Dancing in the Streets

Many of you may be aware that last weekend I went to Montgomery for the Jubilee CityFest. Essentially, two days of concerts on three different stages across downtown. There were all types of artists and groups and music represented. Just a few acts that were there:

• LL COOL J
• Hinder
• 3 Doors Down
• Montgomery Gentry
• Candlebox
• Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
• Darius Rucker (former lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish)
• Tone Loc
• Bow Wow

Unfortunately, many of the concerts were happening at the same time. This means I didn't see everyone I wanted to and I had to choose in some cases. I missed LL Cool J and Hootie. I saw Hinder and Candlebox and 3 Doors Down. They were the main reasons we went anyway. 

Friday night after the concerts ended, we went back to the hotel and discovered we had just missed LL COOL J, who was staying in the same hotel. We were a little bummed but it was cool to know that he was there. 

Hinder was so awesome as was 3 Doors Down. Candlebox surprised me by doing a little montage/homage to some great musicians such as Crazy Train by Ozzy and Zeppelin's Immigrant Song and a couple of others. It was very cool.

In between Friday night's concerts and Saturday night's concerts we needed something to do and on the spur of the moment, we decided to hit the Montgomery Zoo. It was fun and interesting and I highly recommend it to anyone. 

I have around 350 pictures of the whole weekend. I will work on getting them up and link them here. Not all probably, but the best ones. 

'Til next time.

Last Monday in May

How often we forget that Memorial Day is more than just a day off, a means to a three day weekend or the beginning of grilling season. In truth, it was established specifically to honor the fallen men (and later, women) of the militia. 

It saddens me to admit that I, myself, have been guilty of treating Memorial Day like a pseudo-holiday. There are no presents to buy, no cards, and many companies don't even offer it as a day off. This is especially sad because so many families have, in one way or another, felt a loss associated with military service. 

My grandfather was in the military (101st Airborne - Screaming Eagles). He jumped at Normandy on D-Day (June 6, 1944) and again into Holland in September. He was captured in October and remained a POW until he was liberated in May 1945. Though he was not killed in action and lived a full life until November 1998, he gave much of himself overseas. Forced to march in the snow for nearly three months, his feet were badly frozen and he suffered the rest of his life from the damage it caused. He came home, met and married my grandmother and lived a normal, almost boring life (certainly by comparison). 

I am ashamed sometimes that I didn't pay more attention to the stories. I remember some horrible parts but I was a child and by the time I was old enough to appreciate the service and sacrifice that he made as a young man, he could barely remember me, much less regale me with war stories. 

I had no specific plans for this Memorial Day. I was sitting around the house watching TV and I heard what sounded like a helicopter landing on my darn trailer. I looked out to see what was happening and saw a military chopper going over so close that I literally could have hit it with a rock. It landed in the cemetary behind me and I realized that there is always a ceremony of sorts at this cemetary, which happens to be full of veterans, on these kinds of holidays. I was curious and so I ventured out in direct sunlight for the first time that day.

I walked to the end of the yard and cars were lined as far as I could see in both directions and a couple of guys in 'golf' carts were shuttling people from their cars to the cemetary. I decided a closer look was warranted and started off. One of the golf carts was passing and the kid on it slowed and said to me, "You're welcome to attend." I nodded and he went on.

I must admit I didn't have any real expectations and yet as I rounded the bend and passed the end of the treeline, I was a bit surprised at the sight. A huge tent was in the grass and mud (it rained for the last few days). Not a funeral tent but a big "tent sale" type tent. Surrounding the tent was maybe 40 or 50 American flags. The military chopper was off to one side and a Sheriff's Dept. helicopter off to another. Beneath the tent and spilling out was a crowd far larger than I expected for a rainy Memorial Day ceremony in a small cemetary on the outskirts of town.

It was uplifting in a way to see that many people there. Someone said the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and then there was a twenty-one gun salute, one cannon burst and the haunting sound of Taps on the bugle. It gave me goosebumps; it made me sad; it made me proud and it made me thankful. It was an unexpected rush of emotions for a guy who claims to only know one emotion. It made me think of my grandfather and it led me to write this rambling blog.

