Dear So and So

[weathergal]

I realized that after I posted that I was being kind of whiny. I may be tired and not be getting to spend much time at home (or biking), but at least I still have a home to go to. And yes, it's good that there aren't more deaths in Greensburg. Although they found two more bodies today. And miraculously, two people alive and trapped under the rubble.

[Zen]

My house was flooded last year (no basement) ...lost some artwork and have had no flooring except for a concrete slab.

But at least I have a slab and a roof.

I can't begin to imagine how devastating and demoralizing it would be to lose everything.

[BellaBeauty]

Im keeping up with it on the news, and Im so sorry. I can only imagine

Dear Lottery Gods

can I please win? please? please? I neeed help helping my parents out

[LBTC]

Dear person,

I will not forget that you were instrumental in creating he** for myself and my husband a few years ago, because we showed ethics and you were more interested in "being a leader". I know you know who threatened to kill our dogs, and who stopped everyone else from riding with us for a full year. I know you were not interested in seeing the ethical side of trail usage, maintenance, and building, nor in how to treat people.

Thanks in part to you and your actions I now have a fabulous job in a great city with flowers and early spring and a thriving and inclusive cycling community.

So when I have to talk to you about this work related matter, please understand that I do so only because I am professional in my work. I take no pleasure in hearing your voice, in picturing you on the other end of the phone, or in knowing that my task is to provide you with a company perk that I know you will abuse and misuse and that I would personally not approve if it were in my power. This is just a job and I do it because they pay me well and treat me with respect.

I offer no butterflies to you, only to all the people who have to communicate with you - poor people.

~T~

[SadieKate]

Dear Local Newspaper:

I came very close to canceling my subscription today. The local phone company just installed a new land line. Less than 10 mins later and you're already calling to sell me a subscription? Get real.

SK

PS - Phone installer, you are a super nice guy but did you have to pick up all the molasses cookies to take with you?

[Trek420]

Dear Local Newspaper:

I came very close to canceling my subscription today. The local phone company just installed a new land line. Less than 10 mins later and you're already calling to sell me a subscription? Get real.

SK

PS - Phone installer, you are a super nice guy but did you have to pick up all the molasses cookies to take with you?

Dear Local Phone Customer,

The number you just got is new to you, but numbers are like raindrops, they are recycled.

There are no new numbers. Odds are that your local paper did not even have clue one who they were calling, they just dialed randomly or had the number for the person who had YOUR number a year ago on their list of people to bother.

Get your numbers (phone, fax, cell, business....) listed on the national do not call list. It helps, it's free

wwww.donotcall.gov

Also SK, technicians do not take anything from a customer; food, flowers, chocolates nothing, nada, zip, zilch. They are well paid by us thank you and can buy their own cookies. I'm dead serious about this.

Even if the customer says "here, take these cookies" the answer is "no, thanks"

If the cookies bother you even a little PM me, will get you direct line to repair or call 611 from any land line.

[mimitabby]

Dear Local Phone Customer,

The number you just got is new to you, but numbers are like raindrops, they are recycled.

There are no new numbers. Odds are that your local paper did not even have clue one who they were calling, they just dialed randomly or had the number for the person who had YOUR number a year ago on their list of people to bother.

Get your numbers (phone, fax, cell, business....) listed on the national do not call list. It helps, it's free

wwww.donotcall.gov

Also SK, technicians do not take anything from a customer; food, flowers, chocolates nothing, nada, zip, zilch. They are well paid by us thank you and can buy their own cookies. I'm dead serious about this.

Even if the customer says "here, take these cookies" the answer is "no, thanks"

If the cookies bother you even a little PM me, will get you direct line to repair or call 611 from any land line.

ooooo. Talk about a direct line to goddess!

[SadieKate]

Dear Phone Co Goddess Trek,

Thank you but I just wanted to gripe. I had the number registered before I even griped on TE. I register every number I can and then I go recruit my neighbors' numbers just for the satisfaction. Of course, that isn't preventing the jerks from using the automated unidentifiable methods that take way too much effort to stop but that's another story.

No worries about the cookies. It just made me laugh and I'm saved from eating them myself. But thank you.

Now the DSL thingie isn't working. After the cookie-snatcher left, I un-tached the cord to put a longer one on and the phone stops working. Works fine without the DSL filter, but doesn't work with either of the filters shipped by the LPC (somebody was a tad too overachieving in the shipping depart. ). The filters must be over achievers also as the dial tone is now filtered out. And, yes, I'm 'taching the cord to the spot labeled "phone."

Arg.

SK (who is also enjoying the silence of a deceased cell phone)

PS - Trek, what kind of cookies do you like?

