commercials...and the credit crunch

have you noticed since the whole economic fallout...all those funny Capitol One credit card commericals are no longer playing like...EVERY OTHER commercial as they have in the past. Actually I have yet to see them at all that I can remember in the last several weeks. Based on my job, I see tons of people daily that have all gotten into trouble with their credit cards...and they have no way out. Marathon County has an extremely high bankruptcy and foreclosure rate. I think it is going to be a pretty lean christmas this year with people not having their credit to fall back on. I know our xmas personally will be trimmed back this year, at least until I know for sure my job is secure. So we have put away our Visa and Mastercards and have been working hard at living on a strict budget...to pay off bills and put money away just incase.

ugh...

I have the cold now too....blah

sick child alert...

Coming to a child near you!

Aiden ended up with a head cold yesterday that is tearing the poor boy up. He kept telling my mom that his nose was leaking. :( Last night gave him a big Vick's chest rub down and put him to bed. He woke me up at 12:30 am coughing and sputtering and trying to breath past globs of phelm you could hear were locked into his throat and chest. I raced in there...got him upright and he coughed hard twice and puked all over both of us. Got him to the bathroom...Sean got us some new clothes...and Aiden and I got a hot steam as I locked us in the bathroom with the shower running at scald. that really cleared him out...We cuddled on the couch with his Barbi movie (yes my son like Barbi)...and then changed it to Monsters Inc (only likes Barbi for a little bit). Got him back to bed at 3 with a fresh coating of Vicks. I am trying to figure out how I am functioning on little sleep with NO Caffiene today.

chopped my hair off

the other day I chopped my hair off...and I love it....something fun...something different...something....SASSY

Here is the before.... (yes I am aware that the shots are blurry...but my cell phone is going down the drain...it used to take nice clear shots....)



It was only actually taken because we were trying to get a head shot to do those free online hair style programs that let you see a style and color...we had a BLAST doing that...



Here is the AFTER....



I have to say that Tammy did an awesome job. (that is Tammy Boykins at A Touch of Class Salon....In Rib Mountian in the old Shakey's Pizza Building. 842-0414 or book online at www.mysalononline.com/atouchofclass )....

Charter update and busy week

Well I went back on Charter today to see if it has been fixed yet. And alas....they have put all the money owed back ON the internet account...left the credit on the phone...and just took it off pending disconnection and back into active status. I am sure their thoughts are I can just pay what I would have on the phone bill on the internet and then the regular internet bill and it will be all good. But I suspect...this issue...hasn't had the last of me calling one of the many many 800 numbers...and wasting more of my life trying to get it in the skulls of their seemingly untrained staff, trying to fix any more glitches.


Busy week this week. I had a job interview on Monday and I am crossing my fingers. It would definately be a welcome spot to get the job. I am keeping an open ear to hear if they are calling any of my references. Times are leary right now at my current job. We just got an email that we are $90K in the red for the projected budget to end at the start of 2009. Then the next comment was that we pay 70% of the budget on employees...I have been down this road with EVERY non-profit agency I have worked for in the last ten years....all but one time got out just months before the programs laid everyone off...2005 I didn't make it out first and became a causaulty of the end of the grant war. So I am suspecting there could be a lay offs in the agency that could or not affect me...or hours cut...which would then put be below the full time boundary and take away my benefits and vacation. I am hoping that they wouldn't do it before xmas...seeing as how they are a catholic organization...but wouldn't hold my breath. So I need to start burning up my vacation quickly because I have alot banked up...

Next up was my trip to Eau Claire yesterday. I had to go to a work training on Ethics and Boundaries and Cultural diversity... and I have to say that it was a very good training. The Trainer was very knowledgeable and very entertaining...which is good...because otherwise I could see that the content would have definately been snoozeville.

this week is going to be cleaning out my house some more. Aiden has grown a TON and I can't get his head in even half his shirts...my little weed. We are working with him on potty training yet....but the poor kid still thinks that potty trainning is a type of train to ride....much like Thomas the train. So I am working on trying to rephrase it, because the minute it slips out of my mouth...I have to listen to him go on about wanting to ride the potty train ...('come on ride the train....won't you ride....if you feel like dancin...come on...it's up to you....' - sorry...in my head right now). see...here he is flipping the toilet paper out of the cart... (drat...can't see it...)

The Charter update...

Well yes...I have just officially threw the company under the bus....but it appears that my account is back in good standing. The charges from the internet bill have now been completely cleared off...and yet...just to prove my point...I still have a $95 credit on my phone bill. I am sure they will find and fix that pretty darn quick. But it is at least nice to think I got paid for my time at the going rate of $1 per minute.

Customer service....

always a tricky subject...it works fine when you get to the place (finally) that you can talk to a live person...or does it work? A week ago I went to pay my phone and internet bill (still debating if I want to blast this company by name...). I typically get online bills...and I pay them online. But for a day I was unable to access my account, being stopped by all the security certificates stating that the site was unsafe and not to post any personal information. Well that is fine and dandy at any other time then the one where I am about to pull out my credit card to pay it! Now a day later (yes last minute on this one) the bill was past due and the new bill was up...sooooo...still unable to get on my account to even see what it owed. I pick that nice speak with a live chat operator. nice...will do. I get someone, type out my problem, he says he can process the payment or I can call the call center instead...for $1.99 charge of course. After weighing the options of the bills being any later....I finally said fine. He tells me how much the bill was $161.39...I was like "that best be for both phone AND internet both months" and he confirmed it was. So I gave him card information, he gives me confirmation number...and we end the chat. Momma didn't raise no stupid girl...so I copied AND pasted into word the entire chat ...JUST IN CASE.

