Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 117
June 30, 2015
Take My Money
This happens to me all the time and it frustrates me beyond belief. I'll stumble across an item I want to buy, but can't find who is selling it or even who the manufacturer is. Take today for instance. I was thinking about doors and did a Google image search to see what was out there for interior doors. I saw a fantastically modern/contemporary (my favorite style) door that I'd really like to own, but although the link Google had was to a design article, the article itself provided no links and almost no information about the door.
I did a reverse image search, hoping that I could track it down this way. No such luck. I did find it on Pinterest and clicked through. Almost all of them were pinned from an article on Apartment Therapy. Links! I thought, excited. Apartment Therapy has links.
The joke was on me. The one for the door I liked connected through to another article about doors. There was nothing that linked through to the door manufacturer or anywhere that was selling the door.
After about an hour, I think I discovered the manufacturer's name. Tenko. Do you think I can find a website for them? No. Searching the name did lead me to a Russian site selling Tenko doors, but a Russian site doesn't help me much since I'm in the US. In fact, almost every site that showed up in this search was Russian with a few Japanese sites thrown in for good measure. The translation feature was getting a workout, but still no closer to a US store with the door.
I feel like that meme where the cartoon guy is waving a hand stuffed with bills and saying, "Take my money." Only I can't find anyone to give it to. :-/
I'm guessing the door is probably out of my price range anyway because it looks expensive and maybe I wouldn't end up buying it anyway, but it's frustrating to me to not even have the option of buying it. Why didn't Apartment Therapy or one of the other decorating articles featuring this door link to some way to buy the door?
It isn't just this one time, either. It happens to me again and again. I see something I love, I want to check out the price, only to discover that I can't find anywhere with information about whatever it was I liked. Please design websites, stop doing this!
I did a reverse image search, hoping that I could track it down this way. No such luck. I did find it on Pinterest and clicked through. Almost all of them were pinned from an article on Apartment Therapy. Links! I thought, excited. Apartment Therapy has links.
The joke was on me. The one for the door I liked connected through to another article about doors. There was nothing that linked through to the door manufacturer or anywhere that was selling the door.
After about an hour, I think I discovered the manufacturer's name. Tenko. Do you think I can find a website for them? No. Searching the name did lead me to a Russian site selling Tenko doors, but a Russian site doesn't help me much since I'm in the US. In fact, almost every site that showed up in this search was Russian with a few Japanese sites thrown in for good measure. The translation feature was getting a workout, but still no closer to a US store with the door.
I feel like that meme where the cartoon guy is waving a hand stuffed with bills and saying, "Take my money." Only I can't find anyone to give it to. :-/
I'm guessing the door is probably out of my price range anyway because it looks expensive and maybe I wouldn't end up buying it anyway, but it's frustrating to me to not even have the option of buying it. Why didn't Apartment Therapy or one of the other decorating articles featuring this door link to some way to buy the door?
It isn't just this one time, either. It happens to me again and again. I see something I love, I want to check out the price, only to discover that I can't find anywhere with information about whatever it was I liked. Please design websites, stop doing this!
June 28, 2015
Where Is Scandinavia?
I didn't know this and I'm originally from Minnesota, the US home of Scandinavians. I guess it's time to start using The Nordic Countries.
June 25, 2015
Seven More Minutes
Researchers say that to avoid sleep inertia, we should pop right out of bed when the alarm goes off, turn on lights, and get moving. Um, no. I'm not going to do that.
I set my alarm clock about 45 minutes before I really have to get out of bed and then I hit the snooze until I can't do it one more time without being late. I like this time in bed to acclimate to the idea of getting up. On mornings where I accidentally turn my alarm off (oops!) and the backup alarm wakes me, I'm cranky and discombobulated all day.
Now granted, that could be because the backup alarm is a hugely annoying beep as opposed to my regular alarm which wakes me up to music. It might also be because if the backup alarm is going off, I've overslept and that can throw the whole day out of whack, but I don't think so.
Even on the weekends when I sleep as late as I want (another no-no according to researchers), I still don't pop right out of bed when I wake up. I'll stay snuggled under the blankets for another half an hour or so before I decided to actually start the day. I enjoy this time in bed. Seriously, more than enjoy it, I love it.
