Dripping With Sarcasm

We did nothing for Memorial Day but gel at Home, it was nice.  I Binge Watched a NetFlix Series called "Inside Man" {2022} with Stanley Tucci, it was really good.   I priced some Inventory too but didn't take it in, didn't wanna risk being asked to Work.   One of the Elected Democrat Officials we Voted for and Won a position with the House of Representatives, Ms. Sun, came by the house.  Quite a Surprise to meet someone in person who you Voted for, we liked her and what she stands for.  I liked that she ran on a Clean Ticket, no Dark Money Sponsors, very nice Woman with integrity.   She's trying to get more people into Politics who will run on a Clean Ticket.  I recognized her immediately, impressed she's going Door to Door and really talking to those in her District.

Tomorrow is the first Day of Summer School, so Sleeping In is now over... dammit.   LATER:  Now Princess T is having a major Anxiety Attack becoz when I drove her to her High School Campus this Morning, there isn't even any Summer School on that Campus this Year!   WTF!?!   We showed them the Text Message from her Guidance Counselor specifically saying there was... and, as Dear Readers might recall, I've also called the damned Campus twice and been verbally told bad information now Two times by Two different Administrators!!!   They tell us to go to their Rival High School Campus, which is further from our Home and that's where Summer School Classes are this Year!!!

Now she's having the Anxiety Attack, since, she's never been to that School and it's a very large Campus and further from Home!  Fuuuuck!  She's saying she doesn't even wanna go to Summer School now but I coax her into me driving her there and say I'll even come in with her, in my Pajamas, to sort this shit out once and for all!!!   *Smiles*   Well, you see, I didn't think I'd be having to get out of my Vehicle!  We get to the other Campus and it's locked up, no access!!!   So I drive around to the back where I see Teacher's showing up and snag one.

Very nice Woman and very sympathetic to our plight, she could see I was upset and she was very Helpful, she said she has Kids of her own and it's quite a "Cluster" this Year.  She refrained from the Fuck part of that description, but Smiled knowingly and so did I.  She also said our Student should have gotten Paperwork for Enrollment, which, we didn't either!!!  AND, that Summer School there at their Campus doesn't even start until Tomorrow!!!   So, I took her back Home, listening to her Venting all the way... and called her Campus Office angrily.

The Person I spoke to had no Words and transferred me to the Guidance Counselor who had sent the erroneous Text Message we have Receipts for... so, she won't be able to deny she sent it with Wrong Information to our Student.   She's not taking Calls so it goes straight to that Bitch's Voicemail and I left a nasty one.  *Winks*   I'm awaiting a return call.  If I have to sort this out at the other Campus Tomorrow, IF I can even get my Kiddo to attend now, I'm gonna be even more hostile towards her School's Administration for giving us a Cluster Fuck situation to Deal with on top of our Kid's Emotional Turmoil of not Graduating with her Class!

We've already dealt with her being Depressed and Crying for Days, and now this shit... it's just Too Much!   There's absolutely no excuse for doing this to Families and especially to Special Needs Students.   It's causing a lot of unnecessary Stress and Turmoil in order for our Kiddo to just get her damned Diploma some kind of way.   It's as if they WANT these Kids to give up, give in, give out, and drop out!!!???!   And Believe me, if my Kid ends up not cooperating now becoz of this, I'm going to the Superintendent of Schools about this whole Cluster Fuck we've been forced to participate in.

So, other than that the day started out Swell.   *Bwahahahaha*  Well, at least she has another Day of Summer Vacay, is all dressed up with nowhere to go, and we all had to get up way too early for no reason... Splendid!!!   She'd actually started out with a decent attitude about attending the first day of Summer School, but now... that's over.  *Eye Roll*   I'm going to ask if they have an Online Option at her own Pace she will be able to do if I can't coax her into braving a foreign Campus with so much that was never explained to prepare us for in advance?  As far as that Bullshit I was told last Week, about it starting Early as an Option, the Teacher at that other School said not to her knowledge, this was the Teacher's In-Service First Day to prepare at their Campus!

So, where this Early Start Option allegedly happened is a Mystery, if it even existed at all and wasn't totally Made Up?   Her Campus is telling us now that they have NO Summer School on their Campus at all... and according to Teachers at the rival School's Campus, they didn't start anything Early, so they don't know what I was even talking about!   I'm sitting in my Truck in Pajamas having this discussion on a Campus we've never been to, to a very Nice Teacher from that School who is a complete Stranger, and giving me better information than her School has thus far!!!  Just WTF?! 

