, I began looking around me curiously. "What happened?!" I replied. 

"Are you pregnant?" He asked with an edge to his voice.

I stared at him, confused and 'getting it' at the same time - which is a very strange feeling. 

"You're talking about the pre-natals?"

"Yeah."

"Remember when we were in the car talking about what we were planning on buying and we started talking about vitamins?"

He nodded.

"Did you tune me out for a little bit before that?"

His intensely serious facial expression softened as he remembered and his eyes had the faraway look of connecting dots. 

"Tim, honey," I said. "You are really good at tuning me out while convincingly faking a conversation."

As we climbed into the car, I told the whole story again, laughing at his sheepish responses. I clowned him for not hearing me, teasing him about learning a lesson. But I wonder if it was a lesson learned or a hole in the development of a practiced talent.