I tried posting this yesterday, but my phone wasn't having any of it.

My bus driver on the number 4 bus Capilano last night was, get this, texting while he drove the bus.

Uh, what? Is that even allowed?! It's one thing to text while you're driving, something I really don't think it's terribly prudent to do, even though I know most of you probably do it anyways because you're gangstas like that, but a busdriver?

Not cool man.

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Currently Fighting with Paypal

Long story short, I'm having trouble with my paypal account. Last time I had issue with them, it took them quite a while to resolve them, but I ended up happy. This time, I can barely even find their contact info on their labyrinth of a site.

How hard is it for you to post a phone number where I can contact you? Seriously.

Then, to post an email address and tell me to send my inquiries there, only to have a form letter automatically sent back telling me that 'this email address isn't monitored'.

Really? Then why would you repeatedly tell me to send and email there, listing it as my only option since I can't for the life of me actually find a phone number.

Today is going to be a long day, I can feel it already.

Update: Turns out FedEx already came by this morning (at 8:02 am, awesome). Foolish me, I was trying to sleep in on my day off (until 9 am - this is true luxury people). They called my house phone, which I didn't hear because it's in the kitchen/I'm a heavy sleeper. Hmm.

Update #2: Paypal jsut sent me a customer satisfaction survey, the gall. Uh, I'm not satisfied because I can't use my fucking account. Does that make sense to you? Instead of spending time purking people blogs to guage consumer (dis)satifaction, how about actually trying to fix the problems at hand?

Apple Store - Edmonton

I went to the [new] Apple store in WEM yesterday because I was in search of a firewire cable. The store looked kind of unfinished and while everything was in the right place, it still looked a little bit off. Everyone that was working there still seemed a little hesitant and overwhelmed and I wasn't the only one that had to aggressively hunt down an employee in a bright blue shirt.

The dude at the end of the genius bar looked like he was going to throttle someone, and I didn't even want to pose a question but I was pressed for time and I had to. He was surprisingly helpful, but not terirbly friendly.

I know the store is busy, and filled with time-wasting gawkers, but you work Apple, and people expect a certain level of exuberance and customer service. It's only a week or so in, and if you're not feeling it, you should find another job. I'll probably still buy most of my Apple products from the online store.

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Breach of trust

I guess when I specifically asked you not to do something I wasn't clear enough, but if you have to dig that much for something, it probably doesn't want to be found.

Agonizingly Slow

It's been almost 3 weeks without the internet. First, it was just our wireless router that was on the fritz, requiring us to be tethered to our main router but now they've both gone menopausal and have seemingly had meltdowns and no one knows how to fix it.

This whole blogging from my phone thing sucks, I feel like I'm getting carpal tunnel syndrome from this tiny god-forsaken keyboard.

Against the Grain

I am constantly confounded by people who insist on going against your wishes simply because they think that 'you want it that way, and that you're simply confused: see all things related to my birthday/Christmas/any other holiday that isn't solely celebrated by drinking then forgotten immediately afterwards. I'm just not a celebratory person, and I'm sorry that it upsets you so much (actually, I'm not that sorry - I just don't care).

I'm not anti-birthday because I secretly want you to go behind my back and plan some elaborate surprise party (I hate surprises, FYI), but more because I just think people spend too much time worrying/thinking about stuff that isn't all that important in the grands scheme of things. So if you really want to get me a birthday gift, try reducing your energy consumption, or not driving to the corner store to pick up something you probably could have gone without.

The Tortured Artist

I stopped by DeSerres (the arts & crafts store) after work because I was in need of some sheets of coloured paper and there was nary a business supply store to be found. Nevermind the fact that I was doing this as a favour, or the fact that I ended up having to was like 3K from one side of the mall to the other, I had offered, an I was happy to get away from my end of the mall/take a field trip.

I approach a woman measuring an ugly poster for framing and I stand, within eyesight, off to the side, waiting for her to look up and ask me if there's anything that she can get for me. Normally in the context of working in a store, if someone is standing in front of you waiting it generally indicates that they'd like to ask you a question (thus necessitating that you take a step down off your high horse).

