Cell Phone Provider Stupidity

The T Mobile contract we had for my wife’s phone was up. The kids and I are on Verizon. I wanted a Droid. So ported my wife’s number to Verizon and added a new line to get my Droid for the low, low. Her phone was on T-Mobile for 13 days that month but we get a $50.59 bill, which is more than the regular monthly bill. So I just called T-Mobile and explained the situation, at least as much as they needed to know.

T Mobile: “That should have been pro-rated but since you canceled in the middle of the month we charge you the whole month.”
Me: “What?”
T Mobile: “Let me check with my manager and see what we can do.”
Me: Thinking how can you pro-rate and charge for the whole month? What sense does that make. If they don’t straighten this out I’ll be calling my Pre-Paid Legal Law Firm.
T Mobile: “As a courtesy we will pro-rate the bill.”

Final bill $23.60 instead of $50.59. I’ll stop by a T Mobile shop and pay it tomorrow as she said it would take 24 hours. Why does it take 24 hours to do anything by computer? I guess they do some sort of batched daily bill run instead of on demand updates. It had better be correct. I should have recorded the call. At least I didn’t have to fight about it.

Gratitude Journal 20091126

I am thankful for or that

1. My dad had a safe flight into Greenville, SC.
2. Getting off work early.
3. LEB cooking beef stew for dinner.
4. Money to buy food and drinks.
5. Our working vehicles.
6. LEB taking the van to get the burnt headlight socket fixed.
7. Money for car repairs.
8. Money for gas.
9. Healthy children.
10. Beautiful weather.

I acknowledge myself for

1. Working diligently on the job.
2. Doing laundry.
3. Being on time to pick up my dad at the airport.
4. Running the dishwasher.
5. Going to lunch w/ coworkers.
6. Showering.
7. Making the bed.
8. Taking out the recycling and garbage.
9. Making sure Shadow, our dog, was fed.
10. Taking my prescriptions.

Old Music

I just heard a song on AM radio. Why AM radio? Because I could find nothing decent on FM and I refuse to pay a monthly fee for XM or Sirius. It was the “Anticipation” song, a smooth R&B love song from back in the day. Not Carly Simon. I can’t recall who the group/artist was. Anyone know? Hearing it instantly transported me to another place and time.

Speaking of old music. One of my favorite albums is Shadowland by K.D. Lang. I need a copy. I’ve been pining for it for a long time. Guess I’ll break down and get it.

Quote of the Day 20090505

“Often we allow ourselves to be upset by small things we should despise and forget. We lose many irreplaceable hours brooding over grievances that, in a year’s time, will be forgotten by us and by everybody. No, let us devote our life to worthwhile actions and feelings, to great thoughts, real affections and enduring undertakings.” — Andre Maurois 1885-1967, Writer

Gratitdue Journal 20090405

I am thankful for or that

1. A beautiful, warm, spring day.
2. Turbulence Training.
3. LEB taking a walk with me.
4. MJB doing a lot of cleaning.
5. TW and J coming over for a visit.
6. Having food to cook for dinner.
7. The marketing site for my business.
8. This tip which helped me get DVD playback working again on my Ubuntu 8.10 laptop.
9. Our electric hair clippers.
10. GAB cutting my hair.

I acknowledge myself for

1. Cutting the boys hair.
2. Going on a walk with LEB.
3. Working out.
4. Cooking dinner.
5. Running the dishwasher.
6. Putting away clothes.
7. Watching The #1 Ladies Detective Agency with GAB.
8. Bringing the dog in out of the rain.
9. Putting away the leftover chicken.
10. Getting on my business team’s conference call last night.

Gratitude Journal 20090310

I am thankful for or that

1. The Greenville Transit Authority.
2. A quiet night with the on call pager.
3. GAB and MJB got along fine with both of them home sick.
4. CIB is not sick.
5. Eat Stop Eat.
6. My pedometer.
7. Hot water for showers.
8. My job.
9. My marriage.
10. My children.

