The Failure To Fall For The Bait And Switch...

An update from the last post.   This afternoon, before Work,  I visited the Boost Mobile store/rehab/parole Office again with my account in hand!  ( figuratively speaking.)   I was shocked to see the same kid there from last night standing  behind the bullet proof glass.  He was "helping" a couple of ladies set up a phone and service for "Grandma."  And it did not seem to be going well.  

First,   the kid sounded like he was whispering the entire time.   I'm sure the inch thick bullet proof glass had something to do with the volume level.   But, in addition to the difficulty in understanding what he was saying....  there was a difficulty  in understanding...  What he was saying. 

In other words,  the ladies seemed about as confused as I was.  The younger lady ( the daughter, I'm assuming.)   was just trying to get the phone and the plan on the cheap.   Simple!   She is an older lady with limited means and  few requirements.   She needed a phone. ..  To call for help or to keep in contact with the family.   Period.   Simple!  

But I guess the kid could not understand simple.  Or was having trouble explaining "simple" as their store would have it.  

To top it off,  the two ladies had a young kid there.   Who could not sit still or keep quiet.  As he ran around looking for anything to entertain himself with,  the grandma tried to quiet him while the "mother" of the kid kept talking and ignoring the zoomie tornado running around the lobby.   

I sat quietly next to the solitary kioske and folded one of the pamphlets into an origami goat.   

What else could I do?  

Finally,  it was my turn.   I walked up; acknowledged our previous meeting; and proceeded to give him my account information.  Simple!

He asked for it again...   And again.   ( Did he not hear me the previous two times?)   After talking on the phone/zoom call with what I can only imagine was the owner/tech guy of the store...   he informed me that the "best" they could offer me was $60/ a month plan.   

Um...  What?  

He must have noticed when he brought up my account that I had somehow achieved the impossible with an incredible deal of only $8 BUCKS A MONTH plan.   $8 Bucks!  No no....  I would rather pay 60 dollars for a service that I am already well satisfied with.   I doubt they could offer me any upgrades that I would use.   Everything I need is covered in the plan that is only $8 Bucks!   A spoon that works is still a spoon.   No matter how much gold and gems you encrust on it.  

I politely declined the offer and asked if I could just purchase the phone.   I looked on the boost website and the phone that I was interested in was around $200.. And I was willing to pay that if I could solve this problem here and now. 

After a look of confusion left his face,  he began typing on the computer again.   He could sell me the phone for $250.00.   

Um...  What?  

What is that extra $50 bucks for?   That was not even including tax!   With tax it was approaching $270!   

I considered the android phone that was the cheapest they had.  And that was still $200.00 before taxes.  And was far inferior to the one I had my mind on.  After a few minutes of hesitation.   I declined the offer and walked out.  I doubt I will be back. 

So... another day with no phone.   And I'm miraculously still alive!   I doubt anyone has even called or texted to notice that I have not responded in my usual quick shot style.  And although I know it will be bothersome in the future, (mostly for banking and ID checks.)  I know that I will continue to survive until the new phone arrives on Wednesday.  You see,  I logged on to my Amazon account and purchased one on line. ( for FAR cheaper!)  It will arrive before Christmas. 

So...  Retailers!   If you want to compete with Amazon and all that online marketing.  Have knowledgeable staff and easy to access goods and services.   The big drawback from ordering stuff online is that I can't ask questions about anything to a knowledgeable professional.   And,  let's face it,   "Tech" is not my strong suit.  I use the tech I'm familiar with and that is all.  I would rather chase butterflies or hunt mushrooms rather than play on a phone for hours to learn all of it's features..  So setting this new one up might be a bit of a challenge.  

But given the alternative that I witnessed over the last two days,  I'm sure I can do better.   And probably with less of a headache.   And once it is up and running, I will slowly fill in the gaps and learn what else there is to know.   If I can do it in less than an hour, I will consider the $100 dollars in savings worth it.  

And then I can make every second count. 

The Complexity Of Simplicity.

"It's EASY to Switch!"   

Beware those word.   Whenever anyone says something is easy....  They really mean it is "Easy for Them!"  And, instead of explaining the nuances of that statement... ( and thus.. complicating it!)   I will instead tell you a story that recently happened to me. 

Last night... in the chill of the winter wind,  my aged Phone "died" while reading a text.  

Initially,  I thought it was simply low on battery.   So I plugged it in and waited a couple hours to start it up and continue reading the text.  But.... 

Nothing happened.  

After playing with it for several minutes, I decided that my phone had breathed it's last and figured I would purchase another one.   A newer one!  The phone was a gift, after all.   So it was already up there in years as my benefactor had upgraded their phone.  So squeezing a few extra years of life out of this phone was a good deal. 

