Tag: shopping


180 Days

30
December

Over Christmas, I got some money and, with the money, I got an iTunes gift card for $25, along with other things.  So, I went on iTunes yesterday and decided to complete the Glee: Vol. 4 album, which was going to be the first album I completed in the transaction.  Over the past year and a half, I’d purchased 10 of the songs on the album at their full price of $1.29.  The total price of the album is $13.99 and I had already paid $12.90 for those 10 songs.  Admittedly, I’d gotten them as singles, but that hadn’t mattered on Volumes 3 and 6.  So, I pressed the “buy the album” button and expected it to have a pop-up saying that I had already purchased part of the album and asking if I wanted to complete the album.

It never happened.

I went through my invoices and reported this transaction, as well as one for a purchase of Volume 7 that had done the same thing, which I’d purchased the singles for the first 3 episodes of the third season through Apple.  In total, I’ve paid for 14 songs that were on the two albums, as well as the full album price for the albums.  Basically, I’ve paid $46.04 for 2 albums worth $27.98.  And, though their Terms and Conditions page says that you can only complete albums within 180 days from the first purchase (which Volume 7 would be, but Volume 4 wouldn’t) , their FAQ says:

When you buy individual songs from any qualifying album, you can complete the album at any time, as long as the album is available for sale on the iTunes Store.

So, instead of being a legal scholar-type and going by the Terms and Conditions, I went by the FAQ like a normal lazy person. I filed a complaint on all the previously purchased songs, and guess how much credit I received over the issue: 1 song credit. While I appreciate that I got $1.29 of a virtual refund, I would have preferred that Apple admit that there was something fluky going on with the store and done the 14 credits.

And now I’m left with the feeling that I might not want to ever make purchases through the iTunes store again, which kind of sucks (for me) because it is so easy and (for them) because I do it so often and I have bought so many songs, videos, episodes, and movies from them.  In the past 3 and a half years, I have spent at (or around) $3516 (or 1/5th of my income for the same length of time) in the iTunes store.  Now, I’m sure that there are people who have purchased more than that in that time period, but, aside from the hacked account (and $20+ purchased by said hacker) and this one time, I would say that I have been a good customer.  I’m even so nice about iTunes/iPods and stuff that I won’t insult the company in front mine.  (Silly, I know.)

Ah, just got an email saying that I would get a refund. Good iTunes.  Now, I just wish I could take back the admitting to my dad how much money I’ve spent in the iTunes store in the last 3 years because he almost freaked out.  (Not that I blame him.)  Of course, there was quite a bit spent using gift cards purchased with money given for gifts.

 

1 comment » | Internet, Music Stuff, Purchases

I Can Has Internet!

11
March

On Tuesday night, one of the most catastrophic things that can ever happen in my life happen. No, no one in my life died. My laptop’s power cord wouldn’t connect properly. The cord had been broken for a while now. (It was cracked open fairly wide when I sent the laptop + the cord to Dell back when it had to get fixed the last time. Before that, the crack was small.) Well, it finally detached enough that there was no charge getting to my computer. And, due to my lack of sense, I had kept the battery charged constantly for the entire lifespan of the computer & ended up burning out the battery…so, I was cut off.

I know it seems dumb to say that my computer quitting is the equivalent of a catastrophe, but I’m being honest. I’ve been on computers on an almost daily basis (except my brief hiatuses when I turn into a hermit) since I was about 2 years old. Me with no computer access is hard for me to handle. And, since I’ve been on the internet pretty steadily since I was 12/13 (and had used it before that age on a fairly frequent for the time basis for about 4 years), being without the internet is a bit frantic. I could’ve gotten on my cell phone and texted stuff like tweets in, but the more that I use the phone, the more I have to pay on the bill, so I try not to use it much anymore. So, I was a bit cut off from the world.

I could’ve possibly dealt with that until I coughed up the $60+ for a charger, if I’d had my glasses (so I could read books), but when they were found the other day, they were broken. I think that the piece my dad thought was completely broken may not have been from my glasses, but the work that needs to be done on them is fairly significant. So, I’m sitting around with massive migraines and no real source of contact in the world.

My dad had an idea just a few minutes ago, though. He basically splinted the cord, which seems to be working. So, I’m a bit happy about that.

I am not happy, though, that when I went to a computer store to see if I could get an off-brand charger for the computer that the store would talk to him with more respect and that they showed me something that cost more than the Dell brand one. Anytime I go into a geeky store, I get dismissed and it’s generally worse when I am with a guy. The guys who work in the stores talk to him. When I say something, they act like I’m just some girl who grew up only playing with Barbie dolls and dressing up. (I played with Barbie dolls, but I also played computer games.) I really hate going places and being treated like a less competent human being because I have 2 X chromosomes instead of an X & Y.

