Going Out and Wow Making a Friend: For me Crazy Cool

I went out Wednesday night to the local pub and ended up making a friend.  A friend that knew old skool train of thought.  It was refreshing.  I had so much fun.  Just being myself.  And was able to be married, admit it and the person never crossed the line of stupidity.

 

I'm so happy I can still have the ideals of a person that doesn't settle.  These moments are few and far in between.  It might have been just one moment, but I'm GLAD I had it.  It renewed me in ways I needed so desperately.

 

GOD, YOU ROCK!

Fix A Flat: Is There an Ego Patch?

I wish I could buy a can of Fix A Flat and spray inside my head for my battered Ego.  Because I am losing a war on being able to understand people.

 

I un-plugged for a few days because I needed a break....

 

WHAM!

 

I opened my voicemail to hear a stranger tell me a dear friend can't talk to me anymore.

About the DJ Reference: Old Skool

I'm having one of those days.  So I have been out on the Google+ front looking for people that DJ.  I could care less about whether or not they are somebody big.  I go hunting for people that have real turntables and own vinyl.  Not somebody with a huge CD collection and a Karaoke machine.  I call myself a DJ because I meet those requirements.  I have two Technics SL-1200s and a Pioneer DJM 600 (OK and a big Gemini amp that would burn the house down and speakers).  I DJ in my basement.  I like breaks and progressive trance.  I can tell a story for just about every record I own.  I don't take requests.  I don't play for crowds.  I play for myself.  I play my best when no one's at home, when I am upset and need to vent and when I have my 'Magic' hat backwards on my head.  And for those that know, NO I don't use the beat match on my mixer.  Tweaking a record is the best therapy for a bad day.

 

You might shake your head at me, but no one can shake their head at a girl with my vinyl collection.  Sometimes I just put down a record and the memories come flooding in.  I've met a lot of awesome DJs.  Some big and others not so much.  I've heard some greats.  DJs that told stories with music...

 

My first brush with the underground electronic scene was when Babylon's still had First Fridays in Greensboro.  Talk about off the chain.  That place is surely missed I am sure.  Then there was Dizzy G's.  Wow the times I had there.  The only place still open I used to have a big time at is the Odyssey in Winston.  However, the underground feel has been lost in time and space.  The freaks still come out there, but the music hit the toilet.  I used to live across the street from the Odyssey, but now its not much to brag about. *sigh*

 

Where have all the old skool people with bad ass original vinyl gone?

 

About what the Dell I'm Doing

What the Hall is up?  I FINALLY know what the Dell I'm doing.  That's right!  Get out the Gold STARS and plant one on me!

 

I love Dell in terms of Hardware.  I do.  I like getting a computer that has exactly the items I ordered included.  Right out of the box.  That said, I really dislike thinking I need technical support from them.  No. No. No.

 

Not again.  No more toilet tank phone systems that thank me and hang up.  No more transfers to departments like Business, Technical, Customer Care, Customer Loyalty, Business Support, Home Support (!) 

 

No more repeating myself and staying awake and losing days of my life.

 

I am so glad that is behind me.  Again, I love the computer, but 50+ people all calling me Marsha and expressing how sorry they are for all my troubles began to get old and I theorized I aged during that process and I think most people give up and that is what they count on.

 

Keep me on hold for more than an hour and it is annoying.  Keep me awake 48 hours straight and it becomes personal.

 

It took three hours to get a complete refund for an extended warranty service.  I was hung up on three times and bounced into four departments.  Finally, resolution.

 

Every single penny is important and I don't like things falling through the cracks.  I am glad I was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Dell, I'll stick to hardware.  Honestly, I think you should too.  You're good at hardware.  I believe in the hardware.  As for service, if you're looking for a pack of well trained, certified professional Weasels, give them a call.

 

Especially if you like hearing your first name.

 

I will throw them a bone and say I am glad a refund only took three hours, and it was in full.  I didn't have to say anything drastic ... a month long list of names and dates took care of that.  Plus the Weasel that tried to tell me the words 'pro-rated' stopped immediately when I told him that I don't mind writing Michael Dell again, and I have the home office number (maybe the shaky asthmatic voice won him over too).

 

What's this about Michael Dell?  The year before at 3 in the morning I wrote a letter to him.  I thought this was a self therapy to at least feel a little better about having to send a laptop back twice as defective.  I received a phone call the very next day.  That blew my mind.

