Yah, its been a while.
Things have happened and more are happening now.
Rox is married now. Dwayne is another year older. He went to visit the kids in October. Halloween has come and gone.
And November, too. Black Friday shopping with Jamie. So cold, made two new random friends from Kentucky.
Oh yeah, um.... it's December now.
I am sitting at my on-campus job (I got that,like, in October, did I tell you?) and am being totally lazy. The girls (freshman on the women's soccer team) are busy doing their own thing and I trust them to be doing what they should be. Most of them (5 of the 7) are like me and take school pretty seriously. The other 2 on the other hand..... well, lets just say that no matter what they do at this point (end of the semester) they are just SOL.
The semester is winding down and I am so freaking excited to have a break. I have been so exhausted lately and Dwayne says he thinks I am a zombie because I have been sleeping so much lately. He says he has never known anyone to enjoy sleep as much as me. I think he is just being dumb.
I have been looking for a part time/seasonal job to just bring in some extra cash but with no success. Truthfully, I haven't really looked that hard because with my classes and tutoring my schedule is kinda limited.
This semester all I have left is.......
Yoga pose Test 12/7
Math Final 12/10
Art Final 12/15
Psychology Final 12/15
The only one I am really stressing is the math final as it is 20% of the grade and is comprehensive. Ugh. I hate comprehensive exams. I am stressing it because it is math, 20%, and because I am so close to an "A" in that class. And since I had just very low goals for myself going in (gimme a "C" and I'll love it) and have exceeded my expectations- I would HATE to get thisclose to an "A" and then not get it. Believe me I would bitch about it for the rest of my life.
But all in all the semester is going well and I am on target to make Dean's List again this semester. My pal Jamie asked me how I do it and Dwayne just happened to be in earshot and said, "She is a machine. All she does is study and yell at me."
I am over 50% done with the Christmas shopping that I plan on doing. Yay! At least, over 50% of the Christmas money is gone. Ooops.
Oh yeah, I made Thanksgiving dinner at my mother's house. I made a turkey, oyster cornbread dressing, yams, and gravy. The gravy was just nasty. I'm going jar next year. And since I did all that cooking from scratch for Thanksgiving I am not cooking a damn thing for Christmas. We might just go to Cracker Barrel.
2010 isn't over yet and my new 2011 calendar is already filling up with things. I have a major problem, OCD almost, with planning. So, I filled in all the birthdays,anniversaries, important dates for MTSU, doctor's appointments, holidays, etc in on my calendar and it was like eating a big bowl of joy. I loved it. Something is seriously wrong with me.
Tyler is graduating in 2011. Crazy to even think of it. We got online access to his senior pictures a couple of days ago. He is just a gorgeous boy! When we get them I will have to share them and see what you guys think but I really think he could be a model. (Do I sound like that crazy mom whose kid is just beyond ugly but they insist they are beautiful?) So, we are planning a monster trip to TX to see him graduate at the end of May just as my spring semester is winding down. Should be interesting and I hope it is fun.
My spring schedule is going to be pretty packed so it might be a good thing I don't have even a part-time job. (Other than my campus job, I mean.) I was asked back as a tutor for the spring so that is cool. I have 17 hours scheduled and since I am getting closer to graduating the classes, I've heard, will be more intensive. Plus, I am starting my foreign language.......... wtf am I doing to myself?
Spring 2011
Research Methods
Data Analysis
Data Analysis Lab
Abnormal Child Psychology
Criminology
Elementary Spanish I
Self Defense
I am on track to graduate Spring 2012. That is with me taking 2 courses the summer of 11- which I will do in order to not get stuck with an entire semester for 2 classes and to make my goal of graduating when I am 30. (I'll be 30 years,7 months,24 days old- thank you very much!)
It is still snowing outside. This is rambling and I am sleepy. Only one girl left to watch........
P.S. I know my title has nothing to do with anything I typed here... it just happened to be the title of the song Pandora was playing when I signed in. Sue me.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Story #2: Oh, shit. Did I just do that? HELL YES I DID!
Ok, this story was sort of like an out of body experience for me.
I can write some bad ass, scathing emails and leave mean voice mails but I'm not a fighter. When I argue in person I kind of stall and think of something mean afterwards and I've only been in 1 physical altercation in my whole life....when I was like 10....with a cousin. (I won if that scares you, bitches.)
So anyway, as I get older I'm becoming more like Kathy Bates in Steel Magnolias and stuff pops out of my mouth and I do things before I can catch them. And I kinda like it.