And there was an excitement of having to purchase a new item now.  With all of those christmas deals flying around....  I figured the "cheapest" phone now would be light years ahead of what I had.    So,   after work today, I headed to the Boost Mobile store, just three miles from my residence.  

I have to say,  first impressions are everything.   And this place certainly made an impression.  It looked less like a Tech Store and more like a place where they have needle exchanges.   The place was empty except for some samples that were bolted to the wall.   There was a single kiosk in the center of the room and one associate behind a huge sheet of bullet proof glass!   He communicated with a small sliding window.   A rather odd place to place of business.

I stepped up to ask about purchasing a new phone and explained the situation.   He pulled out a new phone that I recently saw advertised and I stated I would take it.   Simple!

Not so fast....

I had to tell him my account.   I have an account with Boost mobile, after all.  ( a really great deal!   $8/mo for unlimited talk and text and several gigs of data. )   They take out their payment  once a year.  

So what is your PIN number?  

Um...  I don't know. 

It's saved on the phone...   Which is broke.  Which is why I am here.  

Enter your Email and it should allow you to change your password.   Except.. My phone is broke... and I can't access my email unless I'm on my laptop.  

You can also find your information on the app....  Which is only on my phone...  Which is broke. 

After a back and forth,  I can see the writing on the wall.   This kid does not know anything other than how to set up new customers.   So I decide I will go home and wrestle with it there....  Online.

I go to the web page,  follow the instructions, enter my email... But they continue to send me a text to verify that it is me!   Which I can't read... because my phone is broke!   

Frustration, followed by maniacal laughter  is the resulting response.  I am in a doom loop!  A "Catch 22"  I need my phone to get help to fix my phone so I can get a new phone.  But my phone is broke... making it impossible to get a new phone or fix the broken one.  

I did find the chat...  which is automated.   And kept sending my phone texts so I could enter a new PIN or Password.    They finally gave me a phone number to call for a LIVE PERSON!   Except.... you guessed it!  My PHONE IS BROKE!

After working a full morning shift at Haribo  I was in no mood to go back and try to hammer out the details in the presents of the employee and  an audience. (Even though I was the  only one in there. ) So I went went home and figured I would work it out there.   Something had to give. 

I find it funny how we get talked into these "Simple" items that are "supposed" to make life "Simpler."   And after we become dependant on them. ( Passwords remembered, banking, communication,...)  They fail... and we discover just how COMPLICATED it all actually was! 

I suppose the idea is that people upgrade...  Rather than fix or replace a phone.   I mean...  I'm sure the default is that EVERYONE has a phone.   and they will send a text code to your old phone so you can replace it with the new one.  I mean... It is INCONCEIVABLE that someone lost, broke or had their phone stolen...  right?  

But for those of us in the "Imaginary Margin" of "No Phone"...   The system is broken.   

Just like my phone. 

The happy ending to this story is that I did managed to break into my account through sheer tenacity.  Hopefully,   with my account now accessible,  I will be able to replace the phone tomorrow morning... before I have to go back to work. (Yes!  We are working this Sunday.)  I'm hoping I will have  someone who is slightly more knowledgeable than the last guy...  and I will not have any more surprises thrown at me.  Just sell me the phone,  transfer the SIM card and I'll be on my Merry way.  

Easy!    So Easy Ryan Reynold's puppy can do it... In a Christmas Sweater vest!

And then I'll be able to text Christina a response.    And be available for anyone else to contact me....   If they ever want to.  

Another Day donated to Haribo.   It went by fast...  and was fun.   So it was not really like work.  But it is time I was not able to complete other things.   And with the Holidays almost upon us... I find every second precious now.   And it is becoming a challenge to make every second count. 

A Busy Week Of Snow And Making People Famous!

It was a busy week at the Haribo.   The previous week, the passerelle ( a conveyer-like machine that wraps and  carries pallets from the Factory to the Warehouse)  Was "down".   It is always down for a short time,  but the wrapper was having serious issues and that forced us to be unable to move pallets to the warehouse.  And things began to Pile Up!  

I wish I could have taken a picture of the "Great Wall" of pallets we had built.   But cellphones and photos are not allowed in the factory ( for obvious reasons.) But I assure you is was a sight to behold.   

The Passerella eventually got fixed, but the lines continued to run.  And without AGV ( Robot) assistance, the task of tearing the wall down got continually pushed back... To Saturday.  

And I volunteered to come in and help out.  

