Loathing Lowes Part III

Today, I'm feeling a little better.  Before I went to work, I made a little phone call to Discount Appliance to get their view on the previous stated phone call.  I don't want to say I overreacted, but I think there may have been a misunderstanding between what Chad said and the way I interpreted it.  When he said "This won't be covered by my warranty", he was meaning the replacement of the venting itself, when I thought he meant everything.  The fixing of the wires on the block are covered by Frigidaire's warranty.  So the $150 bill is for the service call for Chad to come out and for the purchasing of the solid metal vent and it's installation. 

Now that I understand and am clear on what the bill actually is for, I'm good.  I had a hell of a time getting the flexible duct stuff on the first time, I'm thankful I had someone else put the solid venting on.  And for me to pay a little for it to be done right, and without DUCT TAPE, I'm good.

Before I hung up with the manager of Discount Appliance, I asked him if it's possible for the dryer vent to make the dryer not work.  He said that with newer machines, there is a safety mechanism.  If the dryer can't vent fast enough (as if there was a blockage) it will prevent the machine from working.  Good to know, but I still think the Lowe's manager is full of $h!+.  

As for replacing the dryer, I'm never letting Lowe's touch anything in my house and have them screwed up.  Ever. 

Loathing Lowes Part II

So I'm a little confused.

I've been playing phone tag with Thom, one of the manager's at the Lowe's in Blaine (Hwy 65/ 118th Ave.) all weekend.  Yesterday I dropped off the copy of the repair bill so he could see it and also call them to verify what services were done.

I got a call from Thom today...and I'm very confused.  He said the improper installation of the electrical cord to the block on the dryer "is not their problem".  That was not installed by the two boys that delivered the machines.  So then who's responsible for it?  If wasn't Lowe's who crossed the wires, was it Frigidaire?  It certainly wasn't me. 

He also said that a faulty dryer vent can also make a dryer not work.  WHAT!  What does a dryer vent have to do with anything electrical or the computer chips inside the dryer?  To me, they are two separate things.  Computer chips.......and a piece of tin.       They are not the same.  That is bunch of bologna. 

Is fighting this really worth my time and energy?  For $150 dollars?  I'm thinking not.  I think I'm going to cut my losses and moving on.  The thing that worries me is that this could happen to someone else.  And with it being an ELECTRICAL problem., could someone loose there house via a fire?  But again, Lowe's or Frigidaire?  Hmmmmm.

Loathing Lowes

Where to do I start.  What was originally as a Christmas present  from my parents has turned into an April Fool's Prank on me.  My parents bought me a new washer and dryer because my washer was leaking water every once in a while and would dance and chimmy when off balance and make a ruckus.

Yeah!  I get new appliances.  That's what any mid-, no make that late-20 something wants.  Forgot the new car or Wild tickets, or a tropical vacation.  Okay, I need to be serious here.

So ma, pa and I did a little window shopping around town.  We ended up getting a Frigidaire set at Lowes.  They deliver, haul away and install for free.  Looking back, I got what I paid for.  Mom and Dad even threw in an extended warranty to cover any computer malfunction that could occur within 5 years.

We had the date of installation set on Christmas Eve.  Mom and Dad were supposed to down for the holidays but stayed home due to the snow storm.  Two  "juveniles" came and dropped off and picked up all the appliances, yadda, yadda, yadda.  Now's the good part.  When it came to installing the dryer vent, they said they couldn't reattach it.  I had to make a special run to Lowes to get a new vent.  When I questioned him who, what, why and when, it was $60  later.

Eight days go by......

My dryer doesn't work!  Troubleshooting with circuit breakers doesn't work.  Call Lowe's.  Transferred to Frigidaire.  Called Discount Appliance and service call scheduled for January 8th.....nine days later.  I had no dryer for NINE DAYS!

Nice guy named Chad from Discount Appliance comes and looks at dryer.  Explain in detail about situation with lazy dryer.  He pulls it out.  "Oh No!"  Tsk!  Tsk! Tsk!  The electrical wires hooking the dryer to the electrical cord are loose and screwed up!  The new dryer vent that I was told to go and buy (the flexible slinky kind) is wrong and now my Frigidaire warranty is null and void.  The Juvie-Boys didn't tell me that!  But I have an extended warranty through Lowe's........nope.  Now I have to pay an extra $150 to this nice guy named Chad from Discount Appliance to fix all the errors.  Fine....he's nice and he knows what he's doing and it's going to get done right so my house doesn't blow up or burn down.  Electrical wiring fixed and SOLID metal PVC-like vent installed.  The nice guy named Chad from Discount Appliance told me that if I hadn't caught this now, it would be twice as much to fix later on down the road.