I acknowledge myself for

1. Taking walking breaks during the day.
2. Walking more than 10K steps.
3. Watching The Biggest Loser with GAB and CIB.
4. Picking up LEB from the Taylors library.
5. Taking a shower before bed.
6. Getting a couple of loads of clothes washed and dried.
7. Sticking with my fast and not eating late at night.
8. Putting away the leftover and not eating any.
9. Brushing my teeth before bed.
10. Taking all my prescriptions and supplements.

Gratitude Journal 20090213

I am thankful for or that

1. The ability to write Unix shell and PERL scripts.
2. Spending time with most of the sysadmin team from work at Coffee Underground just relaxing and talking.
3. Vision Service Plan insurance.
4. That CIB and MJB had a friend’s house to go to when they were locked out after school.
5. John, Jaimie and Jonathan M. for allowing the boys to hang out.
6. GAB for working out with me.
7. FitTV.
8. GAB for watching Clone Wars with me.
9. Turbulence Training.
10. Battlestar Galactica.

I acknowledge myself for

1. Working diligently most of the day on a project to retire two old DNS servers.
2. Taking a break with the guys.
3. Doing my workout.
4. Taking a shower before bed.
5. Going to sleep at a decent hour.
6. Doing a laundry reboot, thanks FLYLady!
7. Keeping this journal.
8. Listening to 30+ minutes of personal development material.
9. Daily reading of My Utmost for His Highest.
10. Daily reading of Today’s the Day.

Gratitude Journal 20090121

I am thankful for or that

1. Greenville Transit Authority.
2. LEB picking me up from the hospital near my bus stop.
3. The restroom at the hospital!
4. The warm waiting room in the out patient area of the hospital.
5. LEB driving to work while I ate my oatmeal.
6. Turbulence Training.
7. GAB doing Turbulence Training, too!
8. LEB cooking dinner.
9. Top Chef on Bravo TV.
10. A warm house on a frigid night.

I acknowledge myself for

1. Doing my workout even though I really wasn’t feeling it.
2. Making healthy food choices.
3. Realizing discretion was the better part of valor and postponing my intervals until the next day.
4. Going to bed at a decent hour.
5. Putting away the left over food from dinner.
6. Reducing my weight between each doctor visit since the Significant Emotional Experience on 12/11/2008. ( I think yesterday was my fourth or fifth visit since then. )
7. Ironing my clothes for work.
8. Being a source of encouragement for GAB.
9. Reading a daily passage in My Utmost for His Highest.
10. Reading an essay in Today’s the Day.

Gratitude Journal 20081213

I am thankful for

1. A bright, sunny and chilly day.
2. Time alone.
3. That LEB and the kids made it to Charlotte and then home safely.
4. That GAB is progressing in her driving skills.
5. The opportunity to watch the Ironman World Championships while working out.
6. That I am able to workout.
7. A much clean, fresh water to drink as I want.
8. Plenty of food to eat.
9. A warm house.
10. The party celebrating one of LEB’s friends getting her Ph.D.

I acknowledge myself for

1. Listening to 30+ minutes of personal development material.
2. Washing, drying and folding several loads of laundry.
3. Writing on my blogs.
4. Working out.
5. Changing the linens on our bed.
6. Being ready and willing to go to the party with LEB.
7. Feeding and watering the dog.
8. Driving safely to and from the party.
9. Helping MJB and CIB with cleaning their rooms.
10. Encouraging GAB to clean her room.

Gratitude Journal 20081212

I am thankful for

1. A sunny, cool day.
2. The ability to walk.
3. Progresso low sodium chicken gumbo.
4. Cool filtered water at work.
5. The ice machine at work.
6. Microwaves at work.
7. The ability to concentrate on one task for a long time.
8. LEB cooking most of dinner.
9. The ability to season chicken nicely for baking.
10. A warm home on a cold night.

I acknowledge myself for

1. Washing two loads of clothes.
2. Helping with dinner.
3. Listening to 30+ minutes of personal development material.
4. Working diligently most of the day on a high priority task.
5. Emptying the trouble ticket queue for our department.
6. Going to sleep at a decent hour.
7. Exercising.
8. Eating one serving of dinner.
9. Not getting a mid night snack.
10. Taking my prescriptions.