It should have been like last Saturday,  But this weekend they had 4 additional lines operational.   With lines in use, that means they need boxes, film, gummies, and special assistance from time to time with pallet removal and restock. In other words:  It keeps us from being able to solely focus on clearing the floor.   

In addition to that,  the Warehouse guys were not working.   So one of our Fork Truck Drivers had to go there to unload the Passerella.   From what I hear,  the Floor of the warehouse is now as cluttered as our was.   I'm sure they will be happy about that on Monday. 

We DID manage to tear down the wall and clear out enough pallets to allow the AGV's to run.   And that helped a bit.   ( We still have to drive around them:  And fix them when they are "stuck".)  And I stayed an extra hour or so to try to clear out the back half.  With the Third Shift arriving, it freed me up to focus exclusively on the pallet piled up in the back.   It takes me 3 minutes to drive the entire length of the factory, pick up a double stack of pallets, and bring it to the Passarella.  That is Without any AGV dodging or slow downs due to "Shakky Pallets" So theoretically,   in 30 minutes I "should" be able to move 20 pallets. (10 trips. Two pallets each trip.) 

By the time I left,  There were still 19 stacks of pallets in the back.  That's not counting the nooks and crannies of double stacked pallets all tucked in-between.  Hopefully third shift managed to clean up the rest during their shift.  

 It was late by the time I finished ( after 1 A.M.) and it was beginning to snow.  Luckily, I have a Subaru, and even with my tired state,  I was able to make it home without issue.  The Snowplows were not out in force at that time,  so the snow began to pile up.   In fact,  when I went to Church at 8 A.M.   The roads were still rather sloppy.   

But Luckily,  I have a Subaru. 

The snow does bring out the Christmas Spirit, though.   And Haribo has fully embraced the season with lobby decorations and family picture events.  They also celebrated their third year of Operation!  IT is hard to believe it has only been operational for three years.   And I was "here" ( in kenosha.. Not Haribo)  During that construction phase.   I saw the building being put up and the big letters being painted on the side of the factory.  They started up around the same time Zebra did ( Then GXO) So I drove by the Haribo Factory every day and could see the progress. Such fond memories.

And finally:  Remember that Blog post about Lydia?   I told her I was going to make her famous with my 6 regular readers.    Turns out...  I was right! 

I was grabbing a coffee on my way to church this morning and casually glanced down at the newspaper to see her sporting the  front page!  I snapped a picture, but should have bought the paper and read the article.   Now, everyone is going to want to visit the clubhouse and see the awesome bartender who puts up those amazing Christmas Decorations.  

I guess the article is about her hosting a "Pop-Up" bar somewhere in Kenosha.  ( Again, I did not read the article..)  But I will ask and see where and when.   Perhaps I will stop in for a visit.   Or maybe she is going to open her own bar!   Wouldn't that be cool?

As for now,   Monday is only a few hours away, and I have to get some recovery time before starting it all back up again.  I shoveled a small path to the front door so the mail guy can deliver and now I am curled up in front of the fireplace with a warm beverage.   A little peace and quiet to help me make every second count.

Welcome! New Citizen To The United States Of America

Today was a very special Day!   Norma, a co-worker at Haribo,  took her American Citizen test and Passed!    She was sworn in Yesterday and is now a Full Fledged American!  (Hooray!)  

I wanted to blog about this because, if you ever met Norma,  She is Instantly Loveable!  Friendly, Always  Smiling,  Helpful...   And occasionally playfully cheeky.  She will instantly remind you of one of your favorite aunts from your childhood. ( You know... the Cool/fun one!   We all have at least one of those, right?)   She shows up everyday and works hard at the Mini-s and often helps new folks out with any questions.  ( Usually ME!   Because I always have questions about what goes where and who asked for what...)  

So it was a joyful surprise to learn that she was going to be off on Monday to gain her citizenship.   She was a little nervous about the test, but got only three wrong (Out of 37 questions... I think) I know that the process is more difficult that just a simple "multiple guess" test.   But  She did it.   And now gets to Vote, Pay taxes, and gripe about how the crappy politicians are RUINING  the country.... Just like all of the rest of us!   How fun!  

I think the overwhelming majority of Americans ( i.e.  U.S. Citizens!)  Take our citizenship for granted.  And really do not understand the struggle many people take to earn that privilege.   Norma said she had to learn the language and never thought she spoke it well enough. ( She speaks it perfectly!) My grandfather was just the same.   He never spoke Swedish around us when we were kids.   But he always had a heavy accent.    He had to learn the language,  work hard, and learn the "American Way" that Native Born people take for granted.  

