Give Me Credit, Will Ya?!
I had planned a special trip to Las Vegas for Mom and myself way back last year, which was given to her as a birthday present this past June. I had a free trip to Vegas coming to me through the Timeshare company I usually go with, and I coincided it with the weekend that the Siegfried & Roy European fan club would be gathering there to celebrate Roy's 61st birthday. The fan club consists of members from all over the world, especially Germany, Roy's birthplace, and that particular weekend, a bunch of exciting and fun events was scheduled. Unfortunately, Mom had her heart attack approximately a month before the trip, so I thought, well, that's it, and that I would be cancelling the trip altogether. I certainly did not want to go while she was sick! However, Mom's recovery has been nothing short of stellar, and she is doing very well, even though she has had to slow down, stay home from work and watch her diet. But she is back home and driving again and getting around on her own.
Therefore, she did not want to me to miss the events, and told me to go ahead and go. At first, I thought no way, as I really enjoy my Mom coming along, and she has been a huge fan of Siegfried & Roy ever since we both saw one of their last shows in Vegas before Roy's dreadful accident. I thought going on this trip wouldn't work. But if I were to cancel both of us altogether, I would have lost money that I had already invested in the trip and in the special events for that special weekend. So Mom convinced me to go. She would not be alone the weekend I'd be gone, as my sister and her sister would be coming up to stay overnight with her and help her with chores and errands.
As far as my job went, I had told them right up front when I was hired that I had this trip planned which was already paid for, and so they knew I would be taking 2 days off for this. Even so, I would be docked for those 2 days as I was still on probation. I'm sure my boss wasn't really keen on me going, however he knew he agreed to it before I was hired and came on board.
So the trip was on. The only hitch was that it was a race against time as to whether I'd get all my stolen cards and ID back in time! The rigmarole I had to go through in calling all these places to make sure the cards would be sent in time and to the right address when I'd be home to sign for the delivery was nothing short of a nerve racking, tense, will-it-or-won't-it-get-here-in-time, migraine-inducing time. Since some courier companies require a signature upon delivery, I re-scheduled the delivery of 2 credit cards to be sent to my work address instead of my home address.
Now, normally, with most companies this would not be a problem. But, remember, I work for a one-guacamole-short-of-a-taco institution... and, let me tell you, INSTITUTION is a most apropos word! First of all, we have the little problem that I am in a 'SECURITY' building, which means no one without a pass can go beyond Checkpoint Charlie. The security guards, who both look as dynamic as someone who has been on morphine for 3 days, shoo all delivery guys off to the mail room in the basement. They won't call you or write anything down. They just sit. And 'secure' the building. Yeah, right! Osama Bin Laden could walk right in with his white sheet on, and they'd probably just have him put his Rolex in the tray so it wouldn't beep at the metal detector and then shoo him right on through. Therefore, I figured I better go down to the mail room in the basement and inform the people down there that I was expecting 2 very important packages.
Now, who do you think I see when I enter the basement mail room? The dingbat woman who, a few weeks earlier, had a hissy fit that I took her food out of the microwave!! GEEZ! Oh well, I proceeded to give her all the info regarding these 2 deliveries, the day they would be delivered, the carrier, my name, and my phone extension. And most importantly, I STRESSED to her that it was VITAL that she call me ASAP when they came and that it was very important to me.
The day came that I was expecting the credit cards to be delivered. I waited almost all day and still had no word of the deliveries. Meanwhile I checked my phone messages on my home phone, and discovered to my amazement, that Ms. Dingbat had left a message on my HOME phone saying my packages had arrived and to come and pick them up in the basement mail room! I was somewhat puzzled why she had called my home number instead of my work number, but thought, "Whew! At least they arrived!!" So I went down to the basement and asked Ms. Microwave Police Lady where my packages were. She looked me with a blank stare and then, are you ready for this???......She informed me that because I DID NOT ANSWER MY HOME PHONE - (HELLO??? THAT'S BECAUSE I'M AT WORK, YOU TWIT!!), she sent the packages back onto the delivery truck!!!! SAY WHAT???!!! Well, let me tell you, I saw R-E-D, like a snorting bull facing a Matador's red cape, my blood pressure went up, and I was more than ready to haul off and slug her!
