Overstock.com - not so thrilled with them. I bought a Christmas gift thru them and it went fine. I then bought myself something from them, and promptly returned it as it was not what I wanted. I went through their website returns process to ensure proper credit, as it was an electronis item and not cheap. It took FOUR weeks for the item to be scanned back in to the Overstock warehouse. FOUR WEEKS. Now, I work in the shipping industry, and it does NOT tkae 4 weeks to get a small package from Tampa to Salt Lake City - even with the SLOWEST of services. Anyhoo - it finally showed scanned in as LATE. ???? Late?? (Electronics items have a 30 day window for return). I think NOT. It is not my fault that it took the post office FOUR WEEKS to get the dern box to you - using YOUR bar coded address label! So, I called. And complained. And got a supervisor, who couls see that the return was generated soon after I recevied it, and I got verbal confirmation that I would be getting a full refund. And, when I got home there was an email confirming the same, and advising me that my Discover card would be credited. Great. Huh? Wait…DISCOVER CARD? Ummm…..DON’T HAVE ONE! Used the Amex for this purchase! So, I guess I have to get back on the phone tomorrow! Good Times.

I alos heard from the Better Business Bureau regarding a complaint I filed against Trilegient in Connecticut. This is the company that had been charging my Mother’s credit cards for various monthly services as “Travelvantage”, “Shopping essentials”, and other such bullshit. I found out about this last summer, there was about $3000 in charges total, ranging from $9.95/month, all the way up to $179.95/month. MOm didn’t know what they were, and she just kept paying the credit card bills! I spent HOURS AND HOURS on the phone getting all of these things cancelled (until I closed the cards, they were still showing up occasionaly), and getting credits……..did al little internet search on Trilegient and found all pages and pages of random complaints and nastiness about them. They are one of these that offer “FREE” membership for 30 days, and if you do not cancel, you get screwed, or send you a $2 check, and if you cash it you are signed up for some $99 a month bullshit - they target the elderly! They were calling her and getting them to sign up for all kinds of crap! In the 8 months since my initial BBB complaint, I never heard anything. Got a response yesterday with a name and number to call - the woman states that they need my Mom’s name and address to fully investigate our claim….ummm, yeah, IT’S RIGHT ON THE FREAKING COMPLAINT BOBO! So, I’ll be giving her a call tomorrow as well, and trust me when I tell you she will be getting quite the earful! Good Times.

Freaking Google. I hate them.
FIRST, They smacked us all out of Page Rank for doing paid posts. Yeah, excuse us if money is tight and we are all trying to make a buck.
Sonsabeetches.
NOW, their little rank widget I had installed on my sidebar infiltrated MY blog with THEIR ads and pop ups!!
Wait, you want to smack my PR for doing paid links - but it’s okay for YOU to sneak in the back and put those kind of links in without asking me?!! AND, to make it worse, some of them were PORN. NICE. I’m trying to run a family show over here ya pains in the arse. How about NOT putting your crap into MY blog.
So, if any of you had that little page rank widget - remove it, as it will give your blog the creeping crud!
And, stay away from all things Google - I hate them.

*Special thanks to Sister for finding the source and assisting me with that!

I like CVS. They have GREAT sales, I love their Extra Bucks program, you can stack their coupons with manufacturer’s coupons and get stuff free, or nearly free.
HOWEVER.
Why is is that every time I go into CVS armed with their weekly sales flyer, a list, and a stack of coupons, half of the items advertised are NEVER in stock?
It is the old bait and switch technique? Trying to lure me into your store to grab the good deals and think I’ll pick up a few overpriced impulse items while I am in there?
HA! You have the wrong girl, that will not be happening. All you do is fluster me, CVS…and then I leave without buying anything. When I inquire to management about the missing sale items, I am usually told something like “our truck is due in Thursday”……?
Hmmm..let’s do the math, shall we?
Sale flyer comes in the Sunday paper.
Sale prices valid from that Sunday, until the following Saturday.
Truck arrives Thursday. (If it is on time)
So, you can grab sale items for 3 days. Assuming that the sale items are on said truck.
Fabulous.
And it’s not just happening at ONE CVS store, I have one by my house, and one by my office - and each one is usually out of stock on different sale items.
Here’s a clue - if you are having a sale, make sure THOSE items are in stock. Bobos.

