I’ve talked about how Target was completely torn up for months and I refused to shop there. All the construction trailers are now gone and since I had been next door at Staples I stopped. Oh, they were resurfacing the parking lot!! I went in anyway – to this. The Deli was dark with empty shelves and aisle after aisle was empty.
WTH? I give up.
I’ve had a bad few days trying to close the Country Threads corporation accounts. It wouldn’t make sense even if I told you because it doesn’t make sense to me either. And of course you can’t get any help by calling. You’ll get someone who doesn’t speak American English! Take Xerox for example – I tried to be a good customer and tell them to switch my billing to a different account but nobody would help me. I’ll bet they’ll want to talk to me when their automatic payment won’t go thru because the bank account is closed, don’t you think?
Google AdSense – those ads you’re clicking to help me pay the blog bills – those funds need to go into a new account, too. No help from Google.
WordPress that runs the blog wants to increase my charges to $100 per month!!!! They say I’m out of space. How many of you think the blog is free? I assure you it’s not free. The blog wouldn’t be any fun without lots of pictures. I would be happy to delete the old old blog posts with pictures but I CANT FIND THEM! It just doesn’t pay to be this stupid!
Oh, one more thing – I was parked in the lot at Target and just off to my left was a man sitting in his pickup parked absolutely cattywompas. (I don’t know how to spell that.). I was too embarrassed to take his picture but it would have been a dandy to add to my collection.
Here’s another one I got today from a reader:
Thank you for reading my rant. Ugh.
I feel your pain. The concept of customer service is a thing of the past. I get so frustrated when I can’t get someone to even answer a phone. If you leave a message asking for a return call….well it never comes.
I’m sorry that you are going through all of this. The only kind of news that we’ve gotten since Sunday has been bad news. Life is normally pretty easy…but lately, not so much. By the way, I never shop at Target.
Jill – oh my, what kind of bad news? One of our church members had a tragic loss this week, too. Everything is just too hard. I used to just love Target!
Oh, Mary, that photo of the person parking in the cross-hatched space is infuriating!! As I am sure you know, those spaces are for the people who require handicapped parking to be able to enter and exit their vehicles. Some people need to open their car doors more fully to be able to get their wheelchairs out and assembled, some need to open their doors widely to be able to haul themselves out because of painful conditions, or because they require help and several people can’t squeeze in between cars in regular spaces. What is someone to do if they parked in a handicapped spot before that inconsiderate fool parked there, and then return to find that they can’t get back in their car?? Sit in their wheelchair in the parking lot–a very vulnerable place for a person in a low-visibility situation btw–and wait for that jerk to return?? There should be a phone number posted on handicapped spots, encouraging people to call the police to report any unauthorized parkers. Maybe that would deter people from being so selfish. Thanks for letting me rant. As you can tell, I feel very strongly about handicapped parking.
Beth – what a good idea – a phone number printed on the curb by the handicapped spots!! I so agree – what would a person in a wheelchair or walker do if they returned to their car and some jerk blocked their path to their car door? Tickets should be issued for this kind of blatant misuse!
I will tell you what I did when some jerk parked next to the handicapped parking. I backed my car out so his was blocked his.. Then I helped my mother into the car. The jerk came back as this very slow process was going on. I told him he would just need to wait for us as he was the one who parked illegally. It took me a very long time to get her in and the wheelchair put away. I’m sure they will think about the 15 minute wait next time.
Brenda, you are my hero!!
Rant away, Mary! You have good reason to do so. I’ve been going round and round between 2 dental insurances about which one is primary payor. I finally had them go back and reprocess all the claims from the time I got the second insurance to make sure they were processed correctly. Over 8 hours on the phone to get it straightened out. 2 weeks later I went to the dentist and the office called me and said the primary payor had refused to pay the most recent claim because they “WERE SECONDARY!!!”. Dental office basically said they would start asking for payment up front and when I told the insurance company that, they responded with “well, that is your problem, we don’t get involved in that sort of thing.” I felt like going and beating my head to a bloody pulp against a wall. Another hour of my life wasted because someone can’t do their job right. And the insurance company also told me that I would probably have to call each time I went to the dentist to get the claim paid correctly as their system didn’t allow them to make notes that they were primary. I think I will start sending them a bill for my time and effort.
DebMac – oh, good grief! Doesn’t it just make your blood boil? Like I said, this is why old people don’t mind dying.
My MIL has been gone for 14 years. The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt has another check for her from an insurance company. My husband, the executor, has been gone 5 years. So I have a stack that I used when I discovered there were checks before, that I am copying and sending in to claim this money. It has to be as hard as possible. I feel your pain.