So no matter what science says, I'm not giving up my seven minutes of sleep that the snooze function on my alarm clock gives me. I say it's easier for me to wake up this way and I'm sticking to it.
I set my alarm clock about 45 minutes before I really have to get out of bed and then I hit the snooze until I can't do it one more time without being late. I like this time in bed to acclimate to the idea of getting up. On mornings where I accidentally turn my alarm off (oops!) and the backup alarm wakes me, I'm cranky and discombobulated all day.
Now granted, that could be because the backup alarm is a hugely annoying beep as opposed to my regular alarm which wakes me up to music. It might also be because if the backup alarm is going off, I've overslept and that can throw the whole day out of whack, but I don't think so.
Even on the weekends when I sleep as late as I want (another no-no according to researchers), I still don't pop right out of bed when I wake up. I'll stay snuggled under the blankets for another half an hour or so before I decided to actually start the day. I enjoy this time in bed. Seriously, more than enjoy it, I love it.
So no matter what science says, I'm not giving up my seven minutes of sleep that the snooze function on my alarm clock gives me. I say it's easier for me to wake up this way and I'm sticking to it.
June 23, 2015
Killjoys
Last Friday, the Syfy Channel debuted a new series, Killjoys. It takes place in an area of space they call the Quad and the main characters are bounty hunters.
In episode one, our pair of bounty hunters becomes a trio when John risks everything to save his brother D'avin from a kill warrant.
Okay, well, we all know I have a huge problem with apostrophes in names in Science Fiction. Gah! Why couldn't they just call him Davin? Why subject me to an apostrophe? I swear that putting an apostrophe in SF character names is like the biggest cliche ever. And I wouldn't have known this if I hadn't checked out IMDB.com. :-) I couldn't remember all the characters' names so I had to look them up.
But to get back to the show as a whole, I'm rather ambivalent about it. On the one hand, it held my interest enough to make it through to the end and that doesn't happen that often because I pick shows and movies apart and I have little patience for idiocy. On the other hand, I wasn't blown away or thinking OMG, I love this show either.
I guess basically I thought it was okay enough to give it another try because first episodes are difficult. The writers have to introduce the characters, setup the show's premise, get enough world building out there so the viewer understands the basics of the world, and oh, yeah, they need to squeeze a story in there, too. It's seriously not an easy job.
Things I liked about the show:
The heroine was kick-butt and had an intriguing past. Intriguing enough that I'd like to know more about what's what with her. There's some nice potential for romance there, although it will probably be dragged out forever and be a triangle since there we have two men, John and Davin (sorry, I refuse to use the apostrophe again).The world intrigued me. There's a lot going on that was only brushed over quickly, but apparently we have a rebellion brewing. Since the world seems fairly grim and the controlling forces are definitely dictatorship-like, this will probably heat up and drive some of the episodes.Lots of action. I love action!Despite this, though, I was left feeling kind of meh about the show. I'll give it at least one more episode and reassess afterward.
My rating 3 stars. Not blow-me-away awesome, but if you have an hour to kill, not a horrible way to spend it.
In episode one, our pair of bounty hunters becomes a trio when John risks everything to save his brother D'avin from a kill warrant.
Okay, well, we all know I have a huge problem with apostrophes in names in Science Fiction. Gah! Why couldn't they just call him Davin? Why subject me to an apostrophe? I swear that putting an apostrophe in SF character names is like the biggest cliche ever. And I wouldn't have known this if I hadn't checked out IMDB.com. :-) I couldn't remember all the characters' names so I had to look them up.
But to get back to the show as a whole, I'm rather ambivalent about it. On the one hand, it held my interest enough to make it through to the end and that doesn't happen that often because I pick shows and movies apart and I have little patience for idiocy. On the other hand, I wasn't blown away or thinking OMG, I love this show either.
I guess basically I thought it was okay enough to give it another try because first episodes are difficult. The writers have to introduce the characters, setup the show's premise, get enough world building out there so the viewer understands the basics of the world, and oh, yeah, they need to squeeze a story in there, too. It's seriously not an easy job.