___________________________________________

My grandfather died in November 1998 after suffering from Alzheimer's Disease for years. A couple of years later I wrote this:

The Long Goodbye

Sometimes Goodbye is a Second Chance

So, maybe I am a slacker. I was gonna send my mom flowers on Mother's Day and I had found a beautiful arrangement that was perfect. It was the perfect colors and I was excited about it. It was about $42 and I knew there would be other charges. I even added an option that took it up about another $5. When I started to check out, it jumped up to about $65. I thought, "Damn! Do I really want to spend that much on something that will rot in about a week?" I decided to hold off.

Long story short, I tried again later, decided WTF. 

It was now gonna cost $85. I just couldn't do it. Sorry Mom.

Now, this doesn't mean that I don't think my mom is worth that amount. It just means I don't think dead flowers are worth that much.

 Sometimes it's just Goodbye...

After giving up on that plan, I found a great gift - one I've been halfway keeping an eye on for a while. It was a digital frame that was large (800x600), took all kinds of memory cards and a USB cable and was compatible with most formats including music and movies.

It was a great deal at around one-third of what I'd seen these priced and to top it all off - FREE SHIPPING!  I know, right?  Everybody that knows me, knows these are the magic words. It can seal the deal when I am on the fence. 

So I placed my order.

It was on ebay but it was from Tiger Direct, so I was confident and unconcerned. I had the best of everything. Great price, free shipping and a good product from a "trusted company". 

Because of some unrelated issues I was having with PayPal which prevented me paying immediately, I tried a few times to close the deal unsuccessfully. A couple of days later when I tried again (for about the fifth time), I was surprised to see $8.99 added on for shipping. Now to me, that is a lot even if I weren't promised FREE SHIPPING. But I was. 

So I stopped, yet again, and wrote this email:

I have had some problems with my PayPal and haven't been able to pay as quickly as I normally would. Today when I tried once again my FREE SHIPPING has changed to $8.99!
 
I assure you that FREE SHIPPING was a major factor in this purchase and if it is not an option, I would like to cancel this purchase.
 
Please respond promptly.
 
 
Thank You,

This is the response I get...

Thank you for your time and patience. We are confirming that this order has been cancelled by request. We look forward to serving you again. Thank you..

Way to work to keep your customers, Carl.

I was amazed. I couldn't believe that rather than fix the issue, they would just dismiss me and my order. It might have been a very small insignificant order but I reminded them quickly of the age we live in. My follow-up email went like this...

That is fine, however, I will be spreading the news on my blog, myspace, facebook and any other possible medium that I can find.

The listing that I bid on (now closed, of course), clearly stated Free Shipping!

Had I bid on an item that showed $8.99 s/h (such as the new listing you have for this product) I would not have a problem paying it, but that was not the case.

Thank you for your time.

Amazingly, I received a new response from a different person. (Personally, I hope it is because the first one was fired.)

Dear Valued Customer.

We do apologize for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused you. If the product listing includes free shipping, then rest assured that it is free shipping. We will make the necessary correction regarding this matter. If you have already paid for the product(s) that included free shipping a credit will be issued to your PayPal account. Thank you again for your time and patience.

Interestingly enough, I tried after this to go back and once again pay for the item.  (if you know me, you know how uncommon it is for me to put up with this.) When I tried to pay the last two times (yes, twice), I was unable because the order had been cancelled. How awesome is that?

I have dealt with Mother's Day (albeit belatedly). I have given up on TIGER DIRECT. I did not respond to the last email. I am sorry that I didn't get the photo frame for my mom. She would have loved it. I was even going to load it up with pictures since she recently lost a gazillion when her computer crashed. 

C'est La Vie.

I hope that somewhere, this will be used as a lesson in what not to do in customer service. This was a simple fix. I am a simple guy. I was not being unreasonable (I have been accused). 

Do I think TIGER DIRECT is sweating the loss of a forty dollar sale - No. 

Do I think my blog is gonna make a dent in their sales - No.

What I do think is that I am a technoGeek that prefers to shop online. Once I find a place I like and trust, I will stay with them (unless they give me a reason not to). I will spread the word to all my technoGeek friends. And I know that it is cheaper to keep a customer than to bring in a new one.

Goodbye TIGER DIRECT - Hello NEWEGG.