Per our annual protocol, I am staying home to hand out candy while DH and the rugrats canvas the neighborhood.
Two little girls just came to my door dressed like slutty pirates. They couldn't have been more than 12. In spaghetti straps, micro-miniskirts, fishnet stockings, bright red lipstick, and more eyeliner than I could use in a year.
Oh, and there was no adult in sight. Ugh! It makes me sick thinking about what could happen if these girls come across the wrong house.
For the record, my twins are out there dressed as Darth Vader and a Clone Trooper--not an ounce of skin showing! PS is Pocahontas--not her first choice, but I had to make her a Pocahontas costume for a school project last week, and dammit, it was gonna be worn again. Besides, I bought her a pair of fake Uggs to go with it, and that pretty much appeased her.
10/29/08
Mom stuff
Left work early today for a teacher conference. TT is doing awesome, which I already knew. Ran home grabbed the kids, went back to the school for another meeting. PS's class gets to go to camp for 3 days in the spring, so there was in information meeting for parents. I clearly remember doing the same thing when I was in the 5th grade--and having a blast.
I got home to find a message from PS's G/T teacher. PS said she thought she was calling parents for phone conferences.
Not quite. G/T teacher informs me that they reviewed TT's test scores and have decided to admit her into the G/T program. Both twins were tested at the end of last year on the recommendation of their teachers, but were not admitted. This mystified me, because both of their teachers told me that they were certain that they would make the cut. I had a lengthy meeting with the G/T teacher (who I think is a fruitcake anyway), but little came of it.
But our school system introduced a new standardized test that they took into consideration. And TT's new teacher has really been pushing for her admission into the G/T program.
So now one of my identical twins has been admitted, but not the other. How the hell am I supposed to handle this? To make it worse, two of my 3 children have been admitted. I am afraid SS is going to think she is the "dumb kid."
Her test scores are generally lower than her sister's, but only by a few points. On the most recent standardized test, TT was in the 92 percentile and SS was in the 89th. And truly, I don't think that TT is smarter than SS--they just exhibit their intelligence differently.
Stupid fruitcake teacher says to me, "Well, you know each child is an individual." Are you freaking kidding me? I am the mother of identical twins who most people can't tell apart--yet to me their personalities couldn't be more different. I know better than anybody how individual my children are.
Does being a parent ever get easy?
I got home to find a message from PS's G/T teacher. PS said she thought she was calling parents for phone conferences.
Not quite. G/T teacher informs me that they reviewed TT's test scores and have decided to admit her into the G/T program. Both twins were tested at the end of last year on the recommendation of their teachers, but were not admitted. This mystified me, because both of their teachers told me that they were certain that they would make the cut. I had a lengthy meeting with the G/T teacher (who I think is a fruitcake anyway), but little came of it.
But our school system introduced a new standardized test that they took into consideration. And TT's new teacher has really been pushing for her admission into the G/T program.
So now one of my identical twins has been admitted, but not the other. How the hell am I supposed to handle this? To make it worse, two of my 3 children have been admitted. I am afraid SS is going to think she is the "dumb kid."
Her test scores are generally lower than her sister's, but only by a few points. On the most recent standardized test, TT was in the 92 percentile and SS was in the 89th. And truly, I don't think that TT is smarter than SS--they just exhibit their intelligence differently.
Stupid fruitcake teacher says to me, "Well, you know each child is an individual." Are you freaking kidding me? I am the mother of identical twins who most people can't tell apart--yet to me their personalities couldn't be more different. I know better than anybody how individual my children are.
Does being a parent ever get easy?
10/28/08
F.U. Part 2
The little fucker did it again. They finally sent back redlined settlement documents (changing shit they had already agreed to), but didn't copy all parties. So I forwarded their revisions to the rest of the parties along with the corrections I made to the Addendum.
He wrote back (again copying everybody) "We're fine with all of the corrections--as long as you corrected the misspelling in the footer and the misuse of he/she in paragraph 2."
