My mommy knitted me a throw

And I'm really really happy :)

 

Yes, I would like the additional 15% off...

If you know me, you know that I love amazon.com, especially now that I'm in college. I get tons of stuff, and so on and so forth. One thing that I like is their subscribe and save discount. See, if you agree to get something on a set schedule (anywhere between 1-6 months), you get 15% off the order. And you can cancel it anytime. So it would make sense to just subscribe, and then cancel just for the discount. Anyway, thats not the point.

One of my subscribe and save items has a 15% off promotion; this is actually why I got it in the first place; there was a promotion on top of the subscription discount. So, I got the order back in October, and was happy and whatever. Now, its time to get this item (Noodles) again, but I have no option to enter the new promo code for the additional 15% off.

In addition, they apparently deducted this from a $50 credit that I had on my account, which I did not want used. 

Long story short, I just spent 45 minutes on the phone dealing with customer service, until I lost all patience and told him to cancel the order. (To top it off he canceled the subscription, and not the actual order, so I luckily caught that) He told me it was not possible to combine the discounts, and wanted to "forward my concern to the promotions department." I just wanted the discount. I'm in college, and money matters.
There were several other weird things that he said, but I have no patience to discuss them now.

amazon usually has really good customer service, and I did my best to remain calm, and clear throughout my call. See, as I learned the ins and outs of taking phone calls working at the Enrollment Service Center at Champlain, I've been able to experience first hand what it is like to essentially be a customer service agent. Now, that's not my actual job, but I handle similar things when I answer the phone. Having an irate parent on the phone screaming about missing financial aid doesn't exactly help me fix their situation any faster. I understand that computer software can be slow, or completely illogical, but in the end, if I have no idea what I am doing, I either ask for help, or transfer the call.

End Rant

Facebook friends...

...are a complicated issue. I currently have about 600 friends, but we all know that I'm not true "friends" with all of them. A large chunk of friends are people who I went to school with, but weren't in my grade or class. Maybe I talked to them once or twice, but they aren't the type of people that I would hang out with. There are friends that you meet through other friends, and talk briefly, but then never again.


So what do I do? I feel really bad removing friends, but I don't really expect to ever communicate with them at all in the future. Do I keep them? Get rid of them? Help!


edit: I forgot the part where I feel like maybe in the future, someone will post something really useful that I otherwise would not know about, and I'll miss out on it because I deleted them


On a side note, I am currently doing laundry, and getting ready to watch football! Whoo!

See, it isn't *that* cold...

This week, everyone ran around screaming about how it was going to be -20 degrees this weekend. Granted that forecast is actually for tomorrow, but it is still supposed to be cold today.
Well it isn't. Mainly because the temperature is the overnight low; so if it actually does get that cold, you should already be inside.

That's cool though.
This morning, I woke up right before my alarm rang at 8:45. After having breakfast, I set off around 10:30 to get stuff done. First task on my list was to get my watch band fixed. My old band finally snapped, and I got a replacement, but it needed to be installed (and I didn't have the right tools/know how). So, I stopped by Periwinkles Jewelry. I had actually called beforehand to ask if they would be able to do it for me, but when I got there, they said that they wouldn't be able to do it. Okay, fine. It's just a basic watch though...

Funny thing I just remembered; when I was ending the call, I can't remember the exact thing the sales person said, but I randomly answered "no problem" to something that was totally out of context (clearly, I was the one that should have been thanking her). I'm so used to taking calls at work, and answering questions, that I guess I forgot who was who in that call.

So, my next stop was Tick Tock Jewelers. I walked in, and all the salespeople were kind of gathered around, and sorting jewelry. One of the women jokingly asked me if I needed a pair of dangling earrings for someone. Hah, no thanks. I showed them the watch, and they said sure. They installed the new band I on the spot. Of course, I totally expected to be annoyed by the new band. It's still stiff, so it is hard to fasten and remove, and there is a sharp bit that I need to sand off or something. 

Anyway, new watch in hand, I headed to the bus stop to catch the bus to the supermarket. It was about 5 minutes late, but thats okay. I wasn't too mad. A short ride later, I got off and saw this:

A cute little TD ATM!

Awesome! I actually needed to take some cash out, so I went in. It was a really old ATM, which is always a little bit amusing. But, I got my money, so I headed across the street to Shaws! Whooo. My ATM receipt says 11:32AM on it, and the return bus I was aiming for was at 12:20PM, so I had a good amount of time.

So, I did my rounds and tried to buy healthy things that would sustain my hunger. My self-checkout receipt says 12:14PM on it. I ran across the parking lot to the bus stop, and got there by 12:20. Of course the bus is usually a couple minutes late, but I wasn't going to risk it, since the next one would have been at 12:50. The bus came eventually, and dropped me off about 6 or so minutes away from Bankus. I walked up and I was home at 12:40! Whoo.


Here's the loot:

It doesn't look like much, but remember, I don't need *that* much food! So there.
It's 2:06PM now. 


