Wonderful End to a Depressing Streak

One of the toughest things the past few years has been listening to Zack lament, "why can't we (Gators) beat Florida State at anything?"  

And had you asked me at the beginning of football season, I would have said, "this year wouldn't be their year either." If someone had told me the Gators would end this season at 9-3 and be playing in a New Years Six Bowl game and that FSU would end the season at 5 - 7 thus ending their bowl streak (which probably should have ended last year, but that's a different story), I would have laughed in their face. 

However, as the season played out, Florida looked better and better each game while Florida State was just crazy undisciplined, inconsistent, and unmotivated.  So, going into the game today, I was somewhat confident in a Gator victory but was in no way expecting a 41-14 blowout and complete and utter domination!  

Needless to say Zack is giddy with happiness tonight. 

Happy Thanksgiving

We forgot to take out the trash before we left for the movie.....

Oh Christmas Tree or No Christmas Tree

I'm in the midst of a strong internal debate on whether I am even going to put up a Christmas Tree this year.  

I know...bah humbug! 

I have a beautiful tree but, after six or so years, all the pre-lit lights that came on the tree have burned out. I had planned to just go to a store and buy new lights to replace them but then...I started thinking maybe not. 



First of all, it's an expense right now that I just don't need.  And while I am still trying to dig out of the hole created when I went all summer without a paycheck, even $10-20 makes a huge difference. 

But really, the bottom line is...I just do not spend any time in my living room at all! I would rather spend money on a string of lights to hang around the window in my bedroom where I can enjoy them. 

So I am leaning toward no tree this year.  At least I won't have that post Christmas stress of having to take it all down!

The Carl Black Saga Cont.

Last entry ended with FINALLY getting my car in to the shop after waiting for FOUR WEEKS.  

I picked my car up on a Wednesday and 12 days later, my air conditioning was not working AGAIN!  

I called Carl Black immediately because when you pay a small fortune to get something fixed, you expect it to last more than 12 days, you know!  Plus, I wanted to be sure the cooling system was not broken again and driving the car would not damage the engine.  The "wonderful" lady in customer service told me I could bring the car in two weeks from that date.  

I calmly explained the situation again (I mean, maybe she didn't hear me correctly the first time) saying I just wanted the car looked at briefly to verify that it was just the air conditioning that needed fixing and not the entire cooling system. Her response was the same --- two weeks. 

So, that night I took it to one of those fast service places and it took them all of two minutes to look under the hood of my car and tell me the cooling system was fine! 

The next day I talked to the customer service manager who was kind and (at the time I thought) helpful and said he would move my name "up the list for a loaner so it should only be a few more days."  

One week later, I call back....two weeks later....three weeks later...four weeks later (on a Friday evening) I was beyond over it and again asked to speak with a manager.  I got the same one who, not surprisingly, repeated almost word for word what he said to me four weeks earlier (he did not know he was talking to a person whom he had already talked with). I accused him of giving me lip service because "this is exactly what you told me four weeks ago when I talked to you."  At this point, he told me he would call me back.  He did --- about 15 minutes later, and told me to bring the car in the next day and a loaner would be available.  

On Saturday I brought my car in and, once again, there was nothing in the computer system so they were not expecting it or expecting me or knew anything about a loaner but they signed off on the papers and sent me to the loaner department anyway. 

And this is where I felt like I was in one of those hidden TV shows that do crazy things to record your reactions.  It was here that the guy behind the counter said to me these exact words, "oh yes, Dave did ask me to set aside a loaner for you but I didn't put it in the computer system because I have so many of them, I thought I would let you pick which one you wanted."  

EXCUSE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been waiting for four freaking weeks for a loaner and you are telling me you have all these loaners available?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    I kid you not, he gave me the choice of five different cars!!!!!!

Fast forward four days and

........... the little patience and good humor I currently had, completely disappeared when they told me I needed a new condenser and hose to the tune of $1000.00.

Even if I had the money to fix it right now, I would not have it fixed there.  I have no way to prove they did anything to purposely cause this problem but I have my suspicions.  AND, if they didn't sabotage my car, then HOW DO YOU MISS THAT condenser repair when I just had my car in there for an air conditioning issue??? 

Needless to say, I picked up my car right away and did not look back.  Luckily we're heading into winter and having air in my car is not a pressing issue.

Come spring when it is, I will be going somewhere else!!!!! 

The Carl Black Saga

Before I begin....just a little back story.

You can read this post if you prefer, but I'll try to condense the story here ---

Three years ago, I needed  new engine in my new(ish) Chevy Aveo.  I had already had it towed to the dealership I just bought the car from 3 weeks prior and was treated so poorly!  I then had it towed to the nearest Chevy dealership, which was Carl Black. My experience at Carl Black was so amazing (including them calling me and offering me a loaner while my Aveo was being fixed.  

So, when my Chevy Sonic started having issues with the cooling system, I knew right away that I would go back to Carl Black.  This, however, has been anything but a positive experience. In fact, it's been a 3 month nightmare!!!! 

I want to reference this by saying the people in the service department and loaner department have been wonderful but the customer service department ranks among the worst I have ever dealt with!!!!!

My very first phone call to Carl Black was on July 10. I assumed  that, like last time, they would have a loaner available right away.  They did not.  The following, in bullet points, is what occurred. 

