Complaints

about Chase Bank have inspired me to relate a financial glitch of my own.

I seem to keep having problems with my Verizon cell phone bill. I try to pick a plan that will fit our needs, only to find we're 500 text messages over our limit (damn kids!) or have used too many minutes. At one point I thought I might have to declare bankruptcy over my cell phone bill! JK, but still.

So I finally got a plan that seems manageable, but every nearly every month the bill is more than I think it should be. I then have to delve into the cryptic details of my phone bill. I've had to call to find out what a mysterious "data" charge of $9.99 is 3 or 4 times now, it's been a cell phone subscription to some "service" that none of us ever knowingly signed up for! Like a horoscope or weather report, but we don't actually receive any service. And every time I have to dispute this charge and send a STOP message to a certain number.

So I'm alerting anybody who reads this blog, that apparently there is a way for these services to force through a subscription to a phone number, and get that "service" onto your phone bill!

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Then, the other day I noticed that our Charter bill was too high. It suddenly jumped $60 higher, and I called to see if we had exhausted our previous contract with them. I got someone who sounded like she was in India, and she kept asking me security questions and repeating everything I said. This drove me crazy!

In the end, I found out that our contract did indeed run out, and the price for our current services jumped $60. I asked her if there were any new contract specials that would be more affordable. She came back and said all she could find was that if we upgraded our internet service, we could have it for the same price of $60 higher.

I said no, we didn't need better internet service, what we need is a lower bill! She advised me to try again later in the month, when more promotions might be available. I told her I was disappointed, and would have to check with AT&T now.

So I got onto the computer, and checked out AT&T's specials. The only problem is that they only offer DirectTV, and K doesn't trust satellites. The only other option in our area seemed to be Charter.

Then I checked out Charter's web site, and found that they had plenty of packages that were more affordable than our current $60-inflated rate. So K called Charter back, and asked if we could get that rate instead. The agent said she had to check and see if we were eligible, and luckily she found that we were.

She checked on some specials, and it seems that if we were to upgrade to DVR, our rate would go down to the previous affordable rate! Also, we were able to add a set of channels we were supposed to have LAST time, for $10 more a month.

So somehow we ended up much better off than before, for only $10 more a month! I finally get DIY and BBC back! Now I can watch crafting shows and Footballers Wives again!

The Girl keeps saying, "I haven't seen this show in a year!" Plus now we can record things to watch later, just like 80% of the rest of the country.

Yay for the internet, and perseverance.

Garden stories

from our yard. These stories are somewhat amusing and sometimes scary, but are ultimately not very exciting. I've just been having issues with Mother Nature lately. Read at your own risk.

Red Poppies
When we chose this house to buy, I agreed with the stipulation that K clear ivy from the little hillside in back of our house. So it's been cleared off, but grass and weeds still grow there, until we rip that out too. So for the past few years, I've thrown poppy seeds out onto the hillside, and cover them up with some pretty bark mulch. And we usually get some nice orange flowers until the weather turns too hot and burns everything up.

This year, I found some seed packets from last year, and one had Red Poppy seeds in it. So even 'tho they were old seeds, I was hoping to jazz things up a bit with some spicy red color. I was soon disappointed, tho, because days and then weeks later, I was getting NOTHING!! No little sprouts, nada. Sigh.

Then, a few weeks ago, I was surprised to see a delicate red poppy amongst the orange flowers and grass. A red poppy!!! So pretty and delicate, very different from the orange poppies. I looked closer, and noticed that this red poppy's leaves were completely different from the orange poppy's leaves. In fact the leaves on the red poppy looked a lot like dandelion leaves!

I think everyone who works in their yard knows what must immediately be done when one spots a few dandelion leaves - yank them up! So who knows how many pretty little poppies I accidentally pulled up? Poor little babies.

On the flip side of this, I'm now letting everything that looks like a dandelion grow. I don't know what else to do, but if I see any signs of dandelion flowers, that sucker's coming out!

Meanwhile, new poppies have sprung up, that are very yellow! Where did those come from?


Mysterious Tomato Eater
The other day, I was looking at my few tomato plants, wondering why they weren't as big and prolific as the plants in my neighbor's garden next door. As I looked at the biggest plant, I noticed that the top branches were stripped of all their leaves! It was completely eaten, leaving just the stumps of the vine. What the heck was happening here?

The next day I looked at it again, and noted that the plant next to it looked fine. I theorized that perhaps the trellis I'd winded the bigger plant into was some sort of access to the plant for some small tomato-plant-eating animal. So I moved to pull the plant out of the trellis.... and stopped, inches away from the plant.