This morning, was walking back up to the house after Snoopy’s walk….and what do I see? Yes, a nice flat tire. Lovely way to start the week. I HATE car problems, even when they are minro they end up costing me money and aggravation!

So, I got out the donut (spare) and the jack, and started to change it out. YES, I can change my own tire. However - the lugs were so tight they would not budge. Apparently the assclowns that rotated my tires last paid zero attention to the torque specs and just kept on air wrenching them down to a nub. A neighbor came over and helped me, and even he could not loosen them without putting a pipe over the lug wrench for leverage.

There was a screw in the tire, quite ironic, is it not?

Of course, it was on the outer edge, so they cannot repair it - replace only….so that will end up costing me almost $200 when all is said and done. After a morning like that I just wanted to sit back on my patio furniture and forget about it !

I have spent a lot of time this weekend sorting through Mom & Husband business. Sorting & filing paperwork and medical documents…..sorting receipts for their spending for the past 6 months…trying to figure out what their monthly fixed expenses are - no, it is not written down anywhere. My Mother, God rest her soul, was not good with the organizational skills or the financials.

I found 4 uncashed checks for reimbursement of out of pocket medical expenses, totalling $483!! They were never even opened!

I realized through analyzing their spending that a representative of the Sam Walton family should have not only been at my Mother’s memorial service, but probably should have paid for at least half of it! Mom liked to spend money at Wal Mart - a LOT of money.

It is my hope, and prayer - that at least ONE person in my family will learn from Mom’s poor spending habits, and change their ways now.

Tonight we are having a family meeting (Siblings and I) to discuss our progress and proceed with a fresh “to do” list. I am happily going to get up on my soapbox and preach to the masses about lack of budgeting and spending money you do not have.

I have a 3 day weekend, which unfortunately will be spent taking care of “Mom business”. I have a mountain of paperwork to sort through, their bills have to be organized and a budget set up, and some of them need to be paid. I think I need a succession plan or something.
Older Sister keeps saying to me “I’m glad you’re doing all of that because I wouldn’t know where to start.”
Here’s the deal: I have no idea what I am doing. And I hate every minute of this.
I don’t want to do any of it.
I’m the baby, the older siblings should be taking care of this, or at least offering to help.
There, I said it.
So, how am I making progress if I am clueless as to what to do?
I made a list and started conquering it.
I delegated a few of the minor tasks to my older siblings.
I am learning as I go along by asking questions to anyone and everyone.
I am not turning down any offers of help, and processing everyone’s input and ideas.
I got a planner/calendar and started writing EVERYTHING down that I did that day, as detailed as conversations with siblings and phone calls made. I want it all documented.
I get home from work, and work on “Mom & Husband Stuff” until 8-9pm.
Cereal has become my dinner of choice, I’m too tired to bother with anything else.
There is still much to do….so much that it makes my stomach hurt.
I wake each morning and thoughts immediately fill my head with what hasn’t been done.
I do not feel like I am making much progress.
I am still overwhelmed.
This too shall pass.
I hope.

Yeesh.
I have been trying to call Social Security to report Mom’s death since last Friday.
I have gotten a recording each time that states: “Our call volumes are highest early in the morning, early in the week, and early in the month……”Soooo, should I call on the Friday 30th at 4pm..?!!
After that recording, it asks what you are calling for “Report a death” is my response to the electronic voice. It then states I will be transferred…..and after numerous clicks, I then get a recording to call another time,or try the website and it hangs up!
Note: You cannot report a death on the website - THAT would be too easy! After numerous calls, I finally got far enough in the call to actually enter the social security number of the death I am reporting….to which the recorded voice responds “If you are calling about YOURSELF, and would like a callback please press 1″???!!! HUH?

Ummmm…..am I reporting MY OWN DEATH? I probably should try and do it now, as it seems like this is going to takes YEARS!

Oh, and they regret that I am waiting so long, and are doing their BEST to get to my call.

Yeah……right.

So, I’ve spent the