Again, Terrible Service

Back in March (the 18th actually) I posted about the terrible service of Alltel. Well, it happened again.

I just can't believe it. It has been probably a decade since the Cell Phones, service plans, and two year contracts were a staple in a growing number of people's lives and we are still - or rather this company still cannot get reliable service to their people! How shocking is that?

I had Nextel - you know the bloop-bloop as my Juvie girls called it - before Alltel and Don and I decided to change because more minutes and less cost for the plan that I was getting. I was so excited, I was able to save a little money (not tons, but enough). But now I know why. I would love to spend the extra $10 for Nextel, have a bloop number (with free bloop minutes), free incoming, free nights/weekends (9pm was the only downer of that) and do all that without having to call to reprogram my phone every month.

Ode to have service that I don't have bitch people out for!! Please, whatever you do, DO NOT GET ALLTEL!!

I told them on the phone the other day if this happened again, then I would cancel and NOT pay the cancelation fee (the standard $200). I'm not sending them the phone. They are not gettingany courtesy from me. I've only been patient this time because we had a death of a close friend and it was terrible timing to shop for a new plan. The next time tho...it WILL be gone

Fun Little Treats

Last June my cousin got married and my aunt and uncle and their entire family came from Virginia for the wedding. One night I went out for dinner with them and they introduced me to Hommus. I hadn't had it since until my friend (from Seminary) Emma re-introduced me to it. Oh and the flavors I now eat!

...Red Pepper Hommus...

...Parmasian and Garlic...

...and now Greek flavored Hommus.

Now, I will admit that Hommus isn't for everyone. There are some people that don't like it and I'm not sure I liked it last year with my aunt. But, I suggest you try it at least once. Have fun!

Are Those Tears of Sorrow or Tears from Laughter?

If I were more faithful at blogging these days, you would have to ask yourself if the tears I cry these days are tears of joy and laughter or tears of sorrow. A dear family friend of 20 or more years went to be with her Heavenly Father this past Friday. To say it was sudden is an extreme understatement. My soul...I am tired of shedding tears. I cry for the family, I cry for my parents, I cry for their three grown children, I cry. I cry in the shower, I cry going off to sleep, I cry in class, I cry with my friends who have no clue, I cried at the funeral, I cried at visitation, I cried because I remember our joint family vacations, our hours of scrapbooking together, because she followed the Lord's prompting on big and little things, I cry because though Heaven has welcomed a faithful follower, here on earth, we know this place and our lives have lost another person who knew more about living for Jesus than living at all.

But I cried last night, tears came from my eyes, because I had such a good time with my old roommate from college. OMG it was just like the good ole days: a movie, some popcorn and pop for dinner, and then a little alcohol and some innocent trouble. We laughed so hard, it was just like lady's night in Orange City, Iowa.

So, Thank you Denae, you mean more to me than you'll ever know! Not just because last night you helped me out emotionally (again) but because you're you and I can talk to you about anything and everything..literally!

In All the Excitement

So in all the excitement of my non-exciting life, I got a job.

I now work at Pine Rest, a Christian mental health hospital, in their Cedar Program or house or something like that (?). I am a Residential Care Provider. So I'm staff for their Teen and Adolescent at-risk/high-risk kids. They're the kids that are the "worst of the worst" apparently. More later.

My Necklace

I have a necklace that was given to me by two dear Fijian friends of mine that receives more complements than anything else I have ever owned, large or small. I just received yet another one today. So in light of that, I'm going to tell the story of this necklace because it is more than just a necklace to me.

There was a camp that we were going to run during the school holidays. It was me, Tomu, and another leader or two who were running these day-camp school programs for elementary (primary) school kids two or three days each at two or three schools or something like that. Well, we were at this one school and Tomu didn't show up...at all. Leaving the bulk/all of the execution up to me. I was so mad. And being raised American I was ready to approach this conflict and bring it out in the open. A better part of me (being aware of the Fijian culture) had to hold back my American upbringing and bribe it to keep it quiet.

So I walked into that office that Monday after No-Show Friday exhausting myself (which at that point in my life was easy to do) in the means of keeping quiet about the No-Show issue. So I went to my desk and there it sat. All of my anger and frustration dwindled from me with the words Tomu spoke to me: "Tony and I made that for you. Sorry about Friday". No explaination about his whereabouts, nothing of that sort. Just a simple apology. The beaded necklace strung together with greenish/ocean waterish color fishing line held beads of earthy tones all shapes and sizes and strung together in no particular order. In the four years or so that have passed, a couple have cracked in have, giving it even more character. Every time I wear it, it gets complements and every time I wear it I think back on that Monday morning I was so piping mad, but one simple peace offering with forgiveness as gratitude and the world was set back on its course.