What Does Frustration Look Like?

I just need to vent... so, please bear with me.

I'm having "issues" with Rogers. I switched over to them a year and a half ago - kit and kaboodle - cell phones, internet, digital cable, and home phone.

The home phone works fine.

Cell phones:  I live in Keswick. My cellphone (and my husband's) won't work in or around my house. I think they should work. So, I called tech support. Apparently, Lake Simcoe is interfering with the signal. I'm not that technical, so I don't understand why everyone in Toronto isn't having a problem - after all, it's a much bigger lake... bigger lake = more interference?  I spoke to a very nice tech support person - Lindsay on October 13th. She even opened a case number for me. That's the last I've heard about it. I guess I'm supposed to hound them every day. Not going to happen.

Cable: I had basic cable installed around 3-4 years ago. At the time, I was told that the line from the box to my house needed to be replaced. I just assumed that at some point it was. Nope. In June 2009, I upgraded to digital cable. Channels became inaccessible, others kept breaking up. Either way, I had difficulty watching what I wanted to. Called tech support. A service person came out and checked the lines. The line from the box to the house needs to be replaced. He also noticed his rogers cell phone didn't work in the house.

On Nov. 9th, I couldn't watch what I wanted, so I sent off an angry email to Rogers in which I said I was going to start cancelling services. No answer. No surprise.

Today, I phone Rogers customer support. I spoke to Matthew. He asked me if I wanted to take advantage of the offers on my account. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about. So he raised his voice and repeated it. I pointed out that speaking louder wouldn't help me understand what he was talking about. So he said, fine - I'll just say you're not interested. I asked if he was having a bad day. He was very rude, so I hung up. I phoned back and got Luke. I asked to speak to a supervisor because I wanted to complain about a rep.  So then I got Austin. I explained all my frustrations to him. He took my request to cancel the movie network and related magazine. He said he would do what he could to help.

Then Sarah phoned me about my cable and told me that despite the fact that there was a target date of Dec. 12 for the line replacement, that it probably wouldn't happen this year. But she did give me her number if I wanted to follow up.

Then John phoned me and asked what he could do to help me. I explained my issues. Could he do anything to help? No. He seemed to think that because there's a target date on file, that it will be fixed, even though I told him about Sarah's call. I have no idea why he phoned. He couldn't do anything, but he did give me a case number (but we know they don't mean anything, don't we?). His suggestion - call technical support again about the phones.

Do me a favour Rogers - don't call me again - you're wasting my time. My husband's phone contract will expire in February - we'll find something else. I'll try to find someone to take over my blackberry lease and will find something else.

The internet service seems to be fine (although it's on the same cable that won't give me good TV), so that's safe. I'll wait until Dec. 12 - if the cable line is not replaced, I'm switching to satellite (are you listening Bell?). And the Rogers Mobile Internet I recommended to my mother-in-law... I'll see if I can find another solution for her.

Can you tell that I'm not feeling the love?



This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Remember

Note: This is a speech I've written that I will be giving in Alliston on Wednesday.

REMEMBER

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

This poem was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae during the “war to end all wars”, World War I. Over 60,000 Canadians died during this war, one out of every eleven Canadians who served. The poppy has become a symbol for veterans ever since.

Then came World War II. My father, like perhaps many of your parents or grandparents, fought in World War II. Almost 47,000 Canadians died in this war. Without their courage and sacrifice there might not have been a Canada to fight for today.

World War II was followed by the Korean conflict, in which 516 Canadians died. 121 Canadians have died in Peacekeeping missions, and 152 have died in Afghanistan, so far.

Were their deaths in vain? Regardless of the specific issues in each war, they were fighting and dying, so that the world can be free from oppression and tyranny. We may not agree with our involvement in some of their missions, but we must recognize and honour what they were fighting for, and are still fighting for.

On November 11th, we wear the poppy to show our support for our veterans and to honour their sacrifice. But is it enough? Do our children and grandchildren really understand why this day is so important? Make sure your children know. If you visit Ottawa, take them to the Canadian War Museum, which by the way I think should be renamed the Remembrance Museum. Take part in Remembrance Day events in your community. Talk to a veteran. Thank them. Let them know we will not forget.

Does our government really appreciate what these men and women have sacrificed for us? Our government no longer wants to give disabled veterans a pension. They want to give them a lump sum payment and then forget about them. For the most severely disabled, this would amount to approximately $276,000. $276,000 to compensate for a lifetime of lost income. Is this the right thing to do? My father received a partial pension. It did not completely compensate him for the horrors and injuries that he faced in WWII, but it made him feel as if his service was appreciated. Don’t all our veterans deserve the same?

There are no more veterans left from World War I. Less than 2% of veterans remain from World War II.

