Cranky Jennie ;-p

Summer is upon us. School has ended or will end soon for our children. It’s time to be a full-time parent again!

Before I had children, I never understand why parents were so thrilled when school was back in session. I get it now. They’re EXHAUSTING!!!

If I’m not driving them to and from activities, I’m swimming with them (not yet though, the pool is too cold), keeping them occupied (a.k.a. happy) and being their playmate. They want to be engaged at all times.

Where are the other kids? Why aren’t they playing in the street? Go knock on a door!!!! As I’ve lamented before, my neighborhood now is nothing like the neighborhood I grew up in. We had kids everywhere. We didn’t spend the summer with our parents; we spent it avoiding them at all costs!

I had a glimpse of my summer yesterday when I took the girls to the gym with me. They decided to have Battle Royale at the entrance. I call it Togetherness Syndrome. Simply put, they’re together too much. We just got back from NY where they were together 24/7 and yesterday was the fallout.

So, I hatched a plan (it’s all about survival). In order to keep them happy and me (mostly) sane, I enrolled them in camps/classes/activities for the month of June. Thankfully, they have different interests. So, starting this coming week, I will have only one child while the other spends four hours in basketball camp. The following week is art class, then golf camp, rock climbing, etc. They only thing they’re doing together is swim team.

I have utilized this technique in the past with desirable results. It’s not 100% foolproof, but it’s better than the alternative!

Now that I have kids, I have more and more respect for teachers. On top of having to actually teach children new concepts, they have to maintain civility in the classroom. If I have trouble doing it with two, reasonably well-behaved children, can you imagine how hard it is to control 25 or 30 kids?

Summer vacation is the only time teachers truly get a reprieve and they need it!

If yesterday is an indication, it’s going to be an exhausting summer. I was ready for bed by 8 p.m. No rest for the weary and all of that!

Tonight, I will put together an action plan of Summer Survival. If A, then B. If not A, then C. You get the idea. I love my girls, but if I’m going to survive summer vacation, then I need to be on the offensive. When you’re on the defensive, they’ve got the upper hand and you’re doomed for failure!

So, with a smile on my face, I am prepared for BATTLE!

Gone are the days of having a few beers, smoking a few cigarettes and getting up for classes or work the next morning. One drink gets me ready for bed. Two drinks put me over the edge. I’ve become a lightweight! And forget about social smoking. I hack for days if I have one or two (and I used to have a pack-a-day habit)!

This weekend, we attended the wedding of one of G’s brothers. The weekend included the bachelorette party, the rehearsal dinner and the wedding itself. I should preface this whole thing by saying I rarely (maybe once a year) drink. So, this story is more about my sorry-assed husband who can no longer hold his liquor (must be that big 4-0 he hit back in March).

On Friday night, we went our separate ways so we could attend parties for the bride and groom. I came home at a reasonable hour (1ish). G game home at FIVE in the morning. Yes, you read that correct. The last time I saw five a.m. was when the girls were babies and I had to get up to feed them. Despite the lack of sleep, we managed to make it to the rehearsal dinner in tact on Saturday night.

Saturday became an early night in preparation for the real festivities. If you’ve never been to a New York wedding, you are totally missing out. New Yorkers go all out - there’s more food at the cocktail hour than you need to eat for a week. The open bar flows for over six hours. Guests actually dance on the dance floor. NY weddings are simply a grand old time.

In preparation, you try to get all your sleep done the morning of the wedding so that you can make it to the next morning with beer in hand. The reception ended at midnight. G went to bed around two and I made it until three. In G’s defense, I do have to recognize that he was one of the best men and had to be dressed and available for pictures at 2 p.m., so his drinking started early. I had three drinks in nine hours. So, it wasn’t the alcohol that did me in.

Early the next morning, I had to leave the hotel to meet up with my parents and my kids at the Memorial Day parade (see previous post). I left G in the room, which turned out to be a good thing. He had to call his mom to drive him back to my parents’ house. Along the way, he had to make a few pit stops (i.e., puking). He never did make it to the parade or the barbeque. In fact, I think it might be only until today (Wednesday) that he has returned to normal.