Things I liked about the show:
The heroine was kick-butt and had an intriguing past. Intriguing enough that I'd like to know more about what's what with her. There's some nice potential for romance there, although it will probably be dragged out forever and be a triangle since there we have two men, John and Davin (sorry, I refuse to use the apostrophe again).The world intrigued me. There's a lot going on that was only brushed over quickly, but apparently we have a rebellion brewing. Since the world seems fairly grim and the controlling forces are definitely dictatorship-like, this will probably heat up and drive some of the episodes.Lots of action. I love action!Despite this, though, I was left feeling kind of meh about the show. I'll give it at least one more episode and reassess afterward.
My rating 3 stars. Not blow-me-away awesome, but if you have an hour to kill, not a horrible way to spend it.
June 21, 2015
Really Weird Royalty Facts
That Prince Charles thing is just gross. Ewwww!
June 18, 2015
The Power of Two Is Available Now!
I've received many, many emails requesting this book be released as an ebook and now it's finally available!The Power of Two was originally released in 2004 as the fourth book in the 2176 series.Don't worry, though; it stands alone. It's science fiction romance and a full-length book.
Right now the book is available at:
AmazonApple iBooksBarnes and NobleKobo Books
Here's the blurb about the book:
For years, UCE Captain Cai Randolph has had one goal: Find her missing parents and bring them home. She thinks she's finally located them, but if she's right, they're on the Raft Cities, one of the most lawless and dangerous places on Earth. She searches for a reason for the army to send her, her partner, and his team there and discovers the UCE's most wanted fugitive—Banzai Maguire—is hiding on the floating cities.
Special Forces Captain Jake Tucker is furious when he learns Cai is a woman and not artificial intelligence. There's no chance he's taking her with his team on a mission to the Raft Cities, but when he realizes she's facing multiple threats, he has no choice. No one else will protect her the way he will. But getting her away from the UCE increases her risk and pretending to be lovers complicates everything because it isn't long before Jake wants Cai to be his for real.
If you'd like to check out review snippets or read an excerpt, please visit my website.
June 16, 2015
Rescheduling Sunday
An article I read a while back talked about ways to make Sundays more enjoyable. Normally, it's a day where I'm running around late in the day, trying to do 100 things and getting wound up. This article said to do those things on other days, don't save them for Sunday and I decided to give it a shot.
Last week was my first try and it went pretty well. In the evening, instead of trying to get everything together for work, I was able to relax. It felt weird not to have anything on the must-do-it-tonight list, but it was also nice.
Saturday doesn't hold the same time pressure that Sunday does. Maybe it's psychological? I don't know, but I was able to do all the things without getting frazzled like I do on Sunday night.
I'm doing it again this week and while it still feels kind of strange, I think I could learn to get used to it. And I think--just maybe--it made it a little bit easier to go to sleep on Sunday night. This is a regular challenge for me and I usually end up with about 2-3 hours of sleep for Monday morning. Not a great way to start the week.
Last week was my first try and it went pretty well. In the evening, instead of trying to get everything together for work, I was able to relax. It felt weird not to have anything on the must-do-it-tonight list, but it was also nice.
Saturday doesn't hold the same time pressure that Sunday does. Maybe it's psychological? I don't know, but I was able to do all the things without getting frazzled like I do on Sunday night.
I'm doing it again this week and while it still feels kind of strange, I think I could learn to get used to it. And I think--just maybe--it made it a little bit easier to go to sleep on Sunday night. This is a regular challenge for me and I usually end up with about 2-3 hours of sleep for Monday morning. Not a great way to start the week.
June 14, 2015
June 11, 2015
The Case of the Missing Flashlight
I'm sleeping when a loud crack of thunder wakes me up. I sit bolt upright, put on my shoes, and grab the flashlight. I didn't realize it was going to storm and my laptop was still plugged in. Yeah, I have a surge protector, but I don't like to take chances.
I rush for the family room, unplug it, and then I hear a noise. I direct the flashlight that direction, but realize I'm going to need the big light. So I walk across the room, turn on the recessed lights, and see a problem I have to deal with. There's water dripping down from my ceiling vent. I grab a couple of bowls to put under it and sit up a while to see what's happening.
After the storm dies down, I decide to go back to bed, but I can't find my flashlight. It's not anywhere.