Comment » | Geekery, Internet, Mental Health, Sickness and Health

Hey, baby, I’m a rockstar

29
September

I’ll never understand why people think that I am suddenly worth communicating with when I put my earbuds in my ears. My parents will want to tell me every single thing that has ever crossed their minds once I put them in, and if I complain, then they’ll say something along the lines of, “You always have them in.” No, I might usually have 1 in 1 ear so that I can hear them, but I rarely have both in. Generally, both of them being in means I’m listening to something that requires both ears: Bohemian Rhapsody, White Rabbit, etc.

In other listening-related fun, I bought a 2nd pair of earbuds from eBay. I paid $0.99, no shipping, and they came from Hong Kong. I didn’t really have a lot of expectations, but I had hope. It was for naught. My earbuds arrived in just a few days and when I tried them, I could barely hear anything. I almost thought that my brain was supplying the little sound that I did hear, just so that I didn’t feel like I had completely wasted my almost dollar.

In the “one day we’ll be pimpin’ it in jail” crowd (aka the kids who spend time in my yard with no permission) news, my dad found a wine carafe in the yard with 2 hoses. Being that my dad spent 7 years in college, much of which was majoring participating in the hippie/1970′s party scene, he quickly deduced the purpose of the instrument. It was a makeshift bong. Of course, it now makes complete sense about the Pixy Stix and Mountain Dew, as well as signing one’s name on an act of vandalism and the inability to spell words like scientist and deliberately. Not that every pothead is an incoherent, sugar-coma-awaiting idiot (since I went to 2 high schools that had reputations as stoner schools–one known specifically for its continuation of all things hippie–I know quite a bit about this type of “unsub”), but it can be a legitimate stereotype. My dad tossed it, which is kind of stupid because that would be something that the police might want to see. (They might not take things like mailbox vandalism or trespassing serious, but getting South Huntsville kids for drug paraphernalia might actually be a worthy or fun pursuit.)

My dad’s car had to have a belt replaced last week, which, of course, cost $200. Well, the belt didn’t actually cost that much, but the labor was almost that much. The place he took it (Firestone) said that he needed something else done, which we couldn’t afford. (It would’ve been another $200+.) He suspected something might have been done, since this particular place has a history of sketchy behavior. Sunday night, the “Service Engine Soon” light came on. Well, he took it to the Chevy dealership, because Saturn’s dealership is now defunct (thanks Detroit). They changed the oil for free, but “in order to diagnose the problem” they needed to perform a $95 test. When Saturn existed, they didn’t have to do the extra charges and stuff for things that were probably unnecessary. So, he’s planning on taking it to the Pontiac place to get it checked out. Their service department is much nicer + I know that dealership’s owner’s family quite well.

Oh, and remember that 25 blood test day? The Medicare summary of it finally came today. The hospital charged $5103 for all of the tests (one of the tests was a $1890 charge), and Medicare paid, wait for it, $731.56. So, those who think that your taxes go to pay exorbitant charges for those of us on government assistance can rest assured that the government does not pay the majority of the money they are charged. (I am quite sure that when Medicaid saw that there was around $4000 left, they snickered and paid about ten cents.) Honestly, I don’t really blame Medicare (or Medicaid) for not paying the fees. Doctors, hospitals, labs, etc. charge way too much.

BTW, if you want to register on fps for an account (should make commenting easier), I’ve re-opened registration. Hopefully, I won’t be overwhelmed by spammers.

Comment » | Family, FPS-Related, General, How I Met Your Neighbors (aka An Overactive Imagination), Sickness and Health

I am 25, correct?

1
August

I’m 25…have been for a good almost half a year now. (Ick…that means 26 is coming soon.) Well, a box came in the mail from Doubleday Book Club, and my mom happened to get it. I know that it contains 10 books, but I try to be nonchalant. What does my mom say?

“I thought we were going to discuss before you ordered anything from anyone.”

Okay, these decisions where we apparently agree to discuss these things do not actually take place, unless I’m like under some kind of a freaky voodoo spell when they take place. She tells me that I’ve agreed not to buy books. Not true. She tells me I’ve agreed not to buy music. Not true. Next thing you know she’ll tell me that I’ve agreed not to buy movies, especially not movies of an imported Swedish variety. Again, this is NOT TRUE.

I try to tell her these conversations have never taken place. I’m lying. Or I’ve forgotten. Or something that puts me in the blame seat. Basically, I’m the irresponsible daughter who has to be taken care of because I don’t know how to manage money.

