Wednesday Night, March 12, 2008

Every heart has it secret sorrows, which the world knows not;
Oftentimes we call a man cold, when he is only sad. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWDY AAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLKKKKKIES!
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Today Home Depot called and told me my toilets were at the store. TOILETS? I called and they confirmed "toilets". I told them I only had one coming. Paperwork says 2. I will have to call after 9 AM to talk to special order person. A few minutes later I got a call from the installer - they can install the toilets tomorrow. I told them I only ordered 1; I will have to take that up with HD, but they will be at my house tomorrow. So it is to be in the afternoon. This reminds me of the story of my china.

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Picture it, 1981. Los Angeles, Ca. My new partner Vic and I went to the Broadway Department store to buy a set of china. We were starting to set up housekeeping together and needed some of the finer things. I found a set I liked and we agreed. And it was on sale. So we ordered it. Three weeks later Vic called me at work and the China had been delivered. I told him to open it. Only one cup had survived the shipping ordeal. So I call the Bway and they said to bring it in and reorder. A few days later, Vic called me at work. The china had been delivered and he opened it as we talked. Only a cup was broken and a saucer was cracked, everything else was fine. So I called the Bway - bring back the set and they will reorder. I went to the store that night with the cup and saucer and they replaced them out of stock. China set complete. ????

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Vic called me at work to tell me a set of china had arrived. I laughed and said yeah of course. He was very emphatic that a second set of china had arrived. I called the Bway and talked to the department head. They checked and told me the records showed that I had returned two damaged sets and the new set was the 2nd replacement set. I told them no, and explained. I was told they would figure it out and get back to me. A few days Vic called me at work and he was howling with laughter. He said I would not believe this but we now had a third set of China and he had opened it and it was intact. I just cracked up. UNBELIEVABLE.

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So I called the Bway and went through the story. The new department head told me to just return the current set and the record would be corrected. I asked what about the other set. She said to keep it as I had paid for one set. I tried to explain it again and she said we would go over when I brought the set in. So off to the store I went. She was gone but the clerk that originally handled the sale helped. I explained what had happened and he went over the record. They only had a record of one set plus the one I was returning and if I returned the other set it would only cause problems for the department. The store manager agreed. So home I went.

My next Broadway statement reflected two set returned and credit given. OMG. I now have two sets of china, and a credit for two. So I actually was paid to take two sets off of their hands. I called. Nope my mistake, their records show two shipped two broken, two returned. The credit was correct. I went back and forth about this for a few days. I received correspondence stating they were responding to my concerns over the credits, and they were glad I brought the perceived situation to their attention. However, their records reflected that the two credits were due and they considered the problem concerned. And they thanked me for shopping at the Broadway.

A few days later, Vic called and said the Bway had called and my china was ready to pickup. I damned near died. I called and went through the whole crap again and finally convinced the dept mgr that I was not due the current set of china. And guess what - next bill I got another credit on my statement. I just said to hell with it. I probably could have gone on and eventually opened my own China store with only one pattern. Oh, the Broadway. They eventually filed for bankruptcy, and were bought out by MACY"S. Who would have guessed? I still have the complete service for 16.

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Today I am grateful for:

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My Higher Power - GOD.

My Sobriety.

Dolly, my Schnauzer.

My Sponsor(even tho we haven't talked in over a week - my bad)

The honesty of sobriety.

Friends that not only talk the talk, they walk the walk.

You bloggers.

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Now y'all be pretty now, ya heah.

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Mary Ann of Gilligans Island was arrested for marijuana possession yesterday. Today she resigned as governor of Gilligan's Island. Jimmy Kimmel, 03/12/2008