Is there any way you can find xerox or WordPress on a website and maybe they have a live chat? Our landline was not working today so I chatted with them on the live chat. My phone is working now! I doubt your situation will be resolved that fast, just a thought. I live in Minnesota and Frontier is in New York State, so nothing local, it was easier to message than try to call them.
I’m sorry to hear you are having so trouble making these changes. It shouldn’t be so difficult!
I wonder where the owner of the Grey car learned to drive/park?????
Good Lord … why the heck does everything need to be so dang complicated? Hang in there, Mary!!
And find a teenager to help you … it’s amazing how easy everything is for them to figure out.
We are here to listen to you, Mary, and fellow readers! Rant away! As you can see, you are not alone! One day I made a call and and my call was answered by a representative without my pushing buttons a or being on hold for a half hour. I was so shocked that I couldn’t speak. The gal said “Hello?” I said “You are real?” She said she gets that all the time!
Mary,
I hope this message gets through. I have left several but maybe it’s my phone settings because I never see my comments show up. Oh well. Whine, whine. Anyway, I had a thought. The University of Nebraska has a big quilt research center. I was wondering if they might help you with archiving your blog. It would probably mean lots of negotiations but the end result would be truly beneficial to quilters AND to researchers AND to those of us who love your blog.
Oh, I absolutely understand the frustrations of closing down a business—had to navigate that when I sold The Supply Cache. So frustrating. I still have one account on my online profile from that business because Chase refuses to take it off. It has been closed 7 years. My phone and my Sam’s account are still under TSC because it’s too big of a hassle to start all over again. We are apparently not allowed to move on.
And parking issues. Oy.
Your life is very similar to mine. I live in Ca., and why must I do everybody’s job? Don’t you love paying your bills forever then they say “they can’t talk to me because the bill is in his name”. I said okay, I will stop paying the bill that I had signed the checks for over 40 years! Jerks. Everything in the Target here is locked behind glass doors. I have stopped shopping there as it takes twice as long waiting for someone to unlock the cabinet. Oh yes, can I mentioned googling my ailments as the doctor really don’t care and try to pawn you off to another doctor. I wonder “who has time for Alzheimer‘s”????
Times are changing. And we are used to good service, lasting products, seems everything is gone. Just push a button….. talk to a machine….. leave a message. Maybe when they are bugging us for payment, please leave a message??
I did my gripe on your Relief posting. The storm took my land line phone out. Repair man coming Thursday.
We just need to take a deep breath and gather all the patience to cope and carry on. This, too, will pass???
Take care. Betty in Rapid City
I’m a dinosaur. I was thrilled to find pretty writing tablet that said “The only place housework comes before sewing is in the dictionary.”…. because I still send notes. I just took my reliable 1976 Bernina 830 in for a minor adjustment, and after all these years it does everything I ask of it, with infrequent need for professional tune-up. I used to bicycle for cheap recreation…a recent nostalgic walk through Scheels brought me into current day prices!$$. And parking. I’ll walk because I’m able and hope I’m spared a ding. But Mary I love your blog, your daily musings about a sane life, and hope things smooth out for you because I look forward every day.
Good grief what is going on with your target store? I understand they did a remodel but why be open if most of the department is empty? Our target store is quite small but close to my home so I can walk there if I choose to. I think one should have taken a picture of the car and then gone to Customer Service and reported the car being parked illegally. That is totally unacceptable parking. I hope your week goes better that it has started out and I try to click on all the ads to help with the blog, I do enjoy it and reading all the comments.
I feel everyones pain in this new and very irritating world we live in. It is just so frustrating to try to get anything done over the phone or with a computer or even when you go to the place of business. (Like Verizon) Seems like nothing works very well now and when you take the time to try to fix it, it becomes worse. This is all very hard on older people who remember better days. I am always saying to my husband that we have lived in the best of times. Now…not so much.
Sue – Rick and I said almost word for word the same thing last night – we have lived in the best of times when we were younger.
mary, i feel your pain. customer service doesn’t appear to exist any more. how do these companies stay in business? makes no sense whatsoever. i agree about paying the bills forever (my job in our home) and the companies will only talk to the mr. or whatever. i’ve told them they can talk to him or they can talk to the person who makes the decisions and writes the checks. i’m having roofing people tomorrow to get estimates on a new roof so my house insurance will renew in march. they better talk to me. i sat on hold waitng to talk to my internet security company for close to 1.5 hours and the clock turned to 5 pm and i got a dial tone. pissed. oh yes. still haven’t gotten to talk to anyone yet. may have to switch to another service so i can get service. i try to always click on the ads on your blog. i knew it wasn’t free but didn’t realize how much it costs. i hope we hit enough clicks for you to continue. i truly love catching up on your life daily. hang in there. patti in florida
Rant all you want, that’s what we’re here for.
