Kim vs. Barnes and Nobles Customer Service

I'm not one to complain but....I have truly been wronged and now totally understand how easy it is to get frustrated when trying to deal with customer service. I have been dealing with Barnes and Nobles customer service for four weeks.

Skip this paragraph, if you do not want to read my customer service peril.
(In a nutshell, I bought a Nook sometime back, and all was well and good.  The thing has a history of freezing, but usually resolved itself in a day or two.  Well of course, a few days after my warranty expires (literally 7 or 8 days), I put my nook down to walk the dog. I came back and it was frozen.  I did every instruction thing found on the internet to unfreeze it.  Finally, I gave up. I chatted with Barnes and Nobles on the internet, who basically told me to bring it to a store. At first I thought it was a battery issue. I brought it to the store, where I learned it was actually a hardware issue. But this is also where I find out about my warranty. I was told too bad, so sad. Which is when I emailed customer service yet again and told to call.  I called and they told me to try all the steps aforementioned. I decided, maybe my nook needed a break, so I waited a week and tried all these unfreeze things again. It's dead. I emailed again, and was told to call. On several separate occasions, I attempted to call and was on hold for 30 minutes.  As I only have a 30-minute lunch break at work, I gave up and am once again trying the email/chat function.)

I've been saying I'd be willing to pay for repairs. I would rather pay for a repair than have a $149.00 paperweight. However, I am completely and utterly disgusted with the idea of buying a new one. I can understand if the thing was like a lightbulb, where it's suppose to die eventually. But it's a mini computer almost, and it's not suppose to have a short lifespan. I did a lot of research before I invested a paycheck into this thing. All I want to do is read and basically Barnes and Nobles is saying...sorry, too bad, buy a new one.

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask that Barnes and Nobles assist with just standing by it's star product. I'm not asking for a new one, a fancy one. I just want this one to work as an e-reader and not as a paperweight.

If this does not work out, I think my next steps will be to write to the president of the company. If no response then go to the BBB. 

Hurricane preparation from a Hurricane n00b

I've lived in Florida for about two years and Hurricane Irene is the closest possibly to becoming a Hurricane survivor. I highly doubt this storm will be 'Anderson Cooper worthy,' but it has put a bunch of Floridians and tourists on edge. Personally, I've always wanted to experience some sort of weather phenomena, excluding the daily summer monsoons here in central Florida. In fact, this summer I've re-mottoed Florida: The sunshine state, lightening capital of the world.

Being a Hurricane n00b, I've heard a variety of interesting tips from Hurricane survivors. Sadly, all the local stores ran out of the items that are considered essential for Hurricane survival, prior to me deciding that maybe I should be more prepared.

1. Fill up your bathtubs with water.  This is, apparently, so you may have a fresh supply of water, in case the plumbing goes out. It is also the only way to flush a toilet. Only one problem, we only have one tub, and there's no drain plug.
2. Buy a shotgun. Apparently, not nice people try to plunder other people's houses when there's no electricity powering a security system. It's ok, one doesn't need a shotgun when they have a ferocious German Shepherd.
3. Ensure that your trees are trimmed. Luckily, there are no really big trees near my house.
4. Buy bottled water. I'm still not a fan of plastic water bottles. Luckily, my mom is though and manages to keep a hefty supply. All the local stores are out of bottled water cases though. So I sense an apocalypse should the storm actually hit us.
5. Fill up your gas tank now so you can make an easy escape. Meh. I just don't feel that sense of urgency yet.
6. Make sure your flashlights have batteries. I don't think this house has one working flashlight. Probably a problem, but I tend to use my echolocation at night anyway.
7. Buy a weather radio. I sense my logic is flawed, when I think, why would I need a storm radio, I can just use the internet/my phone. I know, I know; I'm completely dependent upon electricity.
8. Buy non-perishable food. I would totally do that, except it was 3 for $5.00 Greek yogurt sale. Besides, all the stores are out of bread. I think, we have some chips.
9. Board up your windows.  But then you'll have to take them down. And why would you want to put holes in the drywall. Again, my sense of urgency is non-existent.
10. Stay tuned to local news for the latest updates. One thing about news in Central Florida is that they obsess over stories until it is dead (i.e Casey Anthony). It would be impossible to blatantly ignore Hurricanes when Floridians start freaking out every 10-seconds.

So that's my Hurricane preparation guide. I'm not going to abandon the fort here. I'm sure this one will miss us, mostly because it knows I have to work open to close on Thursday and all afternoon on Friday.

Jumping off

Recently, my good friend and former co-worker, Tony Albanese quit his job, packed up, and drove across country to Los Angeles. No plan; no real reason, other than he just didn't want his life to be wasted. Apparently, he's done this before and ended up in Orlando.

I can only dream of such actions. I have another friend who went the other way. She had a job working for a big company in Los Angeles. She recently packed up and drove across country to live in New York City. Again, no job.

I wonder why I can't do the same. I have no children, no overwhelming commitments. There are days that I just want to pack up and call it a day. Though logic dictates that it's a 'grass is always greener' situation. It must be nice, even for a day, to have no obligations.

I'm far too attached to my family and to having certainty to just pick up and leave. I'm the type of person that needs a destination and a job. One can only hope that a better opportunity and adventure is out there for every one of us.

One of my favorite things: Empty Theme Park

This past week I've been working from 6:00 AM until 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM. Why, you may ask? I'm not too sure, but I love it. As some of you may know, I'm not exactly a morning person, but I'm always glad once I actually get started. This morning I arrived at 5:30 AM to a completely empty theme park, except for one security guard and a few roaches. I took a breath and found that as absurd of a life I have, it is amazing.

I think very VERY few people have the opportunity to walk through a place alone that is empty and most importantly silent. It's a very underwhelming experience to have silence now or days. As I walk, I imagine that if there was an apocalypse, that emptiness would feel exactly like it does in that moment. Theme parks are usually filled with screaming children, music, ride noises, and every noise pollution possible, but there is a point where all that turns off and it's just a regular place of business.

Again, you may be thinking WHY 6:00 AM. There have been days when I show up, and there are people (tourists) waiting to get in, frantic that it's 5:45 AM and they do not have their tickets.  I appreciate their enthusiasm, but I also truly like that they have to wait outside until 6:00 AM - thus giving me a moment of surreal peace.

That's what it is! Peace. A moment where you can think about yourself and how you feel in the universe. Maybe that's why people like to go camping or to far off places, to feel like a single soul in the universe, rather than just another number or face in the crowd. Inner peace. Namaste.