Well it was warm for a day.

55 degrees outside, drizzle and I think its 50 inside the Starbucks again. You know I hate using this site as a "bitch" site but seems to be what I am doing with it.

I think its about time I nicely suggest a good HVAC company to come fix their system.

Where is the dollar?

Three guys were visiting the city, and it began to snow hard. The 3 guys decided that they couldn't drive home and would get a motel room for the night. They find a motel with vacancy and are told by the hotel desk manager that the room will be $30.00. The guys all agreed to pay their share of $10.00 each and take the room.

Later that evening, the hotel desk manager realizes he made an error and charged too much for the room. The cost of the room should have been $25.00 instead of $30.00. The desk manager calls the bell boy over and hands him 5 $1.00 bills to return to the 3 guys.

The bell boy goes to the elevator and heads to the 3 guys room. He decides that since the guys were okay with paying $30.00 for the room he would keep $2.00 for himself and give the 3 guys $1.00 each back, which drops the cost of the room to $9.00 each guy.

So where is the dollar?

Sometimes you just got to ask...

The refugee's, or that is the displaced Greenberry's coffee drinkers seem to also have found Starbucks down the road. In the daily meeting of the refugee's yesterday we all commented on how cold it was inside. So, I unannounced to the others went and asked the barista why the place was so cold, several minutes after that, Dan another refugee asked the same question and then some other nor refugee customers also inquired. Well, it became noticeable warmer, and today its not as cold. We were all told they had no control over the temps in the store, has always been an issue and it was either the extremes in temperature.

Well its good to be warm ;)

Best Buy no more!!!

Made my last purchase at any Best Buy. There are so many other places that you can get better deals and way better customer service. The 2 I highly recommend are www.newegg.com and www.amazon.com I've been blown away by both places, Newegg for electronics and Amamzon for just about everything else.

Let me say the "smurf's" at Best Buy are not the problem. The Smurf's as I call them are the guys and gals that work the floor, most all of these people are great, offering good advice from a non commission employee.

The problems I have fall further up the food chain of Best Buy. First are the customer service individuals behind the counter, the nice knowledgeable attitude is gone, or so it seems to be with the stores close to me. Yes, I understand that working a desk where some not so nice people come complain can test your nice-ness. I ALWAYS treat people the way I expect to be treated, and the same goes for her too. Last night in my latest adventure this was pushed to the max, well, the breaking point with Best Buy.

Here's the start of this adventure. My son Joseph, is 14, enough said, and owns or has owned 2 Ipod touches. The first touch was lost, stolen or vanished somehow within months of him getting it from us as a gift. Sorry, but our money doesnt grow on trees and the 2nd one he had to purchase on his own. Both Ipods have or had warranties, as do all my electronics. I own an Ipod, actually 3 Ipods and all but the shuffle have warranties. Well, by pure accident Joseph drops his Ipod touch and cracks the screen, a common problem (another issue I have with Apple). I haul it up to Best Buy for him, warranty in hand to have it replaces or fixed. Oh, that warranty doenst cover that, used to when we bought it, or so we were told, now there is another warranty that would have covered that. (Warranty trick IMO) But, I was told I could have upgraded my warranty and it would have been covered. So, as an owner of a Ipod touch myself I decided I needed to upgrade mine. Joseph's, which has been fixed no has a null and void warranty of which I canceled last night after 3 phone calls and 2 run around conversations with Best Buy CS.

I proceed into BB, my Ipod in hand as I assume they will need to inspect the unit before allowing me to purchase the upgraded warranty I was told I could do at another store. Well, first they couldnt find any record of my purchase of the unit, knowing damn well it came from BB with a warranty. BB CS cant seem to find it anywhere and I was told I must not have gotten it at BB more that once. I may be old but I am pretty bright and have a really good memory on some stuff, I know I got it at BB. I was told I can call 888-bestbuy and maybe they can back up my store of purchase it from BB. So I did, within 30 seconds of talking to 888-BB they had found it, found the warranty, told me when and where I had gotten it. Actually I had to purchase this online because there was a gift card that was associated with it and in-store wouldnt honor it. I actually purchased this Ipod in the store online, with the assistance of a BB smurf. I was told the order and warranty numbers and I could go back into the store at my leisure and upgrade the warranty.