She looks up at me, and quickly looks back down, so I clear my throat and ask her if she knows where I can find coloured paper that I would be able to run through a printer. She immediately cuts me off and holds out her finger to silence me and asks me to wait a second (because you can't go back to measuring something) and flatly stats that I need to go to Staples.

'I know' I quickly reply, 'but that's not really an option because there isn't one in the mall and I need this stuff now'. 'Well this is a craft store', she counters, 'we don't really sell bulk paper. How many sheets do you need, hmm? 5...10...20...?'. 'Not sure', comes my response. 'Well you need to know' she says huffily 'because this paper is really expensive and it's not going to be worth your money. You really just need to go to Staples' she emphasizes again.

I finally just ask her to show me where the paper is and let me be the judge of just what's 'too expensive' and she complies, but not with adding (under her breath) that it would be a waste of time, and that maybe if I were making wedding invitations or something it would be a good choice but not just for posters. She half-heartedly showed me the paper again emphasizing the excessive cost and stared at me expectantly, almost waiting to interject an 'I told you so' when I finally admitted defeat. 'And I can't guarantee that it won't bleed' she said. I've never had that problem before I replied and she spat 'Well that probably because you were using printer paper' before I could even finish my sentence, once again.

I left feeling somewhat defeated and annoyed because she was being such a wretch about something so inconsequential. I could kinda understand her pain because I used to have to regularly talk girls out of buying snowboards based purely on the pretty graphics and more based on what kind of terrain they'd be riding. But at the end of the day, if someone plops down the $800 for the Forum/Luxirie collaboration board I'm going to sell it to them - of course not without showing them other boards that might be more appropriate for their skill level/wallet-friendly. But I can't tell you not to buy something based solely on the fact that you have no idea what you want, unfortunately.

I conferred with The Pansy, which is who I was buying the paper for anyways and she just told me to pick up a couple of sheets now, and that she'd get more at school on Monday.

I paid for my purchase, silently vowing to avoid DeSerres for all my crafting needs.

The funniest part about this exchange that you'd probably guess by the immature tone that the sales associate took that she was just some insolent high schooler, but sadly that wasn't the case. This woman was easily pre-menopausal, and most likely the manager.

The Road to the Weekend is Paved with Bullshit

The construction crews were back at work this morning as I pored over the two credit card bills I got in the mail last night (there goes $2500). I was delaying my trip to the gym, I just couldn't seem to motivate myself that early in the morning, but I had to go to the gym before I went to the bank to get my new bank cards.

After I finally figured out my bank card fiasco, I headed across the street to Holt's to see if they had that wallet I've been looking for but it was pretty picked over after the boxing week sale and I left empty-handed. I hopped a bus to the grocery store down the street on my way home and picked up some much needed essentials (toilet parer and toothpaste, both of which ran dry on New Year's Day, when nothing was open) before work.

I turned my computer on once I got home intent on paying off one of my aforementioned bills only to find that the internet wasn't working. No matter, I said to myself, and dialed my telephone banking number only to be presented with a recording about servers being down. I grabbed the remote, ready to watch some A&E, only to find the screen snowy and the room filled with the sound of static. No cable, strange but the bill was definitely paid, so that wasn't the reason behind the sudden shutoff (and it had been working earlier in the morning).

The day at work was just interminable, not helped by the fact that I've once again started a smoking cessation program. By the end of the day my mouth was so dry and my eyes were so dilated I felt like I was high, but I was just really, really tired and not wanting to deal with people. I ended up getting a ride home because The Pansy sprained her wrist? and had the dog with her but it was with The Archaeologist so I was basically sitting in a landfill on wheels.

All these little snags have made this week crawl by and I just want to curl up in a little ball and read a book all day.

Unmitigated Rage

Sometime over the weekend (Saturday I think) someone who resides in my building probably had some friends over both before and after they went to the bar. I know this because there was an entire donair spilled on the floor when I left Sunday morning and most rational people only justify eating donairs after they've spent the entire night doing tequila shots and jager bombs because it really does seem like a good idea at the time.