Because. there. was. a. HUGE!!!! caterpillar. sitting. on. the. vine. Green. Just like the vine. Hard to notice, except it was about 2 inches thick!!! OK, maybe just an inch, but still. It was at least 3 inches long. That's a very big caterpillar!

He'd seen me coming, too, and pulled up his head and sort of tucked his chin, holding on for dear life to that vine. I called for K, who luckily is brave in all things insect related. He pulled it off my plant (he said that sucker was really holding on) and tossed it into the compost pile where hopefully it will lead a long caterpillar life and not get hit on the head by a shovel!

I hate to imagine how big a moth (butterfly) that huge caterpillar is going to turn into someday.

Fish Folly
OK, this isn't really about my yard, but it's wildlife related. It started when The Girl wanted a hamster and we told her no, so she talked us into a fish instead. She got a pretty Beta, and she named him "Jaws."

We have a great two-bowl system for changing the fishes water, and yesterday set about preparing the new water for the changeover. When it was time, I took the little net and tried to scoop him into it. Over time, however, it seems that Jaws has come to appreciate the changeover less and less, and has taken to trying to escape the net.

After a few tries, I successfully landed him in the net, and moved to put him into the new bowl. I was halfway there when he suddenly flipped himself free and landed on the bathroom counter! The Girl started screaming and ran out of the room, while the fish flipped again, and momentarily disappeared. I pulled the other bowl out of the sink, and found him in the sink bowl with the drain wide open! I moved quickly to scoop him up, but even then it took a few tries.

Finally I was able to hold onto him somehow, and toss him into the new bowl. The Girl came back in just in time to see the conclusion of this fiasco.

Who knew having a fish would be this scary?

Graduation

The Boy's High-School graduation was really nice. I'd been a bit worried, as our parents haven't really talked to each other in over 10 years, and both sets came to town for the occasion. But everything went surprisingly well, and our parents even seemed to get along. The Boy was nice to everyone and even stuck around to visit a little bit.

At the last minute I went out and bought a new dress for the ceremony, and I was lucky to find one that was really cute. I splurged on a pair of sunglasses that matched.

There were some nice speeches, and they kept the proceedings pretty short because of the heat. I recognized the Boy pretty easily, as he had worn his colorful shoes with his gown. We cheered at the names we knew, and at the end they threw their hats into the air.

It was really moving. I hadn't made the Girl go, as it was her last day of school and her friends were having parties. Plus we were short a ticket. But when it was over I wished she had been there to see it. It was a nice experience.

We went out to eat that night. The next day we toured CSULB, where the Boy will attend school next fall. It looks like a nice school, and he should do well if he applies himself.

We went out to eat that night too (PF Chang's) to celebrate our anniversary (22 years) and the in-laws anniversary (49 years). Theirs was that day, Friday, and ours was the next day, Saturday. We celebrated a night early, as we were having the grad party on Saturday.

On Saturday we had our long-anticipated Graduation Party. It was very nice, in spite of the power going off. It was really, really hot, so it was a bad time for the electricity to shut off! Just as the neighborhood band plugged in their amp, the whole block went out.

I think the band was more disappointed than anyone, as they'd really wanted to play.

Thank God we had the pool, as it was really hot for a few hours. Then a breeze picked up and it was nicer. The electric company came out and said we needed a new transformer, so he requested one. All together it took about 6 hours to get the electricity fixed. Half of our party was intrigued with the whole process however, and stood transfixed in the yard as they watched the guy in the cherry=picker replace this transformer.

Not as many people came to the party as I'd feared, so we had lots of food left over. It's hard to gauge when you invite nearly everyone you know and don't ask for RSVPs. The Boy had a nice time I think, and cleanup wasn't bad at all. We saw some good friends and had a great time visiting with everyone.

It was kindof nice that it was our anniversary too. In the middle of the party, we'd pass each other and remember, and take a moment to kiss each other and appreciate all that got us to this moment. It seemed right that we were marking this passage on our anniversary.

The next day my parents treated us all to brunch at Whole Foods, which was near their hotel in Pasadena (on Arroyo). They were really excited about it,but I was skeptical. Brunch at Whole Foods? But it turned out to be really nice, and we could special order lots of things, like omelets and pancakes. I ended up liking it a lot.

All in all we had a surprisingly good time. I think the Boy is just starting to realize that he accomplished something. Granted, all he had to do is stay in school, but not everyone can do that.

I feel we've given him a decent start in life. I'm glad about that.

The rest is up to him.

