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March 30, 2006
NorthWORST Airlines
Oh, I SWEAR Northwest Airlines SUUUUUUUUCKS!!! They are the worst airline I have EVER dealt with! Their customer service is terrible, their web site doesn't work, and their phone system is atrocious!
I called up the reservations hotline: 1-800-225-2525. I hear an operator start speaking to me and before I even take a breath to say hello, I get switched to a recorded survey they want me to take--which they said I would take AFTER I talked to an operator. HEL-LOOO! I didn't get to talk to her! So I redial and get an operator. I say I want to make a reservation using my World Perks miles. She says I have to call a different number. I said, "Wait, I called this number, went through the menu that told me I could get to a World Perks operator and it even asked me to enter my World Perks number!" WTF???
*sigh* Ok, so I call the stupid number she gives me. I get an operator, tell her I want to reserve a flight from Detroit to Ft. Myers, Florida. I go through the whole call, confirm all the flight information, but notice that the flight coming back seems way too short. We leave Detroit at noon and arrive in Florida at 12:53??? "How can that be?" I asked her. "Time difference," she replies. DUMBASS, there's no time difference from Michigan to Florida! But I just shake my head and think: ok, this person is a moron!
Then I get the confirmation email with the itinerary this morning. I look and again notice that the flight seems way too short. 53-59 minutes each way. It's supposed to be about 3 hours! OH! It's because it's a jet--faster than a regular airplane, I thought...Nooooo, she booked us on the wrong flight to Ft. Wayne INDIANA, not Ft. Myers, Florida!!! That stupid stupid BITCH!!!
So I call them again. I'm not sure if I got the same operator or not cause I can't remember what her voice sounded like last night. Either way, she tells me that she can get a flight to Florida, but is having trouble finding a flight back because of availability. Spring break she tells me, and I say, no, spring break is over by that time! Whatever. You know what? Just let me speak to a supervisor. This is getting ridiculous!
So a supervisor gets on the phone with me. She seemed pretty nice (I think she had a Japanese accent). She pretty much told me the same thing the other lady told me, but added that to get the flight I want coming back would take more than the standard 25,000 miles. And something seemed fishy because it seemed like the supervisor found more flights than the other operator--I don't think the operator knew what she was doing. So I ask the supervisor if we could use Don's miles as well and after she took a while to find flights, she was able to do it. And actually, she said it cost us each 37,000 miles for the roundtrip non-stop flight. Don only had a little over 31,100, but she gave him the rest of the miles because of the inconvenience. I think we should have gotten bumped to first class, but I wasn't going to push it. They'd taken enough of my time out of my workday trying to straighten this stupid mess out in the first place. And I was just happy to get a flight at a decent time (the only other alternative to the flight we got was a 6:30am flight--NO WAY!).
I just have to say that I've NEVER in my life had SO much trouble as I've had with Northwest Airlines. They charge way too much, their arrival times are always padded because they're always late, and they always screw up! Now, granted, they aren't that bad at fixing problems to make you at least somewhat happy, but what gets me is how often it happens--it's ALL THE TIME! If they would just do business the right way in the first place, they wouldn't have so many screw ups and angry customers like me! This is the last time I ever take this airline. From now on, I'm boycotting.
Posted by Amy at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)
March 28, 2006
Honorable Men & Women
Here's the story from the Free Press about those protesters at Army Cpl. Nyle Yates' funeral in Grand Rapids. The people of the Patriot Guard are honoring their fallen serviceman in one of the best ways they can--by shielding Cpl. Yates' family from those idiot protesters and paying their respects en masse. I am honestly moved to tears when I read about what they're doing for our soldiers. But you know the stupidest thing? Those protesters are protesting homosexuality and men who fight for a country that supports it. Well, if you don't like it, GET THE F*** OUTTA HERE!! We don't want you in this country anyway!
Mare's comment from yesterday's post:
I agree with you on your last blog! I really could not understand how could stupid people protest at a soldier's funeral! Thank goodness for Patriot Guard Riders. I've thought about signing up and joining local areas to build the walls against the protesters. You do not need to have a motorcycle. Just support the Armed Forces and be a patriot is all matters to me. Bob appreciates your blog as he was a Veitnam Veteran. He did not have these kind of support when he came home, wounded from the war.