We old folks don’t bounce back like we used to. We take DAYS to recover. I, personally, don’t think it’s worth it. Although, I do gather blackmail information that I can utilize to my advantage at a later date. As G likes to say (when he’s bombed), “How ya doin’? Ya doin’ alright?”…hehehehehehehehehehe.

In honor of New Yorkers, I say, “SALUD”!

Today, I took my children to the local Memorial Day parade. The turnout was dismal and pathetic. We cheer sports teams when the win the title, but we don’t salute the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country. How screwed up are our priorities?

My father is a Vietnam Veteran. He did not walk in the parade. He did his duty forty years ago and it’s done. He doesn’t feel the need to walk in a parade so that people can honor him. That’s his right and his choice. For those who do walk, kudos. I am proud of our veterans. I am proud of my father’s choice (he was not drafted, he enlisted) to serve his country and give back to the nation that has given him the freedoms he holds dear.

As President Obama takes away more and more of our freedoms by nationalizing (or trying to nationalize) everything - banks, healthcare, the auto industry, etc. - I think we need to respect and revere those people who put their lives on the line so that we may vote, live freely, speak freely and do whatever we basically want to do.

There is no country like our country anywhere else in the world.

Why do we forgot those people who fought to make this country a great one? The politicians send our women and men to war, yet they get all the power. How nice for them. They don’t stick their neck out there. They don’t leave behind their husbands, wives, parents and children for months at a time with no guarantee they will come home. Their level of sacrifice is unfathomable to most of us. I can’t claim that I even know what it feels like.

I know my mother sat on pins and needles for 13 months while my father served on the front lines as a U.S. Marine 2nd lieutenant. His life expectancy over there was something like five minutes. So to say I’m proud and grateful (I wouldn’t be there) is an understatement.

Make a commitment to somehow thank our servicemen and women. A small token works. Showing up at a Memorial Day parade is one way. Hanging a flag outside your home or putting a magnet or sticker on your car shows some pride.

I’m not asking to support war. But support those our government sends over there, wherever “there” may have been or might be. This is a holiday that should be held in reverence.

God bless our troops and bring them home safely. Happy Memorial Day!

Back in the day, the customer was “always right”. Sales associates, managers and the link would try to mollify the customer by acknowledging their complaint and then making up for it in some way.

That was then.

Now, it’s the customer’s fault and they don’t really care if you are dissatisfied, upset or have a legitimate complaint. Too bad, so sad. UGH!

As I mentioned in my last post, I contracted with a vendor to have a bounce house, table and chairs brought to my house for my daughter’s 7th birthday party. I was not home when they came to deliver the goods. Here’s my issue:

1. They didn’t give me a delivery time. Their owner told me that I should have asked them for one. I spoke to their customer representative the day before and said, “Will it be set up in time for the 2 p.m. party?”. She said, “Sure. It’ll be up in plenty of time”. So, I assumed noon was a reasonable time.

2. I secured the contract with a credit card. There was no deposit amount necessary, but payment was assured since they had my number. All they had to do was deliver the goods. When they came to my house, the gate was not locked. They easily could have set up everything even though I was not home. It wasn’t like they couldn’t or wouldn’t have gotten paid.

3. They called when I wasn’t there. Since I was coaching a softball game, I wouldn’t exactly hear my cell phone. Apparently, I should have been readily available to take their call. This was also my fault, according to the owner.

4. They charged me, in full, for something I did not receive. Is a phone call or two a sufficient attempt? See #2 again.

5. He refused to come back when I returned his phone call because “I’m on a tight schedule and don’t have time to come back and set it up at your house now”. His schedule is apparently my fault too. Oh, I called him back within a 1/2 hour of his message.

Please, tell me, how is this all my fault? Did he not violate the contract? How can you be liable for payment for a service you did not receive? How does someone survive in small business with an attitude and customer service plan such as this?

I am appalled.

I know that I am not alone in dealing with someone of this ilk. I just don’t understand how he can stay in business.

On the flip side, I do have to commend Southwest Airlines for SUPERIOR customer service. Approximately a year ago, I called and I DID NOT get an automated voice message. I got a REAL LIVE PERSON!!!! OH MY GOD!!!! To top it all off, the real, live person could actually answer my questions and concerns! They prove that chivalry and customer isn’t dead; it’s just a long forgotten art.

Shame on Arizona Bounce Around. They could learn a few lessons!