My birthday was 9-11 and my love and I went to the Avenues to browse and take in the sun, cookies, and book smell of Barnes and Noble. (A quick digression if you will allow it: I spent my birthday mainly in two different parts of Murfreesboro. One part is clearly know for being more affluent than the other, The Avenues/Cason Lane/Blackman Farms area and the other not so much, Northfield Blvd/Mercury Blvdish. And I must say I had more fun in the "poor" area of town...the problems only arrived when I went to the more posh side of town.)
So, we are at The Avenue. Went to Best Buy, browsed, nothing great so we head towards Barnes and Noble. I notice an "American Cookie Company" next to the Smoky Mt. Fudge place and immediately want a clamwich. (Ok, 2 things here.... if you don't know what a clamwich is you are seriously missing out and #2 they have clamwiches at the American Cookie Company in the Stones River Mall...a.k.a. the poor Murfreesboro mall.) Cuz silly me, I thought that if it had the same name it would have my beloved clamwiches. So, I go in, no clamwiches, but I'm cool with that, sort of. I get two diet cokes and a regular sized cookie monster (basically a large clamwich but with no cute face on it) and leave the store.
I stop at the edge of the raised, paved, pedestrian walkway to let a car pass and begin walking. I see another car behind the one I let pass but figure they would know the etiquette, right? So, I'm walking, they keep coming, I keep walking, and those bitches keep coming. They finally stop when I am probably half a foot from their passenger side door. No clamwiches, and apparently these whores don't recognize the difference between the road and a RAISED, PAVED, PEDESTRIAN WALK.
I decide to help them by screaming "WALKWAY!!!!!! WALKWAY, HERE!!!! I'M A PEDESTRIAN ON A PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY- SEE THE CONNECTION????" While shouting I point to the walkway to help illustrate my point.
The driver threw her hand up and tried to communicate in some way. I am not sure what she was saying and that is probably a good thing. Then the two young ladies in the SUV decide to keep going. I think that is the point where I flew out of myself. I thought "If I had something to throw......" (I have often thought this at Wal-Mart, some mall parking lots, and frequently while driving.) And then something in me clicked. "I do have something to throw! OMG! THROW IT!" And it was like I was watching myself....my right arm went up and I threw the poor, overpriced diet coke I had in my hand and I watched it until it make a satisfying noise on the window of their passenger side window.
The car paused momentarily and the Bates part of me thought, "It will only be a misdemeanor. I hope they get out because I've got a clean record. Let's go you bitches!" But they went on and when I looked up I saw a horrified Dwayne standing by our car. His face was priceless.
I was so full of adrenaline I was almost shaking as I walked to the car. We ate our cookie and shared the surviving diet coke in silence. Until I said, "I can't believe I actually did that." We started laughing and high tailed it back to the poor part of town.
I can write some bad ass, scathing emails and leave mean voice mails but I'm not a fighter. When I argue in person I kind of stall and think of something mean afterwards and I've only been in 1 physical altercation in my whole life....when I was like 10....with a cousin. (I won if that scares you, bitches.)
So anyway, as I get older I'm becoming more like Kathy Bates in Steel Magnolias and stuff pops out of my mouth and I do things before I can catch them. And I kinda like it.
My birthday was 9-11 and my love and I went to the Avenues to browse and take in the sun, cookies, and book smell of Barnes and Noble. (A quick digression if you will allow it: I spent my birthday mainly in two different parts of Murfreesboro. One part is clearly know for being more affluent than the other, The Avenues/Cason Lane/Blackman Farms area and the other not so much, Northfield Blvd/Mercury Blvdish. And I must say I had more fun in the "poor" area of town...the problems only arrived when I went to the more posh side of town.)
So, we are at The Avenue. Went to Best Buy, browsed, nothing great so we head towards Barnes and Noble. I notice an "American Cookie Company" next to the Smoky Mt. Fudge place and immediately want a clamwich. (Ok, 2 things here.... if you don't know what a clamwich is you are seriously missing out and #2 they have clamwiches at the American Cookie Company in the Stones River Mall...a.k.a. the poor Murfreesboro mall.) Cuz silly me, I thought that if it had the same name it would have my beloved clamwiches. So, I go in, no clamwiches, but I'm cool with that, sort of. I get two diet cokes and a regular sized cookie monster (basically a large clamwich but with no cute face on it) and leave the store.
I stop at the edge of the raised, paved, pedestrian walkway to let a car pass and begin walking. I see another car behind the one I let pass but figure they would know the etiquette, right? So, I'm walking, they keep coming, I keep walking, and those bitches keep coming. They finally stop when I am probably half a foot from their passenger side door. No clamwiches, and apparently these whores don't recognize the difference between the road and a RAISED, PAVED, PEDESTRIAN WALK.