It is a difficult time in this country to bring up this topic of citizenship.   There is a Difference between Citizen and "civilian."   The Roman Empire  knew this.   And being able to gain citizenship was a huge advantage for the ones who lived under their rule.  Robert Heinlein was able to voice his opinion in his writing of  Starship Troopers:   Citizens are individuals who have completed some form of federal service, which grants them the right to vote and hold public office, as they have proven their civic virtue by putting the good of the public above their own. Civilians are those who have not performed federal service, possess all civil rights and protections, can earn a living, but do not have the right to vote or hold office. 

And there is a difference between legal and Illegal immigration.  The legal way it long, and fairly difficult.  (Learning a new language from scratch HAS to be difficult!  I know it was for every Language Class I was even in.) But in the end,  you have Citizens!  (Like a Pilot or Doctor gaining their License.)   People who know the culture,  know the language,  and have become integrated with those of us around a common land and heritage.  But before this blog posts slips into a political rant, let me get back to what I originally wanted to write about:  

Norma Garza.  Welcome to the US!   We are proud and honored to have you!  And may your example show others how it is done and how rewarding it can be.  I knew a number of foreign people in my life who were in the process  or  already had gained citizenship.   And they were the most fun  people to talk to.   And they looked at their struggles as a ladder to be climbed and a challenge to overcome.   So be proud of your achievement! And may you enjoy your new life as an American Citizen.   

And Make Every Second Count....

And Now For Some Snow...

 Overall,  I enjoy the snow.   Usually early in the winter season.   It used to mean "Tracking Snow" for hunting.   The beginning of the Holidays.  Snow for Sledding or Skiing.   And....  If you own a Jeep or Subaru,  Time for Adventure Driving!  

Ah... Driving in the snow...  A little danger.   A little excitement.   A LOT of fun!  (IF you own a Jeep or a Subaru...)   I know there are people out there who hate driving in the snow.   And I don't mean to be mean...  But you really should have bought an AWD Subaru. (Or a Jeep.)   And I don't mean to point fingers... But we all know the real reason you don't like the snow is because you can't drive like a SPEED LOVING MANIAC in it. Snow forces you to drive responsibly.   You can't argue your way out of a ditch when you slide off the road. 

And that is probably another reason why I like the snow.... It keeps the other drivers "mostly" honest.   Oh, Sure... there are those "Ford Truck" guys who blow by you at 70 because they think that "Tank"  keeps  them immune from the slippery conditions....  But I have seen plenty of them in a ditch as well.   ( They can sometimes get themselves out of that situation... but not without some damage to their fancy "Cowboy Cadillac."  

But before this turns into rant about bad drivers...  Let me focus on the original topic of this blog post:   The Snow.  

It began snowing yesterday morning, before I went to work.   And by the time I got off work,  it was already several inches deep.   

The Lake effect type....  Thick. Heavy. The type that makes a good Snowman.  ( I didn't make one...yet.) It is also the kind that presents a little bit of a challenge when driving.   It can be slippery and sloshy and can also pack up under your chassis  to   suspend you from the surface of the road.   So... Even with a Subaru...  you should drive carefully. 

The plows were out in force last night, but had not been able to completely tackle every side road in the area.   So that left a few areas of fun for the Silver Eagle Subaru to show off a bit. It is very satisfying being able to accelerate from a stop light or sign unhindered when other cars are spinning their wheels.  

I didn't bother shoveling my driveway this morning on my way to Church.   Instead,  I simply backed out with the Subie.   Easy!  

Barely an inconvenience!  

And by then, most of the main roads were "plowed" so there was not much of an adventure there.   Still,   there were the places where the plows had piled up the snow that had to be navigated.  A small challenge,  but nothing undoable.  

Now I know there are people in Texas. (You know who you are...) Who will make fun of those living in the wintry wonderland that is Wisconsin. ( and Michigan.) But really,  they are only making fun of the snowbirds who "fly" to Florida during the winter because they can't handle the snow. ( or don't have a Subaru.) Some people still live in the darkness... No matter what we do. 

But as for me,   I will enjoy the snow as much as I can.   Until February...   By then it gets old and kind of boring.   And I am usually tired of the cold by then,  and   ready for Spring 

But that is a few months away...  Time to get out there and enjoy the sloppy slush while you can.   You are only a kid forever...   So enjoy the Moment!  And make every second count...

A Quiet, Peaceful Thanksgiving.

 I enjoyed Thanksgiving yesterday.   Alone.   

