Not particularly holiday-themed, but this seems to be the mini-rant thread of the moment…
A few months ago, I went on a trip to Las Vegas. I accidentally left some things in my hotel room when I checked out. Just a shirt and a windbreaker, no big deal. I was 200 miles away by the time I realized they were missing. I called the hotel that evening and was told they’d found the items, gave me a claim number for them, and a phone number for a woman named Tonya who could arrange to get the items sent back to me.
I’ve been calling her about once a week ever since. There’s never an answer. I’ve left messages a few times and she never returned the call.
Today, I was determined to get to the bottom of this. I called her direct number, no answer. Called the main number of the hotel; the operator was about to transfer me to Tonya when I explained that I’d tried that already. She tried to call Tonya, no answer. She tried to reach someone else in the security office, and finally Tonya has materialized.
Tonya tells me they don’t keep lost-and-found items past 30 days. She tells me she returns every call. I tell her that the items were definitely there at some point; the first security person accurately described them and gave me a claim number. He wasn’t supposed to do that. She apologized for him.
Listen, Tonya, don’t try to shift blame. Don’t apologize for somebody else. The security guy is the only one who gave me anything remotely helpful. You’re the one who’s been impossible to get ahold of for three months.
(I’ve been to Vegas three times, and twice there were hotel screwups. If anyplace ought to have it down to a science, it’s there.)
“Beat Your Workmates with a Shoe Day” is a recognised holiday, right?
Okay, good.
Listen. I have bought some oat milk for use in my porridge. I like oat milk. I concede that this is not a popular opinion, but this is not really my problem.
There is no milk-milk left in the office.
Colleague: Is there any milk?
Me: No, but you can use some of my oat milk if you like.
Colleague: Is it nice?
Me: I like it, but you might not. It doesn’t taste exactly like milk, you know?
Colleague: If this is disgusting, I’m going to blame you.
Me: Uh-huh?*
*You mispronounced “thank you”, Raised With Limited Human Interaction Boy.
Time passes. Colleagues continue to use my oat milk. I use oat milk in my porridge twice. Oat milk runs out.
Colleague: Is there any of that horrible milk?
Me: … No.
Second Colleague: That milk was horrible.
Me: Then please feel free not to drink my horrible milk!
Second Colleague: Oh! Don’t worry, it wasn’t that bad.
Me: :dubious: That was absolutely the point I was making and I am completely reassured.
Not holiday related, but I still can’t stand medicine commercials that spend more time talking about the potential side effects than the actualy positive effects of the product. (He sez while watching Law and Order on TNT).
Staff Christmas parties - for your spouse. Where you don’t know anybody. And your spouse leaves you sitting at a table with no one else around for 10 minutes at a stretch (if you don’t think 10 minutes is very long, try doing it by yourself, in a nicely-decorated ballroom, with absolutely nothing to do, no one to talk to, in uncomfortable clothes, surrounded by 500 people you don’t know). This was THE LAST Christmas party I go to without some form of portable entertainment, I swear on all that’s holy.
Isn’t there usually a bottle of wine there in the center of the table? Surely you and that bottle could spend an enjoyable few minutes in one another’s company…
God, it’s early for this, but in regards to the annual family gift-giving:
The thought only counts if you stop to THINK about what you’re doing. And if you try to compound your lack of mental function by claiming that I’m hard to shop for when you know damn well I have an Amazon list, I will smother you with the nearest appropriate baked good, I swear. If you want to play this “No, it has to be a COMPLETE surprise and I’ll get you something cooler than what you like anyway” game every year, fine, but don’t expect me to be grateful and don’t expect me to take the blame for when you inevitably get me something destined to be an automatic regift. At this point, I’d honestly just rather you saved yourself the time and money, and me the awkwardness and closet space.
All I want is a freaking Hello Kitty ceramic mug. You’d think there would be one out there. No. They have Hello Kitty toasters, sewing machines, sandwich makers, water dispensors. There are steering wheel covers, license plate frames, toe nail clippers.
But there are hardly any Hello Kitty ceramic coffee mugs out there. They’re very hard to find, usually $20 or more, and on obscure sites. Dammit, I just want my Hello Kitty mug!!! And not a stainless steel one, either!!!
Not a holiday rant per se, but since it relates to a stocking-stuffer purchase, I guess it qualifies.
I was at Target looking for some Lithium AA batteries to go along with a digital camera purchase. Prominently displayed were packs of the more-expensive *“Ultimate 8x Longer Lasting” * batteries, with a big $5 MAIL IN REBATE!! sticker on the outside. What a deal, right? That’s cheaper than online! I grab two packs.
When I get home and open up the rebate slip, I see that the offer expires 8/31/09. :smack:
First, contact the manufacturer, explain the situation to them, and see if they’ll honor the rebate anyway (doubtful, but if they say they will get them to document the promise, including a statement that the person who made the promise was empowered to do so).
If there’s no joy from that angle, take them back to Target and have a word with their returns people.
We’re hella broke. Despite getting a shiny new job (yay!), we racked up enough debt and unhappiness that we are going to be hella broke for a while. Everyone we know understands this and will not take offense when we don’t send gifts, they will be more than content with cards. Except my mother. She has decided to send us gifts, even though she can hardly afford to either. And she is exactly the type to be insulted if we don’t send something back. In fact, whatever we do manage to send will be scrutinized and judged. She won’t complain about it to our faces, but she’ll gripe loud and long to everyone else she knows. Unless we get into a fight 20 years from now. Then she’ll complain to our faces.
They may require the same amount of points in a promotion, but that doesn’t mean they cost the same (either retail or in bulk). Of course, depending on the dress and the trips, the dress may actually cost more. For that price it should make every male in the vicinity, granite statues of Emperor Hadrian included, turn his head when you go by, though.
So here’s what you do. Find out what she’s giving you ahead of time and get her the exact same thing. When the gifts get opened, marvel at the coincidence and have a good laugh over the… um… Pullet Surprise; then return her gift to you using the receipt from your purchase!
Good thinking, Chef Troy. It’s more complicated than my suggestion of getting her a nice card (if you’re gift you can’t afford is going to be complained about anyway, don’t waste the money). Or send her a bunch of gift certificates for things like trip to movies, snow removal, etc. I’d like to see her complaining about that - “My daughter sent me gift certificates to spend time with me and do nice things for me.” Then SHE looks like the jerk!
I am currently unemployed and, while it has many downsides, the biggest upside is I am not bar tending in some joint with Xmas music playing non stop for a full month. Plus I do not have to listen to everybody’s personal Xmas mini rants, day in day out, and appear to care. Which I did for year upon years. Turns out it affects your whole outlook on Christmas.
Being poor sucks, not getting Xmas gratuities sucks, but the rest - I’m loving it!
Ho, Ho, Ho ! (Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself!)
Yeah. a nice bonus of getting the exact same thing she gets them is that she can hardly complain about GETTING gift that she thought was good enough to GIVE. Gift certs, on the other hand, are totally complain-aboutable – “Can you believe she couldn’t even be bothered to SHOP? This gift is so IMPERSONAL.”