 

I got my third and final computer days later, discounted.  Again, amazed.  This is not an exaggeration.  Sometimes a heartfelt letter really makes the difference.  This time, I didn't feel so helpless, and they came through.

 

And no one was ugly.   I did all the ugly and crying back at the beginning of the year.  So with a light heart and pretty much no loss of money on finding a new source of Tech Support, I can move on to other projects.

 

YAH!

 

I Made an Executive Decision: Living Room Furniture

Nattie Sitting on my Future Living Room Furniture

My living room has been empty for way too long.  We installed hardwood floors and I told my husband that I was not going to move or buy furniture until I found what I wanted.  It is very hard to decide what I've wanted for my house in terms of furniture and style.  I've spent a long time going through things inside my home and giving away items that I do not use to good people.  The thing is, I honestly I don't know a lot of good people these days.  I have seen it all.  People that take things and never use them.  People that sell things you gave them.  Or worse yet, beg for something and abuse it.  I come from having nothing, so all these things bother me.  So now, after many social blunders I have a house with things I need to sell because even charities have left me disgusted.

Keeping that in mind, I have not bought furniture and my house has remained empty.  I am tired of empty.  So I found new furniture for my living room and now have two months to get rid of the excess furniture.

 

What was so incredible was finding furniture that would work in my home and John didn't ask to go look.  He told me to take care of it.  So I have.  I went to Midtown Furniture looking for a day bed and found living room furniture.  Did anyone know furniture comes with insurance policies?  I asked for getting the spray treatment which used to be a ton of money and discovered I can cover my furniture for five years against anything.  How cool is that??  I have a seven year old, a dog and a husband that likes red wine.  I'm so glad to have peace of mind against everything from burns to spills and broke springs.

Projects I am Wrestling and Too Many Irons on the Fire

I have so much going on in terms of projects I need to find time to educate myself properly, and the list all demands time spent on the computer.  Finding correct resources to explain things has me scrambling to just stay ahead of my own game.

I decided to purchase a domain.  I purchased my own name, since twotablesnotime happens to be a name I thought up myself.  I want to know that things I post within my blog are mine, but didn't want to get in over my head, but it feels like I'm already there.  I don't understand Google AdSense and I want to find ways to better utilize my blog.  I purchased my domain from GoDaddy, and hopefully they can help me figure it all out.

I am teaching myself so many different computer related skills on a Have-to basis.  I have tried employing people to work with me.  Whether it be my computer manufacturer or independent IT individuals, and it seems I can't get everything I need from one source and pouring money into these places only frustrates me with the lack of customer care.

For example, as mentioned in my blog, I've worked extensively with Dell and I never received closure with all the problems through them.  Frustration led me to solving the problems myself, but again there was money spent and I haven't called them because I lost a week out of my life, and I just don't have time for another week to disappear.  However, I'm going to have to revisit the fact I spent good money on a service they are not providing, and should be.  I should not even have to chase this down, but I do.

I have other computer projects, but unless I get some resolution, I fear I'm going to make a disaster out my computer, and they are supposed to be helping me.

Another thing is deciding how to sell a bunch of things I have here at home.  I need to list so many things on Craigslist, but the sheer magnitude of items makes me leery of making a bunch of ads.  I'm trying to decide how to take care of making a listing.  I don't know if I should take a bunch of pictures, then make one ad for each area .. and eBay.. I've considered, but upon researching fees and all the time I'd have to spend listing things, it doesn't seem worth the effort.  The things I have to sell are worth money and the sale of these things would be reinvested back into my home.  I've sorted through so many things and given away and donated tons.  I've had people suggest I have a yard sale, and that just makes me angry at the idea.  People that yard sale do not come to buy large furniture, antiques and collectibles from someone that knows what they are selling.  People with high priced items tend to have to lug all that stuff back inside, or in frustration, sell it for nothing.  I plan to do neither.  I have to do something though.

That's just it, I have to do it all.  My family has a hard time understanding how all of this stays up and going and just how much time it takes to really keep all the computers going .. as well as the rest of the household.  I don't have friends in the same neighborhood that have all the same interests and hobbies as I do, so finding conversationalists on these topics is proving difficult.  I'm not complaining, but blogging about it helps put things in perspective.  I take each thing and work on it and whittle away at the whole thing.

I'm getting there.  Slowly.