On November 11th, at 11 a.m. we will pause for two minutes to remember those veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. Is two minutes  enough? In the US, November 11th is Veterans Day - a federal holiday. An entire day to remember. Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday in all provinces except for Manitoba, Quebec, and Ontario. Shouldn’t we do the same as the US for the 107,789 Canadians who have sacrificed their lives so far, so that we can be free from tyranny, free to live as equals regardless of colour or religion or gender, free to voice our opinions without fear of oppression, free to live in a democratic society.

Nobody likes war and it’s easy to say we shouldn’t get involved in another country’s problems, or it doesn’t affect us - so why are we there? What if WE were born in that country? Would we not want someone to help us? To free us? Remember, all it takes for evil to survive, is for good men to do nothing and the price of peace is eternal vigilance.

Let us stand by the brave people who serve in our military. Let us show our appreciation for our wounded veterans with a pension, not a payoff. Let us remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for us, with a national holiday on November 11th.

As Laurence Binyon wrote in his poem to the fallen,

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Remember them.

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Municipal Elections

It hasn't been a week yet since our municipal elections, and I thought I would share my thoughts/opinions.

Apparently, municipalities throughout Ontario were voting for change and elected new people to council. Not so in Georgina. Mind you, I wanted our Mayor back in. Rob Grossi is good for the people in Georgina. It may have taken longer than expected, but we are getting most of the things we asked for - businesses in town, improved roads, etc.

Two wards - ward 1 and ward 2 had no incumbents running, so we have new people in those wards. It will be interesting to see how they fare. I really wasn't happy with anyone in my ward - ward 1. I should have run myself. Maybe next time.

Ward 2 was interesting. I can't even remember the name of the person who won - I just know it wasn't Dan Fellini, who would have been absolutely amazing had he won. He only lost by 24 votes. So, anyone in ward 2 who didn't vote - shame on you!

Ward 3 had a Councillor that many complained about, but he was returned anyway. He didn't impress me in the all candidates meetings. Two new contenders - Becky Rundle and Jason Laidler brought great hope. I pinned my hopes on Becky, and even suggested to Jason that he drop out of the race and throw his support behind her. He didn't. He came in 3rd; Becky was second. Votes for Becky and Jason together would have overwhelming surpassed the votes for the incumbent. By not dropping out of the race, the vote ended up being divided and the incumbent returned. If Jason's intent was to get the incumbent out of office, he should have thrown his support to Becky. Becky would have been amazing - she attends most council meetings, has the flexibility in her job to be a "full time" councilor and really cares about the community and her ward. I sincerely hope she runs again next time.

Ward 5 was another interesting race. Newcomer Iris Cancian-Staniscia looked very promising. I have been listening to Pefferlaw residents bitch and complain for years. They had a chance to change things. They returned the incumbent. Those who voted for him no longer have the right to complain. Those who didn't vote at all - shame on all of you. Now be quiet and sit down. You've gotten what you deserve!

The biggest threat to the current Mayor was Peter Juras. He challenged Grossi last time and lost, and he lost again. He attends no council/committee meetings and only reads minutes after the fact, which as we all know don't really reflect the "feeling" of the meeting. Pretty gutsy going for the top job (most people would want to be a Councillor first), but he defended that because the Mayor's job pays more.

Danny Wheeler was challenged by Don Slessor for Regional Councillor. Regional Councillor is a big deal, and not only does Slessor not have council experience, he's also a newcomer to the area, having just moved here in June. If he decides to run again in four years though, he stands a good chance of being successful. He's charismatic, friendly, has connections, etc. Definitely a contender. He should have run to be a Councillor first though. That would have indoctrinated him into the ways of our community first.

All in all, an interesting election. Congratulations to Rob Grossi for holding onto his job, and best wishes for the next four years!

To Naomi Davison in ward 1 - we'll be waiting for that pool you promised us in four years. I have a very good memory!



This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Getting Your Nails Done in Keswick

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that having your nails done is not a necessity. But... should you decide to have your nails done, wouldn't it be nice to know which places to avoid? This will be one such warning!

Background:  A couple of weeks ago, I decided to take my sister-in-law to a new nail salon in town that was offering a special on manicures/pedicures - $30. I thought a little bit of pampering would be nice.

We had no problems with the pedicure. The lady who did it was quite pleasant and the massaging chair was very relaxing. I've had better pedicures mind you, but this was cheap so I didn't mind that all the rough skin was still there.

The manicure, however, was a different story. We decided we wanted a french manicure (white tips) and the dirty little man who did it told me it would cost more - $35. Fine - whatever. No pushing back or trimming cuticles, no shaping of our natural nails. Many clear coats of what we thought were nail polish. Final price - $37. I guess he made up the prices as he went along.