Yesterday I come home...and there is a call from this company on my answering machine. I was wondering why? I should be paid up till next months bill for phone and internet. So this morning I go on the online account. The idiot that did the transaction...put the entire amount on my phone bill account...and NONE on my internet. I had a $95 CREDIT on my phone bill and owed that much on my internet and was pending disconnection. So I call the internet number on the companies website. Call one - automated menu, plug though it...want live person...someone picks up...I hear rustling around...I hear breathing...then I hear hold music...here I sit for several minutes. I get mad...hang up...call two. Same menu...want live person...hold for a couple minutes...get live person...he informs me he cant get into my account. WHAT? Tells me I have to call a different number.

Call three - new number - SAME menu mind you....still want live person...pressing buttons pretty agressively at this point. On hold a couple minutes. Live person...confirm account number...tells me he can't get into my account...says I have to call a different number. I curse...hang up.

Call four - new number - SAME MENU - slamming buttons with my fist at this point. Get to live person...HE CAN SEE MY ACCOUNT...finally progress after 20 minutes. I tell him the story...tell him I want the credit on the phone moved to the internet where it was suppose to be in the first place. He puts me on hold...off and on for over 10 minutes...comes back and tells me that since the payment was already processed...they can't move it from one account to the next because they had the phone and internet billed separately, and that I just need to pay the internet bill or it will be disconnected. After some colorful language and asking why I would want a $95 credit on my phone bill, and how could I be cut off for their mistake...the money was paid...it was one of their agency idiots that put it the wrong way. He kept saying there was nothing he could do. I said sure there is...let me talk to your supervisor. He said fine...and transfered my call...it started ringing at 7:05 am (35 minutes already into this ordeal)...I hooked it on me and started getting ready with it on speaker....it rang until 7:27 am...of which it just hung up on me.

Call five - same number as last time....- same menu - this time I am pressing the buttons with the lasers shooting out of my eyes. I get a woman...she asks for my account information...all I say is "do you see a supervisor at this moment? What I mean is there one PHYSCIALLY present in the same building as you right now?" she told me yes...I told her to give her to me. right then and there. Soooo...after being on hold for 10 more minutes...she comes back and says that the supervisor is still on a call. She mentions I was about to have my service interrupted soon...and I exploded. Calmed down and told her the story...she said all there is, is a form she needs to fill out to send to headquarter to have them move the credit. So we filled out this form over the phone...and said that should be it...to call and check monday to make sure it was taken care of...or there could be a disruption in service Tuesday...I said if I am disconnected on Tuesday I am switching to the competitor. She said it wasn't a disconnection...just a disruption...I said if there is even a HICCUP...I will be switching...since I should not be penalized for their mistake. End of call 8:05 am...95 minutes wasted of my life that I will never get back...1 minute for every $1 of credit I was trying to get transfered.

I will keep you posted on how this turns out by next week....or not....if you don't hear from me next week...means I have no internet until the new service is installed.

Today is the day...

Today is the day that we start things new. For me it is this blog. For my children...it is their education and things they are learning in school and in the world. For my husband..it is his work.

Let me introduce you to this busy crew.

Mom - (that's me) My name is Jennie, I am 34 with a birthday closing in, sadly, I don't feel a day over 18 mentally, but physically...ekk..mother nature is taking its course. I live and breath in my home town in Wisconsin. I am a full fledge cheese head, though I did do a year long stint in the Windy City. I currently have my own massage business, and work full time at a non-profit agency.

Dad - that would be my loving husband Sean. He is 33 years old and an amazing man, husband and father. I have been completely blessed.

Zach - that would be my 14 yr old step son, who lives with us 50% of the time. He is now a freshman in high school and enjoying all the glory of being the talented football quarterback and hockey team. His social live and sport have really picked up...so a side job of ours is also being a taxi.

Ike - he is my 12 yr old step son, who is Zach's brother. He is in 7th grade this year and just got done with his football season and is starting his youth hockey season as the goalie. He too, is getting the social life in gear, and the girls starting to come around. Both he and Zach now have their own cell phones...and I think are in a contest of who can do the most text messages. I believe they do more in a month then I have done in the years I have, combined!!! (THANK YOU CELLCOM FOR UNLIMITED TXTING!!!!)

Cinneidi - (that is pronounced 'kennedy') is our 6 yr old princess. She is in 1st grade this year but looks like she is 10. We call her "the informer" because she loves to tell what everyone is doing and can talk non stop for hours. I have concluded she enjoys the sound of her own voice somedays. I have stopped bringing her shopping for gifts, because even Sean learned to ask her what mommy bought for him, because she will spill the beans without any torture or bribery required. She is also our drama child, though she seems to be growing out of it finally. She is in jazz dance classes once a week and had her first recital last spring...

Aiden - he is our 2 yr old son. Oh our little Aiden....this kid will definately be giving us a run for our money in the future. He is way to smart, and way to skilled sports wise and way to inquisitive...and way to fearless. He will cause all my grey hairs...as I know he has already created a few just in his short time of mobility. He love ANYTHING that is car/truck/trailer related, any tools, any hunting and any sports. I felt all that testosterone surging my body as I carried him.

Those are the crew players in this. I will have more for everyone soon.