Ok, did you not read the fucking document I just sent? I made the damn corrections. But thanks for pointing it out--AGAIN.
It took a great deal of professional composure not to dash off a snotty response.
The good news is that Big Boss did not say a word to me. Probably because all hell is breaking loose in one of our massive cases. I am completely buried right now--I have never been so busy or been so behind.
But because everyone else is also crazy busy, I am also getting to be more visible. Usually I am hidden in the background being bcc'd on everything. I've also had to take on a much more managerial role with my secretary and paralegal. Big Boss has been pushing me to be bossier all along--and at this point I just can't get it all done by myself. They are grumbling and probably like me less than they did a couple of weeks ago. But I just remind them to be glad they have to deal with me and not Big Boss.
He wrote back (again copying everybody) "We're fine with all of the corrections--as long as you corrected the misspelling in the footer and the misuse of he/she in paragraph 2."
Ok, did you not read the fucking document I just sent? I made the damn corrections. But thanks for pointing it out--AGAIN.
It took a great deal of professional composure not to dash off a snotty response.
The good news is that Big Boss did not say a word to me. Probably because all hell is breaking loose in one of our massive cases. I am completely buried right now--I have never been so busy or been so behind.
But because everyone else is also crazy busy, I am also getting to be more visible. Usually I am hidden in the background being bcc'd on everything. I've also had to take on a much more managerial role with my secretary and paralegal. Big Boss has been pushing me to be bossier all along--and at this point I just can't get it all done by myself. They are grumbling and probably like me less than they did a couple of weeks ago. But I just remind them to be glad they have to deal with me and not Big Boss.
10/26/08
F.U.
I have spent the better part of the last month preparing settlement documents in a big case for a substantial settlement. This was my first time to ever prepare settlement documents, and I was pretty much left to wing it.
But I pulled it off. There are 5 parties involved in this settlement, and we had everybody in agreement by the 5th revision--and most of the changes were pretty minor. So I was feeling pretty good about getting it right on my first go 'round. In total, the settlement documents exceed 60 pages. I did 95% of the drafting--incorporating changes by the other parties as requested.
Then, an ad litem was appointed at the last minute who wanted to make several changes, including adding an addendum. So I spent half a day incorporating all of his changes, and again, submitted the agreement to all parties for final approval. Big Boss told me to ask the other parties to please make any changes they wanted and circulate them among the parties. (They have, so far, been submitting revisions to us and I have been making all changes.)
Within a couple of hours, one of the parties approved the new changes. But I just got an email (cc'd to about 10 people) from another party saying, "We're still reviewing the settlement documents, but you spelled 'Addendum' wrong in the footer of that document, and in paragraph 13 of [65 paragraph document] [one party out of about 17] is referred to as a he rather than a she."
Thank you very much Big Law a-hole. Because you couldn't have included those two mistakes that were admittedly mine in the list of the other changes that needed to be made (although seriously, in a footer with an 8 point font can you even tell the difference between an "n" and an "m"?) God knows I fixed some of your mistakes without advertising it to the world. Or are you just PO'd that we asked you to make your own changes this time?
I am sure to be bitched out on Monday about this. Big Boss will not be happy that I sent out a document with a spelling error.
Sigh--what a way to ruin a perfectly good Sunday afternoon.
P.S. Yes, I get the irony. If you spend any time at all on my blog you will find it riddled with typos. I spend minimal time proofing here. But I swear, I combed those documents. All 60 pages, line by line with a ruler. Guess I missed the footer. And the red squiggly line that Word should have put under my misspelling.
But I pulled it off. There are 5 parties involved in this settlement, and we had everybody in agreement by the 5th revision--and most of the changes were pretty minor. So I was feeling pretty good about getting it right on my first go 'round. In total, the settlement documents exceed 60 pages. I did 95% of the drafting--incorporating changes by the other parties as requested.