Jazz Festival

Last Saturday I had to work and K was home working on the yard. The Girl had been invited to go to Palm Springs with a friend, and had left on Friday. Suddenly we were childless again!

While I was at work, K called to say that our friend McNeal had called and said he had 2 extra tickets to the Playboy Jazz Festival. Did I want to go? For free?

Hell yes I want to go! I've never been to the Jazz Festival because it's always seemed too expensive or too hard to get tickets. But then I've never really tried. I love going to the Bowl, tho.

It was the best day. After I got home we went for a swim, and then got ready to go. We took something to drink and bought a Subway footlong on the way. We decided to drive to the LA Zoo shuttle, as parking would probably be jammed at the Bowl. It was surprisingly easy to find, and only cost $3 round trip.

The bus started to load up, and I was surprised at the amount of stuff people were lugging. The guy sitting in front of us had a big suitcase made of wicker, many people had big coolers, and lots of people were wheeling backpacks and suitcases - I guess filled with food. It's like they were taking enough food and drink for a week! Also, one lady had a big comforter, still in it's store packaging.

Another thing I noticed is that most people were very well dressed and looked affluent. The bus loaded up, and pretty soon it drove us to the Bowl. We got our tickets and went to find our seats. Luckily, the K section was first to get shade, and by the time we got there (it started at 2pm I think) we were comfortable in a nice shade.

Everybody there had lots of good drinks already mixed, and had also brought food. We had food too, but felt a little bad as a sub is kindof hard to share. We didn't plan ahead like everyone else, who seem to come every year. They had jello shots and fried chicken and a vegetable platter and everything. Two girls were drinking pomagranite juice with Cristal.

The jazz was really great to listen to. The back section started a few waves of beach balls bouncing through the air, but Security intercepted them by the time they got to the bottom. Some people were into it, but some seemed annoyed by a ball suddenly dropping on them, or worse, their drink! Some thought it was disrespectful to the musicians.

We especially enjoyed R&R, Poncho Sanchez, Dr. John and the Lower 911, Al Jarreau, and Tower of Power. I didn't think Tower of Power had that many songs, but they went last and the place was really jamming at the end. Everyone was up and dancing.

I figured the busses back would be mobbed, but they were really close, easy to find, and fast! Not mobbed at all.

We'd been working really hard getting the house (and yard!) ready for our Boy's Graduation Party, so it was really nice to take the afternoon off and have a really enjoyable time with our friends. For free!

I think I want to go again next year.

I'm glad The Girl was invited somewhere else for the weekend, so that we could go...

Dear Mr. D

I've been feeling nostolgic about my kids lately. It seems like they grow up so fast. This year was a really good year for The Girl. This is a letter she wrote her teacher at the end of the school year. Next year, 6th grade!!!

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Mr. D,

I‘m XOXOXO, one of your 5th grade students from the year 2008.In the year 2008 I learned so much because you were my teacher. You always fit learning into everything we did and always challenge me. Everyday I learned something new things and I thank you so much for that.

I remember the time you took the time to tell the whole class two stories about when you use to play football in high school and college. You put so much enthusiasm into your stories, you’re a great story teller. I really enjoyed hearing how far your team got to the champion in high school and how hard your team worked to get there. Your other story about wrestling that really tough guy in a football boot camp was also very entertaining.

I’m really going to miss learning form you. I’ve learned more this year then I’ve ever learned in one school year. You never took a day sick from school and you never said it was too much gas wasted to get to school every day from where you lived. Thank you so much for this wonderful year, too bad it had to go by so fast.

High School Drama

Someone else recently brought up the term "Helicopter Mom." I'd never heard that term before, but it refers to a parent who tends to hover over their child I think.

Well, I have run into one of these parents lately, and a lot of drama surrounding prom ensued. Actually, I've never met this mom, and it's probably a good thing.

It all started a year ago. The Boy's friend B was going out with a girl, R. Then he decided he'd rather go out the the Boy's Girlfriend's Sister, Melinda. But when B broke up with R, R confronted Melinda about the timing, etc. Then the Boy's Girlfriend told R to leave her sister alone.

Then the Boy wrote about it on Myspace, and R's parents came over to confront us about it. Luckily I wasn't home, but K got to meet them all. They were brandishing papers printed off Myspace, and insisting that K read it. He declined. When they weren't satisfied with K's response, they took it to the Principle's office, where all the kids had to sign a document promising not to fight with each other any more.

That was a year ago.