Me: "WHAT!!?? I told you quite clearly that this was very important and for you to call me at my extension as soon as they arrived!!!"
She: "Well, I tink I lose the little piece of paper I writed your name and number on" (HELLO AGAIN?? Ever think of looking in the company directory??!!)
Me: "But how did you get my HOME number??!!"
She: "Uh, It was the numba that was on the package"
Me: Shaking my head in total disgust, I stormed out of there and headed back to my office to call the courier. As I headed back upstairs, I saw a UPS truck parked outside!!! AH!! My packages HAD to be ON THAT TRUCK!! So I ran outside and ran up to the truck. However, it was parked and no one was in it! So I loitered there on the sidewalk and waited. And waited. And waited some more. Was the driver eating lunch somewhere? Where was he? After waiting on the sidewalk for over 20 minutes, I was dying of thirst, so I dashed into the little cafe next door to quickly buy a Snapple. Wouldn't you know it, the minute I came back outside, the TRUCK WAS GONE!! ACHHHHHH!
Long story short, I called the courier and they agreed to redeliver it the next day! And thank god, Ms. Microwave did NOT put it back on the truck that time! If she had, you can bet your sweet bippy that I would have shoved her UNDER the truck!! Somehow, I did manage to receive all my cards before the departure for my trip, but I still had not received my driver's license for ID purposes. Thank goodness I had my valid passport which I had to take to Vegas with me, but right up to the point of departure, it was all touch and go and angst over replacing my stolen cards and identity ...!
I still felt a bit guilty about going on this trip with Mom still recuperating, but she said there was nothing I could do for her anyway, and it' would only be for 4 days. She had people taking care of her, and wanted me to have a good time. Goodness knows I needed to have a rest, and really was looking forward to this special event.
More about the trip to Vegas in my next blog... Right now, it's a Friday night, and I'm more than ready for my Happy Hour. Heaven knows I need as many Happy Hours as I can get! Got to make up for all the Torturous Hours spent at the company of Hell & Highwater, Inc.
Therefore, she did not want to me to miss the events, and told me to go ahead and go. At first, I thought no way, as I really enjoy my Mom coming along, and she has been a huge fan of Siegfried & Roy ever since we both saw one of their last shows in Vegas before Roy's dreadful accident. I thought going on this trip wouldn't work. But if I were to cancel both of us altogether, I would have lost money that I had already invested in the trip and in the special events for that special weekend. So Mom convinced me to go. She would not be alone the weekend I'd be gone, as my sister and her sister would be coming up to stay overnight with her and help her with chores and errands.
As far as my job went, I had told them right up front when I was hired that I had this trip planned which was already paid for, and so they knew I would be taking 2 days off for this. Even so, I would be docked for those 2 days as I was still on probation. I'm sure my boss wasn't really keen on me going, however he knew he agreed to it before I was hired and came on board.
So the trip was on. The only hitch was that it was a race against time as to whether I'd get all my stolen cards and ID back in time! The rigmarole I had to go through in calling all these places to make sure the cards would be sent in time and to the right address when I'd be home to sign for the delivery was nothing short of a nerve racking, tense, will-it-or-won't-it-get-here-in-time, migraine-inducing time. Since some courier companies require a signature upon delivery, I re-scheduled the delivery of 2 credit cards to be sent to my work address instead of my home address.
