Ramblin on...

So another weekend has passed... I managed to save some money and be somewhat productive. I stayed in Cola this weekend, alone (no Bradley), for the first time in forever... Friday night I was able to finally hang out with Jess (it had been forever), and we represented old people in good 'ol five points where everyone was most likely underage. Her roommate Rebecca came out with us, so three blondes out on the town (I'm soon to be a former blonde!) and it was interesting as always...

We started out at Jake's, and it was early... 9 PM... and hardly anyone was there. We played some pool, took some shots... and then meandered (sp?) over to this place called the Pub? I've been there before, but it was super crowded and the band playing was one of those Dave Matthews wannabe jam bands... I just can't get into that shit...so, Jess and I left Becca with some guy, and we headed back to Jakes (but not after stopping at Subway to get Jess a sub). Somehow we figured out Becca was at Rotten Tomato (or whatever Knock Knocks is now called) and we went, dragged her out of that ghetto hole (ok, yes I've danced it up there a time or two..but let me pretend to be mature and old) and brought her back to Jake's...again, back at Jake's. Somehow time passed by super fast and before we knew it, the lights were on and we closed the bar out. Maybe we're not so old afterall. :) Check out the pictures...there weren't many, but Jess's hair is so cute!

Saturday I woke my hungover butt up and did yard work all day...by myself! It was scary going in my shed without Bradley's protection, but I did it! I held up my heavy leaf blower and blew leaves around in my front yard and back yard... got rid of probably about eight bags of leaves total...and there are still a shit ton of leaves in my back yard! Grr! Of course today the wind is up to 20mph, so I watched my nicely raked, leaf free yard get covered in leaves again. Oh well... the rest of Saturday I sprayed all the weeds in my front and back yard and refilled the bird feeder (gotta feed those birds). Then it was laziness and relaxing the rest of the night. :)

Sunday...today... much of the same laziness... went to Target and got Bradley an awesome Valentine's Day gift... he's going to be mad at me because we're not supposed to buy each other anything... lol.. but too bad! :) He's going to have the same reaction as he did when he opened his X-box: "I am really angry that you bought me this...yet I'm really happy that you did and will only complain that you spent money on it, but secretly I'm like a five year old on Christmas morning and I am glad you didn't listen to me." :) I'm so excited about Valentine's Day. Bradley has told me we have reservations somewhere at 8pm, and I have no idea where, or what he's got planned. He'll score some bonus points. :)

After V-day, it's a day off work and a drive to B'ham for the weekend... we're taking the X-box and showing the Seasons how to DDR. :)

So I just want to bitch quick about DHL. I'm expecting my laptop back from IBM via DHL, and of course I come home from work on Friday and get one of those slips "Sorry we missed you..." with a tracking number. So I called the 1-800 number because of course when the package will be delivered next... yes, I'll be at work, duh! People work package delivery companies! People work just like you and aren't always home! So, I call the 1 800 # just to find out that the stupid delivery man wrote down the wrong tracking number. So the customer service guy on the phone basically told me that because THEIR driver messed up the tracking number, I couldn't reschedule delivery or change the shipping address. So I asked if I could get a number for the local DHL hub in Columbia...so I could just go and pick it up myself... response? "Sorry ma'am, we don't have the numbers for our hubs, we can only send them a message." Me: "Um, ok... well can you send them a 'message' and tell them their driver gave me the wrong tracking number and I need to reschedule my package delivery time or figure this shiz out." DHL: "Well, I can send them a message to call you back, but they probably won't call you back because you're tracking number is wrong." WTF??!?! Me: "So...basically you're saying I'm out of luck because your driver wrote down the wrong tracking number, so now me, the customer, has all the responsibility for this and DHL can't do anything because of a stupid tracking number." DHL: "Yes ma'am." Me: "So, DHL doesn't have any way to track or identify shipments except for a random tracking number??" DHL: "Yes, I suggest you contact the shipper and talk to them." Infuriated I send DHL an email via their Web site, mentioned the tracking number was wrong because of their fault, and that I needed help getting my stupid package... I just wanted a DHL number to the local hub to go GET THE PACKAGE MYSELF... surprisingly I get a response about 12 hours later:
Dear Christy,

Thank you for contacting DHL.

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused. Unfortunately, I am unable to locate your shipment based upon the tracking number as well as the other information provided. Please provide me with the senders and receivers name and both zip codes. Also, please provide me with the estimated ship date. I will do everything in my power to track this shipment without a valid tracking number. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused you.
Please advise if you need further assistance.
Thank you for using DHL.

ShaneDHL Express
Customer Service

My response:

Shane -

The incorrect tracking # written on my 'Sorry we missed you' slip is: 55937420336

The attempted delivery was on 2/8/08 at 10:28 AM route 109.

The delivery address is:
[took this out]

The sender is IBM, their service department I am guessing. I have no other information about the sender. The ship date was probably 2/7/08. I had sent my laptop to them via a prepaid DHL box (sent on 2/4/08) to be repaired, and they were sending it back.

There has got to be a way to get details on a shipment besides the tracking number. I am willing to go and pick it up myself if necessary, but I have no information on the local DHL office and customer service would not give me a phone number to call, or any other help for that matter.

Please help me locate the actual tracking number of my package and, if possible, a way to get my package or schedule a delivery time when I'll be available.

Thanks for your help, Christy

DHL's response:
Dear Christy,

Thank you for your reply.

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused. Unfortunately, we could not provide any details regarding this shipment through the information which you have provided to us, so please contact the shipper regarding this package.

Please advise if you need further assistance.

Thank you for using DHL.

ShaneDHL Express
Customer Service

So basically... DHL is worthless and lazy and won't help me one bit. So I'm having to work from home for half a day tomorrow in hopes they'll deliver the package in the morning again. Don't worry, the driver will get a piece of my mind on leaving the wrong tracking number, as well as a message to take back to their 'hub'. I understand the tracking number being wrong and them not being able to help me reschedule, etc. because I couldn't be me...but if I can go to the local hub, and pull out my license, and prove that I'm the recipient and prove I live at the shipping address, then shouldn't they give me my package!! And, regardless, couldn't some random person walk up to my porch, take the 'Sorry we missed you' slip and call and reschedule delivery to their address using the tracking number?? Just doesn't seem foolproof to me... Grr!! Bad customer service.... After I get my package, I plan to post my story on my company's bulletin board, which reaches 5000 employees and suggest no one use DHL and to tell all their friends and family not to use DHL.

I'm just mad because when I lived in Clemson, I would miss UPS packages, and I could look up the local UPS hub on Yahoo Yellow Pages, go to the hub, and pick up my package... on my time.

Ok, I'm done venting....blah. I feel better already. :) This week should be pretty uneventful until V-day. I have bowling tomorrow night, I need to finish sewing my new pointe shoes before ballet on Wednesday, and I need to clean the kitchen...sigh.... Wenesday is going brunette day.... the votes were unaminous.