One solution that has helped my pet peeve. I answer the unknown phone solicitors with “Cheyenne Police Department “. Then I ask if they want the detectives. Then I tell them to drop me from their list.
It has cut down the scammers and sellers a lot.
Another thing. If you’re in the Dr. exam room for more than 5 minutes, open the door. A nurse will come by and ask if you’re clostraphobic (sp?) say yes. The Dr will be in to see you very fast.
I have found a lot of ways to navigate this world with a smile on my face.
my husbands favorite thing to do.
something like the ring around the rosey i am in the process of getting from wordpress because they say have a security chalenge and need a new password but keep telling me that with every attempt to change my passwaord. ??????????????????????????????????????????????????
Brendalynne1 – have you completely turned off your device and let it reset? You know I don’t understand this either but I’ve done this before with problems and it has worked. Good luck!
Sounds like the Target is not open yet!
So sorry the business challenges are much more complicated than they need to be. I am getting very frustrated with calling only to try talking to someone O cannot understand. And about my phone I have not figured out how to get my voice messages off the house phone all summer. And every time we answer the house phone it interrupts the wifi internet???
But good news – a young man came yesterday morning and installed a new sink faucet after the old one broke – rusted off – which may have been 50! Years old.
Rhoda, I’d guess that your house phone is a cordless phone. Cordless phones communicate with their base using a radio frequency that’s very close to what’s used by your wifi. There are ways to reduce the interference, by changing the “channel” setting on your router, or moving the phone base far from the router, or getting a phone that uses a different frequency from 2.4 GHz. Google “cordless phone interferes with router” for more info.
Rant away!!!!!! My Target did the same — spent months remodeling and now I hate the store. I can’t find anything, they’ve stopped carrying many of the items I bought in the past. I’ve just quit shopping there. I go from being annoyed to down right pissed off. If it’s not broke don’t fix it!!!!! I won’t even go there on customer service. Totally non-existent these days, and I agree, you roll the dice calling as you may (or may not) get someone you can understand. ARG!!!! So Mary, we can all empathize with you and like I said, vent and rant away!!!!!
You always make my day!
Just wish it hadn’t taken me so long to find you, no telling what I have missed!
Jacque – love it! I have no tolerance for idiots and am very unsocial locally – I don’t belong to any groups except a monthly 1 hour book club and that’s in jeopardy. I stay home – and talk to you guys. The blog is my window to friends – I just want everybody to “talk” to me in the comments. Who knows when another rant appears in the title!
My rant – Target shot themselves in the foot pushing disgusting crap. Sorry for your shopping hassles, but I will never set foot in there again. And g oogle…. run from them as fast as you can. Use brave search engine. Our ountry/world is in big trouble. We can’t just say “oh well” this time. Turn off all TV news, they are all reading the same script and lying. Rumble is telling what they are hiding and it’s very bad.
Cuddle your kitties, we all need a lot of purrs!
Deb – I agree – I did say Target used to be my favorite store. I don’t like Walmart much but it’s my only choice. And why don’t you like Google? They sponsor AdSense which helps pay for blog expenses. So now what?
I won’t shop at Target anymore either. I’m with Deb about pushing “junk” on us. I rarely go to Walmart either. I do as much shopping at our Dollar General as I can, as they are close by, and I want to support them so they stay close by. It is disgusting to deal with customer service anymore. I hope you can get your issues settled, Mary. I know it has to be very frustrating. Hang in there! There’s nothing I dislike more than being on hold for an hour waiting for someone to help me with my problem! On a positive note, it has cooled off here, and fall is in the air. Have a great day, everyone!
Jeanine – we have a Dollar Store in Garner and I’d be so happy to shop there but the shelves are empty and the aisles are blocked with merchandise still in boxes. The cashier is so busy looking at her phone that I had to say “excuse me” to get her attention. I ended up leaving with nothing and ordered it on Amazon.
I totally agree with you. I used to shop at Target all the time. After this summer I have stopped for the same reason.
I can’t figure any of this either; craziness. We need to take care to steer clear of all of this when we can and guard our hearts and minds with home, family, pets and quilts. Your blog is a refuge. ❤️
Mrs. Goodneedle – is it still a refuge if I rant? I’m not sure it is.
