A Foodies Life

I want one!!!!

So a couple of weeks ago I was at the hospital, I'll write about that one of these days, and saw this car! I want one! I know, I know it's too small but it's just so damned cute.

Thought I would pass that on!

New York

I'll have a lot more to write about later but wanted to post these pics that I just took at MoMa. My feet are not used to this city walking anymore so I'm taking a break in Rockefellar Plaza before I get the strength to walk down to dinner.

So here ya go! More later!

Vacation Begins

Morning everyone! I'm sitting at my sisters house watching Sesame Street with my sweet but sick niece. Vacation started on Tuesday with a day of laundry and beach. Yesterday it was a day of flying, missed connections, and finally arriving in our nations Capitol. Tomorrow is a day in my favorite city and a show on the great white way! Saturday back in DC for the show Rent! I'll be checking in so check out my twitter feed.

An Ebay Lesson

I have become an EBay addict.  I've decided to put my whole life up for sale on EBay and start over.  Actually I've decided to get rid of crap that I have that I never use.  Ok it's not really crap it's just that I have tons of books, DVDs's, small little things I've bought and used once.  I mean DVD's, they are like so yesterday.  Now I just download movies to my Tivo from Amazon or my laptop and watch them on my iphone or here on the computer.  So I really have no need for DVD's anymore.  Actually, I don't even have a dvd player in my room.  Now that my desktop computer broke I don't even have a computer that will play dvd's.  I digress.

So two weeks ago I decided that I wanted to upgrade my old iphone to the new version.  I even thought I'd try to recycle even so I bought a refurbished version of the new iphone 3g.  Can you believe there is all ready a refurbished version?  Amazing.  It was fifty bucks cheaper and comes with a Best Buy warranty.  I also decided that I would have to sell my old iphone to see if I could at least get some money back.  Hence the whole EBay part of this long dragged out story.  

I opened an account and store on EBay and started putting things on sell, including the iphone.  I got an email from a perspective buyer saying that he needed my paypal account email address and he would send me $950 immediately to purchase the iphone.  I was floored.  I asked my mother, an EBay expert I thought about it, she told me that I shouldn't do it because it sounded strange.  I wrote him back and told him he would have to bid on the item.  Then I got an email from another perspective buyer asking if I would send the iphone to the Philippines because it was his brother's birthday.  I thought about it and emailed him back saying I would.  The Iphone sold for $360 and I was very happy that I would pay for the new iphone I bought and more.  I got another email from him asking me to send the phone as soon as possible and could I please lessen the amount of the package to $100 so that his brother wouldn't have to pay taxes on it.  I got the package out to him as soon as I got the money put in my pay pal account, also sent an email with the tracking number.  

That Saturday I got home from a few minutes at work and looked at an email from Paypal on my new Iphone 3g.  It said that there was something wrong with my transaction and the funds have been put on hold.  Then twenty minutes later I got an email saying that the funds had been reversed and they had given this guy his money back!  I called them to ask what the heck was going on.  They said that because I didn't ship to the paypal confirmed address on the credit card they couldn't protect me.  So basically I was out $360 and my iphone was on it's way to the Philippines.  I was furious, didn't know what to do.  So I called the USPS to see if maybe I could get the package back.  They were very apologetic and told me that because the package was out of the country there was nothing that could be done.  Hence, why this crook wanted the tracking number.  

By the end of the day I realized that I had screwed up but I was still pissed.  I noticed on this guys account that someone else had left him feedback.  I clicked and found out that my buyer had bought an iphone from that guy.  So I emailed him and ask him not to send his item out.  We ended up talking on the phone and it was the same exact story.  Then I went on to Ebay and did an advanced search and found out that he had bid and won 14 different iphones in the past three days!  That totals well over $4,000.  This person was calculating.  I called EBay numerous times and they told me that it was under investigation.  They wouldn't tell me anymore but I'm sure I won't get my poor phone back, it hurts me to think it's been stolen.  

So the lesson of the day.  If it's too good to be true, well you know the rest.  Also, learn all the rules of EBay before you sign up and start selling things.  That has been my only real bad experience.  I've had a few great experiences so far as well.  It's horrible that there was so many bad people out there in this world!  