I decide to help them by screaming "WALKWAY!!!!!! WALKWAY, HERE!!!! I'M A PEDESTRIAN ON A PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY- SEE THE CONNECTION????" While shouting I point to the walkway to help illustrate my point.
The driver threw her hand up and tried to communicate in some way. I am not sure what she was saying and that is probably a good thing. Then the two young ladies in the SUV decide to keep going. I think that is the point where I flew out of myself. I thought "If I had something to throw......" (I have often thought this at Wal-Mart, some mall parking lots, and frequently while driving.) And then something in me clicked. "I do have something to throw! OMG! THROW IT!" And it was like I was watching myself....my right arm went up and I threw the poor, overpriced diet coke I had in my hand and I watched it until it make a satisfying noise on the window of their passenger side window.
The car paused momentarily and the Bates part of me thought, "It will only be a misdemeanor. I hope they get out because I've got a clean record. Let's go you bitches!" But they went on and when I looked up I saw a horrified Dwayne standing by our car. His face was priceless.
I was so full of adrenaline I was almost shaking as I walked to the car. We ate our cookie and shared the surviving diet coke in silence. Until I said, "I can't believe I actually did that." We started laughing and high tailed it back to the poor part of town.
Story #1: U-Haul makes me want to tell them to U-Stuff-it
This story went on for days then weeks and culminated in a mad internet search for corporate contact information. Since it took me almost 2 hours to write the e-mail to the CEO I am just going to post it here and add an update at the bottom. Enjoy.
Emailed 9/9/2010 at 6:54 p.m.
Dear Mr. Shoen,
My name is Amanda Mills and I have a major problem with my local U-Haul location and since I can't get them to help or even call me back I am throwing myself at your feet and begging for help.
I am a 29 year old college student who is pursuing a degree in Sociology and Psychology. I hope to be a guidance counselor once I complete my Master's level education. My husband works very hard in a local book warehouse and is the only income we have coming into the household. Back in May my husband had a very unexpected illness that left him out of work from 05/02/10 until just this past Tuesday. With the lack of income, medical bills, and waning hours at my part- time summer job my husband and I were forced to vacate our apartment and move in with family. This decision was not easy for us and was not one we took lightly. We decided to rent a U-Haul truck from our local dealer (#772067, 1420 NE Memorial Blvd., Murfreesboro, TN 37129) to help us with our move.
I had never rented any kind of truck from any company so I called and spoke with a woman named Stephanie, who I later found out was the manager. She answered all my questions and recommended truck sizes, etc. I made a reservation with her to pick up a 14 foot truck at 10:00 a.m. on 08/26/2010. Everything was wonderful on the phone and all my fears had been put to rest.
My husband and I arrived to pick up our rental at I was greeted by a sales associate by the name of Jacob Ramsey. Jacob seemed to have trouble locating my reservation (Contract # 85676408) and asked for all my information again. He then told me that if I were to secure the rental with a credit card there would be no charge up front and I would just pay the amount owed when we brought the truck back. He said they needed the information just in case I decided not to bring the truck back or there was damage. I swiped my card and Jacob asked me to follow the directions on the screen. One of the questions I was asked was "Is this the card you will be using for final payment?" Due to our financial difficulties I had family members helping me out and we were merging two households into one so this question was a problem. Essentially, our method of payment depended on the final bill. I explained this to Jacob who had me hit "No" and assured me that there would be no issue. We get to the end of the transaction and Jacob asked me for $100.00. I asked him why it required a $100.00 deposit if I was just told there would be no upfront costs and his response was, "I'm not sure." We tried the transaction again and the same thing happened. I was extremely frustrated by this point and told Jacob to cancel the reservation and left the store trying to figure out what I was going to do.
My husband offered to go in and speak with someone about this,since I was now crying in the parking lot, and see what we could do. My husband spoke with Jacob and was told the same thing about there being no up front fees as long as a credit card secured the rental. With the help of another employee we finally, miraculously, were able to leave with a truck around 10:41 a.m. We verified with Jacob that as long as we returned the truck before the original reservation time of 10:00 a.m. the next day we would only be charged for one day's usage and we could pay the amount owed in cash.