It was 2am and I decided I could find it tomorrow. I went back to sleep. The next day, when I got home from work, I look for the flashlight. I still can't find it, not anywhere.
I check the kitchen. I even look inside the pantry and refrigerator just in case. Nada. I check the family room. I look under the couch and under the coffee table. Nothing. I couldn't have thrown it in the trash. Could I?
I shift garbage around, but I don't see anything. Unsure if it's hiding, I grab another bag and start moving garbage into it so I can see more of the big bag. No flashlight.
I'm pretty sure the flashlight has to be in either the kitchen or the great room, but I check my bedroom anyway. Nope, not there. I even open a few drawers. Just in case. It's very frustrating because that flashlight has to be somewhere in this house, but I can't find it.
Anywhere.
ETA: I found it the day after I wrote this post. When I wasn't looking for it. It was behind a cushion on a chair in my family room. I have no memory of going near the chair let alone dropping the flashlight on it, but at least it's found.
I rush for the family room, unplug it, and then I hear a noise. I direct the flashlight that direction, but realize I'm going to need the big light. So I walk across the room, turn on the recessed lights, and see a problem I have to deal with. There's water dripping down from my ceiling vent. I grab a couple of bowls to put under it and sit up a while to see what's happening.
After the storm dies down, I decide to go back to bed, but I can't find my flashlight. It's not anywhere.
It was 2am and I decided I could find it tomorrow. I went back to sleep. The next day, when I got home from work, I look for the flashlight. I still can't find it, not anywhere.
I check the kitchen. I even look inside the pantry and refrigerator just in case. Nada. I check the family room. I look under the couch and under the coffee table. Nothing. I couldn't have thrown it in the trash. Could I?
I shift garbage around, but I don't see anything. Unsure if it's hiding, I grab another bag and start moving garbage into it so I can see more of the big bag. No flashlight.
I'm pretty sure the flashlight has to be in either the kitchen or the great room, but I check my bedroom anyway. Nope, not there. I even open a few drawers. Just in case. It's very frustrating because that flashlight has to be somewhere in this house, but I can't find it.
Anywhere.
ETA: I found it the day after I wrote this post. When I wasn't looking for it. It was behind a cushion on a chair in my family room. I have no memory of going near the chair let alone dropping the flashlight on it, but at least it's found.
June 9, 2015
The Idiocy, It Burns
Disclaimer: I received no compensation of any kind at any time for this post.
Let me tell you about my day yesterday all because of one idiot company's policy. It wore me out and it was just ridiculous.
Because there is no way I'm paying $80 a month for a cell phone plan, I have a pay-as-you go phone. I can get a year's activation for around $99 which works out to like $8 a month, one tenth the cost of a regular phone. This weekend I bought an activation card and decided it was time to replace the phone since it's like four or five years old.
If I'd been thinking smarter, I'd have bought one at the store or ordered from Amazon or something, but on Saturday I wasn't firing on all cylinders, not after a night of insomnia. I made the huge mistake of ordering a phone from the pay-as-you-go provider.
It wasn't until Sunday when I received the tracking information that I noticed the sentence that said: Direct signature required. I gaped at it, certain that there must be some error. Any signature requirement was silly, but a direct signature? That pushed it into the pure idiocy category. Why, you ask? Because the phone cost $19.99. That's right for less than $20, they were about to complicate my life to the nth degree.
Keep in mind that Apple will deliver a brand new computer to your door and leave it there if you sign a form and tape it to your door. I haven't taken them up on that option, but it's there. So with an indirect signature, I can get a $1500 MacBook Pro, but I have to sign in person for a $19.99 phone. The stupidity of the phone company is overwhelming me at this point. If I'm willing to indirectly sign and take responsibility if the phone isn't there, why don't they let me?
Contacting the company was not a real option. They had no way to do it online through their website and I've dealt with the telephone customer service before and hope to never have to do it again. FedEx was my only hope.
Before I go any farther, let me say that FedEx customer service was tremendous. I had emails and telephone calls from them trying to resolve this, but it didn't work. Let me tell you more.
FedEx found out what window the truck would be in my neighborhood, but I ride the van pool and couldn't get home by 1pm. They said we have a service that for a fee, allows you to setup a delivery time. Awesome, I thought. Even if it's $5 or even $10, it's worth it for the simple fact that I don't have to stress about signing for the package. I ask how much it would be?
