SO DISAPPOINTED IN THE USPS

 I got a letter in the mail today.  It arrived in a plastic bag with a notice on it from the USPS saying it had been opened.  I opened the plastic bag and there was a card inside. The card had been opened by being slit along the top like with a knife.  Inside was a HELLO card from a friend with a letter inside the card.  It was not like a Hallmark card.  On the outside of the envelope there was a stamp from the USPS and checked off was that the envelope was unsealed (which it wasn't) and that it was in damaged condition.  The envelope was sealed.  The stamp was not canceled with a postmark so I can't see where and when it was mailed.  I know it was mailed around July 20, 2020 in New York because that is where my friend lives.  

My assumption is that someone at the post office intercepted the letter before it got to the machine that postmarks the letters and opened it looking for money or a check.  The letter then got put in some sort of bin that it got across the country and got to my main post office where they realized it was opened and stamped it, put a line through the stamp (thereby canceling it) and put it in the plastic bag.  All of that took a month.  

Tell me again that there is nothing wrong with the post office?  I have never in all my years had a piece of mail opened in such a blatant way.  

So the USPS tally since February:

• 17 day delay in forwarded mail
• opened piece of mail that took a month to be delivered
• lost paycheck that has never surfaced

I have been such a USPS supporter and they are loosing my loyalty.  I am so disappointed.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ON THE PHONE

 I was all set to video chat with my friends when my friend S called me.  She had surgery last week and she called to check in.  It was more important to talk to her and see how she was doing.  Later I spoke to my foster kid and my cousin.  It was another Sunday on the phone checking in with people.  Funny I never used to like being on the phone.

Starting September 1 I am starting a new life plan to keep me on track with my life goals.  I think during this covid-19 time it is important to set goals.  One of my goals is to keep in contact with family and friends. Strengthen those bonds that I made during the beginning of Covid-19 and don't let them slip away. Having friends in my life has been so important.  I have not always been the best at being that friend that talks/texts every day or week.  I am trying to be better.  

I will reveal my other goals later.   

Until tomorrow...

BATHE A DOG AND CUT MY HAIR

 Today was a day of getting those tasks I don't want to do done.  I have a list on my wall of tasks I don't want to do or are task intensive tasks.  This weekend I took care of two of them:

1. I gave Lucky a bath.  I won't tell you how long it has been since Lucky had a bath but I am happy I have a short haired dog who hates to get wet or dirty.  I was surprised when I put her in the bath that the water did not go dark, it stayed clear.  It was a little stinky but so was Lucky.  I guess all those days Lucky went with the dog walker in the rain paid off. She got a mini shower!  I had to put a muzzle on Lucky to bathe her but she did really good.  She stands like a statue because water is her kryptonite. She just stares at me and waits for it to get over.  Then I take her out, take off the muzzle and towel her off.  She spends 15 minutes rubbing her coat on the towels.  Once she is dry she is allowed out of the bathroom and NOT allowed on the furniture.  She would rub herself all over my bed and the couch if I let her. She smells so nice now.

Once I was done with that task and I cleaned up from the dirty bathtub and bathroom, I gave myself a haircut.  This is haircut number 2 since quarantine.  I think I did a better job this time.  I am getting my grove back.  I went much shorter this time, as you will see below.

As you can see, I a lot of hair off.  I had a lot of hair to take off.  I feel so much lighter.  After I cut my hair there was the clean up, then the shower to get the hair off me.  

It was a whole day of tasks and cleaning up.  Then I rested.  

Until tomorrow...

GETTING MY WATCH TALKING TO MY PHONE

 I spent hours getting my phone talking to my watch today.  Since I got my new phone I have been slowly getting things to work on it.  Since I have not been wearing my watch (why bother) I didn't synch it up.  When I tried, nothing worked on it.  I also had to update the operating system so it screwed everything up.  Suddenly no emails and texts worked.  As I have said before, I can't stand when things that should work, don't work. It drives me crazy!  

 Then I figured out that a button wasn't clicked and Voila! it all worked. It always boggles my mind how one button not clicked can screw everything up.  It all works again.  I am happy.

 Until tomorrow...

MY BROTHER IS THE BEST!

 My brother C is the best IT support.  My printers have not been working.  My black ink printer has been not working on my network since January.  It is so annoying to not be able to print on my workhorse printer.  It is really old but it is chugs along.  It is the best printer I ever bought. Then I have my color printer and it is nothing but annoying.  It prints then it stops printing. Then it prints when it feels like it.  Then it stopped printing all together.  I had no printers.

Then my new phone didn't print.  I was in printer hell.

In came my brother C. He spent almost 3 hours on the phone with me getting all the printing going.  The color printer is now working. It was an easy fix.  Then it took hours to get the old workhorse printer working. It is so old it was hard to get information.  Finally C found a solution and it worked.  My phone prints now too.  Hallelujah! 

We are going to make a date to fix my other computer issues.  I gave him a preview and he is going to work on a solution in advance.  It is fun to spend time together, we get along really good.  But it is really satisfying to get this problems fixed.  I really hate when I can't print or something doesn't work the way it is supposed to.

I got my replacement veggie and fruit box at 8pm last night. I was just putting the lock box on the door and the guy came up my stairs.  I was excited to see veggies and fruit again after a week.  

