Okay, I have told this story so many times in the last 12 hours that I am all but exhausted. So, instead of telling it 600 more times, I will just send out a blog to the masses and then you will all have a good laugh at my expense.
Our dear, 8-year old tv has decided to pretty much die. The only way it will facilitate our viewing pleasure is with a 10-minute warm up and a couple hundred bangs and kicks. It is good stress relief but I am not sure it is good for the overall life of the tv. It seems to come on eventually but it takes longer and longer each time.
I have been scouring craiglist for just a cheap deal on another tube tv to get us by until we are rich. There are plenty of overpriced tvs and some that are way too small but yesterday, something different came along. A 32" flat panel tv was listed as a "must sell" but no price was stated. I took the liberty to call, just to see if the price was some absurdly cheap deal. He wanted $400. I thanked him kindly and said it was more than we wanted to pay at that time. He ventured to ask what I wanted to pay and I told him I didn't want to offend him. He wouldn't give in and wanted to know how much I wanted to pay. I told him no more than $150 (keep in mind my initial budget is for a tube tv, not a flat panel and so I am actually increasing my budget just for the sake of the quality of tv) and that he could totally laugh in my face if that sounded absurd. He told me that since the tv came with the wall mount, would I pay $200. I agreed and we scheduled a pick up time and place in Federal Way later that day.
Just as I was loading my three children into the car, he called and said he was tied up, could I meet him 2 hours later. I agreed and unloaded the kids from the car.
2 hours later, I call him, confirm our 4:15 pick up time and I load the kids back up, hoping to beet the I-5 rush hour traffic. I manage to avoid a traffic jam by taking a short cut and make it to our destination 3 minutes late. I run to the bank, pull out the money and then wait. And wait and wait.
45 minutes later, nothing. I don't have a cell phone and my kids are starting to get restless and hungry. I convince myself to go outside of my comfort zone and ask a complete stranger if I can borrow their cell phone. After this girl gives me a once over to make sure I am not going to put a gun to her head, she reluctantly hands over her phone with a guilt trip of how I will be using her minutes. Whatever.
Now, because I had such a great feeling from this guy and didn't think he would bail on me, I didn't bother to write down his cell number. I therefore have to search my memory banks for my neighbors phone number so that I can get one of them to get online, find the craiglist listing, and get me his number all without taking too much time on this stranger's cell phone. Not to mention, it is a little rude to borrow someones phone so that I can look up a tv listing on craigslist. I was not sure what to do. I luckily guessed a neighbor's number correctly and then went to my car so I could have a little privacy.
Of course my neighbor's computer just wasn't loading up fast enough and so I said I would call her back in 5 minutes on someone elses phone. I then drove to the nearest wireless store to see if they had a phone I could use. As I left my children in the car (please don't call CPS on me) I ran in and was directed to a wall of phones. I picked one up, called my neighbor and she didn't pick up. What??????????? I dial another neighbor's phone number and this time, the phone won't let me make the call. I choose another phone, call the number, wrong number. I try a different number, success. I actually get a quick number off craigslist and then proceed to dial the tv guy's number. The phone won't let me through. I try another phone. (My kids are still in the car, alone.) He answers the phone, I say hello and he can't hear me. Stupid phone. It is one of those funky, fancy things and I can't figure out how to slide, flip or open it. He hangs up. I try another phone, it won't let me through. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH. I give up, take my phone number and head back to the car. Kids are fine, my heart starts to slow.
I drive around and stalk someone for their phone. Two people claim their phones are dead. Whatever. I find a woman that doesn't trust me enough and wants to dial the number for me. You know me, I thought I would drive around the mall parking lot, find someone with a cell phone and then call a 1-900 number just for a quick pleasure call. Seriously!!! I call the tv guy, I get his voice mail and I tell him that I am feeling a little stood up and that I will stay for 15 more minutes just in case he is close by.
