a bit puzzled

I've rearranged my sewing room, and in the process of trying to make a very big decision, we've ordered a new table for my large Janome sewing machine and my Bernina serger. We placed the order the evening of the 26th; it was processed on the 27th from Maryland, and the next listing was around noon on the 28th...in GEORGIA!!!  Not just GA, but south of Atlanta.  I think whoever is in charge of this company's shipping department needs to learn some geography. 

So it leaves Maryland by truck, passes through VA, then NC, then SC, and arrives in GA.  We could have had this table yesterday!!! As my husband reminds me, it may be that everything has to be processed through Home Depot's warehouse or something, but it makes absolutely no sense. Sometimes I think modern technology that is supposed to track our packages makes things worse because we see things that make no sense whatsoever. 

And for the record, Home Depot said from the getgo that my package would arrive between Feb 3-7 and it is currently slated for pick up here in NC on February 3rd. So they'll most likely meet the deadline.  But why they had to drive this delivery 10 hours south of the pickup point is beyond me.

a big fat scam

Several weeks ago I had an ad on my Facebook newsfeed suggesting a company that several of my friends were suggesting. I went to the website, and actually purchased a few things. Four days later I received an e-mail confirmation, saying that shipping and tracking information would be coming soon, and I would receive my package within 25 days. That last part raised my eyebrows. So I waited the suggested 24-48 hours to receive the e-mail. It came, but the tracking information, while to a real company, was not a real tracking number. So I went back to the site, sent an e-mail to customer service, and received the same tracking number but the link to a different packaging company - same scenario. The next day I received my credit card statement...and I've already been charged...from the day I ordered, not from the day it supposedly shipped. Meanwhile, the account info on the website says the item is "in transit".

I've contacted my bank, and we're waiting and watching my card to see if any fraudulent charges pop up outside of this, and we've started the dispute process. Meanwhile, I'm still hoping this company is legit and my order will arrive exactly like I expected to. However, I've also started google searching this company, and found out that it's based out of China, has a business office in Great Britain (where the charge came from) and is using a Dutch shipping company. They also have over 2,000 internet complaints about them, ranging from "my order never arrived and customer service said someone else must have stolen my pckg" to "my order did come but it was 1 of 5 items and was the wrong size" or "customer service will not return any of my messages or calls".  I think it's safe to say I've fallen for a very big, fat scam.  I hope that while the bank is reviewing the case in the next 10 days this package will arrive and I can call and say "we're all good" but I fear that is not going to be the case.

I've notified Facebook about the issue, in hopes they can remove the company's page, ads, and notes. And since it came across my feed as a supposed suggestion from three friends, I've posted a warning on my page that this is not a legitimate company. I never thought I would be a person to be scammed. Looks like from here on out I will only purchase things from reputable, American companies, and Facebook ads will be regarded in the same light as tabloids. Live and learn.

What month is this?

Last month I shocked a friend by saying my mind was still thinking it was February, and I was NOT ready to admit that March had arrived. She looked at me and responded "You know April will be here in 2 weeks, don't you?!" And then we both laughed as she shook her head.

This morning I had many errands to run. I was hoping that the opening crowd of the new Cabela's would have slowed down and we might stop there as we made our loop, but that was NOT to be. This is the sight we saw leaving Bojangles (heading from Jones Sausage Rd back toward White Oak/Hwy 70).

The far ends of the overflow parking lot (the old ConAgra plant).

and the entrance to the parking lot. This doesn't show the line of 50+ people waiting for the shuttle bus.

and the far corner of the parking lot (which circled around to the far end of the property)

These vehicles were NOT there thirty minutes earlier!

I was trying to get the traffic backed up at White Oak and Hwy 70, but the crowd in the unpaved parking lot here (where the hotel is going) and the line of vehicles attempting to turn in to Cabela's  conveys the crowd.

This sign has been up at White Oak for at least a week, and it makes us laugh and cringe a little every time we see it. 