So, I haul it right back into BB, as I was in the parking lot when I call 888-BB. Once again CS hell desk, I mean help desk, and gave them the order numbers. Still a major issue with finding it, this time I am told its online and thats just problems. Funny, online was WAY LESS of a problem than the BB cs reps run around I was getting. I was told on the first trip into the store, after their in ability to find my Ipod, that I must call online to cancel Joseph's warranty on his repaired unit. 888-BB said, no thats all done in store, and tried to cancel it for me over the phone, but it was 8pm at night and didnt have the right people to do so. Well, finally the cs reps pulled up the order and then started the next run around with upgrading the warranty. I was plainly told if I had purchased this in store there would be no problem with upgrading my warranty but since it was done online then it had to be done online or over the phone, BULL SHIT! I was beginning to lose my nice demeanor at this point and said no, you will take care of this for me, I am tired of getting run around, still no luck. So, I suggest we speak to the manager now, which he happened to be right there, what luck. Well, he tells me its against the law to upgrade my warranty, you know its like insurance and its against the law to change insurance policies. Funny, call any insurance company and offer them more money to upgrade your policy and they turn back flips to get your money. But, if it was purchased in store he could "make" an exception. I bluntly told this manager that www.newegg.com and www.amazon.com was looking much more appealing.

The issue isnt the fact I cant upgrade the warranty. Had I been told this up front I would have just dealt with it. The fact is I was told it was possible, had I bought it in the store and not online from the same company.

So, long story, but no more BB.

Times are tough......

Times must be tough for Starbucks, or at least the Starbucks close to the house. They must be making extra money by renting out the shop as cold storage for meat. I've came here 2 days in a row, now that my old haunt has closed, and the place is frigid (warmest comment I can make).
Not sure how much I can handle a place this cold first thing in the morning. I'm cold natured anyway, and I dont need any help getting colder.

On to other stuff....

Annette got up at 4:30, without the aide of an alarm clock, which is an amazing feat! I decided I might as well get up to being an early morning person. Off to Walmart for Annette in search of the trampoline in the sale flyer. Joseph, had one, that got ko'd by the latest tree falling about a year ago. As much as I fought the idea and danger of a trampoline he had a good time on it, and wants another. Well, why not.... She got one, with minimal effort considering what she said Wally world was like at 5am.

I went to Kohl's to get a few things for Annette, but after I saw the checkout line that stretched around 3 sides of the inside I decided that hour plus wait wasnt worth the trival stuff she wanted. I will say, if it would have been something she really wanted I'd have stuck it out.

Okay, I really need to warm up since I am at Starbucks typing this blog. I think the bathroom's are warm, maybe its time to head there.

Turkey Day

Nice Day.... Had an enjoyable evening at the neighbors over dinner and wine, and more wine. Really is great to have good neighbors considering what we used to have for neighbors.

Had a nice walk on the Biltmore Estate, even with two dogs pulling us like dry land skiers.

Web site up and running, even though its only partial finished, at least its up on the web. More to come on the site as I get it all together.

Another one bites the dust.......

Last day of Greenberry's coffee shop, the spot I find tranquility every morning. The spot I read, surf or just meditate. So far this is the 2nd coffee shop I have hung out at in the morning that has closed, the first being PJ's, and New Orleans based shop.

So now where? The evil empire of Starbucks. Not that I am against the evil empire or any evil empire (I like Wal-Mart) Coffee is fair, but palatable, but the internet costs $$.

Once again time will tell where the winds blow me.

You Got Money!

A first...... I have now been paid for a picture I took :) From the pictures I took of the Shut In Event this year I posted and offered files to any one of the participants through word of mouth. Sent several off so far with a note at the bottom of the email saying :
"Like the Images? If you would like to contribute to my hobby for use of my images please consider using paypal, Biciclettapc@gmail.com"

Well received my first payment for the picture.

11/23, Greenberry's.

Sitting yet again in Greenberry's coffee shop, my normal "haunt" of the morning. Last few days of this coffee shop, as they are closing Wed. Sort of bummed about that fact yet another coffee shop is closing up, I seem to close them down. First PJ's that was located in the old Gerber Village and now Greenberry's. I guess its on to Starbucks after Wed...

Actually Starbucks coffee has gotten better, when I am away I drink the stuff and its not bad overall, compares to the median coffee tastes of Greenberry's. My complaint with SB's is the stores are overall cold on the inside. Not sure if they really want you sitting inside fro long. Wireless costs, temps are cooler and just seems to be a cold atmosphere.

So on to something I found hillarious! Hopefully the picture I am attaching works. Now I find this so funny....

Working on Web site

Working on my website...... Serif Webplus X4 is what I am using, not sure if its a good or bad pc of software yet, still in the learning curve.

Time will tell