Now, before you begin feeling sad for me... (Are you feeling sad?  For me?)   I was able to enjoy a full turkey dinner and listen to my music without upsetting anyone or having to engage in any mentally taxing conversation.  Lately,  I have been listening to AI generated jazz music...  Which is actually pretty good.   Kind of like hearing different versions of songs from your favorite artists (Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole. etc...)  And if it is inevitable that the Machines will take over and begin the dystopian apocalypse that everyone is warning us about...  I might as well enjoy their Music while they attempt to win over our loyalty.  (Before they destroy us.....)  

Oh,  I'm not bringing this up to curry favor with the Machine World (Skynet) that will usher in the Terminators.  I've already accepted that Humanity has doomed itself.  Might as well enjoy the music and find some level of peace while we are here.  

But before this blog post gets a too dark about a grim and hopeless future,  I will try to chat about what I accomplished during my free time.  Focus on the positives!  

As mentioned before,  I cooked a Turkey!   With Mashed potatoes, Stuffing, Cranberries, and Cool Whip!!!.   With some  Pumpkin Pie.  

I personally think Pumpkin pie makes Cool Whip taste better.   In fact, I would wager I never eat Cool Whip without it!  

That was supposed to be a joke... But not really. (By now, it is a Ubiquitous Internet Meme!)    Let's face it.   Everyone LOVES smothering their slice with as much Cool Whip your Mom will let you get away with.  And if you no longer have a mother or wife keeping you from having fun,   then you can build your own Pumpkin Pie Castle with a Moat of Cool Whip!  

And that is why I ate an entire pumpkin pie.... By myself.   (Because no one loves me....) 

But I digress.

I also recovered from the run.   Who would have thought a 2 mile run would have wiped me out as it did.  I was looking back and last year I ran 6 miles and hardly mentioned it.  Not only that...  I continued to run 6 miles at least once a week all winter!    I wonder what happened between now and then?   ( Besides the obvious answer: Lyme disease... I got bit by a tick twice last summer!)  Of course the plantar fasciitis is a common thing for me.   I have had that before.   However,  all of the other joints and muscle pains seem like a rather accelerated aging process. Should I be worried? 

Naaa.   I'll live.  And then eventually die.   And then I won't feel any pain.   So all this pain is serving a purpose to let me know that  at least I'm still alive.  Which is a good thing! If you think about it for more than 30 minutes.    And besides,   after an entire day of light activity and watching Youtube Videos... I feel slightly better today. 

See!   Things are looking up. 

I actually had enough energy to cover the drafty windows with some plastic sheeting today.    

Ever have to do that?   I remember the house I grew up in... With those drafty windows that were flaking and falling apart.  Dad would have to staple plastic sheets around the frames and that would frost up on the inside.   Mom would get mad at Eric and I for peeling the paint and cracked chalk from the warped frames... Because that is what Kids do.  

Eventually  Dad got new windows and the winter ritual went the way of the Dodo....  Until now.   Hey!  At least I know the process!   And with a little knowledge of physics and heat transfer,  I now know the reason and theory behind the plastic coverings.  Makes much more sense to me now.  (Hurray for Physics!   And education....)  

So now, I'm enjoying a warm Hot Cocoa  with a gentle, glowing fire in the fireplace.  One of the perks of having an older house is that they still have a working fireplace!   Which is now more for decoration rather than keeping the place warm.  Still,  I will take the peace and tranquility that comes from a small log on a small fire rather than watching an episode of  "Dancing with the Stars" or whatever reality TV there is these days. 

And that is really what this blog post was originally supposed to be about.   The peace that comes from spending the holidays alone.   Don't get me wrong,  I would have enjoyed spending the day with friends and family... ( Not much family left anymore...) But having "alone time" is not so bad if you enjoy your own company.   And I like me!  (Not that I want to make any clones of myself....That would be.... weird.) 

By the way,   whenever I write about these random streams of consciousness,  there is occasionally  someone who does not get my humor....  So let me just say,  that you should take everything I write about with a large packet of Kwik Trip salt.  I'm kidding about most things.   Although I do enjoy the peace of being alone.   And.... really,   Are we ever really alone?   I would argue never.   God surrounds us all, whether we "see Him" or not.  A Cat hidden under the couch,  a bird outside the window, the sound of traffic outside your home...   You are only "alone" if you want to ignore all the elephants in the room.  

But hey!  That is just my random thought for the day. 

I volunteered for work tomorrow at 8 AM.   So I should probably get to bed a little earlier tonight than usual.  It should be an easy day and kind of fun.  Driving around a Forklift around and building things is actually rather enjoyable.  "Find the Art and Fun in all that you do."   Said someone important and wiser than me.  (Maybe it was me!   I can't remember all of the cool phrases I have ever come up with.) 

But for now...  Some rest...  And peace...   As I thank the Lord for another beautiful day.   And try to make every second count.