The next day the polish started chipping/cracking, so we decided to take it off. It couldn't be removed, not even with professional strength nail polish remover. I went back into the store and asked him what the heck he had put on my nails and how can I get it off. He used an emery board to file it off, then he soaked my hands in pure acetone. Not all of it came off though, so I'll just need to wait for my nails to grow so I can trim it past that point. That process will be made faster because my nails have been breaking one by one. I told him that filing the surface would weaken the nails. He denied it. He's obviously an idiot.

The store is called New York Nails, and they're in the plaza at the corner of Queensway South and Biscayne. If you decide to ignore the fact that the store is dirty, instruments are dirty, and this little man is extremely dirty, be forewarned - your nails will be ruined.

On the plus side, a new nail salon has opened in the new Walmart in town - Regal Nails. They removed my sister-in-law's polish and put a new coat of "real" nail polish on them. That's where I should have gone. Of course, Nails 2000 is still a fairly good place, but I am getting tired of going to salons where everyone who works there is speaking a foreign language and I'm never sure they understand what I'm asking for - but hey! that's just me.

What have I learnt from this experience?
1) When I see a special on for several months, there's a reason.
2) If a shop is empty and has no customers, there's a reason.
3) I will never again overlook a dirty shop.

Just my opinion though - your mileage may vary....


This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Words

I think it's important to realize the impact that words can have; their ability to deeply wound and the inability to ever take them back. Sure, we can apologize for our words and we may be forgiven, but words are never forgotten. Words can change a person's life forever, often irrevocably. If you were upset at your boss, for example, even if he/she did something to really hurt you (intentionally or not), would it be wise to start shouting and swearing at him?

We all say things in the heat of anger. Often, we regret what we've said or more importantly, how we've said it. It's important to be able to talk and express our feelings openly and honestly. It's not necessary or fair to build up perceived resentments and then explode with raised voices and profanity. There are some boundaries that should never be crossed. Jobs can be lost, friendships can be severed and families can be torn apart by our inability to control our anger, and to even try to learn healthier ways to communicate.

We need to take ownership and responsibility for our feelings and try to see situations from the other person's perspective. Focus on the good in others, and find healthy ways to communicate about the things that upset us.

Watch your words.

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

I Want Followers!!

I know my blog is emailed to a few friends after I post, but I would really love it if some of you could sign up as Followers on my blog. I have no followers. I'm feeling lonely!!!

Plus I'd love some comments, debate, or even venting! Let me know I'm not alone out here in blog land.

... Please???

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Shopping

I have to be the only woman I know who hates to go shopping for clothes. Really - I despise it. I hate shopping for "home furnishings" as well. I wish I had the money to pay somebody to just come in and "design" my rooms. I'm clueless. But clothes shopping has to be the worst.

I had to go shopping today for a dress to wear to a wedding next week. I seriously considered cancelling going to the wedding, and just giving her a cheque as a gift that would cover our dinner. Ever since I gained weight, I have no idea of how to dress. I go for comfortable these days - I'm tired of sucking in my stomach!

I like that television show "How Not to Dress". They TEACH them how to dress and then give them money to go out and buy. Well, I'd hate the going out to buy part. Trying on clothes pisses me off. It's too long, it's too short, it's too loose, it's too tight, my God that colour looks terrible on me, sleeves, no sleeves, clingy (let's not even go there!), it just goes on and on.

You take off your clothes and try something on, then you come out in your fancy dress that makes you look like a pumpkin, with your bobby socks and running shoes and try to imagine how you're going to feel wearing the dress at a special occasion.

Then there's the salespeople - they alternate between incompetent and disinterested or they tell you everything looks good and you feel like screaming "Are you a moron? There's mirrors here, I can see what I look like." Liposuction starts to feel like a sensible choice. We improve the look with body slimmers (let's face it, they're just really tight elastic you squeeze your body into and hope you never have to pee) and high heels (as if they're going to not hurt after an hour of dancing). I might look okay if I don't turn sideways and see what my profile really looks like.

I know the answer - lose weight. I'm on the cusp of regular size and fat lady clothes. Even the smallest size at Pennington's or Addition-Elle's is often too big for me, but the same size at a regular store is probably too small. They way I'm treated in each store is only slightly amusing. At regular stores, I'm treated with disdain - like how dare I think that I can fit any of their fabulous clothes, while at the fat lady stores - oops, I mean Pennington's, the large ladies that work there would rather help other really large ladies and think I'm just there to make them feel bad.

I'm going to check out the cost of having my clothes made for me - either that or learn to sew. There has to be a better way to find clothes. I am so tired of marching into malls and stores, Visa card in hand, ready to SPEND, only to leave empty handed two hours later. Most woman love that whole experience - going from store to store, trying on tons of clothes, buying nothing. I hate it. When I go shopping it's because I HAVE to, I have no choice. Either that or stop going out in public.

