FedEx is Stupid

Know this now, gentle blog readers, that if you ever have to send something important, don't use FedEx, and I'll also urge you not to purchase from a business that only ships with FedEx.

I cancelled my plans yesterday because Phoenix and I both talked to someone who said it would be no problem for them to deliver the package while I was home. When the package didn't come, I checked online and saw the estimated delivery date as today. So, I didn't run any of my errands today either, so as to not miss the delivery that someone has to sign for. You know where this is going, don't you? That's right, they didn't deliver it today either. The person I spoke with on the phone said there was no guarantee that they could deliver it on the day we requested because that's not the kind of shipping that whoever purchased the damn thing paid for. Nice that they tell us this after I've spent two days sitting around when I could have been getting things done (like grocery shopping). If it was a problem, the two people that Phoenix and I spoke with should have said so. Talk about a shitty way to do business. Oh, and the person I spoke with today asked if we would be home tomorrow so they could try again. WHAT THE HELL!! You couldn't bring it by when we told you someone would be here, now you want us to cancel our plans for the third day just so it can not be delivered again? Fuck off, bitch.

This experience has made me detest FedEx and their bullshit, illogical policies. People have jobs. If you require a signature, deliver in the evening when people are home. It's not rocket science. And then, when we tell you when we'll be home, don't tell us it can be delivered and not do it. It boggles the mind that someone paid for that amazing lack of service. I know I will never support that company, and I'm not going to inconvenience myself again to drive to their facility to pick it up. They're just going to have to trip on it for a week and send it back.

We don't know what it is, and we don't know who sent it to us. I have no interest in receiving it. What a stupid company.

Working and Waiting

I've got a few projects that I've been working on, so I've spent my day off doing that. I'm also waiting for FedEx to deliver a package.

This package baffles us, really. It has both our names on it, a note that it's a gift, and requires the signature of someone over twenty-one. The person I spoke with at FedEx said that means it's some kind of alcohol. We've asked our mutual friends (because, to have both names on it, it must be coming from someone who knows us both) and no one has sent us anything. It is very weird.

But, we called them and asked them to deliver it today when I will be here since the stupid people kept coming by when people are at work. It's a wonder anything gets delivered, really. If it requires a signature, then they should know that they need to deliver it later. It seems logical to me. But, at least I have plenty of yarn to keep me busy while I wait.

Second Visit

You might remember last year's little venture as Mrs Claus. I got to do that again this year. It really is fun. What would you expect from someone who likes costumes so much?

I just realized that I never got a picture from last year, so hopefully Santa will remember to send it to me this year. We were sure to take a few, but I forgot my own camera (again).

When we went around the building after the department party was over, I was impressing people with how quickly I answered their questions.

"Where are your reindeer?"
"They're on the roof waiting to take us home."

"Why don't you have any elves with you this year?"
"Oh, they're working hard in the workshop. We couldn't spare any this year."

Yup. Fun.

Suddenly Cold

We still haven't seen that snow that the weather people were calling for a week ago, but it's been super cold and rainy.

Yule is next week and I'm mostly prepared. I have a few more things to finish making (which will happen when I'm off Thursday and Friday) and then I just need to bag and call it done. Everything I had to order is here, and I only have a few things to pick up. Nice, huh? Despite the fact that I'm close to being all set, I feel like the holiday really snuck up on me this year.

Short Week

The rush to take days off is at an end. I have Thursday and Friday and that's it for the year (excepting Christmas Day that everyone gets off). This will be a short week at least.

Miss Luna has decided that 0300 is the best time to wake me up in the morning. She's been eating a lot lately and runs out of food faster than usual. I'm not going to feed her any more, though. I don't need her to start gaining weight. She's at a healthy size now and needs to stay there.

Those mornings are too early. I hope she gets used to the right time again soon.

Satisfactory

Phoenix and I had our first official visitor today! One of our friends called in the morning and said he wanted to hang out (and bring SingStar) and didn't mind that we were going to get our Yule tree today, in addition to a couple other errands we had to run.

He helped us with the tree and the groceries and then we sang a round and sent him home. It was fun!

Phoenix and I tore apart a chicken for dinner, then set to work on the box of decoration goodies we got from my parents. Much of the lights didn't actually work, so we ended up with a string of purple and a string of red. Amazingly fitting for us, actually. To the soothing sounds of a variety of holiday music and full glasses of eggnog, we set up our little tree and hung the lights, some silver beads, balls of red and gold, and pretty sparkling jewels (and one hidden plush red pepper) all over it.

I haven't had a real holiday tree in years. The cats aren't bothering it (yet) either. I love our little tree. I'm so glad I have such a wonderful roommate. We spent the evening decorating it, then played some SingStar and knitted to a movie. It was a perfect day.

December Esbat

I hope everyone had a wonderful esbat.

I had planned to do something else entirely with this esbat, but the need arose to send some dear friends and family safety in travel. My sister-in-law is going to Japan in January. I am both excited and terribly jealous for her. Another friend is going to be making a long road-trip at the end of the month, despite the possibility of snow and ice in the way. This was the perfect opportunity to send them some safe travel wishes. I think we all know how stressful traveling can be.

I lit a blue candle for tranquility and calm for my sister-in-law, who will be in transit for quite a while just getting to her destination. I then lit an orange candle for alertness for my friend who will be on the road for days. I drew on those energies, filling myself with those hopes and safe thoughts, then projected them to the people they will help.

It should be noted that, while casting a spell for someone who did not ask for it is unethical, that is not what I did here. This was a spell on a wish, my own wish, for the safety of my friends. It was not a spell that imposed my will on their actions, but it did put some extra strength, calm, and fortitude in their grasp if they but reach for it.

A Challenge

Someone mentioned, someone asked, the challenge was received, and behold! A Beholder!

He is all acrylic yarn, polyfill, and a little bit of wire in the eyestalks. There was no pattern used and it took about five hours total. Phoenix named him Frank.

Never Easy To Do

Kitiara was suffering. She had to be put down. That doesn't make the act any easier to face.

Good pet owners treat their beloved pets like children. They’re companions, members of the family, sons and daughters who don’t speak the same language as we but we can learn what they mean just the same. The problem lies in that they don’t speak our language and we don’t speak theirs. They can’t tell us what’s wrong like a person can. We rely on what we know; by comparing how they act to how they used to act, and by taking the advice of experts on who we rely to help us when our general knowledge fails. We do the best we can with the knowledge that we have at the time. Sometimes it serves our furry family well and sometimes it does not, but it’s all we have to work with.

If nothing else could be done but to let her live until she died, would that have been right? Would she have been happy, spending her days playing and eating and sleeping and playing some more like a rat should? Or, would she have spent the time lying around, not playing, not happy and ready to make her way to the Rainbow Bridge where she would not feel the pain that the end of her life caused her?

It’s never an easy decision, and we end up second-guessing it for a while. But I think we must know when it is the right thing to do, or we wouldn’t have gone through with it at all.

Peace, my friend. You didn’t cause what was killing her, and euthanizing her was an act of mercy and love. I know your heart knows that.

Done Wrong

The wind is ruthless

The trees shake angry fingers at the sky

The people hunch their shoulders

Hold their collars over their ears and run by

It's a cold rain

It's a hard rain

Like the kind that you find in songs...

And before it gets so cold

That the rain turns to snow

It's not snow yet, but it sure is a cold rain (and it will be snow in a couple days, they say). I just hope the windows don't leak because the gutters are clogged again.