Fool Me Even Once, Shame On Me

Consumer beware!!! Seriously take caution.

Recently I received a phone call telling me I was a preferred Master Card customer and they wanted to show their appreciation by sending me this package deal. It was free as long as I canceled the two included subscriptions (one for identity theft and the other for SIX magazines) within two weeks. Needless to say my strong desire to avoid any fees motivated me greatly and I canceled both within two days. All should be well, right? No.

Two days ago I received a phone call from the magazine company saying I was going to have to pay $50 a month for 13 months...WHAT?!? They told me I did not cancel my subscription in time and now I was obligated to pay for the package of six, I reapeat, SIX magazines that I didn't even want. Let me say too that I already subscribe to three magazines that I DO want and all three I willingly and knowingly paid for all up front with no monthly payment. That would have meant I was getting NINE magazines a month. Ummmm, no. So after being bullied by the "customer service supervisor" I felt hopeless and stupid for making such a costly mistake. BUT thank God for a wonderful husband who provides comfort and solace and understanding. He was patient and encouraged me to try to fight this so-called obligation. Which I did after I finished my pity party and wallowing in despair over losing so much money. I spent some time praying about my situation and decided to start at the beginning with the company that originally called with said promotional package. Thank Heavens their number was still in my phone! The company in turn provided me the number I was previously given to cancel both identity theft and my obligations to a certain magazine company. When I called guess what... I don't think you are going to guess this... okay are you ready? As it turns out I did IN FACT cancel my trial periods on time. The lady I spoke with said the individuals calling me were just trying to pressure me into paying for  and actually committing to a subscription. She then informed me to just hang up if they call again because I had indeed canceled EVERYTHING on time. Let me remind you though the caller from the skeevy magazine company said I owed them and there was no way out of my contract, I was obligated to pay for something I NEVER EVEN HAD. Seriously!? This is how a company does business. Bully people into believing they have an outstanding balance and accidentally committed to something outrageous! Rude and seriously unjust.

Anywho, because this company had my card number I had to call and cancel my card and get a new number and go through a huge hassle and ordeal just to figure out I was right and they falsely accused me of owing them money. I say again that these people are rude and they know exactly what they are doing. Manipulating consumers by threatening them and pushing them around is the way they make money. Sad, but apparently true. It is a huge scam! Which Dave Ramsey talks about in his books and teaches you in Financial Peace University, where thankfully my darling husband was paying attention and knew I was being boonswaggled.

Additionally when I spoke to the lady at USAA she told me this happens ALL the time. You have to be careful. Even if you say no, there have been incidents where they still insist you owe them money. Just hang up. As long as they don't have your card number and you do not approve a charge to your account you should be good. Something else to keep in mind, the USAA rep said that if you get a call like I did, you need to hang up and call your bank or card company and ask THEM if they have the same promotion... that is if you want it bad enough otherwise just say no. Stranger danger! I will never EVER accept such an offer and will probably avoid all unknown calls for the rest of my life.

Side note: Normally in a circumstance such as the original phone call, I would just say NO from the beginning, but they already knew my MC number so I thought they were legitimate. Stupid I know, but lesson learned... the hard way. Hopefully this was a lesson you could learn through my experience. Trust me it is uber stressful and emotionally exhausting. LEARN NOW.

Whew!

So you all have a great rest of the week! Mine is looking up now ;)

Another Day; A Late Post

I realize it has been over a week now and I apologize. I actually have been trying to think about something to write, but there is nothing new to really speak on.

Rob's schedule has once again changed and he no longer has a regular shift in the TOC. The new schedule gives him the next two weeks off and then he will work overnight for a full week at which point he will be off again for 2-3 weeks. Who knows how long this schedule will last, but I know Rob hopes it remains for as long as they do. He has continued attending Bible Studay and church with his dad and aside from being stressed from an extensive (and still growing) "to do" list he is doing well.

As for me, I am down to 17 more days of working with Lilli. I am tired and missing my Bible Study but looking forward to starting one with my mom-in-law soon.

Like I said, really lacking in updates.

The biggest news for this week is Rob and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary this past Tuesday. It is too bad my Sweetie is over seas, but it was a special day nonetheless. Being married to your best friend for literally FOREVER is absolutely amazing and such a gift. Niether of us can believe it has been two years already. On one hand it seems like we just got married yesterday and on the other, it is almost like we have been married for YEARS. Like we are already old souls who have grown together over years of experience; however, we are far from being old. Although, it does make me excited for the years to come. Learning more about one another and knowing each so intimately well... it will make for an interesting 50 more years I am sure about that.