The kids are hungry and so I run through McDonalds, get them nuggets and then park in the meeting spot. 20 minutes later, I get back on the 30 minute drive home, dejected. I am almost in tears because I may have put my children in danger, I wasted gas money and my time and I was hustled. I hate feeling like a fool. I get home, make one final call on my own home phone and he still doesn't pick up. I leave a calm message about how disappointed I am and how I hope he never does that to anyone else again. I explain that all he had to do was call and say he wasn't willing to sell that low. I wouldn't have cared. It was his idea in the first place to offer $200. What's up?
I get off the phone with his voice mail and my dear husband calls. He is at Best Buy and he ipod quit working so he was going to trade it in for an itouch but it will cost him $80 and he has already made the decision to buy it. Awesome, that makes me sooooooooooo happy. (Can you sense my sarcasm.) I get off the phone with him and take a nice quiet, relaxing walk to the mailbox.
Little did I know that what was waiting inside that mailbox would cap off just a wonderful day of ridiculousness. I open an envelope with a photo law enforcement ticket. Rob had run a red light last week and not told me about it. There in full color was evidence of him running that red light and his license plate.
Later Rob called this tv guy from his cell phone, left a message and sure enough, this guy called back. Rob acted like he was interested in buying his tv. He told him that it sold for $500. Good to know, at least he got what they were really worth and didn't sell them to some sorry woman for too little who might really have appreciated his integrity. At least I got my closure.
So, an $80 itouch and a $124 ticket later, my $200 allottment for an imaginary tv was gone. Happy day. I need a nap.
I am feeling much better today but my search for the best deal on a reasonably sized tv continues. Or maybe I will just get rid of it all together, drop the satellite dish and save myself a lot of money and effort. Me, bitter? nah......just having a good laugh about it today!!
Our dear, 8-year old tv has decided to pretty much die. The only way it will facilitate our viewing pleasure is with a 10-minute warm up and a couple hundred bangs and kicks. It is good stress relief but I am not sure it is good for the overall life of the tv. It seems to come on eventually but it takes longer and longer each time.
I have been scouring craiglist for just a cheap deal on another tube tv to get us by until we are rich. There are plenty of overpriced tvs and some that are way too small but yesterday, something different came along. A 32" flat panel tv was listed as a "must sell" but no price was stated. I took the liberty to call, just to see if the price was some absurdly cheap deal. He wanted $400. I thanked him kindly and said it was more than we wanted to pay at that time. He ventured to ask what I wanted to pay and I told him I didn't want to offend him. He wouldn't give in and wanted to know how much I wanted to pay. I told him no more than $150 (keep in mind my initial budget is for a tube tv, not a flat panel and so I am actually increasing my budget just for the sake of the quality of tv) and that he could totally laugh in my face if that sounded absurd. He told me that since the tv came with the wall mount, would I pay $200. I agreed and we scheduled a pick up time and place in Federal Way later that day.
Just as I was loading my three children into the car, he called and said he was tied up, could I meet him 2 hours later. I agreed and unloaded the kids from the car.
2 hours later, I call him, confirm our 4:15 pick up time and I load the kids back up, hoping to beet the I-5 rush hour traffic. I manage to avoid a traffic jam by taking a short cut and make it to our destination 3 minutes late. I run to the bank, pull out the money and then wait. And wait and wait.
45 minutes later, nothing. I don't have a cell phone and my kids are starting to get restless and hungry. I convince myself to go outside of my comfort zone and ask a complete stranger if I can borrow their cell phone. After this girl gives me a once over to make sure I am not going to put a gun to her head, she reluctantly hands over her phone with a guilt trip of how I will be using her minutes. Whatever.
Now, because I had such a great feeling from this guy and didn't think he would bail on me, I didn't bother to write down his cell number. I therefore have to search my memory banks for my neighbors phone number so that I can get one of them to get online, find the craiglist listing, and get me his number all without taking too much time on this stranger's cell phone. Not to mention, it is a little rude to borrow someones phone so that I can look up a tv listing on craigslist. I was not sure what to do. I luckily guessed a neighbor's number correctly and then went to my car so I could have a little privacy.