In my mind a refuge is a safe space; that’s what you provide through this blog even when it’s a rant, your readers are free to express their condolences on the various misfortunes and ridiculous behavior you’ve experienced and even voice excellent solutions. We’re like-minded and grateful for you regardless of your state of mind at the time, we commiserate and band together, thanks for providing the space; you’re not alone and neither are we!
Mary,
We don’t want you to go away…, not after such a long tradition.
When u figure it out let us know. We want to support you!
Hang in there. Dealing with electronic data is just too complex and frustrating.
Don’t feel bad about your rants — it makes me realize I’m not alone in my frustrations! My husband keeps saying that our kids are in trouble with what our world is coming to, but what can we do to change it? Did our parents feel this way, too?
Susan – I wish my mom was here so I could ask her – I’m betting they didn’t like the modern conveniences that we now expect. I remember when I dressed in wool Bermuda shorts with knee highs to go to a basketball game and my dad made me change because he considered it too outrageous.
I love your rants and can thoroughly identify with them. I just turned 73. I so miss the pre-covid days and I am afraid this is the new “normal”. I am not a techno wiz and every time something goes wrong with computer, internet connection, etc., I dread having to talk with those agents that can barely speak English! Thank you so much for your blogs “about nothing”. For me they are a voice of reason.
Betty – we are all about the same age and were brought up with different values than what today’s parents are teaching their children. I know one young couple with two girls and they are absolutely dedicated to holding their girls to a higher standard. It’s so refreshing. I’m no techno whiz either and I just shudder when something doesn’t work. I have vowed to take the easy way out even if it’s more expensive. I have a discrepancy on my phone bill right now but I have decided to just pay it rather than call someone who can’t speak English. Sad but I’m relieved.
Mary, I never have any adds pop up when I read the blog. I used to but haven’t seen any for a very long time now. 😢
Sandy
Sandra – somewhere on your computer there is an ad blocker.
I bfollow to one blogger where the owner charges everyone $5/year. He does send it free for a certain time, then he cuts you off the list. No ads – and it is a daily blog.
Watch your receipts for a CDC charge at the bottom – many places are charging you for using your credit card. I thought that was the “cost of doing business”. Now IF I go to those stores, or restaurants, I pay with cash and use exact change – minus the CDC. Many places also don’t charge you if you use a debit only card.
And then there is now the expected 20% tip for doing the basic/minimal service???
We have started shopping local owned stores as much as possible – even if it is in the next town over. Yes, the prices are a little higher, but the service is better. Bought washer/dryer from town 8 miles away – $150 more for the set but it included delivery, installation, switching from gas to electric, and carry away of old set. Bought it on Friday afternoon, delivered Monday morning. Best $150 spent ever.
My rants and plugs!
Linda – yup! I also shop locally as often as possible paying a bit more just the keep the business handy and I do know about that extra charge when you use a credit card. In the quilt shop we resisted using credit cards for years but then gave in and accepted that usage charge as the cost of doing business. As it turned out, when shoppers didn’t have to calculate what they were spending with the cash they had in their purse they spent more money. Duh. It was one of the best business decisions we ever made and we were happy to pay for it. I also make sure I have cash at the salon –
I was talking to a “computer tech guy I couldn’t undo with a parrot squeaking in the background. Must have been on his shoulder. I asked where he was located and he said New York. This was before COVID so not working at home. When I asked him about the bird he denied there was one. My sister had one and trust me THAT WAS A PARTOT.
When I mentioned the thing about cross parking was told they don’t want their car dinged. So being inconsiderate means NOTHING.
Can we help by paying a stipend to help your expenses of the blog? I would love to help
Angie – and I understand about not wanting dinged up doors but my suggestion would be to park at the far far edge of the lot and not inconvenience many other shoppers.
I haven’t been to Target since they became “politically correct”. I still haven’t found a reason to go back. We also have inconsiderate parkers in CO.
I have learned that other Target stores have good inventories. It’s the Mason City store which has empty shelves all the time. My ‘guess’ is they can’t find enough workers to unload the merchandise that is in the back rooms. Apparently North Iowa workers are even worse at sitting home without a job. I’ve yet to figure out that if we had enough workers before covid, where are those workers now and how are people living without jobs? God help if I show up to work each day and someone with less ambition and moral values, gets to stay home and get government subsidies when they are fully capable of working. We all see that anyone can get a job on any given day as nearly every business is hiring.
Beamer’s Mom – Bingo! I was appalled to find aisle after aisle empty. I hate Walmart but I’ve become a Walmart shopper. I will vote for anybody who will stop handing out money to all of those people who could be employed. Yes, Covid is over and where are all those people? Readers can’t believe that nearly every business in North Iowa is hiring!