The wheels in my head are turning and if I were a cartoon, probably smoke coming out of my ears.  Complained to Lowe's Appliance Manager and Delivery Team.  They want to exchange my dryer out for a new one.  Hell No!  You are not touching it!  (This is what ran through my mind).  Instead, I just say that it's now installed correctly and I would like to be reimbursed the $150 being that it was done wrong in the first place.  If they won't reimburse me, the installation team needs better training so this doesn't happen to anyone else.  I should be getting a call back tomorrow afternoon.  Stay Tuned!

Side-note if you haven't guessed my now:  If anyone needs help with appliances, call Discount Appliance and ask for Chad!  He's a nice guy.

New Tires

I need new tires.  It's hard to believe that 60,000 miles has come and gone.   It seems like I just got this set just a couple months ago, but it's actually been over 5 years.  I was still living at home at the time.

When dad was down a couple of weeks ago, we shopped around and found the best deal at Tires Plus.  I got a reasonable quote at the Columbia Heights store but I wanted them installed in Blaine.  They offer free tire rotations for the life of the tires and it's more convenient with it just 2 blocks away.

So I took my quote in, but they wouldn't honor it.  They said that sale ended on the 31st.  But that's not want "Justin" told me in Heights.  Justin said the quote was good for 30 days which means it should have been honored through January 15.  However, the gentleman that helped me in Blaine said he could hook me up with a different tire and still give the the Buy 3, Get 1 Free, plus $15 off the alignment if I need it.  The total was going to be about $440.  With my holiday bonus check, that was exceptable.  Where do I sign?

Left the car and Jean and I headed out to do some shopping while they work was being done.  Not 10 minutes later, they called and said that my front right wheel was loose, which causes the tires to wear faster.  To fix this, they have to tighten the tire rod.   And when they tighten the rod, an alignment is needed.  To do this will bring the total over $600.  What?!  What happended to $440.00?

The alignment is $50 (the quote from before I left including the $15 off) which means the tightening is about $150.00 .  It costs $150.00 to tighten a rod.  A monkey can do that.  Whatever.  If it keeps my tires healthy longer, I guess it's worth it.

But what do I know.  I'm just a woman.

New Year's Eve

I'm still not getting the hand of this blog thing.  I don't have time to write anything worth-while.
So next topic is New Years Eve.

My plans were to go out to Povlitski's with Lori, Judy and Jean.  Jean ended up needing to work.  Who the hell schedules people to work on New Year's Eve.  Target, that's who.  Dumba$$e$.  We went there last year and got one of the last tables available.  In the back, an exceptable view, but got stuck next to a grump Santa.  This year we'd get there earlier and get a better seat.  No such luck.

Lori and Judy got there 2 hours before the band was to take the stage and all the tables were already reserved.  Note to other people: don't reserve tables for other people unless they are going to show up.  Some tables didn't have any people sitting by them, not once all night.  We got stuck sitting at a high top next to the pool tables.

I would have thought "That's where the cute guys are", so I'm all in.  If you're going out with your girlfriends and want to flirt with guys, they aren't going to be on the dance floor.  Guys don't dance unless they have a girlfriend dragging them out. They're going to be shooting some pool.  I usually am all for the flirtiness, but not this time.  I just wanted to hang with my girls.

So we're just talking and bopping to the music, and old, smelly men would not leave us alone....all night.  They smelled like perio-breath took a bath in a bag a used chew.  (My dental peeps will appreciate this.) Yuck!  One guy came over to set up his horn-dog of a buddy with Lori.  After a couple of minutes, and sniffs, she left me alone at the table with the two of them!  Some friend.  I couldn't help but pray "Please, God. Please have someone save me."

No one came.  And they didn't get the hint by the silent treatment.  We had to wait them out for their smoke-break.  It was time to discuss our contingency plan.  When one of us saw them, we would bolt to the dance floor and get lost in the sea of people.  And we'd stay on the other side of the bar....avoiding them.  When that didn't work, we'd talk to the 2 couples at the table next to us and act like we were playing pool with them.

As we were doing all of this, we had to watch for other people's pool sticks.  The high tops were just close enough that if you got up too quickly, you'd get poked with a pool stick, ruining someone's shot.  It was one big disaster.  I should have just stayed home and watched the annoying Ryan Seacreast do the countdown in NYC.

Happy New Year's everyone.  It can only go up from here.

Christmas Ideas

I don't know about you, but I have the worst time Christmas shopping for my parents.  Make that shopping for presents in general.  I have trouble for birthdays and Mother's/Father's Day too.  I usually just resort to flowers and candy and then and I.O.U. for dinner somewhere where I pay.  I have yet to take my parents out for dinner.  They're not the "dining-out" kind of people.  At least not to the restaurants I patronize.

But I want to make this year different and I think I have a wonderful idea.  The probability of my parents reading this is pretty low, near impossible, so I'm going to share my idea.  My mom wouldn't even now where the on button is on the computer and if it's not a power-tool, my dad won't use it.
 