[Trek420]

ooooo. Talk about a direct line to goddess!

nah, more like a serf I'm just a cog here.

stay tuned I'll check back in a minute when on break

[Kitsune06]

Dear Home Office:
Today has been a charming day with you folks. Like a relationship, we have our ups and downs. Some days you save my butt- some you send back all my paperwork, razz me and my clients, and make calls about things that confuse the h*ll out of me.
Today was the latter.
You called me today to tell me that if I didn't send you proof in writing that checks needed to be held, you'd send the checks out, nearly $10k out of a lady's retirement account, that may or may not be necessary.
So I freaked out and told my manager, told her I'd get to the bottom of this, as, conveniently, my system is down.
This client has gotten the run-around already. She asked for that $10k a couple weeks ago, but misspoke, asking that it be sent as a check, not put into her checking account. I was sweating bullets telling her it would take 7-10 days for her to get that check because she misspoke. I even offered to hold the checks and do all new paperwork to transfer that money as she wanted, but she was blessedly patient and understanding, said the 7-10 days was fine, but she had to buy a car and the dealership was breathing down her neck, waiting for their money.
So for you, home office, to call me today telling me that "If you don't get proof in writing that the checks need to be held, you'll send them out" I nearly sh*t a brick. That implied the poor woman didn't get her money. It implied a load of trouble for her and the dealership.
Yes, I did my job, called you back, left you a message (yay for time zone differences...) and then bit the bullet to call our client, knowing she'd be p*ssed if she didn't get her money.
As luck would have it, she thanked and thanked me, told me the checks had been overnighted apparently, and her new car was everything she needed, my service was amazing, and she didn't have to worry about the dealership being upset with her.
I pulled my jaw up off the floor and told her she was very welcome- if we could do anything else for her, she needn't hesitate to ask- and we ended our discussion.
...that leaves me with a serious discussion for you, Home Office- wtf? Why do you still think you're processing this paperwork if you clearly already have?
But you know what? As long as our client got her money when she needed it and is happy, that's all that matters. All this behind-the-scenes stuff will come out in the wash. What's important is a) she's happy, b) our expedient service looked incredibly fast c) I'm not under the gun.
I'll talk to you tomorrow. ...one of you.
~rep#468000

[mary9761]

Dear Goddess in Charge of Surgeons, Recovery etc:
Please let my surgery go uncomplicated and successful Friday so I can have my life back and get back to watching my 2 grandsons and riding my bike. I know you love children too and want me to be able to be back to my grandsons Tomas and Steven. Please watch over the surgeon's scalpel and make sure while he's near my spinal cord there are no "Oops! moments". First when I wake up, I'd like to be able to actually feel my legs and feet, then know that the surgery was a success. Please be sure to remind the anesthesiologist that if they are supposed to give me a pain block before I wake up from surgery to make sure they do it. The last surgery I had when I needed the angiomyofibroblastoma removed from my labia, they forgot and when I woke to a pain level of 10+, then with an audience I couldn't see since my eyes weren't quite ready to open, but my pain receptors were WIDE AWAKE the doctor and students watching him hold onto my private areas yanking at it like a ham hock say the patient isn't REALLY in as much pain as she's acting like she is .. buddy if my legs were speaking to my brain at the time, I would have showed you what "not being in THAT MUCH PAIN" felt like
Thank you,
A nervous, but hopefully soon to be relieved of pain Mary

[northstar]

Dear guy who knocked on my door a half hour ago,

I'm sorry...I shouldn't have been sarcastic. You asked if I was the homeowner; I said I was. You stared at me and said, "So, you own the home?" And then I was a bit snarky and told you, "Yes, generally that's what it means when someone says they're the homeowner."

It was a dumb question to ask, but I shouldn't have been such a snot. Your job can't be pleasant, and I'm sorry.

Slinking away into the corner and feeling mean...

NS

[chickwhorips]

I'm sorry...I shouldn't have been sarcastic. You asked if I was the homeowner; I said I was. You stared at me and said, "So, you own the home?" And then I was a bit snarky and told you, "Yes, generally that's what it means when someone says they're the homeowner."

Here's your sign....

[SadieKate]

Dear Trek Phone Co Cog Serf Whatever,

Thanks for letting me vent today. Phone and DSL are working together now. Of course, it took a run to Office Max to actually get the splitter that was needed and a shim to prop open the little spring-loaded door on the jack so the splitter isn't forced out of the port disconnecting everything constantly. I love that the installer didn't know that two filters filter out all frequencies without discrimination. Maybe he does it just to be prepared, kind of like wearing a belt and suspenders.

I did take the opportunity to buy a 6 ft long printer cable to go the 2 ft from my docking station to the printer. It will be nice not to have the 25 feet of cable tangled up with the dog bed, the filing cabinet, the trash can, etc. Of course during this project, the Wonder Poodle also informed me that he liked having the sliding glass doors open so he could nap on the cool concrete patio and to heck with the flies coming in the house.

All's well that ends well. Now if my new cell phone arrives tomorrow AND the employee in charge of business line accounts would add in such nice basics as call waiting and forwarding that are standard services for telecommuters. I really don't see the need to beg for each and every standard service provided by our policy. How about letting me do my job instead of yours?

SK

[Trek420]

Dear Trek Phone Co Cog Serf Whatever,

Thanks for letting me vent today. SK

No problem, it's all part of the excellent service we provide.

Phone and DSL are working together now. Of course, it took a run to Office Max to actually get the splitter that was needed and a shim to prop open the little spring-loaded door on the jack so the splitter isn't forced out of the port disconnecting everything constantly. I love that the installer didn't know that two filters filter out all frequencies without discrimination. Maybe he does it just to be prepared, kind of like wearing a belt and suspenders.
SK

As well they should work together. Huh Do you have a filter on a t-adapter? Or a filter on a two-line filter? Oh heck, I don't care, I don't have to .....it works now, right? Have a cookie.