Hope you're staying warm

Hi!

Hi, how are you? Good? Good. I'm good.


I'm in a pretty good mood. Lots of energy, even happiness, you know, the whole deal.
I had a good day. It's been snowing, so thats also good. However, its supposed to be 0 Degrees on Saturday, so hopefully I'll still be able to go snowboarding. Yes, this is good.


I don't really have much to say, so I'm sorry about that. I had one class this morning, and then I worked for the afternoon. I can't actually focus on what I'm writing at the moment, so everything is pointless. 

Todays treasures...

Yeah, thats about it. Good? Good.

We Are Young

Thanks to nora for pushing me to write a new post, I knew that one was needed.


Anyway, I'm done with my first week of classes and work, and it was pretty good. I'm really happy with my classes and schedule, and I'm so happy to be back. But the best news is that I went snowboarding on saturday, and it was soooooo awesome. I got my season pass, which I'm really happy about, and I actually have a decent picture on it. I was afraid that It would look obnoxious or something if i was wearing my gear. I'll probably post a picture of the season pass at some point in the future. Anyway, the trails were great, and I was so excited to be there. Every time I snowboard, I can feel myself getting better. This time, I went downhill faster than I've ever gone before, which goes to show that my confidence is increasing. 


I only fell forward over myself twice, which is pretty good. (I fell sideways a couple of times too, but for the most part, I can push myself back up, and keep going with some momentum). Falling forward is weird, because usually you don't anticipate it happening at all, so all of a sudden you're sliding down the mountain face first. And it's pretty hard to stop myself when it happens because I'm usually going at a decent speed, and you just dont really have any way of slowing yourself down effectively when face-first. 


I can't wait to get back to the mountain (this weekend, I hope!)


Here's a picture from the top of the mountain. Yes, there is another peak right behind the one I'm on (Which is already pretty darn high). I plan on going to the second peak next time. 

Chea!

It's good to be back

I can't remember if I actually said this before, and I don't feel like checking, so I'll repeat myself.
About a week ago, I got an email from the mailroom at Champlain telling me that my mailbox was full, and that I should come and empty it. That's cool, considering that it wasn't actually open yet. Anyway, this is what was in my box:

Mail!

Several magazines, several magazine renewal letters, my bank statement, a free sample of earplugs, and an application to become a Peer Advisor (I didn't ask for it, I was nominated. Although, I was intending to apply anyway). So there, thats the mail.


I still havent unpacked. Thats normal. I don't pack until the last minute, and I don't unpack until the last minute. I just have to avoid constantly tripping over my bag. 


In other news, the awesome guys over in 3oh!3 came back from Wal*Mart with this for me:

Hehehe

Corn muffin mix and a harmonica!!!! Now Jon and Andrew really understand the concept of random gifts. This is clearly awesome. Apparently no one around here has an oven (I asked several girls), so I'll have to figure out some way to make the corn muffins... Maybe the dining hall will let me use one oven for a little bit!


Huzzah! It's about time for late night!!!

My trip back to Champlain: A recap

Alright! Here we go again! If you don't like to hear excessively detailed explanations of my travels, find something else to do.


I finished packing about 20 minutes before I left. Very good. I had a 2:10 flight out of JFK, and got there at about 12:15. My initial concern was that the line to drop off my bag would be long. One time, I was running slightly late, and did not want to wait on line inside, so I paid $2 for it to be checked curbside (which I found perfectly reasonable). Anyway, the first thing I notice is that jetBlue has designated bag drop counters now, something I didn't remember. Since most people check themselves in online, there's no need for them to wait on a normal line to be checked in, and then take care of their bag. Unfortunately, there was actually a small line at the bag drop counter, but I noticed that there was no line for the full service counters if you needed to be checked in.


Guess where I went? To the full service counters of course. I chuckled at the others who were still waiting on line, as i zig-zagged back and forth through the posts on my way to the front. I handed over my bag, boarding pass and ID. She commented that I had a cool bag (I stole it from my dad several flights ago), and I was on my way... Step one complete.


Blah. Security lines. Lines at JFK are can be intense, but they usually go decently fast...I'd say I waited about ten minutes in line, but that's just a rough estimate. When I got to the checkpoint, I grabbed three buckets, sorted things, cleared the checkpoint, and reorganized. All within four minutes. It was then that I realized that I don't actually think about what I'm doing anymore, I just do it. The TSA agent didn't give a second glance at the X-Ray monitor, which frankly I don't think she was paying that much attention to, but thats okay, because sorting through my bag would have been hellish. Regardless, I find JFK more efficient, because they have to be. If they tried to search every person, everyone would miss their flight. 