• On July 10, I was put on a "waiting list" for a loaner and was told it would be 3 or 4 days. 
• One week later, I called and was told it might be another 5-7 days. 
• 10 days later, I called again and was told that, indeed I was on the list. That I started out the middle of a 3 page waiting list and was now in the middle of page 1.  I mentally calculated it might be another 5-7 days or so
• 10 days later, I called for a third time. This time, I was angry and most likely pretty rude to the lady on the phone.  It was a Friday evening and she told me to bring to my car in the next Wednesday and a loaner would be available for me.  
• Wednesday morning I have AAA tow my car to Carl Black, got a ride to school for the day, and my friend took me after school to pick up the loaner. 
• Only, when I got there, they told me they didn't even have my car!!!!! 
• Call AAA who assures me the car was towed to Carl Black...except Carl Black is telling me it's not there.  I begin thinking I am going to need to call the police as 1000 scenarios are going through my mind, when a guy walks by and says, "are you talking about the white Sonic, it's out back."  Come to find out that the gal I talked to on Friday (you know, the one who told me to bring my car in and a loaner would e available) never even entered the information in the computer so the service department had absolutely no idea who I was or why the car was towed there!  AND...surprise...there was also NO LOANER available at the time.  
• I lost my mind!  And this is where the service department is the complete opposite of the customer service department...they found me a loaner in just minutes!  

I had the loaner for a total of two weeks while my radiator was being repaired.  

I wish I could say that was the end of the saga but less than two weeks later, the air conditioning quit working again. This was 5 weeks ago and today I was FINALLY able to bring it in.  

So...part two of this nightmare will be for another time. 

I'll end the post on a good note

After making rolls for dinner one night, I left the cookie sheet on the stove to cool.  Someone found a nice warm place to sleep. 

Goofy girl...

Back to It - A Halloween Horror Nights Preview

Wow...I am really off my blogging game.  I don't understand the lack of making myself blog since I absolutely love love looking back at old posts and reliving different points of the past 10 years or so (I cannot believe it has been that long)!  

Anyway...HHN started last week.  As excited as I was for it to begin, it was an odd feeling knowing that one of my favorite about it (Bill and Ted) would not be there this year.  

BUT...let's focus on what they DO have this year. 

Five creepy and fantastic scare zones...

Revenge of Chucky (complete with an interactive Chucky doll)

The Harvest

Twisted Tradition

Vamp '85 New Year's Eve

Picture: MaxReDefault

and my personal favorite...Killer Klowns from Outer Space

And 10 amazing houses

Stranger Things

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

Poltergeist

Picture: Max ReDefault

Trick R Treat

The Horrors of Blumhouse

Carnival Graveyard; Rust in Pieces

Picture: Max ReDefault

Dead Exposure; Patient Zero

Scary Tales; Deadly Ever After

Seeds of Extinction

Slaughter Sinema 

As of now, the only houses I have been through are Seeds of Extinction, Trick R Treat, and Halloween 4. 

I'm so excited about tomorrow night as C.J. and I get in early and have exclusive access to some of the houses!  

Once again, the Academy of Villains are there.  I look forward to seeing their show - but NOTHING can replace Bill and Ted.  

Picture: Max ReDefault

All images are from google

Thoughts on Marriage

This has been a very challenging summer.  When you are not receiving a paycheck and are waiting on the IRS to send you $7,000.00 by mail (which still hasn't arrived) - every day seems an eternity. To say I am ready for school to begin and feel some sense of peace and purpose would be an understatement. 

Anyway, what does any of the have to do with the title of the post?  I have had a lot of time to think this summer about my "former life" also known as my "Wisconsin life" or my "married to Jerry" life.  

I had a job I absolutely LOVED (Valley Christian will probably always be my favorite place to work), I had no financial concerns, and I was surrounded by amazing friends.  Sounds great, right? 

BUT, what I didn't have was a husband who loved me.  I didn't have a partner in a committed marriage.  I had a husband who, in his own words, could "live with me."  In reality, what those words meant were - I don't really care if you're here or not. 

As the years in our marriage progressed and I found the tensions building and the happiness fading, I did everything I could think of to hold us together. I tried things I read on the internet. I acted in ways the Bible teaches us to act in a marriage. I wrote letters. I bought books and devotions to read together. I set up dates for us. And above all, I prayed. 

What I failed to realize at that time, though, is that those things only work when there are two willing parties.  Our marriage did not have that.  Once I realized I was the only one who was willing to nurture and tend to our relationship, I started looking for information on, "how can one person keep a marriage going?"  

Not surprisingly, I came up empty everywhere I turned.  One person cannot keep a relationship going. We were doomed and whatever I did from then on was useless because there was zero interest from the other party.  

I remember my mom was staying with us and I told her I was going to tell Jerry that night that I think it was time to put put a period at the end of our marriage. 

My mom was nervous, she said she didn't want be here when we were fighting or yelling.  I laughed and said, "mom, he is not going to care."  And I was right. His response, which provided a clear and succinct view into his callous and disinterested heart was simply, "OK." 

And that was it.  It was over.  

Reminiscing about my life in Wisconsin is so melancholy. Everything about life there was so wonderful - except my marriage. I wish to God I could have changed that......................