Then, an ad litem was appointed at the last minute who wanted to make several changes, including adding an addendum. So I spent half a day incorporating all of his changes, and again, submitted the agreement to all parties for final approval. Big Boss told me to ask the other parties to please make any changes they wanted and circulate them among the parties. (They have, so far, been submitting revisions to us and I have been making all changes.)
Within a couple of hours, one of the parties approved the new changes. But I just got an email (cc'd to about 10 people) from another party saying, "We're still reviewing the settlement documents, but you spelled 'Addendum' wrong in the footer of that document, and in paragraph 13 of [65 paragraph document] [one party out of about 17] is referred to as a he rather than a she."
Thank you very much Big Law a-hole. Because you couldn't have included those two mistakes that were admittedly mine in the list of the other changes that needed to be made (although seriously, in a footer with an 8 point font can you even tell the difference between an "n" and an "m"?) God knows I fixed some of your mistakes without advertising it to the world. Or are you just PO'd that we asked you to make your own changes this time?
I am sure to be bitched out on Monday about this. Big Boss will not be happy that I sent out a document with a spelling error.
Sigh--what a way to ruin a perfectly good Sunday afternoon.
P.S. Yes, I get the irony. If you spend any time at all on my blog you will find it riddled with typos. I spend minimal time proofing here. But I swear, I combed those documents. All 60 pages, line by line with a ruler. Guess I missed the footer. And the red squiggly line that Word should have put under my misspelling.
10/18/08
Date night --woohoo!
DH and I rarely ever go out without the kids. Because we work long hours and don't spend a lot of time with the kids during the week, we make it a point to spend a lot of family time together in the evening. And we spend enough on childcare that there is not much that will provoke us to drop another $80 or so on a babysitter so we can go out. Usually when we go out, it's for a concert (I just bought Eagles tix!! Last time it was the Foo Fighters). And we usually catch a couple of hockey games each season.
But tonight we're going to the movies. I can't even tell you the last grown-up movie I saw at a theater. PS was invited to a sleepover party and the twins are going to a Halloween-themed Kid's Night Out at our local gymnastics place. $40 for the twins, but they will have a blast and it's half what we would spend on a sitter.
It'll be nice to have some kid-free time together. (I know DH gets little mention on the blog, but we really do like each other.) Especially because he's taking off for Boston next week, leaving me as a single-parent all week.
But tonight we're going to the movies. I can't even tell you the last grown-up movie I saw at a theater. PS was invited to a sleepover party and the twins are going to a Halloween-themed Kid's Night Out at our local gymnastics place. $40 for the twins, but they will have a blast and it's half what we would spend on a sitter.
It'll be nice to have some kid-free time together. (I know DH gets little mention on the blog, but we really do like each other.) Especially because he's taking off for Boston next week, leaving me as a single-parent all week.
10/17/08
I have incestuous gay cats
So we kept two of the male kittens from the litter that we found in the flowerbeds. And they have always been very cozy. Soon after we gave their siblings away, we noticed that Voldy would pin Harley down to suckle his teats. This went on for a couple of weeks. And they groom each other and really like to cuddle.
But this morning, Voldy started, ummm grooming Harley's furry little naughty bits. Which Harley apparently enjoyed--a lot. DH and I were staring in shock when SS walked up and said, "Voldy must have hurt Harley because it looks like he's bleeding!" Yeah, cause Harley's tiny red pecker was out. I wasn't even going there at 7:30 in the morning when we were trying to get ready for our day so I just nodded and agreed, "umm, yeah, I guess he's hurt" and shooed the cats apart.
Is this normal cat behavior? I've never had a pair of cats before. We're pretty tolerant, but I could live without the kitty porn.
But this morning, Voldy started, ummm grooming Harley's furry little naughty bits. Which Harley apparently enjoyed--a lot. DH and I were staring in shock when SS walked up and said, "Voldy must have hurt Harley because it looks like he's bleeding!" Yeah, cause Harley's tiny red pecker was out. I wasn't even going there at 7:30 in the morning when we were trying to get ready for our day so I just nodded and agreed, "umm, yeah, I guess he's hurt" and shooed the cats apart.
