Monday, November 26, 2007

We finally took some pictures!

But they're not posted yet. Sorry.
In accordance with my goal from a couple weeks ago, when we went to Disneyland for Thanksgiving with Chris's parents, we definitely took our camera. We (meaning Chris) took quite a few pictures, most of them not of us, but we did manage to get a few with one or both of us. I'll post up a couple of my favorites. Disneyland was all decked out for Christmas...so now I can't wait to get my tree up and what few decorations I have out! Be patient for the pictures...they really are coming, but we (meaning one of us, probably Chris) have to convert them to jpeg format and graze through the massive number that we (meaning Chris) took.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

I'm calling to provide you with an update...

And by update I mean I'm calling to tell you the same thing I've told you 5 times before: "I need to get more information (from my end) before I can get an answer for you." And by more information I don't mean from you (the consumer whom I called) I mean from us the provider of service (and the initiator of this call). Does this make sense to you? Yeah me neither. Let me tell you a little story of the black box that couldn't and the company called Micro$haft (names have been changed to protect the guilty).
As most of you may know my loving wife bought me an Xbox 360 (BTW 360 = number of hours I have now spent trying to get my console back). She opted to buy me the nicest of the consoles the one that was called Elite (suggesting that it may be better than the "standard"). Well after a few months of happy use- not excessive by any stretch (I'm thinking of all night parties with my Nintendo- man that thing never could die- still hasn't in fact 20 years later and plays most reliable of all), it died. Fine, I got the Red Ring of Death (google it- it's ingrained into American Gaming Lexicon). So I called M$ who closed WHILE I was on the phone. So I had to call back- fine. I called in on Monday October 1st, at 6:30 AM (yeah I got up that early just for that), I was helped promptly by a fine young man who said I would be receiving a box to ship it back to M$ in about 4-5 days (AKA Friday at the latest). Away we went willing the box here faster- Friday the 5th came and went and no box- OK I guess I'll call Monday. Monday's call nets me the following: UMMMMMmmmmmmmm I don't know how this system did this but.... we never got your request for a box... we have your call we just didn't ship the box- huh!?! Fine, ship me a box NOW, please. So I wait again.... yup 4 days later it gets here (that would be Thurs., Oct 11th). I rushed home and packed my console in the box and voila! Shipped! Sweet so they told me it takes no more than 10-12 business days to look over the console and either A) Fix it (unlikely) or B) Ship me a replacement (likely). So I watch UPS.com anxiously tracking my box every step of the way... HOORAY it arrived- signed in at 10:56 AM on Tues Oct 16th. Sweet so lets say it takes 12 days past that...carry the 3...add 2...subtract for gravitational pull...count Halloween as a holiday and.... yup, should be getting an answer NO LATER than November 2nd. OK I'm ok with that I've got lots to do. So on November 3rd I start to get worried and I start calling. First I get some people who tell me that it seems to have taken a bit longer- huh? Fine, I'll wait. By the start of next week I'm mad, I want an answer, so I do what anyone should do, call back. Now at this point I'm not gonna go into details, but sufficeth to say I have called at least 25 times, spoken to 10+ supervisors and at least, 20 first line helpers. I have also e-mailed 3 times.
See here's the problem THEY DON'T KNOW DIDDLY! They can never help me, I have been transferred/referred to the "Call Back Team" 3 times and have gotten 5 total call backs from 3 distinct groups. All with the answer seen at the start: Umm we don't know why, it shouldn't take this long. Their latest is "We don't have any replacement consoles in- fine FIX MINE instead."
I've asked for refunds- umm well we can't do that, I've asked for a reason that is has taken this long... uhhh we don't have one. I have asked for a manager... uhh we don't have one that speaks to people.
So now I am just PISSED! Yup I said it- I'm so mad that every time Xbox calls I yell, and yell, and yell. - On a side note they don't like it when you ask them personal questions about what they PERSONALLY are gonna do and they REALLY don't like it when you use their first name e.g. "What are you doing, David, to ensure that my console is being fixed?" Also I have found that rhetorical questions that often point out grammatical or contradictory statements that they make seems to really make them not like you.
I'm now a hostage of Micro$haft for 45 days- if only they'd send me a ransom to tell me how I can be released from their stranglehold-like grip. Better yet- if only they'd just give me a real answer.
So all I can say at this point is how much I hate this situation- it's not about video games, I've got plenty of those to play, it's about how my expensive investment in technology is now the laughing joke of M$ and how they seem like they're really just out to get me.

Monday, November 12, 2007

How many cameras does it take?

So I was bored tonight and thought I'd update our blog. Hmmm, I thought, I'll put up some new pictures. And then I realized, I don't have many pictures of Chris and I. Its not for lack of cameras, we have about 9 or 10. We just don't take pictures of each other or us. Maybe its because neither one of us really likes being in pictures, but I miss having them to look at. Or maybe its because we always forget to take the camera when we go places or forget to get it out when we take it. I guess some of that comes from the fact that I don't feel like we ever do anything exciting. But, looking back over the last few years...I know we've done stuff, but I have nothing to show for it. So, here's my goal. We have an amazing digital SLR camera. My goal is to take pictures of each other or us together at least three times this holiday season. I know it doesn't seem like much, but when you've got nothing to show for three years...a couple times in a couple months could make a difference. That's my goal. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully by the new year I have some pictures, just in case someone looks at my blog.