It has happened once before and we were treated to stray pieces of meat and lettuce in the elevator, all in all, not that big of a deal or inconvenience. Except it is, to one person, it seems. Because I got home Sunday night to ready myself for the big party only to find the lobby and elevator bay peppered with not one, but three, angry and hand-written notes posted about the errant donair in the lobby.

I don't have the exact script committed to memory as I was planning on taking a phot o of said outburst of rage but I forgot and by the time I got around to it, the postings were gone but I can give you the gist.

• Frequent referrals to the culprit being 'a little pig' who desecrated out community - seriously, I didn't know that Alec Baldwin lived in my building.
• Angry handwritten scrawl covering an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper that was photocopied three times and then posted. Do you not have anything better to do on Christmas eve? Where is the original - did you keep that in a little journal under your bed? (they all appeared to be photocopied)
• Semi-frequent references to the fact that the culprit obviously wasn't a part of our community and was lashing out because they were jealous and would never be able to afford to live in our building.
• Instructions to leave the donair in full sight all weekend long, and not clean it up so that the 'little pig' can be shamed publicly.

I wish I had taken the posting down and photophed it so you could actually get a sense of how upset this indivigradual clearly was. I can't quite figure out who would have so much time on their hands that they'd actually go to that much effort over the holidays but I'm assuming it was someone young that lives in my building - it's almost all young people (under 25) and a bunch of retired people. Either that or it's the overzealous condo board lady who always accosts me when I'm on the treadmill with updates about the community.

Things That Make Me Want to Turn Around at the Sliding Glass Doors

1. Long lines of any kind. The only thing I believe in waiting in line for during the holiday season is food and/or drink (most notably at the Starbucks or the corner store buying my fifth diet Rockstar of the day) and books/magazines (at least that way I have something to read) - anything else, I will figure out a time the when said establishment isn't busy, and come back then.

2. Proximity to screaming children. Seriously, get a freaking soother for your child, or better yet don't take them shopping at all. A couple of days ago a child got trapped between a bolted down glass door and the adjoining glass wall. It stared at the scene for a minute before walking over and calmly unlatching the door to allow the child's escape while silently judging the mom who was within spitting distance the whole time - she was talking to someone so she wasn't really paying attention. She made some sort of under her breath comment in my general direction and I wanted to whip around and explain to her that:

1. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones (or in this case, glass corridors), 2. Now's not the time to let your toddler go on little adventures, 3. You are a terrible parent.

3. Bargain-hunters. In my experience they are the most ornery Christmastime beasts as they have no concept of timeliness. "Is this the best deal I can get?" "Yup, because you're not at a stall somewhere in Mexico. If you don't buy it, someone else will. You can't just show up to the party late and expect to be the belle of the ball". I get that you saw whatever item here three weeks ago, but the fact that it was cheap and remotely nice kinda sums up why it is no longer here.

4. Window-shoppers. Unless you're just passing through on your lunch break, you have no excuse. Why would you willingly come shopping if you're too broke to buy anything. You're not contributing to anything except for the congestion. It's the equivalent of raising your hand to answer a question, and when called upon, not saying anything, just staring off into the distance. Additionally, if you haven't a clue what a store sells, here's a tip, go into the store and look around instead of gathering around outside the entrance repeatedly reading aloud the name as if that will suddenly explain to you what 'Lululemon' entails - conversely, how do you not know of the exclusive clothier of soccer-moms, the ugg-footed and people who wouldn't even know a yoga mat if they tripped over it, were you raised by wolves?

The Line Tamer

Dear Chapters/Indigo Books,

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of shopping at one of your retail locations, only to be confronted with a line that was, no joke, 30 people deep. Would you like to wager a guess as to how many of the 8 or more wickets were staffed?

Yeah, 4 of them, with a line of thirty or so people, nice.

Christmas is still 2 weeks away so one can only assume that the crowds will get bigger, and more ornery, as the date approaches, so I would suggest either hiring more people or staffing more cashiers.

P.S. I was beyond chapped to have to listen to the spiel of the line coordinator/XM Satellite Radio promoter during my ordeal. That's a clever idea you had, by the way, to try and market that non-essential service to me, instead of throwing that extra body on till - ensuring an active boycott of XM Satellite Radio in the process...