I have agreed to the following things in the past:

  1. $200 of my SSI check will go to groceries
  2. I will pay for my hosting.
  3. I will pay various other things that seem to affect me only.
  4. I will limit my spending to $40 per group (DVDs are a group, books are another, and music is another.

This is how she remembers:

  1. $200 of my SSI check will go to groceries
  2. I will pay for my hosting.
  3. I will pay various other things that seem to affect me only.
  4. I will limit my spending to $40 total and all purchases will be approved by both of my parents, but especially her.

In addition, I will be reminded about my constant inability to keep money and my lack of responsibility when it comes to taking care of the things I purchase.

UGH! Doesn’t she get I’m 25? If it weren’t for “inability” to handle money, she wouldn’t have had someone to turn to with good enough credit so that we didn’t lose the damn house. Yes, sometimes I overdraft, but it’s not a regular occurrence and she does, too, but she has no imaginary limit set on her.

3 comments » | Family, General, Rants

Why Do They Even Care?

3
September

Welcome to the wonderful world of people who shouldn’t care do, and people who should care don’t. Apparently, when I did a search of some keywords related to the recent sentence of Benito Albarran, his case isn’t well known among activists for the abolition of the death penalty. It is, however, known to those who want to rid the country of illegal immigrants. They (the activists) wanted to execute him pretty much for just being here and committing a crime. Let’s forget the facts here. First of all, he has been described by doctors as being mildly retarded. Second of all, he has also been diagnosed as mentally ill. Now, just in case you haven’t read anything about the death penalty and who its okay to execute lately, it is not okay to execute anyone who is mentally retarded…and in a way, you’re not supposed to kill the mentally ill either.

How do I feel?

Well, I’ve never been pro-death penalty. I’ve always hated it. I believe the only being who should be able to determine if a person should die is God. Now, if God chooses to send a lightning bolt or something after Benito Albarran for killing the police officer 3 years ago, then He can do that. However, a state, a judge, or 12 people, who apparently didn’t pay attention to the facts of the trial, should not get the opportunity to kill a man for his crimes. I know he did it, but that doesn’t matter. You shouldn’t get executed for committing a crime, especially if you’re not necessarily in control.

He claimed to basically be possessed, so his attorneys tried for Not Guilty by Reason of Mental Disease or Defect. He thought that he was the Devil. Now, does that sound like something a sane man would say? No. I know that there is not really an official test that is 100% reliable to see if someone is “crazy”, but there are tests to see if a person is mentally retarded, and his results came back that he was.

Of course, I know to some that doesn’t matter because he’s an illegal immigrant and therefore “has no rights as a human being”. Well, he does. Everyone has rights. You can deny it to kingdom come, but it’s true. We are born with inalienable rights no matter where we’re born or where our official country of residence is.

And why is it that the judge in Albarran’s case just flat out ignored that the man is retarded? I don’t really have any answer to that. I do know that, even if he didn’t get an automatic appeal, she just guaranteed him one. Maybe even a new trial, if other judges don’t do the same thing ignoring that he’s got some brain problems. Oh, and she ignored that a juror lied. Was that even responsible?

I just wish we lived in a country where things like the death penalty were abolished, where people were more concerned about the well-being of their neighbor than getting rid of people who came here “illegally” by any and all means necessary.

Having nothing to do with this post: Oh, and by being called sexist by the group of women who say that I have to like Palin ’cause she’s a woman, just further infuriates me. They’re all for making statements about Obama because he’s got little or no experience, but they don’t see the same things in Palin. They also don’t see how other women could be a bit ticked off that the alternative to Obama basically another 4 years of something we don’t even like NOW. I don’t see why I should have to fake a smile about a woman who I don’t think I would even like if I met her, considering that she supports everything I abhor (gun rights, etc.) and just seems fake, but maybe that’s the beauty queen in her ticking off the feminist in me.

Oh, another thing that has nothing to do with the initial post, is that my clothes from 2 places have come. Three pairs of jeans fit, but five did not, even though they were ALL the same size and from the same brand. The three bras did not fit, even though they’re the same size as some I have now that do fit. I am still waiting on my clothes from Alloy, and my other purchases from other places. I have to quit shopping because I need to have some money in the bank when my next bank statement comes. I have a feeling that when my mom sees all the stuff I have purchased, she’s going to demand that I give up my check cards. She finally let me have them back, after taking them away for three years, and she’s going to get so upset by my purchases, but I haven’t had the opportunity to actually buy things for myself in a year and a half, except for groceries. I don’t think I’ve gone overboard, and I may send some of the clothes back that I ordered because they probably won’t all fit. I am keeping the DVDs (Gilmore Girls and an enrollment package from CH), CDs (Metro Station, GG soundtrack, OneRepublic, and Katy Perry), and books (the Twilight saga, another Stephanie Meyer book, and a cookbook) I ordered. I know it’s going to tick my mom off, but I just had to get the stuff.