We returned on 08/27/2010 at 9:00 a.m. We spoke with an employee named Tasha Miller. She pulled up our reservation and checked us in. She then asked for $95.04. I asked her why it was so high and she advised us that we were in the system to return the truck by 7 p.m. on 08/26/2010 so therefore we were being charged for 2 days of rental plus equipment fees. We told her of our conversation with Jacob in the parking lot and she promptly corrected the system. She asked for $59.02. This amount seemed in line with our estimates and I paid her $50.00 cash and had her leave the remaining $9.02 on the card my husband had given. We got a receipt and as we headed for the door I noticed a problem. We had been charged for the use of 2 dollies instead of 1. Tasha verified with the employee who had checked in the truck and confirmed that we indeed only used one dolly. Luckily, Stephanie was standing by and heard the confusion. She had Tasha pull the $50.00 from the drawer and then refunded the $9.02 electronically to my husband's card. The new, correct, amount was $51.12. I managed to find $1.12 in change in my purse, paid the new amount all in cash, got a new receipt and we left.
We left the U-Haul to go to the laundry mat to tidy up items that were being moved to storage and needed cash. We headed to our bank and were told that we were $45.40 overdrawn. We had our bank pull up the transaction history and there was a charge of $82.89 pending for U-Haul. I looked at our original receipt from when we picked up the truck and sure enough, there in smaller print was a notice that $82.89 had been held on our account the morning we got the truck. I took this print out immediately to Stephanie and she assured me that this was just an authorization and not a charge. The charge would fall off that Monday, 08/30/2010. This was rather inconvenient to us since it blocked our access to the last $30.00 we had available but we said it was fine and left.
On 08/29/2010 the $9.02 charge and credit appeared on our account, as did the $82.89 pending transaction fall off, but something else also showed up. My husband's card had been charged the full amount of the final cost- $51.12. So, not only did the U-Haul location get paid in cash they also got paid via his card! I immediately called the location and asked for Stephanie. I was told that Sunday was her day off and when I asked to leave a message for her or get one forwarded to her I was told that, "Well, usually when we call her she never calls us back. You will just have to check in with her on Monday." Not being pleased with this answer I located a corporate customer service number and filed a complaint and was given reference #56540 and then given the number for the Regional Traffic Office, 615-860-2999. I was told my complaint and situation would be forwarded to the location and regional hub and given priority but that I needed to understand that, "this is a busy weekend for U-Haul."
I called the regional traffic office at least 5 times and never once did I get an answer and I never got a call back from Stephanie.
I waited until 08/31/2010 to try again. I called in-between classes, asked for Stephanie and was put on hold. I waited for a couple of minutes and hung up. I called the regional traffic office again and actually got an answer. I spoke with a woman who said she was Stephanie's supervisor, explained the situation, and she said she would have Stephanie call me ASAP. I got a call from Stephanie when I was in class and she left a message assuring me that she would get this corrected and that she was sorry that "we kept missing one another". I found that last part funny since she hadn't once called me or returned messages. I called her back immediately and she told me that she discovered the error but had to wait for the month end postings to correct it but that I should have it back around 09/03/2010.
09/03/2010 came and went and there was no credit. I waited until 09/07/2010 to call Stephanie back about this issue hoping that perhaps it was just delayed due to the Labor Day holiday. I spoke with her and she advised me she was not in the office but would check on this first thing 09/08/2010 and call me with a status update. 09/08/2010 came and went and no credit and no phone call. Today, I called and left her YET ANOTHER message telling her that I didn't appreciate the way this was being handled and that although I am sure there are other customers she has to deal with I feel this should be given priority.
Tomorrow it will be 2 weeks since I rented my first U-Haul and I am still dealing with this. This is not acceptable to me. My family and I do not have the time to deal with this, nor should we have to make call after call after call to get this fixed, and we most definitely do not have an extra $51.12 for U-Haul to keep for 2 weeks. I have found the customer service at the local, regional, and even corporate levels extremely lacking and at this time am requesting a FULL refund. I want my double- charged $51.12 back and in addition I'd like the cost of the rental, another $51.12 back, to compensate me for my time and effort. I had never rented a truck from U-Haul before and I certainly will not ever again. I have also let every one of my family and friends know about this and have found out, now, not so surprisingly, that others have had the same experience with this same location.
I have receipts, bank records, phone records, etc that I would be more than happy to forward if necessary.
I apologize for the length of this email but am hoping that someone at U-Haul will take pity on me and be a bit more responsive and fix an error that was never mine to begin with.
Tired, frustrated, and a lost customer,
Amanda Mills
****Update: I heard back from Mr. Shoen on 9/10/10 around 1:30 p.m. He forwarded my email to one of his fix-it people, Mr. Foster, and told them that my money should be returned THAT DAY. His text is below:
Joe Shoen writes:
Please get this customer her money back today. Why did this happen? How can we not do this in the future? Joe
Mr. Foster investigated and found out that the location didn't process the refund until, get this people, 9/8/10. 9 motherfuckin 8 !!!!!!! But assured me the matter was corrected. And it was. The same day I got a response from the CEO was the day the $51.12 refund hit our account. They didn't refund the actual cost of the rental as I requested and I'm not going to argue with that-due to me being over it and especially due to the timeliness of Mr. Shoen and Mr. Foster's replies and effort.
