The Kvetch Thread

Do a double check.

Last year about this time a little later, I ordered some footwear off the Internet/over the phone (I make selections on the Internet, then call and talk to a person...at least they allege they are a person, although I occasionally have doubts). It normally takes a few days...a Saturday or Sunday would get a delivery by Wednesday.

I waited. I waited. I waited some more. It was actually around Thanksgiving time now that I recall. Because of that I allowed a few extra days.

Finally, I got annoyed, and called.

Supposedly the order had been shipped "the day before" which was already a 2 week delay. I called on Saturday and sure enough on Wednesday, UPS arrived with a heavily damaged box with tape all over it. Strangest thing, the box inside with the sneakers, was completely unscathed, not a crushed corner or spot anywhere. It was as if the place that shipped the order, realized they had neglected to send it on time....maybe packed and left waiting on the side...and they to save face, crushed up the shipping box then placed the item back inside and then sealed it up with more tape than I'd ever seen before....

So offer them a call, get an idea what is happening. Maybe the order taker forgot to press the "send" button.

First the store refuses to sell proper size soda and Fudgicles, then FreshDirect refuses to send you your Fudgicles and now your ruby red sneakers are being delayed. How much more am I to take? (my Jewish blood makes this more about me than you...which might give you cause for an extra kvetch).


I sincerely hope it all works out quickly and smoothly.

Who did you order from Roberta? Hopefully they're a big enough company who won't ignore your inquiries.

I order shoes once and a while but only from Amazon.

Sturgis, I ordered less than a week ago. I'm impatient. I want my stuff. But it's not late! And heaven help them if it is. When FreshDirect screwed something up, I tormented them. It's another of my talents--kvetching, worrying, and tormenting. (And my mother wondered why I didn't get married.)

I'm totally sympathetic to the Jewish blood business. If everything wrong is about me, it's also about you. It's one step removed worrying-kvetching. Very advanced. I'm impressed as hell.

tsar, Companies I ordered from the last time I ordered something--more than ten years ago. They're still in business. The orders aren't late. But now I'm gonna check anyway. Don't worry. If I make inquiries, they're not likely to be ignored. Why? I'm not a big important customer. But I play the sympathy card. Sounding like a frog is good for something.

So I checked on the orders. The shoes are here and on my feet. They feel good. Perfect fit.

I placed the other order a couple of days ago. Hey, couple of days ago people. Where's my stuff?

Where's my stuff? Here. It arrived yesterday. Gonna try everything on.

I still find it bothersome they didn't have the courtesy, no, decency, to send the order out before you placed it. What's wrong with them, they don't know you need these things?

Glad to know the shoes and pants arrives safely and fit nice. Too bad though about those pockets, those are a useful item to have.

Hey, Sturgis. You made me laugh out loud. Thanks for starting my day with a laugh.

Knowing that, makes my day a bit brighter as well.

Good news! Our collective nationwide kvetching against Bank of America has been successful!
Bank of America kills plans for debit fee
11/01/2011 7:12 PM

http://www.boston.com/Boston/businessupdates/2011/11/bank-america-kills-plans-for-debit-fee/7b4oje7SaSYzhXdA1MizwO/index.html?p1=News_links

They just probably thought of a different route to get the same money.

Tiny victories hide monstrous counterambushes...

tsar, I had not idea this was an issue. Glad it's gone.

I applaud nationwide kvetching. Wish there was more of it.

I think I will kvetch over the lack of enough nationwide kvetching. One would think after all these years we'd have learned how to kvetch better as a country.

We're still a relatively young country, Sturgis. But I don't think age is the cause of the problem. I think people in this country are too complacent. What't to kvetch if you're complacent?

Hey, people of the US of A. Get up off your asses and look around.

That should do it.

You don't consider the Occupy Wall Street movement a bona fide group kvetch?

I'm not sure about that at all.People keep saying that the USA is still a "new" country and it becomes a cliche that everyone accepts as axiomatic. But if you look at it objectively, we're waay past middle age. In fact, we're the world's oldest democracy that's still in business. Back when we were a new country, there were no other democracies in the whole world. Greece was a distant memory. The closest any European countries came to a democracy back in the 18th century were the places where some people (i.e. certain land owner males) had some limited voting rights. We set the pattern for all the democracies that followed.

We're an old, old country. The England of today is a newer country; it ain't nuthin' like the England of George III. France today is a totally different coyuntry from the France of Louis XVI or that upstart Corsican Buonaparte who followed. We're older than either of those "democracies." At the time of the 'Murrican revolution such a country as Germany did not even exist; there were a bunch of prfincipalities and dukedoms and small kingdoms, all .somehow part of the Holy Roman Empire.

Unfortunately, we are really begining to show our age.

Andy, If you're talking about political systems, then yes, we're not new.

But there's more to the age of a country than how it's structured politically. When I walked through the streets of many cities in Europe, I got a sense of real age. Of history. Nothing can compare to that in the US.

So I come home from dinner out and open the mail. I find a letter from the Social Security Admin. They're happy to inform me that they're raising my monthly payment. The amount that they're raising it to is less than the amount I'm currently receiving.

As far as raises go, this one sucks big time.

Now I gotta call them. No rest for the weary.

Muttering many dirty words. MANY.

Touche on the political structure reference, Roberta.

But if you want to get a sense of age, don't go to the European castles and nacient Roman thoroughfares. Go to New Mexico and take a leisurely walk through the ruins of Chaco Canyon. You get a feeling for the Anasazi culture in spades. I never got much of a feeling for ancientRome by walking around St. Peter's Square. Too many hawkers of holy relics.

Andy, I wasn't thinking about Rome and castles. I was thinking about Norway, in particular. I didn't get a sense of age from Italy. Too much new stuff. But the streets in Norway give you a sense of age. Other places as well feel old, even though they're part of the modern world.