Posted by Amy at 12:33 PM | Comments (1)
March 27, 2006
Go Home, JERKS!
Ok, this is really starting to piss me off. I am SOOOO infuriated about these stupid protesters from Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas who go to soldiers funerals and protest. Could there BE any more inappropriate place to protest the war? They come to the funerals with signs that say they're glad these soldiers are dead and that it's God's wrath they're dead, and stupid shit like that! Can you BELIEVE that??? They EVEN say it's a SIN to mourn for these brave heros who sacrificed their lives so that we AND these dumb jerks would have our freedom! How utterly outrageous! I mean, these people ought to be shot...and it should be the families of the soldiers who gave their lives who should be allowed to do it.
But thanks to a motorcycle group called the Patriot Guard Riders, the families of the deceased are being protected and shielded from these freaking asses. The riders show up en mass with American flags waving proudly and form a wall between the grieving family and the protesters. I think it's a damned great thing those riders are doing, but they shouldn't have to do it at all! They numbered 300+ at a Michigan soldier's funeral today in Grand Rapids when the protesters were merely a handful. And the leader of the Riders, Dave Niethamer, said it best: "I'm a veteran and I think that's the wrong place to protest...Go to Washington. Don't come to somebody's funeral."
For any of you out there who are currrently in the American armed forces or are veterans, THANK YOU FOR MY FREEDOM!!!!
Posted by Amy at 04:58 PM | Comments (0)
March 24, 2006
Burned Out
UGH! I'm feeling very burned out right now. I wish I could go on vacation right this minute! I've been going non-stop with SEVERAL projects simulaneously at work and EVERY one wants them NOW NOW NOW!!! Don't get me wrong--I'm not complaining that I'm busy, cause it's great to be needed. It means my job is secure (at least for the moment...I'm such a pessimist!). But I have SO many things going on that I'm just now understanding, I mean TRULY understanding what it means to "multi-task".
Don's been emailing Charly, down in Florida to see when we can go visit him. I'm DYING to get down there and spend a week in the sun and fun. I hope it's SOOOOOOON!
Since it's a Friday and I'm feeling so burned out, I just want to either play really hard or sleep really hard. I'm not sure which. For the moment, a lot of my stuff is in a holding pattern because I'm waiting on other people to get my projects moving forward. So there's not a whole lot I can do right now, but it'll take off again on Monday.
Can I just go home? Please??
Posted by Amy at 03:11 PM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2006
Shock and Awe
WOW!!! So there's this person that Don and I know (I won't mention any names--and Mr. Tact, you better keep your mouth shut about this blog entry) that USED to be a man and is now a woman. As a man, he was an acquaintance of ours and we were introduced to him as a man. Then he started getting plastic surgery to look more like a woman. He had bone shaved from his face, his adam's apple shaved down, fat moved around his body so that he has more womanly curves, etc.
One day in August, my aunt and my cousins had come to our new house to visit. They had just pulled in and I was ushering them into the house when someone walking their dog said hello to me. I turned around and was a little surprised to see that it was this person. He looked mostly the same at that point, but I did notice some differences due to the surgeries he'd had. And he was dressed as a man. We said our hellos and that was about it.
Now, I'd heard that before he could get the REAL surgeries to become a woman (cutting off the egg roll and getting the breast implants), he would have to dress and live as a woman 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I hadn't seen him/her since that day in August, so I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I did. But I'd heard that he looked good as a woman from someone who saw pictures.
Anyway, tonight I decided to go to Meijer's to do some grocery shopping. I was looking at some placemats on this shelf and didn't realize my cart was mostly blocking the aisle. Then this woman came around the corner with her cart and tried to pass through. I said, "Oh, I'm sorry! Let me move my cart." She said thank you and politely passed through.