 Receiving Bad Info is even worse than receiving No Info IMO.   Especially when the Bad Info is then Denied by the School who gave it to you!!!  Glad we have the Text Message to Confront them with that can't be Denied.   I don't like the reliance on Technology these days, but it does give you Receipts when they've had to put it out there on their and your devices and it's Solid Evidence.   I will NOT be looking forward to Tomorrow and am thinking up some Bribe I can barter with to coax Princess T into at least giving it a try... that's IF she's even fucking Enrolled and her School didn't fuck that up too, which at this point, I can't tell and don't know for sure?!

I've also got to go to Lowe's this Morning and see if they sorted out that dilemma they had with Systems not interfacing with their Subcontractor to finish up our Shed Purchase and Delivery?!   I do Hope they got it all put Right now with Nick?   Since, I don't want to have to back out of that Deal and not get the Shed after having already spent an entire Day already applying, getting Approved, signing Contracts, but not being able to finalize it over a Tech Situation they encountered.   They had been worried that what we'd already done would be Cancelled Out if it couldn't transfer and be finalized between Systems, so, I just don't know what THAT means?   At least The Man got a couple of Hats, even if we don't get a fucking Shed.  Yes, I'm dripping with Sarcasm this Morning, can't ya tell?!  *Bwahahaha*

At least I did get some Inventory Priced and ready to shove into the Showroom this Morning, even if things at Lowe's don't work out.  Our Antique Mall is right next door to the Home Improvement Store, so, at least that's convenient.   And I can see how the Sale actually went too... Hopefully Sales were really Strong for it?   I say that becoz I'm not sure, most Shoppers came in Fri-Sun thinking it was the Sale, most people said they couldn't come back on Monday.  So... I dunno... it was a Stupid move by Management to only have it ON Memorial Day and not for the entire Holiday Weekend IMO.

For the Customers that said they couldn't come back and were upset the Sale wasn't Advertised to where they knew which Day it actually was, I suggested we call the Vendor and find out if they'd Honor the 15% Off early?   Most did and that was a relief, Happy Customer, no lost Sale, purchase Salvaged.   I personally Honored the 15% Off all Four Days if a Customer was wanting to Buy anything earlier than Memorial Day.  However, Staff had to Call me each time for Approval, which, was a waste of everyone's Time and an inconvenience to the Customer, Staff and me... but... whatever.   I don't make the Rules, Management does and I often Wonder what are they Thinking?!

On a Positive Note, the Kiddos Lifelong Friend Amber brought over Seasoned Steaks for us all to BBQ this Afternoon, since, Memorial Day The Daughter had Plans.  It had been a whole Year since her good Childhood Friend David had passed away and they were having a Memorial Day Special Memorial for him in the City, that she attended with his Cousin.   The Cousin let her stay at their Home for the Night, since the Tribute at the Cemetery was in the Evening to beat the Heat, and were bringing her Home in the Morning.  I hadn't realized a whole Year has passed since he Died, it just doesn't seem that long ago, but it is.   When Young People Die, for whatever reasons, i's just so premature an exit from this Realm.

And for our Kiddos it was sobering that David suddenly Died, since, there but for the Grace of God... since, he relapsed on his Sobriety and OD'd.  He didn't have Custody of his Children, his Ex did and he wanted to see more of them now he was Clean and Sober, Loved his Kids.   But, his Ex didn't have Sobriety and insisted on Supervised Visitation with her present.  Everyone knew she was trying to get back together with him, but, the reason they'd split was that he'd gotten Sober, she hadn't.  He had Three Years Clean/Sober.  But, her Living Arrangements were more suitable than his were, so she'd been awarded Custody. 

 He was struggling with Employment and was living in substandard conditions, due to needing affordable living arrangements for his situation.  His Mom had an Old Trailer she was letting him live in at the Old Barrio, not a good area or to Raise a Family, he knew this.   So he wasn't fighting for Custody, he wanted the Kids to have a nicer place to live and his Ex and her side of the Family could provide that.   Everyone told David that being around her would be high risk for him relapsing tho', since, she wasn't Clean or Sober... but he wanted to spend more time with his Kids.  In the end he gave in to the Ex's demands... got back together with her, and relapsed, which ultimately killed him. 

  So, now the Kids have no Father, she was now a Widow and Single Parent battling her own Demons.    Eventually she had the Children taken away and Adopted out to Non-Family Members, probably each to different Families.  The whole Substance Abuse Dependency Issue and vicious cycle that it is, always ends up wrecking Families in one way or another and causing insurmountable Loss and collateral damage... Addiction is brutal.   It doesn't just affect the Addict.  And you know that anyone with Sobriety is still only one Use away from a relapse at any time, no matter how long they've been Clean or Sober.  So, you don't take it Lightly when someone else fails and relapses, especially if they pay the ultimate Cost for their Addiction.  