P.S. I still haven't gotten a call back from the manager, Stephanie Clark.
Emailed 9/9/2010 at 6:54 p.m.
Dear Mr. Shoen,
My name is Amanda Mills and I have a major problem with my local U-Haul location and since I can't get them to help or even call me back I am throwing myself at your feet and begging for help.
I am a 29 year old college student who is pursuing a degree in Sociology and Psychology. I hope to be a guidance counselor once I complete my Master's level education. My husband works very hard in a local book warehouse and is the only income we have coming into the household. Back in May my husband had a very unexpected illness that left him out of work from 05/02/10 until just this past Tuesday. With the lack of income, medical bills, and waning hours at my part- time summer job my husband and I were forced to vacate our apartment and move in with family. This decision was not easy for us and was not one we took lightly. We decided to rent a U-Haul truck from our local dealer (#772067, 1420 NE Memorial Blvd., Murfreesboro, TN 37129) to help us with our move.
I had never rented any kind of truck from any company so I called and spoke with a woman named Stephanie, who I later found out was the manager. She answered all my questions and recommended truck sizes, etc. I made a reservation with her to pick up a 14 foot truck at 10:00 a.m. on 08/26/2010. Everything was wonderful on the phone and all my fears had been put to rest.
My husband and I arrived to pick up our rental at I was greeted by a sales associate by the name of Jacob Ramsey. Jacob seemed to have trouble locating my reservation (Contract # 85676408) and asked for all my information again. He then told me that if I were to secure the rental with a credit card there would be no charge up front and I would just pay the amount owed when we brought the truck back. He said they needed the information just in case I decided not to bring the truck back or there was damage. I swiped my card and Jacob asked me to follow the directions on the screen. One of the questions I was asked was "Is this the card you will be using for final payment?" Due to our financial difficulties I had family members helping me out and we were merging two households into one so this question was a problem. Essentially, our method of payment depended on the final bill. I explained this to Jacob who had me hit "No" and assured me that there would be no issue. We get to the end of the transaction and Jacob asked me for $100.00. I asked him why it required a $100.00 deposit if I was just told there would be no upfront costs and his response was, "I'm not sure." We tried the transaction again and the same thing happened. I was extremely frustrated by this point and told Jacob to cancel the reservation and left the store trying to figure out what I was going to do.
My husband offered to go in and speak with someone about this,since I was now crying in the parking lot, and see what we could do. My husband spoke with Jacob and was told the same thing about there being no up front fees as long as a credit card secured the rental. With the help of another employee we finally, miraculously, were able to leave with a truck around 10:41 a.m. We verified with Jacob that as long as we returned the truck before the original reservation time of 10:00 a.m. the next day we would only be charged for one day's usage and we could pay the amount owed in cash.
We returned on 08/27/2010 at 9:00 a.m. We spoke with an employee named Tasha Miller. She pulled up our reservation and checked us in. She then asked for $95.04. I asked her why it was so high and she advised us that we were in the system to return the truck by 7 p.m. on 08/26/2010 so therefore we were being charged for 2 days of rental plus equipment fees. We told her of our conversation with Jacob in the parking lot and she promptly corrected the system. She asked for $59.02. This amount seemed in line with our estimates and I paid her $50.00 cash and had her leave the remaining $9.02 on the card my husband had given. We got a receipt and as we headed for the door I noticed a problem. We had been charged for the use of 2 dollies instead of 1. Tasha verified with the employee who had checked in the truck and confirmed that we indeed only used one dolly. Luckily, Stephanie was standing by and heard the confusion. She had Tasha pull the $50.00 from the drawer and then refunded the $9.02 electronically to my husband's card. The new, correct, amount was $51.12. I managed to find $1.12 in change in my purse, paid the new amount all in cash, got a new receipt and we left.
We left the U-Haul to go to the laundry mat to tidy up items that were being moved to storage and needed cash. We headed to our bank and were told that we were $45.40 overdrawn. We had our bank pull up the transaction history and there was a charge of $82.89 pending for U-Haul. I looked at our original receipt from when we picked up the truck and sure enough, there in smaller print was a notice that $82.89 had been held on our account the morning we got the truck. I took this print out immediately to Stephanie and she assured me that this was just an authorization and not a charge. The charge would fall off that Monday, 08/30/2010. This was rather inconvenient to us since it blocked our access to the last $30.00 we had available but we said it was fine and left.