I saw her again in the checkout lane and said hello to her just as a pleasantry and because I'd seen her elsewhere in the store. But then she said quietly yet jokingly, "I'm following you, Amy." And I turned back around to look at her, wondering "how does this woman know me?" I must have recognized something in her face, probably the smile because it just hit me. I was so surprised at realizing who she was, I nearly jumped back a foot. I said, "OHMYGOD! I didn't even RECOGNIZE you!!"
She was wearing a nice silk blouse with a black blazer, a somewhat expensive looking woman's jacket and black slacks with black pumps. She also had a wig on that if I hadn't known who it was, I wouldn't have known it was a wig! It just looked like someone with natural dark brown hair who'd added auburn red highlights. In fact, had she not said my name at all, I would have just passed her off as some other woman in the store! She looked VERY classy and did NOT look like a transsexual, though her voice did have a sort of masculine deepness to it, though it was higher-pitched than when she was a man. (She's taking hormones to counteract the natural testosterone.)
Turns out, she had purposely followed me to that checkout lane and told me that she saw me, knew who I was and felt rude if she didn't say hello. I told her that if she hadn't said hello, I wouldn't have realized who she was. That's the truth! The doctors did such a good job of changing her that I didn't recognize her at all until she said my name!
Anyway, we chatted a bit and said our goodbyes, after I told her how great she looked. I was so shocked that I didn't even think to ask about her former wife. That's a whole other soap opera story--basically, after this whole thing, the wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, they're getting divorced and moving out of their house. So apparently, she hasn't had the REAL surgeries yet and is still living 24/7 as a woman. But I have to say she really looks good! She does NOT look like a transsexual at all. She just looks like a normal woman--tall, classy and sophisticated.
Posted by Amy at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)
March 17, 2006
The New Doctor
I just watched the premier episode of the new Doctor Who. I'm not really sure what to make of it yet. I was disappointed by a few things...First, they only used about half the theme song. I used to love singing along to it back in the 80's, so I felt a little cheated when the theme song ended prematurely. Second, they had this bass-beating music that tended to drown out the dialogue. Plus it started out very fast-paced that I couldn't quite catch all the dialogue. The plot was a little weird and goofy, but then again, it IS science fiction.
Things I did like were that the Doctor is just as cheeky as he's ever been, if a tad bit darker. Christopher Eccleston does a fine job capturing the essence of the Doctor. And the companion, Rose, is not as ditzy as some of the female companions the Doctor's had. And there's just something about the tone of the screenplay that is reminiscent of the old episodes, like with the seventh Doctor. Best I can describe it is that the flavor remained the same. Other things I liked: the TARDIS still looks like a blue police box and the Doctor still has his sonic screwdriver.
But I still have about half of the second hour of the premier to watch, so we'll see how it goes...
Damn! They just revealed (by implication) that the Doctor's home planet Gallifrey is destroyed and that the Doctor is the last of the Time Lords. Plus, I was just on the Doctor Who site and found out that the Dalek planet was destroyed. That means no more Master, and no more Daleks. After finding that out, I wouldn't be surprised if there were no Cybermen either. How disappointing! Those were the best villains! But the episode is certainly keeping me on the edge of my seat.
Oh wait! They showed a fast-paced montage of things that are to come on the new Doctor Who series and I just saw a flash of a dalek! I'm not sure how they're going to write them back in, unless Davros somehow survived to rebuild the Dalek empire. I just found an entry on Daleks on Wikipedia and found out that the word "dalek" appears in the Oxford English Dictionary! Ha!! That rewlz!!
Posted by Amy at 11:00 PM | Comments (0)
March 13, 2006
Impeach Bush?
I'm going to exercise my First Amendment rights for a moment, so bear with me.
Yesterday, Don and I were taking a lovely Sunday drive, enjoying the beautiful warm Spring weather. We passed a home in Dexter that had a sign on the lawn. It said, "Impeach Bush!" Then there was a bumper sticker that said, "The Bush Legacy: Deficit, Deceit, Death."
