givething and takething

[susandennis]

Last week Gmail started rolling out POP3 access (still for free). Yesterday I got it on my account. This means I can see my Gmail mail in Outlook Express or on Treo or any manner of other ways if I want. Generally, the website is the easiest way to see it since the website is so user friendly and fast, but it's nice to have options.

A couple of weeks ago I learned that Hotmail, who long ago deleted free POP3 access announced they are no longer allowing Outlook Express access for free accounts and that they would be rolling out that elimination. Today it hit my account. Getting to the hotmail website is so annoying that I think it's time for us to just break up. I'm not sure we can remain friends but there's really no animosity.

I've been gradually moving all my hotmail emails to gmail anyway so I did the final few today. Mainly I use it for commerce and for most newsletters and blog commenting.

The grape yarn arrived and it is just absolutely delicious. Just wonderful. I'm so delighted.

I ordered a CD from on eBay last week - in a Buy Now situation. I used Paypal because that's what they preferred. I got an email saying thanks for the money and then heard nothing. That was last Friday. No one asked for my address. No one said anything about shipping actual product. Nothing. I went to eBay yesterday morning and left a note. Heard nothing. Dug around today and found an MSN email address and sent an email asking where they were shipping my CD and when. I got the following back (direct copy - screaming caps are his):

YOU WILL BE EMAILED TRACKING INFO, ITEM WILL SHIP TODAY OR TOMORROW AM. We
are currently processing 300 sales per day, please be patient.
John @ MN MEDIA

I wanted to send him a note saying "well, pardon the fuck out of me... So sorry to have bought what you are selling!!" But, instead I just asked again what address he's planning to use and suggested nicely that if they were experiencing fulfillment problems, he might want to note that on his auction page to better set expectations. Can you say feedback?????

I've spent so much time talking to people on the phone about Mom's stuff that I can rattle off hers and Daddy's birthdates and social security numbers and her resident and her billing addresses as well as her telephone number without even thinking about it. I've had my own land line telephone number for 12 years and I still have to look it up.

Today I found out quite by accident that the social worker at the 'home' has not sent in the claim forms for Mom's long term care claim. I sent her the forms a month ago. So I had to call American Express to tell them not to close the file. I got the nicest lady. She asked me for all of Mom's info which I rattled off and then Daddy's which I rattled off and then she wanted my phone number in case the case worker had a problem and I had to look it up. I explained the Seattle/Charleston thing and told her I was going to be out there next week and would kneecap the bitch who had been sitting on the fucking forms. I actually used slightly different wording but I think she got the picture. She said she would see that they kept the claim open until 12/15. Whew.