Is this normal cat behavior? I've never had a pair of cats before. We're pretty tolerant, but I could live without the kitty porn.
10/15/08
The lawyer you don't want to be...
The Chatty Cathy. This is the lawyer who is apparently completely unconcerned about her billables, because she will spend excessively long stretches of time yapping your ear off if given the slightest opportunity. This isn't a friendly co-worker stopping by to say "hi" or to give you the 10 minute run-down on her date last night.
No, the Chatty Cathy parks it in your office and traps you there as she hashes out ever detail of her day--no matter how mundane. Oh--and you never get the chance to get a word in edgewise--its all about her. And she is oblivious to your not-so-subtle hints that she needs to get back to work. Like returning to your reading or typing. You find yourself praying that the phone will ring so that she has to leave, and plotting whether you can reach your Blackberry and email your secretary to call you without her noticing.
Whenever anyone else walks by, you yell out your door, "Oh, hi--were you looking for me--what do you need?" Of course, this random person is clueless unless she, too, has been trapped by the Chatty Cathy. Then the look of pleading in your eyes is all too familiar.
So, my words of wisdom as an almost-second-year lawyer--don't be the Chatty Cathy. Keep the chit-chat short--or make plans for lunch or drinks after work. Even if you may like working until midnight, I prefer to get my billables in during normal working hours. And pay attention to what is going on around you--if I start typing, it means I really don't have time for this right now.
No, the Chatty Cathy parks it in your office and traps you there as she hashes out ever detail of her day--no matter how mundane. Oh--and you never get the chance to get a word in edgewise--its all about her. And she is oblivious to your not-so-subtle hints that she needs to get back to work. Like returning to your reading or typing. You find yourself praying that the phone will ring so that she has to leave, and plotting whether you can reach your Blackberry and email your secretary to call you without her noticing.
Whenever anyone else walks by, you yell out your door, "Oh, hi--were you looking for me--what do you need?" Of course, this random person is clueless unless she, too, has been trapped by the Chatty Cathy. Then the look of pleading in your eyes is all too familiar.
So, my words of wisdom as an almost-second-year lawyer--don't be the Chatty Cathy. Keep the chit-chat short--or make plans for lunch or drinks after work. Even if you may like working until midnight, I prefer to get my billables in during normal working hours. And pay attention to what is going on around you--if I start typing, it means I really don't have time for this right now.
Boss's Day--WTF?
I grabbed a sandwich for lunch and decided to splurge on a cookie from the bakery in the basement of my building. As I approached the line I saw my secretary. I walked up behind her and tried to say something, but she was oblivious to my presence. Before I can catch her attention, she asks the bakery worker--"so what are you going to have available for Boss's day?" I hightail it out of there, before she notices me (I hope) in an effort to avoid an awkward situation.
SO, who the hell came up with this fake wannabe holiday? Is it just intended to create awkwardness? I don't want anything from my secretary and I'm sure not getting anything for my supervising attorneys. No one should be expected to buy gifts for the people they work for.
SO, who the hell came up with this fake wannabe holiday? Is it just intended to create awkwardness? I don't want anything from my secretary and I'm sure not getting anything for my supervising attorneys. No one should be expected to buy gifts for the people they work for.
10/10/08
Life
So posting has been light lately. Partly because life has just gotten busy with PS's gymnastics on Monday nights and TT's football practice on Thursday nights and all those other things that get crammed into a week.
Partly because it's the time of year where allergies are kicking in and my eyes hurt so badly by the end of the day that I want to scratch them and the thought of looking at a computer screen for one more second is pure torture.
Partly because there is a lot of stuff going on that I just can't blog about. Like work. I really wish I could blog more about what lawyer life is like, but a lot of it could be construed as negatively portraying my firm and, well, I'd like to keep my job. I'm anonymous, but not that anonymous and I know that anyone who really wanted to find me could. But I do wish I could give a more accurate portrayal of life as a new lawyer.