This year, the Boy's Girlfriend is no longer in High School (having graduated), so she applied for a Guest Pass to go with the Boy. The Friday before the week before Prom, the Principle tells Boy that her application for a Guest Pass was denied. Why? Because she's on a "List" of people who were mean to this girl R, and R has said she doesn't "feel safe" with her at the Prom. The Principle said she couldn't discuss it with him, nor should he try to contact R about it.

So he called to see if we could help him. So K called the Principle, who repeated that she couldn't discuss it, and we weren't to talk to R's family about it either. After pressing her for SOMETHING that could be done, she gave him of someone he could call - Dick. So K called Dick and left a message. Being that it was Friday afternoon, he never called back.

So K tried again on Monday, calling Dick and getting no response. By now the kids had resigned themselves to going somewhere else, and meeting up with their friends later.

On Tuesday I asked the Boy if he even wanted to go anymore, and he said it was too late now, because tickets weren't available anymore. Well! I didn't like the sound of that at all! So I fired off a scathing email to the Superintendent of the School District, copying Dick and the Principle. I told them I didn't think it was fair, and various reasons why it was unfair, and pointed out that the Boy was up for Prom King and how would it look if he couldn't show up because his date was not approved? Plus I pointed out that the Boy was now being damaged by their actions, and I was disappointed in all of them.

Well, Dick called that same morning, and said that the Guest Pass had been granted! "What? Really?" I exclaimed in surprise. Yes, he said, they didn't want anyone else to be penalized because of this.

This situation, I guess he means. Where R's family is trying to sue the school district, has restraining orders out on two other girls, and is accusing every boy she ever dated of sexual harassment. I think the mother can't stand the thought that anyone doesn't like her daughter, and in the process is alienating everyone against her daughter! Better that she should teach her daughter to roll with the punches or work things out for herself.

Anyway, the Boy was SO glad to get to go after all, and I got lots and lots of credit. They had a great time, and all was well until the next drama got ready to unfold.

So much fun.

Just media notes

There have been a few things lately that I've felt like commenting on, but I keep forgetting.

For one thing, at the end of the last post I forgot I'd stayed up to watch SNL the night before Mother's Day. They featured a band with a strange name - "My Morning Jacket", but their song was SO good! They started with a great guitar hook and then really jammed out a song called, "I'm amazed." I'd been recording it since it was late and I was likely to fall asleep, and the next day I played it over and over for K and The Girl. Both agreed it was a jamming song.

Next, have you ever heard of the "Big Head" theory in Hollywood? They say it's better to have a big head because it looks better on the big screen. And if you notice, most "Stars" have big heads!

So on American Idol, when I saw the size of David Cook's head compared to Ryan Seacrest's head, it was clear to me that he was going to win. His head was way bigger than David Archuleta's head. I thought it was a great finale. I loved how ex-contestants sang songs from famous people (Donna Summer, George Michaels), then the artists came out themselves and sang a new song. I loved DC singing with ZZ Top. The decision announcement was also entertaining, with the winner crying, the loser looking grateful, and lots of fireworks.

Great!

I think David Archuleta would be good in a Disney TV show, like High School Musical.
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A video that really bothers me is Madonna's "Four Minutes to Save the World." She skips around looking fierce and walking on people's tables while they're trying to eat. Justin Timberlake does a few spins and adjusts his scarf, but neither one of them is doing anything about saving the world!

Huh. That's not very productive. With 4 minutes to save the world we should all grab a boy or a girl?
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Recently I saw that one of my favorite authors, Michael Connelly, had a new book out, "The Overlook". I bought it and took it home to read, but it kept referring to the previous book, "Echo Park." I couldn't remember the story or the outcomes the Overlook was referring to, so I went and checked "Echo Park" out of the library.

Turns out, I hadn't read it! So, joy of joys, I got to read TWO Harry Bosch books back to back! Days of fun, I tell you what. There's nothing like finding out you're backed up on reading one of your favorite authors.

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Yesterday on Oprah, Reba was on, singing duets with people who were with her on her new album of duets. It may have been an old show, I don't know. Anyway, she sang "Because of you" with Kelly Clarkson. First Reba took the high harmony and Kelly sang the chorus. Then they switched and Kelly sang the high part and Reba sang the chorus. It was beautiful.

That's a really sad song, though. I like to believe that a person can try to make their own life in spite of what they experienced as a child.

Anyway, Oprah brought up that Kelly had been having a problem with her producers not wanting some of her songs. Kelly downplayed it, saying it was normal, and Oprah said that Kelly writes about her life, and that was her message to the producers.

Actually I agree with her producers. I'm tired of songs about breaking up from Kelly. She's made at least two albums about that topic by now, and I'd like to hear something from her other than anger.

How, 'bout it Kelly?