Well friends, that is the most in updated news I have for you a week and a half later than my last post. I am sorry for lacking in diligence and information, but I am doing the best I can. I pray your weekend is blessed and abundant in joy.

Happy Easter!!!

Big Milestone in 47th Company Deployment

What an exciting day it is for the men and women of the 47th EOD OD CO and their families. Today we have officially reached 6 months from the day they left. We have made it to HALF-WAY THROUGH THIS LOOOOOOONG DEPLOYMENT! Congratulations!

Boy! I tell you, this seperation has been one of ups and downs and everything in between. I can't believe how time has seemed to fly and yet the day-to-days seem to slowly inch by at a snails pace. Either way, I am thankful we are in April and at the peak of this season of seperation. However, despite everyday being a day of longing, I am so incredibly proud of the man I married and overjoyed for the growth I have seen in him and have experienced myself through this (seemingly never-ending) trial.

God has been good and He is faithful. Praise Him for getting me through this valley and for the time of growth. I could not be more proud of my amazing spouse and I am sure the other wives of the 47th EOD CO would say the same.

Bring on October! Whoop!

One Week Summed Up In One Post

Now that it is Saturday and I am fairly abundant in time, I figured I would continue with our week after the previous post.

Monday was uneventful, so was Tuesday, however Wednesday for both Rob and I was delightful. We both went to Bible study. This was Rob's first chance to attend and he was able to meet up with his dad and two other guys that his dad knows and head over to get some much needed fellowship. Although the message was one Rob had heard before he was thankful for the time with fellow believers and the opportunity to meet some new people. He isn't a social man, but he does okay for himself :). After the class he spent a little bit of time talking and hanging out with his dad, but he couldn't stay very long due to the fact he had to get back to work. Praise God that Pilger, Rob's platoon sergeant, was willing to sit in for a few hours so Rob could have that time of spiritual growth. God has faithfully provided for Rob's needs and we are grateful that even in these times of "less than ideal circumstances" God is present and working for our good.

In contrast to Rob's first Bible study, mine is coming to a close. This Wednesday will be my last class and that is just plain sad. We have been covering the book of Jonah and as much as I would love to write you all about it- I will have to wait because that is a whole blog all by itself. I will say this, the lessons have been very convicting, thought provoking, and amusing too. Oh Jonah! You silly prophet.

Thursday was blessed for me as well. I was able to spend four wonderful hours with the Owens'. Mr. Bob and Mrs. Anne. They are such a wise and loving couple. I told my mom-in-law that I hope Rob and I are that cute and lovey-dovey when we get old. They are seriously darling together and let me tell you, they can ask you some serious questions that make you think and evaluate yourself. It was so much fun! Mrs. Owens made a DElicious dinner consisting of pork loin and roasted veggies, with green beans, a spring salad, and yummy artisan bread. Needless to say I was stuffed like a turkey at Thanksgiving. haha! The whole evening was so much fun. Although they are quite my elders, they have a barrel of energy that kept them talking and laughing until it was time to go. I would have loved to stay longer and I bet they would have loved it too, but it was a week night afterall and some of us like to get LOTS of sleep before waking up at 5am ;). Yet, despite the fact I didn't get as much sleep as I needed, I was still so glad I went and it was totally worth it.

Now we are back to Friday which was pretty exciting for Rob. He met the current Secretary of Defense, and former president of Texas A&M, Dr. Robert Gates. Rob got to shake his hand and Dr. Gates then took a picture with all the Aggies. Such a special time. Unfortunately the picture was taken by a photographer following Dr. Gates, so we will not have a picture until anytime from four to eight weeks. However, Rob was able to get a picture with Katie Couric. I asked him why he wanted one with her (sort of surprised) and he was like "I didn't really... but thought someone might have wanted me to" I just laughed. I'm telling you people, my husband is a handsome amazing man who is one big delightful goof. SERIOUSLY LOVE HIM! Other than that big event there was not much else going on for him. He had some work to get done and some exercise to do and not much else. In sum, I would say it was a decent day off for him.

