I hate IKEA (& traemand)

Let me tell you a little bit about what has now become My Kitchen Upgrade Nightmare of 2007. I bought the design & measure service through Traemand, the installation company that IKEA recommends and that calls itself "an IKEA Certified Cabinet Installation company." Initially I had a good experience with Traemand, everyone at the office was nice and professional, as was the guy who came out to measure my kitchen. The designer helped me make the best use of my kitchen space although I'm fairly certain she just threw the dimensions into a computer program that spit out a design. I purchased my cabinets mid-August, the IKEA experience was a bit less enjoyable. The folks working there are all very nice and helpful but I think I was in there about 3-4 hours just placing the order! Their computer system does not seem very user friendly. The rest of the process goes like this: you take the order printout to the cashier and pay for the entire order. Then you proceed to the carry out window where they collect the many boxes of your cabinets in parts, then you arrange with the home delivery people to schedule a date to have your doors delivered as those come from a separate warehouse. Then you fax the purchase order to the designer at Traemand. Thankfully she understood all the IKEA part number gibberish and realized that they had neglected to order a couple of cabinets and a few doors. So the next weekend I make the trek back out to the store to order the missing parts. Lo & behold two of the doors were already out of stock! So I got what I could and scheduled the installations.
Now for the fun part. The Traemand installation was a nightmare from the get-go. According to them, it was supposed to be a two-day job for two people per day. The first day, Tuesday, only one guy showed up, the same guy who measured my kitchen. He managed to assemble all of the cabinets but had to stop there, obviously it would have been awfully difficult to hang cabinets by himself. That afternoon I called the office and expressed my concern that the installation would not be finished in the time they said it would be, a woman there assured me they would be sending FOUR people out on Wednesday to finish the job. I reiterated that it was very important that they finish because I had a handyman coming out on Thursday to reconnect the plumbing and the range so I could go out of town on Friday. Surprise, surprise, on Wednesday morning only two guys showed up to finish the job. They assured me they would easily be able to finish the job. Unfortunately, one of the guys was not as much interested in working as he was in flirting with me about anything and everything he could possibly think of. This is a guy who drove up in a hoopdie with handcuffs hanging from the rearview mirror. At some point I went in to check on their progress and I happened to notice that they had not left enough room for the refrigerator. As a result, they had to remove and reinstall an entire wall of cabinets. In addition, they put several gouges in my new tile floor, badly scraped a corner down to the sheetrock, and installed an entire bank of cabinets and countertop that was actually too deep. There were a few issues that came up do to errors in either the design or measure process that the installers did not bother to consult with me about. By they time they left at 7:00 pm I was seriously starting to feel unsafe in my own home and I just wanted them OUT! Over the next couple of days I spoke with the owner of the company was was willing to make some corrections but he did say that scraped walls were just par for the course and that the grout must have "bubbled after the installation." He sent two installers back the following Monday to correct the installation errors and they were very helpful.
Now back to IKEA. Remember those two door that were "out of stock" back in August? Well guess what? They are STILL OUT OF STOCK. I just called the store and when the associate told me that I had to try very hard not to lose it. He gave me the 800 number to "IKEA Direct" and the associate there told me that those two doors will not be in stock any earlier than the fifth week of next year. Let me also add that I have been waiting to put on the door handles and drawer pulls until the doors to come in because the Traemand guys offered to throw that in with the door installation, it's not included but maybe they felt like they owed me one. So for over three months I have had to find creative ways to open my flush cabinets and drawers. If they came pre-drilled I would have put the stupid things on myself. However, I am not willing to risk ruining $120 doors.
I find all of this to be ridulous, unprofessional and unacceptable and I hope you will let my experience be your cautionary tale.