One thing I can say is that Big Boss and Partner took me to a swanky restaurant earlier this week to thank me for all the effort I've been putting in lately. We've been getting tons of new cases and I have had to help out quite a bit when one of our attorneys who was pregnant had her baby early. She usually doesn't have any help on her cases, and she hadn't yet briefed anyone on her caseload, so it has been a challenge to get up to speed on cases that I know absolutely nothing about--while trying not to step on her toes or give the impression that I am trying to take over her cases. (She is very quiet, and we don't know each other well.)
But overall, it is going ok--with a little craziness mixed in.
Partly because it's the time of year where allergies are kicking in and my eyes hurt so badly by the end of the day that I want to scratch them and the thought of looking at a computer screen for one more second is pure torture.
Partly because there is a lot of stuff going on that I just can't blog about. Like work. I really wish I could blog more about what lawyer life is like, but a lot of it could be construed as negatively portraying my firm and, well, I'd like to keep my job. I'm anonymous, but not that anonymous and I know that anyone who really wanted to find me could. But I do wish I could give a more accurate portrayal of life as a new lawyer.
One thing I can say is that Big Boss and Partner took me to a swanky restaurant earlier this week to thank me for all the effort I've been putting in lately. We've been getting tons of new cases and I have had to help out quite a bit when one of our attorneys who was pregnant had her baby early. She usually doesn't have any help on her cases, and she hadn't yet briefed anyone on her caseload, so it has been a challenge to get up to speed on cases that I know absolutely nothing about--while trying not to step on her toes or give the impression that I am trying to take over her cases. (She is very quiet, and we don't know each other well.)
But overall, it is going ok--with a little craziness mixed in.
Overheard
The twins just signed up for the chess club, so they dragged out our chess set and decided that they would start practicing.
I heard TT say, "I'll trade you my knight for your king."
"Ok, deal," SS responded.
I said, "I don't really think that's how you play chess."
To which TT replied, "We know, but Daddy won't get off his bottom and come help us because he's lazy."
Oops! It's really hard to lecture your children about being respectful to adults when you are laughing hysterically.
I heard TT say, "I'll trade you my knight for your king."
"Ok, deal," SS responded.
I said, "I don't really think that's how you play chess."
To which TT replied, "We know, but Daddy won't get off his bottom and come help us because he's lazy."
Oops! It's really hard to lecture your children about being respectful to adults when you are laughing hysterically.
10/2/08
Sucky, sucky, sucky day
Today just sucked. It was one of those days where everything is just off-kilter all day long. It started this morning, when I had to go into the school to drop the girls off and speak to the cranky ladies in the office. Then traffic sucked. Then I got to work, and before I even make it to my office my secretary informs me that I am on the naughty list.
The naughty list is the list that the office accountant sends out to the entire office every week informing us who doesn't have their time in. I am on it about half the time, because my time has to be approved by Partner before it is sent to accounting, and he tends to let it sit on his desk. The end of the month is the most important, because that is when the bills go out.
Of course, Partner had not approved by time, so I was on the list. And Partner was out of town this morning. I called the accountant the second I got to my office to explain the situation. He was a complete and total jackass to me on the phone. He gets this way a lot. Our 60 year old accountant has mood swings like a 14 year old girl. He is known for his pissy moods-but it usually isn't directed at me.
I mean, I would have understood irritation. I get that we are on a tight schedule at the first of the month--but he was really an asshole. A few minutes later Big Boss came in and I asked him to approve my time. In the meantime, Accountant blasted off two more office-wide emails informing everybody that I was the lone holdout in submitting my time. By 9:15 this morning my time was in. I dashed off an email, biting my tongue the whole time, politely telling the accountant that my time had been submitted.
He writes back, "was it approved." And I responded, "No, your temper tantrum terrified me into throwing caution to the wind and submitting my time, to hell with whether it had been approved or not." Then I added, "Of course it has been approved."