Mom and Dad usually head into the city (ie. St. Cloud) once or twice a month and when they go, sometimes they hit the movie theater.  In the past, they have even done a double feature.  Not one right after the other, but maybe lunch or a little shopping at Menard between flicks.  Even though they don't eat out much (mom prefers home cooking), they do love Bonanza.  I can't believe those are still around.  I guess it's the "small town" version of Old Country Buffet. So here it is.... a date in a box.

The Waite Park theater is a Marcus Cinema Theater.  I'll stop in at Elk River this weekend and pick up a gift card.  I'll also buy some movie-themed snacks....buttered popcorn bags, Raisinettes, chocolate covered peanuts, little Diet Pepsi bottles, things like that.  I'm also going to get a Visa GiftCard from the bank and I'll print off a picture of a steak dinner and attach the gift card to the pic.  (It's a long trip to St. Cloud just to get a G.C. for Bonanza.)

Mom loves to bake, so I'm also going to put a couple bags of dates (ie. the fruit) in the box too.  A little play on words that good for digestion and regularity and maybe a little flatulence.  I'm not going to supply the candles though.  Dad has to do some work too, you know!

Any other ideas you might have, I'd love to hear them.

Tipsy Jules ......21+.

Wow.  Keeping a blog is much harder than it looks.  I guess I lack inspiration about things to talk about.  Todays topic is the weekend I just had.

Friday was our Holiday Party for my FT job.  (Side note: I also have a PT job....that Xmas party hasn't happened yet.  Stay Tuned. )  We had it at LaCasita, which is a yummy place that has a Happy Hour Salsa Bar and $1 off House Margaritas.  Get a bunch of dental people together and we turn into lushes.

The evening started out well.  The first Strawberry Margarita went down smooth and fast.  Hey, I was thirsty.  This is probably a good time to tell you a little about my drinking habits.  I have none.  I drink few and far between.  I don't need alcohol to have fun but if I do choose to drink, I prefer girlie ones to beer.  My poison of choice is Mailbu Diets, Colorado Bulldogs, or Amaretto Sours.  I try to be responsible; to not drink and drive.  I've never really had a headache, much less a hangover after a night of drinking.  The thought of hanging my head in the toilet and puking does not sound very fun.  So I consider Friday night to be a milestone.

I wasn't planning on having anymore except they made Dr. T's wrong.  She asked for a Melon Margarita on the rocks instead of blended.  And instead of having them toss it down the drain, I took it.  It all went down hill from there.

The Fiesta Party was wonderful.  Great fun, great gifts.  The company party ended and the after-party began.
It was too early to head out on the town, so a bunch of us girls headed to someone's house just to hang out.  What to do to pass the time you ask?  What else but do shots while playing "Scene It! The Disney Addition".  A little Strawberry Smirnoff, Grey Goose, and some kind of grape Vodka that tastes like expired Dimetapp.  Unfortunately, there is proof of our misdeeds.  There was a camera or two.

Ten O'clock came around and it was time to hit the city.  C.'s husband was nice enough to be our chauffeur.  He dropped us off at the Wild Onion and picked us up later.  A very good driver might I add.

Once we got there, all restraint went out the window. With a sober cab, I finally had a chance to let loose.   Let's see if I can count.  Between 4-7pm, two Margaritas.  Between 7-10pm, at least six-seven shots plus some mixed drinks.  Between 10-2pm, six more.

1.)      Cherry Bomb:   Tastes like a cherry tootsie pop.  Places high on the list of yumminess.
2.)      Apple Pie:  Not memorable.  I know it was green in a short glass.
3.)      Chocolate Cake:  I've had better.  This is a lick, shoot, suck.  The aftertaste is supposed to taste like    chocolate cake.  I could only taste sourness from the lemon.
4.)      Lemon Drop:  I'd pass next time.  Again, a lick, shoot, suck.  Too much sourness!
5.)      I believe there may have been another Apple Pie.  I can't be too sure.  I remember seeing green glasses again, but I don't know if I did it or not.
6.)      Starburst:  This one was another yummy one.  Should have had another.

During this whole time, there was great music playing.  Stuff that you could actually dance too.  And there were cute guys surrounding us on all sides.  I won't talk about that.  That's another entry entirely.  I  don't want to give all my secrets away.

Some of us slept over a C.'s place.  We were in now condition to drive ourselves home.  Saturday was an experience too.  I've never felt so exhausted.  I could almost compare it to having the flu.  I didn't get sick, but just wanted the sun to go away so I could sleep.

I know this isn't what I'm supposed to say....especially online where people might get the wrong impression.  It's taboo.  Someone talking about there drinking parties doesn't look good.   But I am very proud of myself.  I finally did something that was out of character.  I tried something and had new experiences.  I can now say that I had my first hangover and I'm not going to feel bad about it.