cutest video ever

more police brutality

In case you don't live here or you don't watch the news, a terrible thing happened in Austin last weekend. An APD officer shot a man twice in the back. I happen to work with the victim's mother and have known her for over three years. My heart aches so much for her and her family and I feel so helpless. I don't have children of my own but I know that no one thinks they will outlive their own. Please keep their family in your thoughts during this difficult time.
Thankfully, the justice department was already going to investigate APD for their history of using excessive force. I hope that this will stop things like giving cops promotions when they have a history of this kind of being violent.
Edit: Here is another good article from the Austin Chronicle. Also, the acting police chief Cathy Ellison states, "'One of the things in our policy is we don't shoot at fleeing suspects,' Ellison said. 'We don't shoot at cars, fleeing cars. You have to know that you're in danger for your life or someone else's. If it looks that someone is running away from you, then that person may not be a danger. So if it looks [like] he shot him in the back, and he's running away, then of course it looks inconsistent with policy'"
Good to know.

medical procedure

This is what I had done on Tuesday, fun!

flashback

you're welcome (my favorite part is the bartender)

office space, part deux

The Office Space saga continues, I can't believe this is really happening. I actually have a meeting tomorrow with The Bobs!!!
"The purpose of the Focus Group will be to allow you to provide input on a number of topics that include your work environment, the overall direction of the Division, and the overall direction of the Agency. Your participation is a critical component in establishing open communication channels to understand employee issues and concerns. The sessions will be facilitated by Bob One and Bob Two of Deliotte Consulting and there is no advance preparation required. We look forward to your parcipation."
I wonder if I'm going to have to justify my job?

played like a sucka

I guess I was overdue for a bit of boy drama. Before this past Saturday night it had been approximately seven months since I had any sort of male physical contact. I made plans with a male friend of mine who I have had a crush on (off & on) for the past four years. We get along great, have a lot of fun together and are obviously attracted to each other. Long story short, we ended up on my couch watching a movie and he finally put the moves on me. No, we didn’t do the nasty but he did spend the night…in my bed. The next morning we had coffee in bed which was very sweet. I made him breakfast and while I was scrambling the eggs he started telling me about some eighteen year old girl who likes him. Say what? That’s just rude! If I’m making you breakfast in my PJs, please don’t have the audacity to talk to me about some other chick. A little common courtesy would be much appreciated. I knew something was off so I text messaged him later in the day: “So do you make out with all your girlfriends when you’re feeling lonely?” His response: “Yes.” Good to know. I can tell you the make-out-session-out-of-convenience/desperation will not be happening again! I stopped doing that crap when I quit drinking. I sure do feel like a chump.

too funny

More from the eighteen-year-old kid:
Date: Monday, April 16, 2007 1:22 PM
Subject: hey
Message: hey just saw some of ur pics and wow ur sexy as hell...nice body girl so ur sexy ass got aim or msn?

I could have given birth to this kid.

the male privilege checklist

Food for thought.

cat trick

Rufus rules, just watch the video evidence, sorry the quality is so crappy, I'm just learning how to use this thing:

wtn, pt. 3

It just keeps getting better and better! You'll notice they have added a dish, an overturned loveseat (in front of the couch) and a desk in the carport. It's times like this a neighborhood association would come in handy!

the killers

My sister and I went to see The Killers on Friday night and it was AWESOME!!! I am not a fan of "Sam's Town" but "Hot Fuss" is fantastic. I think we may have gotten a contact high from inhaling all the second hand skunk weed smoke! It was also fun when the 17-year-old boy asked me ("ma'am?") what song was playing because I was mouthing the words to "Running up that Hill" (shit I love that song!)

Let's see, I was thirteen when that song came out, he was negative five. There was also a drunk girl bingeing on popcorn, that was an interesting spectacle.

But the music was awesome and Brandon Flowers is a total hottie.

Free the West Memphis Three

My sister and I recently watched the two Paradise Lost documentaries about three teenagers who were convicted in 1994 of murdering three little boys. There was no physical evidence linking them to the crimes; in fact there was more evidence pointing to the stepfather of one of the boys. I felt very moved by this story, it really made me question my beliefs about our justice system and capital punishment. It is truly terrifying to think that a person can be sentenced to death for being a goth or a metalhead or for practicing Wicca. If that's the case then I and most people I know are at serious risk.