30 seconds later the phone rang. Accountant, "I need to know if your time is approved."
"I told you it was approved."
"How was it approved--did you get an email." Ok, he has never ever asked how my time is approved --and it is always approved orally. So now he is basically accusing me of lying. However, Big Boss just happens to be standing outside my office and hears this exchange.
Big Boss says, "Tell him I said your time is approved, it's done, he needs to do the billing."
So I relay that information to Accountant, who huffs, "I don't understand why you are being so ugly to me." To which I respond, "Ditto."
A couple of minutes later he sends another email complaining about my attitude. I didn't respond.
Ok, I'll admit, it was not a shining morning of professionalism. I probably should have kept my mouth shut. The secretaries were glad to see me stand up to him. He treats everybody like crap--but they couldn't get away with standing up to him.
The rest of the day went down hill from there. Big Boss was in the office, and throwing new projects at me all day. One of our attorneys just had her baby a month early, and he is freaking out and handing me her stuff. I'm not sure how happy she is about all this. I don't want to step on her toes, but I can't exactly refuse a project Big Boss hands me, so I am doing my best to copy her on email to keep her in the loop.
Then I made a pretty minor error in a letter to the client. But, as Partner pointed out, sending stuff to this client (who is in-house counsel) is like getting your homework graded. He catches freaking everything. So Partner was mildly irritated with me.
And then one of my kids' teachers won't respond to my notes and emails. And my kids' doctor won't let me take all three kids at once for their checkups (I think this is going to mean a new doctor.) And I'm going to have to go lawyer to get my claim paid from when my car was broken into.
And my glasses broke right across the bridge for no apparent reason. The good news is that they are under a breakage warranty, so it is only $20 to replace them. But while I was at the eyeglass store, I asked about my lenses which have developed these strange spots, where it looks like the lens coating is coming up. They said that for another $10 I could have the lenses replaced. I said that I have no problem paying for the broken frames because they don't know what happened (although, really, they literally just broke apart in my hands while I was cleaning them), but that the problem with the lens coating was clearly a manufacturing defect and I should not have to pay a copay to have them repaired. The huffy sales girl said, "well, I can't make that call--you have to talk to a manager." And then they tried to tell me that the only warranty they offer is the breakage warranty with a co-pay.
Of course I wanted to see this actual "warranty" and they didn't have one in the store. They had to get another store to fax it over. And of course it is not a warranty but a replacement plan, and thus is not intended to cover a manufacturing defect.
The girl said, "Well, this is the only warranty we offer." And I replied (much snottier than necessary), "actually it's not. Under the law, there is an implied warranty offered on all goods unless you specifically disclaim it--which you did not." And of course, I get the "we can't make that call" line again.
So I paid the $20, got new frames, and still don't have the lenses fixed. Yeah, I should have paid the damn $10--and probably would have if I hadn't already been in a royally shitty mood. But I'll take it up with the manager and get the lenses fixed and probably spend $500 worth of lawyer time doing it to save $10. Yeah--I'm totally logical when I'm pissy.
The bright spot in my day--a pair of fabulous red suede heels were sitting with the mail when I got home. So I changed into shorts and a tank top and wore my fabulous heels (they make me feel like Dorothy) around the kitchen while I busted into one of DH's beers and pulled dinner together before DH and the girls got home from football practice.
Thank god tomorrow's Friday. Darn right.
The naughty list is the list that the office accountant sends out to the entire office every week informing us who doesn't have their time in. I am on it about half the time, because my time has to be approved by Partner before it is sent to accounting, and he tends to let it sit on his desk. The end of the month is the most important, because that is when the bills go out.
Of course, Partner had not approved by time, so I was on the list. And Partner was out of town this morning. I called the accountant the second I got to my office to explain the situation. He was a complete and total jackass to me on the phone. He gets this way a lot. Our 60 year old accountant has mood swings like a 14 year old girl. He is known for his pissy moods-but it usually isn't directed at me.
