Should I Join The NRA?

First of all, I am a liberal. Second, I don't own a gun and don't want to. I want at least some gun control. I am tired of gun proliferation. And all the talk about gun shows, gun nuts, and the stupid talk about guns. And I am definitely tired of all the mass and other shootings.

I am thinking I should join teh NRA though. Why? To help dilute their membership and bring some balance to their nuttiness. I need to look into it. Care to join me?

Budget Travel Is The Way To Go

As I have mentioned--but in no great detail--I have a new job. It is my dream job. I will work from home, travel a number of times a month, make more money, and have more flex time. Now, who wouldn't want that job!

I am excited about the travel. The company will reimburse me for my travel expenses, and I want to be a good steward of their money. But it is the flex time and freedom of schedule that I am excited about. Not only will it help me be more organized, a better housekeeper (I hope), but I also will be able to do more personal travel. I see more personal travel in my future. I need to increase my world travel. And I always love to travel to see family and friends.

What is important for me in my personal travel is affordability. I am a budget traveler! Therefore I look for cheap airfares, cheap hotel rooms, and the like. This allows me to stretch my travel dollars and go to more places and stay longer. That is not to say that I don't like my occasional splash of luxury. But cheap airfares and hotel rooms are important. After all, most of the time the focus of the trip is the travel experience itself and not just the hotel room. Here's to more travel in 2013. Bon Voyage!

Yesterday Was Bad Customer Service Day

I have been through a lot lately, but I also have a lot to be grateful for. I am out of a bad job situation and into a fabulous one. I have a lot of good friends, I have good health, and a good spirit. I am happy with life. But yesterday I felt out of sorts. Why? I am not sure! The only thing that comes to mind is poor customer service. Not once, but twice.

First, I need to replace my dryer lint screen. It has a tear in it, which enables the lint to escape. That of course is not safe. I called a parts warehouse, and a woman told me to come on out--that they have lots of these on hand. So, I drive out there to an inconvenient location. My goal was to come back home with a new lint screen. 

Well, the guy behind the counter takes the screen from me and goes out into the warehouse. He comes back minutes later, saying they don't have any. What? I say. The woman earlier told me you always have those on hand. She doesn't know what she is talking about. You must call back with the serial number off of the dryer, he says. That pains me, as the dryer is in a bad location, and it is hard to kneel down to see that number.

I go back home, get the number and call back. Talk to a different person. Oh, yes, we have these out here. What? I say. The guy earlier told me you didn't. Well, I am more familiar with the warehouse, the other guy says. So I will troop back out there and hope that I come home with a new lint screen.

My other bad customer service experience will be fodder for another post.