That's starting to be an attractive alternative.

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Sometimes I just need to vent

Through the various roles I've taken on in Toastmasters, I've learnt the importance of having a positive attitude. I struggle with that sometimes though because, let's face it... sometime we just need to vent.

I am learning that I don't need to verbalize every thought that runs through my head, but sometimes I feel if I don't vent, I'll just explode one day. I've thought a lot about my need to vent, and believe me, I don't vent to everyone. I try to vent to at least person who I know will understand and validate my frustration.

We have all met some people who irritate us from the time we first meet them. Maybe they act really smug, and project that somehow they're "better" than we are, when in reality, we know they're not. That's our opportunity to learn how to "bite our tongue". Let it go... walk away. But sometimes, I can't do that. Sometimes I want to know that it isn't just me... that someone else finds them irritating as well. Then I can go "Whew! It's not just me!"

I'm never going to be the type of person who is always happy, chipper, positive, sees the good in everyone. I swear those people are on drugs - and I find them irritating as well. Yes, try to stay positive, smile a lot, and learn to walk away when one such irritating person decides to join your conversation. Because it isn't worth wasting anymore than two seconds with some people. You may have to deal with them occasionally, but you can attempt to keep it to a minimum and admit, at least to yourself, that you would NEVER be friends with them. NEVER. EVER. Life's too short to put up with some people. I'd rather pretend they don't even exist.

Usually when I vent to somebody, there's wine involved and we end up laughing it off. That's healthy, at least I think it is.

Stay positive by all means, stay pleasant and polite, but remember - stay real!

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

I'm Back!!

I know I haven't posted anything in a really long time, but I have a good excuse, really I do! Over the past year, while I was an Area Governor with Toastmasters, I kept a blog for my area. Also, I was filling a lot of roles in my home club - VP Education (the most time consuming) and Immediate Past President. Plus I was filling in as VP Public Relations, since we didn't have anyone for that role.

But that's behind me now. I don't expect to be as busy as Division Governor - no blog, no clubs to visit on a "regular" basis. I really should get back to this blog, if only to keep my creative writing skills up, if this can be called creative!

Have you ever sat back and reflected on your life? Wished you had a chance to do something over? That's where my head's been at lately. No regrets though - every journey in life has brought me to this moment - all the good, all the bad, all of it. But, what if we did just one thing different? How would that affect where we are today? What if I'd never joined Toastmasters or never moved to Keswick, or married someone different? What if I'd changed just one thing. Would I still be who I am today? Who knows, but it's interesting to think about.

I don't have anything special to rant about today - nobody's pissed me off... yet. It's been a funny kind of day - the heat has driven up my blood pressure and I've felt "out of it" for most of the day. Good thing what I'm currently working on is drudgery, not requiring creativity or much thought. Whoever heard of a release announcement that's over 600 pages, anyway? Well, I don't make the decisions, I just do as I'm told by the person who signs the cheques.

I was looking forward to my favorite show - Big Bang Theory, which is on every Monday night. Just my luck though, it's a rerun tonight. Good excuse to write in my blog and to go to bed early.

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Metro Supermarkets

Well, this is my blog for ranting ... and today I feel like ranting!

A couple of months ago, I purchased Swedish Style Meatballs from the Metro store in Stouffville (formerly A&P). There was a small piece of bone in one of the meatballs and when I bit it, it chipped my molar.

I let the company know, and even sent them the small fragment of bone. The meatballs are made by Rosina Foods, so Metro assumed no responsibility for them. Rosina's insurance company phoned me but said they didn't get the "foreign object" from Rosina - so I guess that means nothing will be done by them.

Metro meanwhile sent me a $20 gift certificate (wow! I can put that towards the $1000 crown I had to get!). The funny part is - their own store refused to accept the gift certificate!

I had no love for the Great Atlantic and Pacific company (A&P), so I was happy when Metro entered the Ontario market. Not so happy now. What a crappy company that does not stand behind their products. Do not be misled - the Irresistibles brand from Metro is not even CLOSE to the quality of President's Choice from the Loblaws stores. So far, besides the disastrous meatballs, I've bought fruit that spoiled the day after I bought it, yogurt that was two weeks past the due date and strawberries that had mold in the middle of the package that I couldn't see. Lesson learned - avoid these stores. Metro owns Food Basics, Loews, and Metro stores. Plus a few other stores that aren't in Ontario yet.

I recommend they take the $20 they "almost" gave me and put it towards buying better quality products. And I recommend that nobody shops at this inferior quality store!

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.