I mean, I would have understood irritation. I get that we are on a tight schedule at the first of the month--but he was really an asshole. A few minutes later Big Boss came in and I asked him to approve my time. In the meantime, Accountant blasted off two more office-wide emails informing everybody that I was the lone holdout in submitting my time. By 9:15 this morning my time was in. I dashed off an email, biting my tongue the whole time, politely telling the accountant that my time had been submitted.
He writes back, "was it approved." And I responded, "No, your temper tantrum terrified me into throwing caution to the wind and submitting my time, to hell with whether it had been approved or not." Then I added, "Of course it has been approved."
30 seconds later the phone rang. Accountant, "I need to know if your time is approved."
"I told you it was approved."
"How was it approved--did you get an email." Ok, he has never ever asked how my time is approved --and it is always approved orally. So now he is basically accusing me of lying. However, Big Boss just happens to be standing outside my office and hears this exchange.
Big Boss says, "Tell him I said your time is approved, it's done, he needs to do the billing."
So I relay that information to Accountant, who huffs, "I don't understand why you are being so ugly to me." To which I respond, "Ditto."
A couple of minutes later he sends another email complaining about my attitude. I didn't respond.
Ok, I'll admit, it was not a shining morning of professionalism. I probably should have kept my mouth shut. The secretaries were glad to see me stand up to him. He treats everybody like crap--but they couldn't get away with standing up to him.
The rest of the day went down hill from there. Big Boss was in the office, and throwing new projects at me all day. One of our attorneys just had her baby a month early, and he is freaking out and handing me her stuff. I'm not sure how happy she is about all this. I don't want to step on her toes, but I can't exactly refuse a project Big Boss hands me, so I am doing my best to copy her on email to keep her in the loop.
Then I made a pretty minor error in a letter to the client. But, as Partner pointed out, sending stuff to this client (who is in-house counsel) is like getting your homework graded. He catches freaking everything. So Partner was mildly irritated with me.
And then one of my kids' teachers won't respond to my notes and emails. And my kids' doctor won't let me take all three kids at once for their checkups (I think this is going to mean a new doctor.) And I'm going to have to go lawyer to get my claim paid from when my car was broken into.
And my glasses broke right across the bridge for no apparent reason. The good news is that they are under a breakage warranty, so it is only $20 to replace them. But while I was at the eyeglass store, I asked about my lenses which have developed these strange spots, where it looks like the lens coating is coming up. They said that for another $10 I could have the lenses replaced. I said that I have no problem paying for the broken frames because they don't know what happened (although, really, they literally just broke apart in my hands while I was cleaning them), but that the problem with the lens coating was clearly a manufacturing defect and I should not have to pay a copay to have them repaired. The huffy sales girl said, "well, I can't make that call--you have to talk to a manager." And then they tried to tell me that the only warranty they offer is the breakage warranty with a co-pay.
Of course I wanted to see this actual "warranty" and they didn't have one in the store. They had to get another store to fax it over. And of course it is not a warranty but a replacement plan, and thus is not intended to cover a manufacturing defect.
The girl said, "Well, this is the only warranty we offer." And I replied (much snottier than necessary), "actually it's not. Under the law, there is an implied warranty offered on all goods unless you specifically disclaim it--which you did not." And of course, I get the "we can't make that call" line again.
So I paid the $20, got new frames, and still don't have the lenses fixed. Yeah, I should have paid the damn $10--and probably would have if I hadn't already been in a royally shitty mood. But I'll take it up with the manager and get the lenses fixed and probably spend $500 worth of lawyer time doing it to save $10. Yeah--I'm totally logical when I'm pissy.
The bright spot in my day--a pair of fabulous red suede heels were sitting with the mail when I got home. So I changed into shorts and a tank top and wore my fabulous heels (they make me feel like Dorothy) around the kitchen while I busted into one of DH's beers and pulled dinner together before DH and the girls got home from football practice.
Thank god tomorrow's Friday. Darn right.
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