Now, normally, with most companies this would not be a problem. But, remember, I work for a one-guacamole-short-of-a-taco institution... and, let me tell you, INSTITUTION is a most apropos word! First of all, we have the little problem that I am in a 'SECURITY' building, which means no one without a pass can go beyond Checkpoint Charlie. The security guards, who both look as dynamic as someone who has been on morphine for 3 days, shoo all delivery guys off to the mail room in the basement. They won't call you or write anything down. They just sit. And 'secure' the building. Yeah, right! Osama Bin Laden could walk right in with his white sheet on, and they'd probably just have him put his Rolex in the tray so it wouldn't beep at the metal detector and then shoo him right on through. Therefore, I figured I better go down to the mail room in the basement and inform the people down there that I was expecting 2 very important packages.
Now, who do you think I see when I enter the basement mail room? The dingbat woman who, a few weeks earlier, had a hissy fit that I took her food out of the microwave!! GEEZ! Oh well, I proceeded to give her all the info regarding these 2 deliveries, the day they would be delivered, the carrier, my name, and my phone extension. And most importantly, I STRESSED to her that it was VITAL that she call me ASAP when they came and that it was very important to me.
The day came that I was expecting the credit cards to be delivered. I waited almost all day and still had no word of the deliveries. Meanwhile I checked my phone messages on my home phone, and discovered to my amazement, that Ms. Dingbat had left a message on my HOME phone saying my packages had arrived and to come and pick them up in the basement mail room! I was somewhat puzzled why she had called my home number instead of my work number, but thought, "Whew! At least they arrived!!" So I went down to the basement and asked Ms. Microwave Police Lady where my packages were. She looked me with a blank stare and then, are you ready for this???......She informed me that because I DID NOT ANSWER MY HOME PHONE - (HELLO??? THAT'S BECAUSE I'M AT WORK, YOU TWIT!!), she sent the packages back onto the delivery truck!!!! SAY WHAT???!!! Well, let me tell you, I saw R-E-D, like a snorting bull facing a Matador's red cape, my blood pressure went up, and I was more than ready to haul off and slug her!
Me: "WHAT!!?? I told you quite clearly that this was very important and for you to call me at my extension as soon as they arrived!!!"
She: "Well, I tink I lose the little piece of paper I writed your name and number on" (HELLO AGAIN?? Ever think of looking in the company directory??!!)
Me: "But how did you get my HOME number??!!"
She: "Uh, It was the numba that was on the package"
Me: Shaking my head in total disgust, I stormed out of there and headed back to my office to call the courier. As I headed back upstairs, I saw a UPS truck parked outside!!! AH!! My packages HAD to be ON THAT TRUCK!! So I ran outside and ran up to the truck. However, it was parked and no one was in it! So I loitered there on the sidewalk and waited. And waited. And waited some more. Was the driver eating lunch somewhere? Where was he? After waiting on the sidewalk for over 20 minutes, I was dying of thirst, so I dashed into the little cafe next door to quickly buy a Snapple. Wouldn't you know it, the minute I came back outside, the TRUCK WAS GONE!! ACHHHHHH!
Long story short, I called the courier and they agreed to redeliver it the next day! And thank god, Ms. Microwave did NOT put it back on the truck that time! If she had, you can bet your sweet bippy that I would have shoved her UNDER the truck!! Somehow, I did manage to receive all my cards before the departure for my trip, but I still had not received my driver's license for ID purposes. Thank goodness I had my valid passport which I had to take to Vegas with me, but right up to the point of departure, it was all touch and go and angst over replacing my stolen cards and identity ...!
I still felt a bit guilty about going on this trip with Mom still recuperating, but she said there was nothing I could do for her anyway, and it' would only be for 4 days. She had people taking care of her, and wanted me to have a good time. Goodness knows I needed to have a rest, and really was looking forward to this special event.
More about the trip to Vegas in my next blog... Right now, it's a Friday night, and I'm more than ready for my Happy Hour. Heaven knows I need as many Happy Hours as I can get! Got to make up for all the Torturous Hours spent at the company of Hell & Highwater, Inc.
posted by LADYGOLD at 7:40 PM