On 08/29/2010 the $9.02 charge and credit appeared on our account, as did the $82.89 pending transaction fall off, but something else also showed up. My husband's card had been charged the full amount of the final cost- $51.12. So, not only did the U-Haul location get paid in cash they also got paid via his card! I immediately called the location and asked for Stephanie. I was told that Sunday was her day off and when I asked to leave a message for her or get one forwarded to her I was told that, "Well, usually when we call her she never calls us back. You will just have to check in with her on Monday." Not being pleased with this answer I located a corporate customer service number and filed a complaint and was given reference #56540 and then given the number for the Regional Traffic Office, 615-860-2999. I was told my complaint and situation would be forwarded to the location and regional hub and given priority but that I needed to understand that, "this is a busy weekend for U-Haul."
I called the regional traffic office at least 5 times and never once did I get an answer and I never got a call back from Stephanie.
I waited until 08/31/2010 to try again. I called in-between classes, asked for Stephanie and was put on hold. I waited for a couple of minutes and hung up. I called the regional traffic office again and actually got an answer. I spoke with a woman who said she was Stephanie's supervisor, explained the situation, and she said she would have Stephanie call me ASAP. I got a call from Stephanie when I was in class and she left a message assuring me that she would get this corrected and that she was sorry that "we kept missing one another". I found that last part funny since she hadn't once called me or returned messages. I called her back immediately and she told me that she discovered the error but had to wait for the month end postings to correct it but that I should have it back around 09/03/2010.
09/03/2010 came and went and there was no credit. I waited until 09/07/2010 to call Stephanie back about this issue hoping that perhaps it was just delayed due to the Labor Day holiday. I spoke with her and she advised me she was not in the office but would check on this first thing 09/08/2010 and call me with a status update. 09/08/2010 came and went and no credit and no phone call. Today, I called and left her YET ANOTHER message telling her that I didn't appreciate the way this was being handled and that although I am sure there are other customers she has to deal with I feel this should be given priority.
Tomorrow it will be 2 weeks since I rented my first U-Haul and I am still dealing with this. This is not acceptable to me. My family and I do not have the time to deal with this, nor should we have to make call after call after call to get this fixed, and we most definitely do not have an extra $51.12 for U-Haul to keep for 2 weeks. I have found the customer service at the local, regional, and even corporate levels extremely lacking and at this time am requesting a FULL refund. I want my double- charged $51.12 back and in addition I'd like the cost of the rental, another $51.12 back, to compensate me for my time and effort. I had never rented a truck from U-Haul before and I certainly will not ever again. I have also let every one of my family and friends know about this and have found out, now, not so surprisingly, that others have had the same experience with this same location.
I have receipts, bank records, phone records, etc that I would be more than happy to forward if necessary.
I apologize for the length of this email but am hoping that someone at U-Haul will take pity on me and be a bit more responsive and fix an error that was never mine to begin with.
Tired, frustrated, and a lost customer,
Amanda Mills
****Update: I heard back from Mr. Shoen on 9/10/10 around 1:30 p.m. He forwarded my email to one of his fix-it people, Mr. Foster, and told them that my money should be returned THAT DAY. His text is below:
Joe Shoen writes:
Please get this customer her money back today. Why did this happen? How can we not do this in the future? Joe
Mr. Foster investigated and found out that the location didn't process the refund until, get this people, 9/8/10. 9 motherfuckin 8 !!!!!!! But assured me the matter was corrected. And it was. The same day I got a response from the CEO was the day the $51.12 refund hit our account. They didn't refund the actual cost of the rental as I requested and I'm not going to argue with that-due to me being over it and especially due to the timeliness of Mr. Shoen and Mr. Foster's replies and effort.
P.S. I still haven't gotten a call back from the manager, Stephanie Clark.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Ahhhhhhhhh! (In the good way......)
So, today I put on my 29-yr old panties.
Doesn't feel so different from the 28-yr old ones. (Perhaps just a bit more lace.)
It has been a long time since I have updated everyone in the blogosphere so bear with me.....
Dwayne got sick in May and I was working part-time for the census.
Kids were here and the census was in a quiet period.
Kids went home and the census biz picked back up for a bit.
We realized that with Dwayne's STD money, my waning part-time hours at the census, and school coming up that we would drown financially if things remained the same.
So, we made the very painful decision to move back in with family.
Between August 28- September 7 Dwayne and I moved in with my mother, I started school, AND Dwayne began work part-time.
Crazy doesn't even begin to explain my world lately. (I'm sure everyone can relate.)
The good news is that Dwayne is back to work. He is easing back in working 20, 20, 30, and then 40 hours the last week of September.