Oh, and one more thing, has anyone ever joined Columbia House DVDs? I just joined and they double charged by check card for the enrollment. It was only $4.90 total, but it was a little unnerving that they would charge me $2.45 twice. I get it if it didn’t go through the first time, but it went through the first time, so it’s a bit weird to me. I sent them an email asking them what was up, but they haven’t told me yet. Of course, I only did that this morning ’cause it only happened this morning. I would like them to explain it to me quickly though because I don’t like having a lack of control over my funds.

1 comment » | Alabama Weirdness, Causes, Rants

Long Time, No See

6
December

I’m not dead. I haven’t gone through any of my moderated messages (all 1370 of them) yet, but I’m sure that someone asked if I was okay. The truth is that I don’t know. This past month has been hectic, but I’ve survived, which I guess is a good thing.

Do you remember how I had to go on Inderal to reduce my tremors caused by Lithium? Well, since Inderal is a blood pressure medication and my blood pressure tends to run on the low end of normal, which is a weird thing for a “fat girl”, the Inderal was causing me to feel faint and to almost fall several times a day. I cut down to one pill at night. Well, since I cut that down, the 1200 mg of Lithium started doing a number on my tremors. I couldn’t handle money or anything valuable. I could punch in my PIN number or sign my own name. My mom and I decided that it was time that I lower my Lithium dosage until it’s time for me to go see my psychiatrist. It’s kind of working. I still shake, and now I’m more depressed.

Speaking of being depressed, which is something my Art of Interviewing doesn’t really understand, I’ve spent a lot of time sleeping and not wanting to stop sleeping. I’ve just been trying to avoid reality and pain and stress. It didn’t work, but I feel a little better rested than I have in a while. That doesn’t mean that once I finish this entry that I won’t go get on the couch and go back to sleep. Actually, I can’t go back to sleep today. I have my last final and my last speech to prepare for for tomorrow. Bleh.

I also need to type up a letter saying how bad my Art of Interviewing teacher has been. I have to remember how she had a “strict dress code” that only applied to people who weren’t a part of her clique. I have to remember the extreme favoritism that she showed towards said clique. I have to remember that the woman who said she didn’t cuss anymore used several profane words when yelling at us over a test that a lot of us failed, except members of said clique. I have to remember when she said that being gay was wrong. I have to type up how she wanted verbatim answers when she said she didn’t want them, and then turned around and told us that she wanted us to answer the questions verbatim. I have to remember how she picked on certain students. I have to remember that when she was giving our Chapter 11 test that she hadn’t even read the chapter. I have to remember that she changed Jenny’s and my interview appointment time without telling us. I also have to remember that she said she was too busy to make it up, and then on Friday, I saw her eating candy upstairs with nothing to do. Basically, it’s going to be a long letter. I just don’t know how to put it all together.

The test that most people failed in AoI was one that I got a 36.5, despite studying a lot for it. This leads to the teacher saying that if we failed we didn’t study. Then, I turned around and made an 81 and 82 on the next two tests. I think I got a 100 on the last test we took. I’m not stupid and I am studying. The only big difference between those tests and the ones I failed were that they were basically over 1 chapter at a time, instead of 2-3.

Another school related thing–I got a roommate. She seems nice, but I was quite shocked that she came into my room mid-semester, no past mid-semester. The dorm counselors thought that I would automatically be okay with it. But how can you be okay with something you didn’t know was going to happen so soon? How can you just smile and say that’s great? I’m having to get used to her stuff and her being there. Next semester she’ll have to get used to my being there more, since I’ll be staying over Monday and Wednesday nights.

There has been some happy news. For the first time that I can remember, I bought a present for everyone who regularly spends Christmas with me. I also got gift cards to send to my cousins’ children on Daddy’s side of the family. I hope everyone likes their presents. I’m having a hard time keeping my dad from knowing what he’s getting. He hates for his presents to be spoiled, so I have to bite my lip to keep from telling him.

There is other happy news on the Christmas shopping front. With my Pell Grant refund, I bought lots of stuff for a Salvation Army Angel. Her name is Lexus and she’s 6. Instead of filling the one small bag that the Salvation Army gives to adopters, my family filled 3 of those bags plus 4 pretty large garbage bags. I hope that she’s an only child because if she got a lot of stuff and a sibling didn’t get much, it wouldn’t be fair.