You would think this was Black Friday or the week before Christmas the way traffic was everywhere today, not April! I'm excited that Garner has a store that is so popular, we were laughing a little at how busy Bojangles was (almost as busy as the one at 40/42!), and were totally dumbfounded to arrive at Agri-Supply and find a crowded parking lot. Evidently a lot of people decided since they couldn't easily get to Cabela's, they'd visit Agri-Supply. After all, it sells camo stuff, has a gun shop, hunting/camping supplies, plus everything farm related! Granted, they don't have fishing stuff and most of their supplies are living related instead of hobby/play related (although I consider my chickens more of a hobby), but after I stopped and thought about it, it did make sense for people to go there. At least other businesses are benefiting from the crowds.

plodding/plotting/plopping

The Chinese, while an atheistic society shunning foolish beliefs, are very superstitious. One of their many superstitions that they dare not break involves cleaning and the New Year. Prior to the New Year, you are supposed to clean every nook and crany of your residence, so you won't carry any old germs/dirt/baggage into the new year. Considering the lack of great cleaning supplies and the fact the area I lived in was desert with frequent dust storms that piled an inch of dust up under the door and window frames, I found that idea crazy, futile and pointless.

But for some reason I found myself thinking about that this holiday season. I normally push myself beyond exhaustion right before we leave on a trip trying to clean the house (don't ask me why). This year I made sure the laundry was done, and that was it. Yep. I left my house with wheelchair dirt tracks and dust. And no one cared at all (well, except for maybe me...a little). 

I began jotting out a list of housework items that I need/want to do. It's title "January", and my goal is to actually finish those items before the month is out. One of them was actually putting up Christmas decorations, and thankfully that was done as of last night. I don't know how many things are on my list, but I do know that I had to cut myself off or the list would never ever be completed.

One of the things I've been working on in stages (cleaning out the pantry), and have made it down to the topmost and bottommost shelves. This morning I had a few errands to run in North Raleigh, so I made a brief stop at The Container Store to get two shelves to help arrange the rest of the mess.

The Container Store has to be one of the most wonderful places in Raleigh. I think it might even rank higher than a bookstore and a quilt store, both of which are very high on my list of fantastic places. I was thankful I had very limited amount of time, a budget, and a very specified need or I might not have ever gotten out of there.

A few years ago I made out a list for each month of projects that I wanted to do for the year. It stressed me out a little (because I actually published it on the blog as a sidebar), but I found at the end of the year I actually got quite a few things done. I don't think I'm going to publish the list this year, but I do think listing my projects helps me get them done a little faster. If nothing else, it may actually help me FINISH a project (as opposed to cleaning half of the pantry and then half of the medicine cabinet and taking down part of the Christmas decorations) just so I can cross it off my list.

I plan to plod through my list of projects that I've plotted out for this year. I don't plan to break any records for speed, but I do hope to feel a tad bit more organized in life, even if that means cutting back/out some activities. 2014 may not have gotten off with the start I had hoped for, but I am pleased that I finally feel well enough to get something done!

and back to the grind

Saturday morning we left early for Huntersville (a small suburb of Charlotte). We had a two purpose mini-vacation: for Bobby, visit the church his niece/nephew are starting, for me...shop!  Ever since IKEA had its grand opening in Charlotte I've wanted to go. I think the Charlotte area is just a cool place to shop anyway, but other than a trip to Concord Mills with some friends a few years ago I've never had that privilege.

On the way, we started seeing signs for THE Depot...largest antique collection in the south! We joked about how most antique places advertise in a somewhat similar manner, and I made the comment, "Wouldn't it be cool if we could stop?"  Then it hit me: we COULD stop. Normally when we travel, the drive is long and time is short and we only stop for absolute necessities.  This day, our drive was short and time was ours. So stop we did. And I am SO glad we did! We probably spent about 3 hours in this cotton mill converted into an antique consignment shop. At one point Bobby hesitantly said, "If you really want to go to IKEA, we probably ought to head on."  I told him it was okay if we didn't fit IKEA in on that trip. When all was said and done, we did manage to go to IKEA, spent about an hour there, and that was more than enough.