As to the first sign, I'm not sure Bush can be impeached because he hasn't been proven to be doing anything illegal...yet. But I certainly agree with the bumper sticker. He's increased our national debt so much that whoever succeeds him is going to be so FRACKED that he'll never be able to solve Bush's problems. Bush has used deception in every move he's made as President just so he can fulfill his own personal agenda to piss off the rest of the world. And even though I thought there was a deadline ages ago for us to pull out of Iraq, we still haven't left. As a result, there have been too many deaths of soldiers that shouldn't have been. It shouldn't be our job to see to it that the rest of the world becomes a democracy. The people of Iraq DON'T WANT to be a democracy; they don't believe in it and they don't want to fight for it the way we Americans have...which MEANS that democracy WON'T WORK for them.
And don't even get me started on the death we saw during Hurricane Katrina...Bush is spending trillions and trillions of dollars (an amount I can't even phathom) on fighting people in other countries, yet he was unbelievably slow in getting money to help his own countrymen in New Orleans when they needed it most!
Now, I think our troops are doing the best they can considering the situation and I thank every soldier and vet for the freedoms I've enjoyed my entire life. But our military and our budget is stretched so far and I don't think Bush really cares at all. And I have a sinking feeling that before the next two years of his final (thank God!) term is up, he's going to invade Iran and get us even deeper in the hole than we already are.
And to top it off, because of the people he hand-picked, the Roe v. Wade decision is in serious danger of being overturned. South Dakota just made a new law last week that bans virtually all abortions. Who knows what state will follow? I'm not necessarily advocating that all women should get abortions. But I DO believe that women should have a choice! After all, it's OUR BODIES and for Bush to intercede on that decision is an invasion of our privacy and is just plain wrong!!
And oil prices? Having to pay between $40-$50 bucks to fill up every week?? Fuhgeddaboutit!
Again, I don't know that he could be impeached, though I do wish he hadn't been elected a second time. Then again, I wish he hadn't been elected a FIRST time. Voting him into office a second time was about as foolish as voting Kwame Kilpatrick as Mayor of Detroit a second time (that thief!). If Bush was impeached, I wouldn't feel bad for him! Not after the dismal and horrible job he's done for us!
Wow, that felt pretty good to get off my chest!
Posted by Amy at 05:30 PM | Comments (0)
March 11, 2006
It's Called COURTESY!
Tonight, we decided to go to that new restaurant Carlyle's in front of the Quality 16 theaters. There were two seats at the bar open, so we sat down. We found that the easiest and fastest way to get served is to eat at the bar. We had ordered our food and were waiting for it when this couple sat down next to us on my left. They were older. Not sure how old the man was, but the woman looked about 65 or 70. She had grey hair and an old wrinkly face. She was a hag!
I didn't really notice them much until someone started smoking. I was looking toward Don when I smelled it and turned to see where it was coming from. I realized it was coming from the lady sitting next to me. I just glanced around for a second or two and then turned back to Don and in my head, I thought, "Drat. This lady's smoking right next to me. But it's a bar, so I'm just going to have to suffer smelling it." Fine, no big deal. I've done it before, I'd have to do it again. But as soon as I turned round to face Don again, I heard her say very defiantly, "It's a bar, I'm smoking!" In her tone of voice, I heard her say, "So there!"
I mean really, I don't like when people smoke, but I'm not rude about my reaction to them. They shouldn't be rude to me! I know smokers and some of them are really considerate and don't smoke if it's going to bother other people around them.
Now, I wasn't going to say anything to her about the smoke BEFORE she said something, and I was big enough not to say anything AFTER. Don wished he had said, "That's okay if you want to smoke; you're going to die of lung cancer really soon anyway." I wish I had retorted with, "Well, that's fine if you want to smoke. We can't ALL be young and beautiful, now can we?"
Posted by Amy at 09:12 PM | Comments (0)
March 08, 2006
Jaws
For the last 2 or 3 weeks, I've been having quite a bit of pain in the left side of my jaw. It hurts when I chew, especially at the end of a meal; the joint between my lower and upper jaw on the left side feels very sore; and when I have to open my mouth wide like when I yawn, the joint pops. OUCH! I thought maybe it was just the muscle tightening up like when you wrench your back.