Of course my neighbor's computer just wasn't loading up fast enough and so I said I would call her back in 5 minutes on someone elses phone. I then drove to the nearest wireless store to see if they had a phone I could use. As I left my children in the car (please don't call CPS on me) I ran in and was directed to a wall of phones. I picked one up, called my neighbor and she didn't pick up. What??????????? I dial another neighbor's phone number and this time, the phone won't let me make the call. I choose another phone, call the number, wrong number. I try a different number, success. I actually get a quick number off craigslist and then proceed to dial the tv guy's number. The phone won't let me through. I try another phone. (My kids are still in the car, alone.) He answers the phone, I say hello and he can't hear me. Stupid phone. It is one of those funky, fancy things and I can't figure out how to slide, flip or open it. He hangs up. I try another phone, it won't let me through. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH. I give up, take my phone number and head back to the car. Kids are fine, my heart starts to slow.
I drive around and stalk someone for their phone. Two people claim their phones are dead. Whatever. I find a woman that doesn't trust me enough and wants to dial the number for me. You know me, I thought I would drive around the mall parking lot, find someone with a cell phone and then call a 1-900 number just for a quick pleasure call. Seriously!!! I call the tv guy, I get his voice mail and I tell him that I am feeling a little stood up and that I will stay for 15 more minutes just in case he is close by.
The kids are hungry and so I run through McDonalds, get them nuggets and then park in the meeting spot. 20 minutes later, I get back on the 30 minute drive home, dejected. I am almost in tears because I may have put my children in danger, I wasted gas money and my time and I was hustled. I hate feeling like a fool. I get home, make one final call on my own home phone and he still doesn't pick up. I leave a calm message about how disappointed I am and how I hope he never does that to anyone else again. I explain that all he had to do was call and say he wasn't willing to sell that low. I wouldn't have cared. It was his idea in the first place to offer $200. What's up?
I get off the phone with his voice mail and my dear husband calls. He is at Best Buy and he ipod quit working so he was going to trade it in for an itouch but it will cost him $80 and he has already made the decision to buy it. Awesome, that makes me sooooooooooo happy. (Can you sense my sarcasm.) I get off the phone with him and take a nice quiet, relaxing walk to the mailbox.
Little did I know that what was waiting inside that mailbox would cap off just a wonderful day of ridiculousness. I open an envelope with a photo law enforcement ticket. Rob had run a red light last week and not told me about it. There in full color was evidence of him running that red light and his license plate.
Later Rob called this tv guy from his cell phone, left a message and sure enough, this guy called back. Rob acted like he was interested in buying his tv. He told him that it sold for $500. Good to know, at least he got what they were really worth and didn't sell them to some sorry woman for too little who might really have appreciated his integrity. At least I got my closure.
So, an $80 itouch and a $124 ticket later, my $200 allottment for an imaginary tv was gone. Happy day. I need a nap.
I am feeling much better today but my search for the best deal on a reasonably sized tv continues. Or maybe I will just get rid of it all together, drop the satellite dish and save myself a lot of money and effort. Me, bitter? nah......just having a good laugh about it today!!
7 comments:
Good grief. Perhaps you can trade in Rob for a new TV?
oh Rach, you always give me a good laugh, even if it's at your expense. Why don't you move to AZ, I've got an extra tv in my garage with your name on it. I'd sure love to have you as my neighbor. Miss you tons, thanks for bloggin, I always love your posts
Yikes, what a day. Now I'M on the search for a good TV-deal! Keep you posted! :)
Wow. What a GREAT day! Sorry to hear about that.
Rachel, I am so sorry to hear about your loss! I don't know what I would do without the Disney Channel. As for the red light ticketChuck came home one day and told me that the cameras had gone off while he was in the intersection but that the light was yellow when he went through so there was no need to worry. When the picture came there was my husband, and the light was definetly red when he crossed the line. Guess who had to work overtime to pay that ticket?
Rachel, We have a 27 inch TV we are wanting to give away. If you want it let me know.
Stacy Hatch
Wow Rachel, That was a tough day!
I can't believe the guy didn't show. I love your blog! Glad I found it.
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