Sincerely,

A disgruntled customer

Backlog

Because I didn't have the internet for the last month or so, give or take a couple of days, I've fallen behind on my RSS feeds (way behind) to the point where I'll just delete days upon days worth of posts because I simply don't have to time to read those on top of the current ones, so I'll just kinda visit the sites I feel like reading and clear my reading queue.

I stumbled upon Post Secret yesterday, and for the first time in a long time, I actually related to one of the secrets.

In other unrelated news, my bank sucks. I know that they suck, so I've stopped banking with them, and only hold a Visa card there, for emergencies. My card experied last month, but I didn't really care, I never use it. I went to go buy some snowboard boots the other day from our distributor, and lo and behold, said merchant only takes Visa (um, WTF?). I didn't have my new card because I moved in the last little while, and the card got lost in the shuffle, so I had requested a new card be sent out.

As a precaution, and for my convenience they told me, it was sent out to the branch closest to my house - at seven blocks away that's wholly inconvenient and too far considering the weather we've been having. The branch manager called me at home yesterday to let me know that my card was in, so I could collect it at my convenience. I asked how late they were open and she replied, 4pm M-W and 5 pm on Thursday, Friday. I glanced at the clock, bitch called me at 3:53 pm! Um, hello, I live like 7 blocks away, you could have easily called me all day, and I could have picked it up. I know for a fact that mail is delivered in our neighbourhood well before noon.

Seriously.

Screw the Internet

Can't actually write a post today since my phone keeps freezing on the blogger home page - inconvenient to say the least...

Happy Customers

Memo to a certain Coast Mountain Sports cashier: when someone has their hand held out expectantly awaiting the return of her gold card, maybe place it in their outstretched hand instead of carelessly tossing it onto the counter - that's just bad form...

Technical Difficulties: Redux

Seriously what good is a pda phone if everytime you try to use one of its many 'useful' features it just seizes up on you?

Technical Difficulties

My roommate and I have alternated talking to all kinds of technical support personnel and we still can't use the internet at home. It's ridiculous and incredibly frustrating...

Groggy

I just woke up as per usual, after a night of fitful sleep. I couldn't quite fall asleep - something kept waking me up, be it the phone ringing, text messages pinging, or the crazy wind outside that kept rattling my curtains. My throat is swollen and my nosed stuffed, I can tell it's going to be a good day...

Space Hogs

While I get your inflated sense of entitlement that has been brought on by your parents' incessant repetition that you 'can be anything that you want to be' if you put your heart into it, but do you have to take up three seats on the bus?

After a long day at work, or even on a good one for that matter, I just want to lean over and tell you to fuck right off.

Weekend Antics

Because my phone is European, sometimes the network time sync thing doesn't quite work (usually around Daylight Saving Time because W decided that it should begin and end one week later than the EU). I had planned on getting up early on Sunday for two reasons:

1. I needed to do laundry - actually I've needed to do laundry for about 2 weeks now, but I keep putting it off for some reason or another.
2. I needed to catch up on the last couple of episodes of Weeds, something that would definitely occupy me while waiting for the wash and dry cycles.

Except that it was now 9 am, instead of 8, as my phone erroneously indicated and I had an hour or so to get ready. Of course by the time I figured this out I had already started the washer and most of my socks and undergarments were wet and marinating in detergent. It was the start of a good day...

Unexpected Returns

I complained to my bank about the fact that their bank machines in general (only located in actual branches, how terribly convenient) and one in particular (the one on Whyte Ave) suck. I'm not usually one for complaining, but you kind of expect a 24-hr bank machine to be open 24 hours a day. So when I stumbled up to the bank machine at 1 am, to find a note on the door - something about increasing concern for their customers safety, blah, blah, blah, I was pissed.

Never mind the fact that I'd already traipsed a couple of blocks out of my way (I was getting cash for the cab since I've been experiencing increased hostility from cabbies when I pay with plastic). They sign suggested I visit the other two branches in the vicinity (20 and 30 blocks away respectively).

I wrote a letter to the bank, and didn't really expect to see any action on their part, but they refunded my money (including the other atm usage fees) with interest.

Moral of the story: It never hurts to ask.