Well it was about 12:45 now, and I was hungry. So I went to their pretty decent food court. Boars Head sandwiches seemed like a good pick, and I custom made one, and then headed over to the gate. I was one of the few people there. Ahhh. Okay. Soon, two people I knew from my classes arrived, so we talked. I stood behind the gate agent, and watched everything he was doing. I am seriously considering getting involved in Airport Operations at some point, it seems like the right type of job for me. It was 1:15 now, and boarding was supposed to begin at 1:40. Unfortunately, no plane was at the gate. Well well well. Boarding started at 2 instead. As usual, I was prepared to be the first one on the plane for general boarding. First come the extended legroom passengers, then families with small children, and people requiring extra time...and then...I make my move and instantaneously appear at the entrance, boarding pass in hand, before the announcement has said any more than "We will now begin..." (General boarding starting with rows 20 and higher) (I was row 20).


Awesome. I'm seated. Not awesome: my tv was dead. I wasn't too annoyed because the flight goes by so fast that you don't even really need it, and jetBlue will give me a $15 credit for it(It happened to me on my return flight when I first visited Champlain), but it would have been nice to watch football. Oh well. We pushed back by 2:30, and were on our way. I decided to use "Double Vision" as my takeoff song again. Takeoff was good, but I was too stressed about the music (my chest was pounding), so next time, I'm taking a break from the music, and listening to the thrust of the engines instead. We took off into the south, and looped around. I could see the Manhattan skyline in the distance. 


Soon enough, I felt the plane begin its descent. However, I couldn't actually see anything because there were clouds everywhere. And then we were flying through snow, and then it was clear. We landed at 3:35PM, after just about an hour in the air. Back in Vermont! I headed over to the baggage carousel, and 
(I wrote the preceding sentence at 9:17AM, the following sentence is being written at 6:08PM)
grabbed my bag. I headed out to the taxi line, and grabbed one. It was a $14 fare back to campus, not including tip.
I was happy to be back. 

My carry-ons

Another successful implementation of my travel protocol...

End of vacation, already?

I got an amusing email a couple days ago: It was a message from Champlain telling me that my mailbox was full, and that I should come empty it out. Unfortunately, the Mailroom won't be open to students until Monday. Clearly, I need a bigger mailbox... (It's the magazines...)


Anyway, I'm flying back tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully I'll have a nice summary post of my adventure, assuming that I don't get too distracted when I get back (which I will). 


Following travel protocol, I have not yet started packing.

Credit Card Numbers

So, I'm usually the one that handles paying the bills. Wow, that sounds weird. Let me clarify: it's simpler to pay bills online/on the phone, because it does not require actually mailing something. Since I don't mind dealing with businesses, I just do it myself. It seems weird, but I would rather just keep doing it than have to explain how to pay each bill on each website.


I've got it down too. Most of the bills are due around the same time period, so a year or two ago I picked one day to make sure they are all paid. That day is the 18th. The odd one out is the Cable bill, which is due the first week of the month, and I usually pay that a couple days before it's due.


Anyway, the reason I decided to write this post was because I found something amusing: I used to know about three credit card numbers off the top of my head. This was before I saved the payment information, so I would have to reenter it every time. Eventually, I got it down. Unfortunately, I forgot one of them because I stopped using it as much, and the other one was randomly closed because they were suspicious about some activity, so they gave us a new number. (I still remember the old one though). Anyway, I'm down to one account number, and that's the one I use to pay the cable bill by phone. I can remember the card number, and the verification code fine, but I've never actually paid attention to expiration dates, so I pick a random one. There's never a problem, as long as it isn't expired. For some reason I've been using an expiration date of 12/11. I dont know why, it just stuck. I'm gonna go check what the real expiration date is, brb. The real date is 9/12. Hahaha. Oh well. 


Anyway, this was one of those spur of the moment kinda posts. Sorry if it was too boring for you! 


I don't feel like looking for a picture. Don't kill me...

Merchandising!

Merchandising is the key to any successful enterprise, so it is my pleasure to announce...

Waffles Sweatpants!!!!

 Made from 100% cotton, these are an extremely limited edition, meaning you cannot have them! They're for me only! Yes, I realize that this defeats the general purpose of "merchandising" but that is okay, because this isn't your blog!!! Hah!


Super awesome special thanks to Hannah Moch, and Emma Shanahan!!

I'm falling behind in posting again...

Sorry about that. I can't really help it. It's hard for me to sit down and be able to think of something logical to say. Although, on the other hand, I have no obligation to make anything here logical. 

Well, I'm 19 now. Nothing feels different. 19 is a random year. I had a good new years though. It was much fun, and I enjoyed it lots. Being with friends is always fun. During the day though, I was pretty exhausted. I wasn't too upset though, because I had all the fun I needed during the night. 

I went snowboarding with Alex on the 31st, which was totally awesome. I loved it. There were practically no lines (well, there were lines, but they went really fast. No more than 5 minutes), so we got a lot of time on the slopes. We were riding from about 10-4. It was a good day!

What else is there? Today I went out to Buffalo Wild Wings with Matt and Juan to celebrate my birthday, which was awesome. And thats about it for now. Hah. I just wanted to summarize things so I didn't feel like I was falling too far behind, even though I did not make any really interesting points here. 

No picture here! Hah!