David's Drug of Choice had been the same one The Son battled, and for similar reasons.  Started out with Prescription Meds prescribed by Doctors for Work Related Injury, Oxy, then spiraled into dependency and Street forms of it once they were hooked on Opiod use.   Doctors fail to wean Patients off of the Addictive Meds they often prescribe and just cut them off as if it's as easy as just stopping.  But, it's not once someone has become Addicted and Dependent upon the use of whatever it is.  Or has Chronic Injury and Pain being just masked by Drug use.  The Son still has chronic Pain from his Work related Injuries, he just has to suffer the agony now becoz he's fearful using anything for it would relapse him and he's got over Three Years Clean now.  He doesn't wanna end up like David.

 

   This is why I abhor Big Pharma and Western Medicine's tactics for getting people hooked, when otherwise, they aren't likely to ever abuse Drugs and use illegal product like Heroin, Fentanyl, Cocaine, Meth, or buy Illegal Prescription Drugs on the Streets, etcetera.  But, all the Suppliers become enriched, so they don't really Care.  It's Big Money. And, to be sure, a lot of the Elderly now are Selling their Drugs to supplement a Retirement Income they can't Live on.  Since, I've been told by Addicts who use Illegal Rx Meds, that's where they easily and more safely Source them, from Retirement Communities.   The Elderly usually have the Real Deal Meds... anything else on the Streets is often Suspect. 

So, your average Drug Dealer now isn't the Stereotypical one you might assume, could be your Elderly Neighbor Selling Off their Prescribed Meds that Medicare and their other Insurances covers... just sayin'.   And if you don't think that's High Risk for both Sellers and Buyers, you'd be sadly mistaken.   Timmy's Uncle got Murdered whilst Sourcing his Pills in a Retirement Community when the Old Man Dealing, shot and killed him.   I don't even have to know the whole Back Story to know how Negatively that Outcome impacted at least Two or more Families for the rest of their Lives. 

 Timmy's Two Young Cousins now don't have a Father, they already didn't have a Mother, his Grandparents are now Raising Two more Grandchildren.  Whoever the Old Drug Dealer's Family was has that situation to also Deal with concerning their Elderly Loved One.  Lots of collateral damage there.  Incarcerating anyone Costs the Taxpayers a minimum of $80,000 Annually per Criminal.  Incarcerating the Elderly, much more, since, they're still a vulnerable population and usually on tons of Medications and with Medical Issues and need separate Housing to ensure their Safety in Lockup.  So, just do the Math as to the Cost to Society... over Drug related Crimes... oh, and the Funeral Costs of Victims of Drugs, and Drug related Crimes, it's staggering.

David's Family had to Host a Three Day Carwash to help pay for his Funeral Costs, since, how many Families expect or are prepared to pay for a Young Loved One's Funeral?  Or any Funeral?   The Man and I Prepaid for our Funerals a long time ago and it took us a few Years to pay it off and ensure our Loved Ones wouldn't be burdened with the Cost.   For Pre-Paid Plans in Arizona the Money is put into an Interest Bearing Trust until used.   We also have Life Insurance, but, I know a lot of Families don't prepare well, or at all, for final expenses or to benefit Survivors.  They perhaps can't even afford to, depending upon circumstances and finances.   And to be sure, filing Claims on any Insurance can still be a Nightmare experience to Collect what's owed you.

That's a whole other Industry that I just won't even Go There this Day, just so I won't be a total Blog Post Topic Downer.  *Bwahahaha*  I just know I'm paying more for Insurance in Arizona now becoz of Catastrophic Events in many other States that have drained that Industry.  Nuff said... even tho' I don't even live in a High Risk State so shouldn't bear that burden of choosing to live in one and assume the risks!   But, Life ain't Fair or Bras wouldn't come in Sizes, Right?  *Winks*   Why my Vehicle Insurance in Arizona has to increase to offset Claims on Property damage in Florida after a Hurricane, or Oklahoma after a Tornado, Delta States after a Flood, Cali after an Earthquake, Northern States after a Fire, well, makes no sense.

MUCH LATER:   Well, the Guidance Counselor who had sent the Text Message before about Summer School, called me back to assure me that they ARE having Summer School at her Campus and she had no idea why Admin would tell us otherwise and send us to a Wrong location?!  She said she will get to the bottom of it for us, since clearly it causes undue Stress and Anxiety that a Student and Family don't need to endure and get the runaround unnecessarily.  I appreciated her Candor and apology, her Text had apparently been the only accurate information we'd even had.  Summer School begins Tomorrow at the regular Campus our Grandchild is used to.  Huge relief for Princess T and us.  *Whew*

But, everything didn't have a Happy Ending, when I went to finalize the Shed Purchase, we had to Cancel the Order.  Lowe's told me they couldn't finalize it and seemed to be trying to place all blame on the Subcontractor.   My Confidence was being shaken, since, they tried to just Sell me the Shed, with no Financing to Fund Construction, which, just wouldn't work for us.  I told them I'd applied for and been approved for both the Purchase and Construction, so, what's the problem??  I explained I didn't just want supplies for a Shed delivered and sitting around my Property, Paid for and then have no way to build it.