IKEA...is not my kind of store. I liked the concept on the showroom floor...displaying how their products can be used in a tiny apartment or space for maximum usage of space (although such spaces are not conducive to wheelchairs, strollers, nor crowds). I think a store like that would do great in a place like China where the apartments are less than 700 sq ft.  If you like avant garde or modern-style furnishings, then this is definitely the place to shop. If you like sturdy, traditional furniture that might one day survive to be in an antique shop, avoid this place like the plague. I will say their kitchenware stuff (utensils, cutting boards) were very decent prices, though there's not multiple choices in types or brands (except in the dishes) and for things like toddler beds and such they seemed sturdy.  The place was crowded; the parking lot reminded me of Christmas. On top of that, they have a MAP with arrows pointed on the floor showing which way the crowd is to walk. That bugged me. Bobby liked it, as with the huge crowd it made it a little easier to all be going the same direction. Except this is America, where people almost never follow directions. All the international customers were following the map; the Americans were going wherever, causing some chaos in the narrow aisles with their strollers and Bobby's wheelchair. So between the crowd, the inability to just browse, and the design of the ceiling and things being stacked up way over your head, I started feeling a little claustrophobic, which has only happened once before in my life. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.  I finally told Bobby we needed to leave the showroom and go downstairs to the market place. That was much better, much less constricting, but still crazy. The craziest part was trying to find a way out. The ONLY way to escape that store is by getting in a LONG line to go through a check-out lane. I guess they expect everyone to buy something. I don't think either one of us have any desire to head back to this store, which is funny, considering that is the one store I really wanted to visit.

But come April, when things hopefully slow down a little bit, if anyone wants to make a day trip to an antique store, I'll gladly go. :)

Hancocks update

After filing an on-line complaint with Hancocks, the Raleigh store manager called today to see what they could do to make things right. When I told her I thought $10 of store credit would cover the damaged material, she said she'd call headquarters and call me back. They would replace the fabric if I brought it back in. Ummm, what part of "it's already been cut" did she not understand? And $10 is not worth driving back to Raleigh for this week. But I was happy for the prompt response, and she did tell me that they've hired three new employees this month. But I don't think I'll go back there for fabric. Their sewing machine attachments and such are great and they've always been helpful in that area, but I don't have the patience, time, or money to waste on something like that again. Anyhooo, just wanted you to know that their customer service does respond!

a madhouse

On my way home from the ladies' get together, I had a few errands to run at White Oak Shopping Center. As I make the first turn, I see sign after sign after sign: 10%, 20%, 30% off! Going out of Business Sale! Linens-N-Things

Linens-N-Things is one of those places I shop when there's a really good sale or someone has a bridal registry there. At holidays and special sale days, you can get nice tablecloths for a great price, and sometimes sheet sets as well. So I went, and SLOWLY maneuvered my way through the crowded aisles to browse. The sale prices aren't knock-down-dragout sales, but I am a little sad to the store go. Part of that is because I hate to see empty buildings, though. Now, if they will only put a quilting/fabric store or a bookstore there. Wouldn't that be awesome?

dream fodder

I like today's kind of shopping. Our first visit was to a place I'd never been before, but saw advertised in a catalogue. Called the Logan Trading Company, it's a gardener's haven with a wide variety of items to tie up your time and cause you to daydream. Like their products, their prices are out of this world, but it was well worth the time to drive to downtown Raleigh and browse. And they had everything, from the serious to the whimsical, from indoor plants or patio and terrace things to outdoor dig in the dirt and make a statement plants. I was totally intrigued.
And of course we followed it up with a visit to Lowe's (in the midst of trying to find a gas station under $4 that still had gas). I did buy a few plants there, and browsed through several sections gathering even MORE ideas for projects that I really don't have time to do, but I left with that "ahh" satisfied feeling. Sometimes I think I like looking and researching a project even more than I like the projects themselves.
And if I ever get brave enough to tackle anything else, I'll try to remember to take photos so I can post the before, during, and after.
Praise God for weekends!