But I went to see Dr. Jay today about it. He thinks it starts with the fact that I grind my teeth. He says that usually stress makes it worse. My jaw is not moving along with the cartilage and my jaw is dislocating itself. So he suggests that I talk to my dentist who may have to get an x-ray or MRI of my jaw so that he can make me a bite guard to wear at night that is specially designed to line up or balance the way my jaw is positioned while I sleep.
For now, I'm just going to have to keep taking Aleve and trying to work the "trigger points" in the muscles around my jaw (like doing accupressure). Other than that, I'll just have to "grin and bear it." (Ohh, sorry, that was bad!)
Posted by Amy at 08:35 PM | Comments (2)
March 03, 2006
Talking Cats
This video is FREAKING HILARIOUS!! It reminds me of the time when I was in grad school. A friend of mine came over to visit and as I was talking to him in the doorway, Gabriel walked over, looked up at me, and ACTUALLY said, "Mama?" I freaked out with joy, looked at my friend and said, "OHMYGOD!! He called me 'Mama'! You heard it, right??" "Yup!" he said. I had to make sure I had a witness to it.
I like the last cat the best cause he just about makes whole sentences! Well, ...nearly. And in case you don't get enough laughs at these cats' expense, here's another funny cat video. HAVE FUN!!
Posted by Amy at 11:49 PM | Comments (0)
March 02, 2006
Wouldn't It Be Great?
WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?
"My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of Iraq regime has been completed. Since congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete.
"This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq. This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now to begin the reckoning.
"Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the countries listed there.
"The other list contains everyone not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.
"Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.
"The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell-holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.
"Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France.
"In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth.
"Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France, or maybe China.
"I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France, Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well. Bon chance, mes amis.
"I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York!
"A special note to our neighbors. Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not pissing us off for a change
"Mexico is also on List 2. President Fox and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra tank and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put em? Yep, border security. So start doing something with your oil.
"Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty - starting now.
"We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we'll be drilling for oil in Alaska - which will take care of this country's oil needs for decades to come. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there. They care.
"It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, darn tootin.
"Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate homelessness in America. It is time to eliminate World Cup Soccer from America. To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thanks guys. We owe you and we won't forget.
"To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic.
"God bless America. Thank you and good night."
**If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier.**
Posted by Amy at 10:07 PM | Comments (2)
The Gilbert Awards
Tonight, we had to go to the Gilbert Awards, so named for the Quicken Loans CEO, Dan Gilbert. It's an awards ceremony to honor those individuals who basically worked their asses off and kicked butt for the company. It started at 4pm and went until 8pm, but don't think it was boring. They actually put together a really fun show that keeps you interested and laughing most of the time. And people actually get real awards that look like the Oscars.
There are these two guys who host it every year and they're natural comedians who really go with the flow. They always do some really hilarious skit and just make you laugh the whole time. And pretty much every award presenter has something funny to say or do. There was also another room we went to during the intermission to have appetizers and mingle.
Then there are always a few entertainment acts done by Quicken Loans employees. This year, they started with one lady singing. She was pretty good, except her voice was really high-pitched and because the microphones were set waaaaay too loud, she sounded really shrill. I think my ears are still ringing. Even before the thing started, they had a company band playing and it was soooooo loud!!!! Oh, I couldn't stand it! Wait a second...does that mean I'm getting old? Yeeek!
Anyway, then Doug and Angie, who are on my team, did a duet. Angie sang "Real Love" while Doug got the crowd going with his rap and did some hip hop dance. He was SOOOOOOO good!! I can't believe some of the moves he did! He's usually so modest and shy about it. And Angie's voice TOTALLY blew the other lady away! They were awesome. There was also a group that did a few punk songs and they were great too.
I guess a bunch of people were going out for drinks afterward, but I decided not to go after all. I've been pretty tired lately, not getting enough sleep and I think I'm slowly coming down with a cold. Right now, it's just a sore throat and an occasional cough, but I didn't want to stay out too late and make myself more tired and more sick, especially when I have to go to work in the morning. Besides, Don was already waiting for me. I had a good time, though I kind of wish the timing of it could have been better. I have SO much work to do tomorrow! Maybe I'll try going to bed a little earlier.
Posted by Amy at 09:37 PM | Comments (0)