Until tomorrow...

HOTEL FIGHT IS OVER!

 The fight with the hotel is over!  Here's the backstory.  

Back in January I stayed in a hotel that I pre-paid (never doing that again).  Within the time frame, I cancelled one of the days and got my money back.  I did the whole reservation through a third party.  My time at the hotel was okay.  When I arrived they charged me for the day I cancelled. I talked to management and got my money back.  Then it happened again.  I got my money back again.  Then the day I checked out it was 3 am and I didn't check my bill carefully and they charged me again. I called and got my money back again. The next month I got my credit card bill and once again I was charged. I called the hotel and got my money back again.  Then the next month I got charged again. This time I went to the credit card fraud department and they gave me my money back and then the hotel appealed it.  I appealed the appeal and got my money back. Then the hotel appealed the appeal and I got charged again. At this point it had been going on for 6 months.  

I tried to call the third party vendor around April but due to Covid-19 it was impossible to get through. They even had a third party answering calls.  I left a message but never got a call back.  I decided to call again in July and got right through to the nicest person.  She got right on the case and in a day or two I got a response that I was going to get a refund.  I was hesitant to be happy because I had been down this road before.  Well, today I got my credit card bill and there was a credit for the hotel bill.  Yippee!  It looks like the nightmare is over.  It only took 7 months to get this sorted.  But I have my almost $200 back just in time to help pay for my very expensive crown!  

My hoola hoop is great!  I am so excited.  I hoola hooped for 5 minutes today and I was exhausted.  It seemed so easy as a child.  I do have to explain it is a weighted hoola hoop so it takes more energy than the plastic hoola hoops we bought at the 5 & 10 and had as children.   I think it will be great fun.

Until tomorrow...

HOOLA HOOP ARRIVED

 My hoola hoop has arrived.  It is sitting in quarantine and I can't wait to open it and see it.  Tomorrow will be hoola hoop day!  

Today I Zumba'd for 20 minutes.  Zumba has been making me sweat.  I actually break out in a sweat!  I tried Zumba years ago and I didn't like it.  I really like it now.  I don't think I would join a class or anything but in my living room, I like it.  

I made an agreement with myself that I would workout five days a week.  Either Zumba, hoola hoop, treadmill, walking DVD, or stationary bike.  I have lots of options but with this smoke I have had those options cut down to walking DVD, Zumba and hoola hoop.  Still some good options.

My plan to get up and get moving is happening.

Until tomorrow...

BUYING BINGE

 Okay I have been buying items.  I am trying to make my home life better.  I bought a lamp for my living room so I could move the old lamp to my office.  I bought the treadmill and hoola hoop (yes, a hoola hoop) for exercise. I bought the hammock and timer for the backyard.  I bought my Covid-19 items.  I bought light bulbs, remote, air filters, batteries, etc. for getting the house in order.

I am trying to make the house more comfortable.  My office is the next thing to tackle.  A new desk and lamp is needed so I can look out the window when I work.

Until tomorrow...

DINNER THEATRE

 I picked some tomatoes from my tomato plant.  I have at least 20 more tomatoes that are not ripe. 

I was sent these photos from the dog walker. Isn't Lucky cute?

I spent most of my day talking and video chatting with friends and family. It is good to connect even if it is not in person.  Oh, I forgot to mention, my friend S and I have signed up for three plays that we will watch together (separately of course) online.   I am real excited. I think we may make a night of it and order food to eat during the performance.  Dinner theatre!  Plus something to look forward to over the next few months.

Since I didn't get my fruit and veggie box this week I had to rethink my meal plan.  I was going to make Natalie Portman's Chickpea and Zucchini Summer Stew.  With no zucchini that would be hard!  I had to pivot to making something with no fresh vegetables and instead I made One-Pot Chickpea Tikka Masala with brown rice and grilled tofu on the side.  It was a filling and nutritious dinner.  I didn't have the fire-roasted diced tomatoes but it was plenty spicy for me with all the other spices. I was thinking I would throw in some hot sauce if I needed it. I did not put in the jalapenos either. That would be too spicy for me.  This is why I like to cook Indian and Mexican food at home, I can adjust the spiciness to my own taste.  I say mild at a restaurant and my mild and other people's mild are usually two different things!

Until tomorrow...

PSYCH II THE MOVIE

 I finally watched Psych II: The Movie.  It is on the new Peacock TV.  I just love Psych the TV show.  It was fun to see the movie and all the characters again.  I hear they are filming 4 movies so that is exciting.

I watched another zoom about native gardening of the west coast.  I am really enjoying these educational zooms about gardening.  

The smoke from the fires is SO bad here. Yesterday and today I have not been able to open the windows. Of course, I am not complaining since so many people are having to escape from the fires and are loosing their houses.  It is so very sad.  I had no idea that lightening could do such damage.

My friends kid E came by to help me by going to the Post Office and picking up what I thought was a package. It was a huge pile of mail.  Why that mail did not get forwarded, I can't understand.  He walked down and got it for me.  He is so sweet.  I offered to pay him and he declined but I insisted and we decided I would give him 1/2 what I wanted to give him.  He offered to help me any time.  He is a sweet kid.  He is saving for a car.

Until tomorrow...