I have 7 classes and they are all going well. I am worried about a couple just simply because they are going to require me thinking and remembering things at a time when I am quite frankly exhausted.
Abnormal Psychology, Orientation to Art, Orientation to Computer Science, Math for General Studies, Yoga, Water Aerobics, and Sociological Theory.
I would avoid my math requirement until the last possible second but can't go further in my major until I have a math credit- (FUCK!)- so this is the semester. I just want a "C" and to get on with my life. Can I pay someone for it? Like the "Buy it Now" feature on ebay?
So, we moved in with my mother. A smoker, and I have smoker friends and love them, BUT my mother smokes like a chimney. We had to wash the walls with soft scrub with bleach, clean the carpet, get an air purifier, and there is still a lingering smoke smell. Oh well, FML!
Today is my birthday. I finally did something I have always wanted to do.
I threw a drink at a car. It was awesome. Epic, even and I am so proud of myself.
There are many more things that are just super long stories. (you know me, I love to give every tiny detail.)
Some of them are......
The death of a loyal cell phone at the most inopportune time.
The attack of the greedy U-Haul location. (SFAM, this one has one of my famous self righteous emails at the end of it- you would love it.)
The discovery of the pot smoking momma.
The go-kart disguised as a car.
The G-mail hack!
If you would like more information..... text me, call me, email me. Too lazy to type it all here.
I am excited about Rox's wedding and things finally returning to a sort of (new kind of) normal in my life.
I am also excited about Taylor Swift's new CD coming out....can't wait. And am thinking of buying nose bleed seat to see Les Miz at TPAC- my god I just want to be in the building- far back enough that I can belt out the songs and sob like a freak.
I am also thinking of getting my 4th tattoo. A bluebird in honor of my Aunt/Grandma (it is complicated, people) Connie who died of cancer last year. I got a bluebird pin of hers after the funeral and that was the first thing I thought of today when I woke up. Bluebirds symbolize happiness, prosperity, good health, and the arrival of spring..so maybe today on my bday I was being sent a message. Gotta wait till the end of the semester after my water aerobics is over but I am pretty keen on the idea.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes today. I am now off to drink a bottle of my most favorite wine and do things only seen on the internet to my sweetest love. I love him.
xoxoxo
Doesn't feel so different from the 28-yr old ones. (Perhaps just a bit more lace.)
It has been a long time since I have updated everyone in the blogosphere so bear with me.....
Dwayne got sick in May and I was working part-time for the census.
Kids were here and the census was in a quiet period.
Kids went home and the census biz picked back up for a bit.
We realized that with Dwayne's STD money, my waning part-time hours at the census, and school coming up that we would drown financially if things remained the same.
So, we made the very painful decision to move back in with family.
Between August 28- September 7 Dwayne and I moved in with my mother, I started school, AND Dwayne began work part-time.
Crazy doesn't even begin to explain my world lately. (I'm sure everyone can relate.)
The good news is that Dwayne is back to work. He is easing back in working 20, 20, 30, and then 40 hours the last week of September.
I have 7 classes and they are all going well. I am worried about a couple just simply because they are going to require me thinking and remembering things at a time when I am quite frankly exhausted.
Abnormal Psychology, Orientation to Art, Orientation to Computer Science, Math for General Studies, Yoga, Water Aerobics, and Sociological Theory.
I would avoid my math requirement until the last possible second but can't go further in my major until I have a math credit- (FUCK!)- so this is the semester. I just want a "C" and to get on with my life. Can I pay someone for it? Like the "Buy it Now" feature on ebay?
So, we moved in with my mother. A smoker, and I have smoker friends and love them, BUT my mother smokes like a chimney. We had to wash the walls with soft scrub with bleach, clean the carpet, get an air purifier, and there is still a lingering smoke smell. Oh well, FML!
Today is my birthday. I finally did something I have always wanted to do.
I threw a drink at a car. It was awesome. Epic, even and I am so proud of myself.
There are many more things that are just super long stories. (you know me, I love to give every tiny detail.)
Some of them are......
The death of a loyal cell phone at the most inopportune time.
The attack of the greedy U-Haul location. (SFAM, this one has one of my famous self righteous emails at the end of it- you would love it.)
The discovery of the pot smoking momma.
The go-kart disguised as a car.
The G-mail hack!
If you would like more information..... text me, call me, email me. Too lazy to type it all here.
I am excited about Rox's wedding and things finally returning to a sort of (new kind of) normal in my life.
I am also excited about Taylor Swift's new CD coming out....can't wait. And am thinking of buying nose bleed seat to see Les Miz at TPAC- my god I just want to be in the building- far back enough that I can belt out the songs and sob like a freak.