Re: non- handicapped persons parking in handicapped zones. The signs say you can be fined for parking there if you don’t have a handicapped sign on/in your vehicle. Why don’t the police give out some tickets in the parking lot in front of everyone. Word would get out quickly that there are consequences. Just a thought.
Connie, the police mainly don’t care! My husband and I reported a dog left in a car on a scorching hot day several years ago in the parking lot of Walmart in Middletown, DE. The police NEVER came! I went into Walmart, gave them the tag number and asked that they please announce it on their intercom. They said they “aren’t allowed”! I told them the dog is going to die and asked if I should break the window? Was told that if I did I would be charged with destruction of property and arrested! I waited until the person came out and told them I had reported the tag to the police because they left the dog in the vehicle. I was called a lot names and they spun out of there. Maybe they won’t do it again..who knows? Later when I told someone about this they said I should have reported that a baby was left in the vehicle. Apparently animals aren’t important in Delaware. I don’t care if I do hear a lot of grief over this. It still makes me angry.
If people would just do the right thing, what a wonderful world this would be. At least you can be comforted with the fact that you did what you could. Thanks for being an animal advocate.
Diane – NO! What a great solution – tell the authorities a child/baby was left in the hot car – thank you, Diane, for waiting for the owners. You can only hope it made an impression on them. Animals need all of us to be their advocates!
Good for you, Diane, and shame on WalMart. Those poor pets are completely vulnerable. You never see humans sitting in a car, sweltering, but people will assure you that their dog “doesn’t mind”. That is animal cruelty and dogs will die because of it. It was brave of you to wait and risk a confrontation, and the fact that you continue to talk about it will make other people think about what they do, and also think about being brave themselves on behalf of pets who can’t do anything to save themselves.
Beth T – very well put, Beth – I couldn’t have said it better myself!
Beth, thank you but I think I was more angry than brave.
Can I join your rant? I spent endless time on hold and speaking with people who were ESL speakers. Trying to close out my old ISP and stop the auto-pay which was set up through their web page from my credit card. I had to speak with 3, different people between holds and be read disclosure after disclosure that didn’t seem to fit the circumstances. And listen to them read several different options I could upgrade to. I finally interrupted and said, I’m calling to disconnet; I have a new ISP! Response: please tell me who it is through and what you’re paying per month. Aargh! NYOB! “I prefer not to discuss that.”
I love reading your rants, I think because the same things happen to me all the time, I’m so glad I’m not alone!! So much trouble to change things!! And I’m NOT a computer person, so all the online stuff & not being able to get help drives me crazy!! And don’t get me started on speaking to people you can’t understand because they don’t really speak English!!
Debra – oh, you and I are speaking the same language here!!! Why should I have to struggle to understand someone I’m paying to do business with?
Love your blog. Enjoy your rants. You wouldn’t believe the amount of bad parkers I see now. I never really noticed the problem before you brought it to our attention. It is so wonderful that cooler weather is here. Summer is my least favorite season. I agree with many commenters about Target. They have become pretty sketchy.
Agree with all the comments. I wonder how many of the pick up order spots are ever used. I have to park a distance just to go into their store to shop in person—making me think they do not need my business.
Wow! Just WOW!!!!!!
Oh Mary!! I call all this we are talking about – “Curse
Of the Baby Boomers!” Everything is a RIG-A-MA-ROL. Passwords will be the death of me! Our Walmart finally delivers in my area so I order from Walmart once a week. Their service is about $100 a year but its a long drive and I dont deal with people so its a win-win. I do go to a small Target for groceries even though shelves are empty a lot. We have items permanently on our list. When my MIL was alive she used to write letters and got results. I constantly say to Jay, “Im going to write a letter! Where is your mom when we need here!” Hee hee. One thing I do when a clerk is pissy at me, I ask their name or If I see a tag, I will say it and make conversation. They usually change their attitude.
Haven’t shopped at Target for years, but I did notice signs recently that ours was remodeling, too. Funny parking story. My husband and I went out to eat and coming back to our car there was a big car parked so close to ours I could barely get the door open. Now I need. Stool to get up in our car so it was a real fete to get in. I saw an empty envelope on the floor from when we got our mail so I
Scribbled “Nice taking your half out of the middle.” I squeezed out and put the note on the windshield and got back in the car. Then I wondered if my address was on that envelope! David got out and brought it to me and yes, my name and address were on it so I tore that part off and David returned it to the car. We both had a good laugh at what I almost did. Left my name AND address at the scene of the crime.
Kate – oh, hahaha!!! But kudos to you for saying something to such an inconsiderate parker. It astounds me every time I see it.