My Friday though was uneventful except for the fact that IT WAS MY NEPHEW'S BIRTHDAY!!! Happy birthday my neat-o nephew!! Love you Colby! Haha! He is going to love the fact I just announced my love for him to the world of my friends. You know how twelve year old boys are. Too cool for love and mushy gushy stuff. Love it!

And that brings me to the end of this here post. There is nothing else to say except HAVE A FANTABULOUS DAY!!! Happy Saturday :).

God Bless!

Baby Awakened=Diminished Blogging Time

Well, it has been a week exactly. I feel as though there is so much to talk about, but I also find myself at a loss for words. Where do I begin? I suppose I could begin with Saturday and move on from there. Hmmm, maybe I could just rant and rave about what terrible drivers there are in San Antonio or perhaps the conspiracy between the Post Office and Google Maps. I don't know. Additionally, I am bummed because I have no photos to include or links to give. I realize am not quite at the top of my game with this whole blog thing. Trying to remember my camera on top of everything else I HAVE to remember has proven not only difficult but largely unsuccessful so I apologize for my lack of visual stimulation. Overall, I think a solution would be to begin trying to post more frequently.

Final Decision: Beginning and Ending With Saturday.
Because there are so many things I would like to write about and the fact that Lilli's nap was short and my time has quickly diminished, I will only cover Saturday. There will be more to come tomorrow.

Saturday was mostly uneventful for me, but Saturday night was a blast because I was able to celebrate the marriage of Candice Throckmorton to Luke Rouquette. It was a beautiful wedding! The color theme was pink and green with pink roses and tea light candles being the center pieces at the reception. It was surprisingly eye pleasing (to me because I am not a fan of pink) how well the two colors came together to make a very sophisticated and elegant event. It was also amazing seeing old friends and dancing to some oldies (but goodies!) . And let's not forget about the bride who was gorgeous! Absolutely, totally gorgeous! And yes, this would be one of those disappointing times I forgot my camera. Grrrrrrrr. I would have LOVED posting a picture of the beautiful bride and the delightful reception area, but alas, I am absent minded in my hurried ways *sigh*. No matter though, Candice and Luke were not phased by my lack of a camera, they looked happy and thrilled to be husband and wife and I could not be more excited for their new life as a married couple. I did find myself a tad envious though of their honeymoon location... Italy! However, despite the green on my face, my joy for them is far greater and I pray their travels and time together were blessed and memorable.

In summary, Saturday started off rather blah due to the vast amount of education consumption, but it ended as a great day. I maybe missed out on some sleep and yes my feet were killing me the next several days, but it was a blessed time full of fun. The only thing that would have made it a million times better would have been the presence of MY husband. No one provides me with as much fun and laughter as the silly handsome goof I married. I love that man o' mine!

Hope you find lots of things to smile about today and into the weekend. Have a stupendous day!

Surprise! Another Post.

This is quite of the ordinary that I am once again writing on my blog. Don't get used to it ;). I just felt the need to share a picture of Lilli with everyone so people can see the doll I get to work with on a daily basis: M-F, 730-4. It is such a great job. I can literally roll out of bed and come to "work" in my gym clothes and Lilli does not judge me or tell me I am inappropriately dressed for my position. She just smiles, giggles, and blows rasberries while we keep each other entertained. I can't say that she appreciates me because I am not her food source, but she likes me and can enjoy our time together watching Mickey Mouse and playing on the floor. Like previously mentioned, she is an absolute doll. I just love this wee babe!


Lilliana Elise

 Lilli really is a precious little girl and it is SO adorable whenever she sees her mom. She squeals very loudly and bounces up and down or flails her entire body in pure joyous excitement. Her momma is definitely her most favorite person and it is so clear that they have a treasured bond. I am very blessed by this babe and the ability to work for such a great family.

Another very important fact to share with you all today is.... wait for it... IT IS APRIL 1st! We will officially be halfway through our deployment on April 12th. Only 11 more days and Rob and myself (and the rest of the 47th EOD CO) will be on the down hill part of this year of seperation. Additionally we are one month closer to May which brings Robby home on R&R. A two week stint that will hopefully provide my beloved some rest and relaxation. I cannot wait to see that man o' mine. However, the most important reason to get excited about April is EASTER. The celebration/reminder of Christ's rising. The fact that He was dead, but three days later was raised and lives! Praise Jesus for salvation and the hope of something better beyond this world. What a precious gift!

Happy April! I pray your weekend is blessed and full of joy.

"You stay classy... planet earth. And thanks for stopping by."