I am also thinking of getting my 4th tattoo. A bluebird in honor of my Aunt/Grandma (it is complicated, people) Connie who died of cancer last year. I got a bluebird pin of hers after the funeral and that was the first thing I thought of today when I woke up. Bluebirds symbolize happiness, prosperity, good health, and the arrival of spring..so maybe today on my bday I was being sent a message. Gotta wait till the end of the semester after my water aerobics is over but I am pretty keen on the idea.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes today. I am now off to drink a bottle of my most favorite wine and do things only seen on the internet to my sweetest love. I love him.
xoxoxo
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Fireworks
Sometimes, I feel like cheap Chinese fireworks.
The dead promise packed in an easily lost wrapper.
Designed to take a small flame and explode as hope against a dimming timeline of family.
Twine not quite wound tightly, the payload just slightly left of center and the circuit isn't complete.
I look around for an explanation and find the fingers pointing to me.
Someone should have said something.
Someone, right?
Someone should have warned me.
But cheap Chinese fireworks don't hold the attention span for long.
The next pack is opened, lit, and becomes imprinted on the sky until the sun arrives.
And I'm left picking up bits and pieces from the grass, alone.
The dead promise packed in an easily lost wrapper.
Designed to take a small flame and explode as hope against a dimming timeline of family.
Twine not quite wound tightly, the payload just slightly left of center and the circuit isn't complete.
I look around for an explanation and find the fingers pointing to me.
Someone should have said something.
Someone, right?
Someone should have warned me.
But cheap Chinese fireworks don't hold the attention span for long.
The next pack is opened, lit, and becomes imprinted on the sky until the sun arrives.
And I'm left picking up bits and pieces from the grass, alone.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
So much to say....
Dwayne has a compression fracture in his back. Essentially, his L5 vertebrae "buckled" under the pressure of his seizure. Yay. Still not sure when he will return to work but we are continuing physical therapy and maintaining a positive attitude! This was taken the Sunday morning after the kids left. My camera date is all screwy so just go with me here.
Tyler, Noah, and Eddie getting in touch with their guido side on 07/08/10 (Kalli's actual birthday.).
Brooke, Eddie, Kalli, Noah, and Tyler striking a pose on Kalli's birthday. I think this was the 4th cake we'd had at this point.
Dwayne took this lovely picture of us on the 4th of July. We decided to park next to the Jack in the Box in Murfreesboro and enjoy a "free" activity. Which truly ended up costing me around $15.00 in milkshakes and more than a little drama with Kalli as she wailed that we were, (insert whiny, dramatic, 13 yr old voice here) "Wasting the 4th of July!"
Athena, bitches. We had a great visit to the Parthenon until Kalli decided she was bored and her brothers were "gay" for enjoying the visit. Smile everyone!
The Parthenon.
Is it wrong that the idea for this pic was mine? Or more wrong that they were totally up for it?
The Mills clan picnic as snapped by the lifeguard on duty. No one died during the taking of this picture, FYI.
Heather, the most gorgeous niece in the whole world and her boyfriend and bass player of The Shockwaves, Nick!
The grandkids- I love this shot.
Chihuly and Couture at the Frist- Amazing.
The group at Chuck E. Cheese. Eddie's birthday and cake #1.
Chuckles from Toy Story 3. Loved it and am very disappointed there are no chuckles items for purchase.
Tyler, the buff dude who is upper left. Three days of football camp. Crispy doesn't even begin to describe how much I burned. But Tyler got an invite to another camp called Top Gun as one of the top 1200 high school players in the country- yay!We did pottery, saw a couple of movies, ran here and there, and everywhere.
My hair is very dry and I am peeling from the football camp still. (Amanda jerky, anyone?)
Now things are settling back to normal....normal being physical therapy, doctor's visits, and work.
Perhaps now, I can post more often? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Quick thought....
Ever notice how much you can get done when everyone else is asleep?
Handmade chicken tenders- breaded and baked.
Home made honey mustard- ingredients mixed and now being chilled.
Handmade potato wedges- cut, seasoned, and baked.
New bathroom shelving thingy- put together and items switched over.
Burning myself- checking on those damn potato wedges.
Now it is time to wake the beasts and see all my work go bye-bye!
Handmade chicken tenders- breaded and baked.
Home made honey mustard- ingredients mixed and now being chilled.
Handmade potato wedges- cut, seasoned, and baked.
New bathroom shelving thingy- put together and items switched over.
Burning myself- checking on those damn potato wedges.
Now it is time to wake the beasts and see all my work go bye-bye!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