I just got this message on Friendster from an EIGHTEEN year old boy:
Subject: wow
Message: wow no way ur as old as u say in ur profile...u look amazing...sexy as hell
ps nice profile pic

HILARIOUS!!!

interesting article

If you're mentally ill like I am and you chronically quit your meds, you may be interested in this article.

white trash neighbor, part deux

Not to be outdone by the Couch On The Patio, may I present to you the White Trash Above Ground Pool that makes its appearance every spring. Beautiful!

Rufus, R.I.P.

Last night I made the very sad and horrible decision to euthanize my beloved cat Rufus. Thankfully my mom and my sister were there with me. As some of you know he has been struggling with various health problems for the past couple of years. First he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, then liver disease, then Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) and finally kidney disease. He was very ill twice last year and somehow miraculously pulled through both times. Unfortunately this week he was just too sick. I did everything I could to save him including acupuncture, Chinese herbs, syringe feeding, subcutaneous fluids and tube feeding but he continued to get worse, not better. I decided that he didn't need to suffer any longer and I really believe Rufus made the decision for me.

Rufus has been my very special companion for over twelve years, I have never known a cat like him. He really thought he was a dog, I even called him "Puppy-Kitty." He would even sit for a treat, thankfully I captured it on video before he got ill. My friend Mary said that even though she doesn't believe in reincarnation, she thinks Rufus will come back as a dog.

Please say a little prayer that his little Puppy-Kitty spirit is being taken care of.

My Life in Office Space

There is going to be a "Bob" infiltrating our organization. Rumor has it they're paying him $250k...about $125 an hour. That is a QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS people. Yes, that was me e-yelling. Oh yes and did I mention they created three new division and posted three new division manager positions, with pay ranges up to $100k per year ($50 an hour)? Meanwhile they can't seem to find the money to hire one measly receptionist for our very large division. Guess who is still covering the front desk. Fucking Lovely.

"To help us with these changes, we have brought Mr. R from Deloitte Consulting on board as our Change Management Strategist. Mr. R has a tremendous amount of experience, with over 30 years in process improvement and change management, in both the private and public sector. His role will be to monitor our projects, identify any changes those projects will bring about and help us prepare and work through them [i.e. 'cutting expenses by downsizing and outsourcing']. Mr. R will be with us for 12 months.

We all know some innovations are small: like new letterhead [you mean 9.45 mb letterhead that you outsourced?]; others a little bigger, such as new policies. All these changes impact the great people in this agency. Mr. R's role will be to help us all during these initiatives. He will be meeting with people to learn about our agency and how it operates so that he can give us the best advice possible."

white trash neighbor

So this is what I see when I look out my front window or walk out my front door. Ain't it purty?

celiac disease

I have just been diagnosed with celiac disease: "What Happens With Celiac Disease: When individuals with CD ingest gluten, the villi, tiny hair-like projections in the small intestine that absorb nutrients from food, are damaged. This is due to an immunological reaction to gluten. Damaged villi do not effectively absorb basic nutrients -- proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and, in some cases, water and bile salts. If CD is left untreated, damage to the small bowel can be chronic and life threatening, causing an increased risk of associated disorders -- both nutritional and immune related."
This is the third time in less than five years that I have been diagnosed with a serious, chronic illness for which there is no cure and that requires a lifetime of vigilant maintenance. I feel just like I did when I first got sober: sad, angry, lonely, grief-stricken, afraid...it feels so unfair because I feel as though I have already given up so much.
I have always been the odd one out, and now I have evn one more strike against me. Excuse me while I feel sorry for myself.

I like being threatened with immediate termination

Q: I like to surf the Internet throughout my lunch break, which is 15 minutes long. Isn’t this OK? It is incidental to the job. I don’t have to do any work when I’m at lunch.

A: No, it is not OK to surf the Internet during your break because that would not be a minimal use. Using the Internet for a personal use (or talking on the phone for a personal reason or sending personal emails) for 15 minutes is too long to be a minimal amount of time. In this case, it doesn’t matter if the use would be incidental or non-disruptive, because it does not meet the minimal use test.