And do you know what the woman said??? She said, Oh, I'm sorry. The shipper doesn't allow that option per our agreement with them.
Yes, you read that right. Not only did the shipper hugely inconvenience me by requiring a direct signature for a $20 phone, they won't even allow me to pay my own money to get it delivered at a time when I'll be home. For real.
I surrendered then. There's nothing left to do but drive to the FedEx facility and pick it up myself. There's one a few miles from my office, so instead of taking my van pool to work, I will drive myself one day this week and head over to FedEx to sign for the phone. I hate driving in Atlanta. It's like trying to commute through a NASCAR race.
My takeaway from this: FedEx did an awesome job of customer service even though it wasn't really their problem. I have warm fuzzies for them now and will use them to ship my own stuff in the future.
The people from the pay-as-you-go company have guaranteed that I will never buy a phone over their website again. If I could find another pay-as-you-go service with one-year activation, I'd be planning to switch over to them right now. As it stands, I do not have warm loving feelings for the phone company and it wouldn't take much for me to abandon them forever. I seriously won't be recommending them to anyone.
Let me tell you about my day yesterday all because of one idiot company's policy. It wore me out and it was just ridiculous.
Because there is no way I'm paying $80 a month for a cell phone plan, I have a pay-as-you go phone. I can get a year's activation for around $99 which works out to like $8 a month, one tenth the cost of a regular phone. This weekend I bought an activation card and decided it was time to replace the phone since it's like four or five years old.
If I'd been thinking smarter, I'd have bought one at the store or ordered from Amazon or something, but on Saturday I wasn't firing on all cylinders, not after a night of insomnia. I made the huge mistake of ordering a phone from the pay-as-you-go provider.
It wasn't until Sunday when I received the tracking information that I noticed the sentence that said: Direct signature required. I gaped at it, certain that there must be some error. Any signature requirement was silly, but a direct signature? That pushed it into the pure idiocy category. Why, you ask? Because the phone cost $19.99. That's right for less than $20, they were about to complicate my life to the nth degree.
Keep in mind that Apple will deliver a brand new computer to your door and leave it there if you sign a form and tape it to your door. I haven't taken them up on that option, but it's there. So with an indirect signature, I can get a $1500 MacBook Pro, but I have to sign in person for a $19.99 phone. The stupidity of the phone company is overwhelming me at this point. If I'm willing to indirectly sign and take responsibility if the phone isn't there, why don't they let me?
Contacting the company was not a real option. They had no way to do it online through their website and I've dealt with the telephone customer service before and hope to never have to do it again. FedEx was my only hope.
Before I go any farther, let me say that FedEx customer service was tremendous. I had emails and telephone calls from them trying to resolve this, but it didn't work. Let me tell you more.
FedEx found out what window the truck would be in my neighborhood, but I ride the van pool and couldn't get home by 1pm. They said we have a service that for a fee, allows you to setup a delivery time. Awesome, I thought. Even if it's $5 or even $10, it's worth it for the simple fact that I don't have to stress about signing for the package. I ask how much it would be?
And do you know what the woman said??? She said, Oh, I'm sorry. The shipper doesn't allow that option per our agreement with them.
Yes, you read that right. Not only did the shipper hugely inconvenience me by requiring a direct signature for a $20 phone, they won't even allow me to pay my own money to get it delivered at a time when I'll be home. For real.
I surrendered then. There's nothing left to do but drive to the FedEx facility and pick it up myself. There's one a few miles from my office, so instead of taking my van pool to work, I will drive myself one day this week and head over to FedEx to sign for the phone. I hate driving in Atlanta. It's like trying to commute through a NASCAR race.
My takeaway from this: FedEx did an awesome job of customer service even though it wasn't really their problem. I have warm fuzzies for them now and will use them to ship my own stuff in the future.
The people from the pay-as-you-go company have guaranteed that I will never buy a phone over their website again. If I could find another pay-as-you-go service with one-year activation, I'd be planning to switch over to them right now. As it stands, I do not have warm loving feelings for the phone company and it wouldn't take much for me to abandon them forever. I seriously won't be recommending them to anyone.