I checked my weight over Thanksgiving and I’d lost another 10 pounds. That means that I’ve lost a grand total of about 30 pounds since the end of September. Only 70 more to go. The weight loss has been pretty evident. I’ve had to retire three pairs of jeans because when I’m in them, they fall off or almost fall off. One of those not only almost fell off, it caused me to trip and fall while walking to class a couple of weeks ago. That wasn’t fun. The only bad part, other than the wet and grassy leg, was that my hip hurt for a few days.

I plan on checking my e-mail after I get my finals done. It’s going to be crazy since I haven’t checked it in a month. Not checking it for a half of a week leads to like 1000 new messages on my main account. Most of them are spam, though. Since I haven’t been on so long, I probably have lost a few of my fanlistings, but I’m not really concerned with that right now. I got on and approved the pending members. That took quite a while.

I need to make a Christmas theme for this site. I wanted to make one for Autumn and Thanksgiving, but I was too busy with school and too depressed. I should probably make a general winter theme as well. I better not start making a list of what themes I need to make because then I’ll end up with like 100 themes to do and I’ll get burnt out.

7 comments » | Alabama A&M, Fanlistings, Friends, Internet, Mental Health, Sickness and Health

Did You Say Meow?

6
November

Well, I went through my makeover, but I can’t really talk about it or show pictures until after Thanksgiving. It had a pretty good reception at school on Friday.

I was going to go Christmas shopping yesterday, but I couldn’t figure out what to get anyone. I’m going to go the day after Thanksgiving with the help of Klonopin. I have already bought one present. I wanted to get everything over before the major rush of shoppers, but it looks like that’s not going to happen.

I’ve decided that I’m going to learn to drive sometime in the next few months. That way I can go visit Nana more often. I would say that I could go on my days off next semester, but that would just be Saturday and Sunday. I think I may have surprised my dad by saying that I need to learn to drive soon.

I had an interesting experience on Wednesday. The President of the Social Work Club got into a fight with a girl with braids and a tattoo. According to “braids”, “President” had slept with her husband. They’d been having a lot of arguments that day, and things were just escalating. Well, it culminated in a fight; 2 fights actually. The fight was between Diverse Populations (we’d gotten out early) and Art of Interviewing, both in the sense of time and where it was happening. The first time it was stopped, “President” went to the Social Work chairperson’s office to cool off. “Braids” was left to pick up her stuff. Well, as she picked up her stuff, she was insulting “President”. “President’s sister” was in the hall and she went after her. Somehow “President” heard and she came out there looking thoroughly pissed. They fought and a chair was thrown. The campus police came and took all 3 girls to their station. There were about 5 people out in the hall when the fight began, probably all Social Work majors, and no one knows who started the fight. I guess the police figured out because I saw “President” in Bibb-Graves Hall on Friday. I thought that “President” probably threw the first punch because of the SW student amnesia. I also thought that both girls would get expelled. I also think that whoever stepped on my toe owes me an apology. You’d think they would notice that they’d stepped on my toe. If they can’t figure that out, then are they going to be able to feel it when they run someone over?

Oh, I had a lovely experience on Tuesday when I went to register for classes. My account had an encumbrance against it. Apparently, my financial aid hadn’t gone through. Well, I went on Thursday and paid off my account before walking up to the Financial Aid office and asking what was going on. My financial aid paperwork had gotten “stuck” while it was being processed. The girl in the office went ahead and approved my Pell Grant and loan, both of which were small considering last year’s income. Of course, just a few minutes ago I looked at my fee and payment information. I’m not going to get my money back. The Pell Grant paid, but they took it away with the “Bal of Financial Aid”. WTF? That means that they’ll do the same thing next semester and I’ll have to pay some more. You know, full rides should literally be full rides. I shouldn’t have to pay, and I shouldn’t have to have my grant and loan money taken away. I need things like new clothes (which I need since I’m falling out of some of mine) and school supplies that I can’t get when they take way my money to balance out my financial aid.

I hate to beg, but can anyone please volunteer to help ask Question of the Day or Daily Debate questions on Celestial? I’d just need people who could ask questions on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. You wouldn’t have to ask thought-provoking questions. Just ask something interesting. The QotD could be about a lyric from a song, a line from a movie, or a survey-like question. The DD doesn’t have to be what’s going on in the news. It can be something silly or serious. Please help me, guys/girls!

7 comments » | Alabama A&M, Alabama Weirdness, Family, Internet, Message Board, School

     

↑ Back to top