I also said I didn't want to have to seek out a Contractor and then work out some kind of Financing options with them separately.  Our Agreement was All In and now they were telling me they couldn't Honor that Contract I'd Agreed to and Signed... so I couldn't accept the altered Terms, I hadn't agreed to, and wouldn't Work for us.   So, I felt the only Option was to Cancel the Transaction totally.   Well, later on Nick the Contractor calls me and I have to tell him this and he was really upset and said he's considering no longer doing business with Lowe's as a Subcontractor becoz they're trying to make him look bad for their inability to finalize a Deal/Purchase and just Pay him.   Then try to put all blame on him and cut him out of the Deal entirely.  That's bad for his Reputation.

He said he sent them all that was needed on his end to finalize the Purchase.  It's their Job to draft the Contract, Finance the whole Job, extend me the Credit if and when the Customer is Approved {which we were}, and then once he's Paid, he can Build it after they Deliver it.   I agreed that it seemed to me the problem was Lowe's seemed not to know how to work their Systems in a way that handles the outsourced Jobs they claim to offer Customers and I don't know any way around that.  I don't suspect he does either and it's lost both he and Lowe's a Sale now of a couple Grand each.  It's just bad business, I'm sorely disappointed, I want and need a Shed, but not all this Drama and a Headache.  And if they can't work together, I don't really want to work with either of them and be in the middle of the Chaos.

As if that wasn't enuf, I got TWO Welcome Letters from Nissan finally about my Truck Purchase from way back in March.  FINALLY they have the Loan set up and both Welcome Letters were identical and explained what my Loan Number now is, but, said I'd have to contact them to Opt In to receiving Monthly Statements by Mail!!!   WTF, you can automatically duplicate a Welcome Letter, yet fail to send a Monthly Statement for the First Payment Due?!   So, I call the 1-800 Number, get a Bot that couldn't help me, but kept talking over me after telling me the Automated System can't help me with generating a request for a Statement!!!

I keep asking Bot to give me a Sales Rep Human then, it keeps talking over me... finally I start dropping F-Bombs and Bots seem to recognize that by the time you're using Fuck in a Sentence, you're now an Angry Customer needing Human Assistance!  *LOL and Eye Roll*  So, after 15 frustrating fucking Minutes yelling and swearing at a Bot, it transfers me to a Human Named Carlos, who apparently Mediates Bot Transfers, but, also claims not to be able to help me with Statement generation... fuuuuck!   So, ole' Carlos now says he's gonna Transfer me and puts me on Hold listening to the most annoying repetitious Muzak you've ever heard for 35 MINUTES!!!   I almost lost my Mind.  That ridiculous Jingle looped in my Head for a while afterwards.

By now, when a Young Female Human FINALLY takes my Call, I start off by explaining I've spent a Quarter of an Hour swearing at their Bot, then Transferred to Carlos who had put me on Hold for over 35 Minutes, so, please don't drop this Call or tell me you can't help me either!  All I want is to Opt In to having Statements Mailed to me to pay by Mail... nothing that should waste over 45 Minutes of my Life I'll never get back.   I explained to her that I've already endured Financing screwing up, which is why a Truck I bought way back in early March, still hasn't had a single payment made and now has a Due Date of end of June!!!  And, I just want Payments to be able to be made on time and without further hitches.  They should want that, No?  *LOL*

So, we'll see if they generate a Statement in early June so I receive it on time to make the Due Date?   I don't wanna have to Deal with their inept 1-800 Customer Service contact at Nissan Corporate again.   I mean, WTF, do they only have Two Humans working there, one that can't help you and just one that's actually doing the Work, and relying on a Bot for everything else?!   I mean, at least the Young Woman sounded American and not Outsourced 3rd World Contact that you cannot understand, has trouble understanding English, and communication is thus difficult.   The Bot was just annoying and persistent about not wanting to transfer you to a Human, and Carlos didn't speak English well, might not have even been in America {perhaps a Call Center in Central America?}, and was pretty worthless.

*******

Well... we did have some Happy Endings... we had one more Day of Summer Vacay, so, I took Princess T and The Man to The Mall later on to just do some Power Walking and Shopping...  Dawn... The Bohemian