The general rule of thumb is that if you spend five minutes or more on a personal email, personal phone call or personal Internet use, you have used it too long. Your use may no longer pass the minimal use test.

Remember also that personal use can be minimal, but it would still be prohibited if it didn’t pass the other two tests: it must also be incidental to the job and non-disruptive. You may have just started a personal telephone call, but if a co-worker or customer needs something, or a call comes in, you must leave your personal call and take care of those matters immediately. If you do not, your use will not be incidental to the job and may also be disruptive. An employee whose personal use of the Internet, telephones, or email does not pass all three tests for acceptable use is subject to disciplinary action, including immediate termination from employment.

Q: I work on the phones. During the time in between calls, I like to email my friends back and forth. I don’t see what is wrong with this because I don’t have anything else to be doing and nobody can hear me, so it isn’t disruptive. Can I continue to use my email this way?

A: Emailing your friends throughout the day while waiting for phone calls to come in would not meet the minimal use test. This would be true if you surfed the Internet at these times or if you made personal calls at this time.

family photo

The 80s were awesome.

It's that time of year again...

Click here if you would like to support me in the Hill Country Ride for AIDS. Thanks!

ridiculous

Recently seen in an email from upper management:
"It has been determined by xxx that unauthorized appliances in the work area create safety hazards and energy usage concerns...a long list of appliances are deemed "unauthorized" including space heaters, toasters, refrigerators, microwave ovens, coffee pots, fans and other such items. Any such appliance should be removed..."
So we can no longer have our coffee pots, however TVs at your desk are apparently acceptable. WTF???
Also, it has come to my attention that our security department has turned on "websense" to monitor our web usage. They are allegedly planning to run reports to show how much time we spend on the web and which sites we visit and send those reports to our management. They have already blocked "personal network storage sites" which means I cannot access sites like flickr and I can't see the photos on Go Fug Yourself. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they block our internet access all together. One of the reasons I work in a lower paying state job is the laid back work environment, including being able to email my friends and family during the downtime at work (of which there is plenty.) If they take that away I might as well go take more money to work in the private sector. If my job performance were being compromised by my web surfing then I might understand this, but I continue to be the highest performer on my team with statistics that border on ludicrous. I triple-dog-dare them to confront me with a report of my web-surfing, I will be right back in their face with the reports of my stats.

too funny

love the fug girls

pet surgery

In case you don't read my sister's blog, she recently posted about her cat getting surgery to repair her ACL. My dog had the surgery on Friday, here is a picture of his tragic Frankenleg.If you don't know what the ACL is, it stands for anterior cruciate ligament and you usually hear about really active humans rupturing theirs. Well, as we have learned, dogs and cats can rupture theirs too and apparently it's quite common. So common in fact that our pet insurance does not cover the ($1300) surgery within the first year of having a policy. Lovely.
Recovery time for a dog is twelve weeks, during which I have to severely limit his activity, confine him while I am gone and take him outside on the leash to go to the bathroom - no unsupervised outside time. This makes it difficult to coordinate with my other two dogs and the dog door. Plus he has to wear an e-collar for two weeks so he won't chew on the sutures. If I take it off of him for just a couple of seconds he goes right for the incision so he has to have it on at all times.I knew all of this was going to be difficult but I was not prepared for the nighttime. He has been very restless at night and is not sleeping well at all. The first night he barked at me from about 1am until 6am because he wanted to get in the bed with me. I tried everything to calm him down, I even got down on the floor and tried to sleep with him but nothing seemed to help. The next day I decided I had to take drastic action to make through the next twelve weeks. So I put my mattress on the floor so he can sleep with me, spoiled rotten dog. Now that is great in theory except that he is still restless, off and on all night he was banging around with the e-collar; bumping into me, the wall, the alarm clock and anything else that was in his way. Of course now he is sleeping peacefully and I am exhausted. I have more sympathy for all you mothers out there!