Check in

Hi everyone,

It's been a little while since I posted but I wanted to write and check in. I had a great relaxing weekend. Walked with a friend and our dogs each day, drank and ate pretty much what I wanted. Tomorrow is a weigh in at work and I'm nervous but it will work out. I'll check in with you tomorrow and let you know how it went.

I also bought a new harness and a collar for her. I also traded my original iPhone for the 3g version. I'm sitting on my bed typing on it right now. Ok I'm going to watch Celebrity Apprentice and go to bed.

Have a great week everyone!

Ron

Loser

I'm a loser.  Seriously, I lose things.  I was just telling someone the other day that if my head wasn't attached I would lose it.  While I was talking to that gentleman I was searching for the cap for a can of oil.  

The reason that I bring this up is because I lost my body bugg digital display, which costs $100.  It's an important feature to the bodybugg for me because it gives you an idea throughout the day of the amount of calories you've burned.  Now that I'm getting on my real diet kick I'm wearing the bodybugg again and damn-it I wanted my display.  So because I couldn't find it I ordered another one from the NBC Universal Store.  I even went to the extreme measure of ordering it 2nd day air because the diet was starting immediately and I needed it!  The day I ordered it was a Sunday morning and I thought it would be here by Wednesday at the latest.  So I patiently looked at my bank account to see if I was charged for it.  Monday went by and nothing.  Tuesday went by and nothing.  On Wednesday I emailed them asking them the status of my order.  By Thursday I hadn't gotten an answer.  

I decided it was time to call.  After the normal press here, press there I got a customer service agent. 

"Thank you for calling the NBC Universal Store this is Sue how can I help you?"

"Hi Sue, my name is Ron and I placed an order on Sunday and want to find out when I should expect it."

"Ok can I have your order number?"

I continued to give her my order number and be kept on hold for an uncomfortable amount of time.  You know those times when you just know that they've lost your order or never started to process your order? 

"Sir, thanks for holding.  It seems that there was an issue between your order and we are going to refund your shipping charge."

"That's wonderful but when will i receive it?"  I was seething.  

"Well sir, since it hasn't shipped out in time we will refund your shipping cost, is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yes I would like to know when the product will be shipped out????  Will it be tomorrow?  Tuesday?  Next year?"

"Well sir I don't know that information, is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yeah you can cancel my order please."  

"Yes sir I can take care of that for you."  

"Thanks."  Frustrated I hung up the phone.

"Well what are going to do now?" Mom, who was in the room said.

"I'm going to order from somewhere else."  

I took a few minutes searching to find the display from another vendor but thought I should give it another search before I bought another one.  I went to the bedroom where I stayed in a couple weeks ago and looked right on the bed side stand.  

So while I'm a loser, I am also a finder as well. I usually find the things I lose or go out and buy another one.  Hey at least I didn't have to spend another $100 this time!

Twitter

Twitter has become this amazing thing for me.  Mainly because it puts me in contact with people that I've admired for a long time, they include Ruth Reichl and other's.  Some people have found me and they will follow what I'm doing.  Which I find incredible.  Why would anyone want to follow what I'm doing throughout the day?  

Anyway, during this I've discovered a website, Streaming Gourmet, where you can go and watch many video's about food, cooking video's etc.  Last night while I was sitting at the computer eating dinner I stumbled upon this wonderful video by Elizabeth Gilbert who wrote Eat, Pray, Love.  I have to admit I haven't read the book yet, actually I downloaded it last night immediately after I watched this and am going to listen to the audio book.  It's about twenty minutes long but they are twenty minutes you will enjoy so watch this video and let me know if your on Twitter!  

Amazon Kindle for Iphone

You all remember last year when I got the Amazon Kindle for Christmas?  I was so excited.  Well today I was floating around in my Twitterific App on my Iphone and I came across a tweet by someone that I'm following discussing the Kindle for Iphone App that came out earlier today.  I was psyched because I hadn't even heard that such a thing was coming out.  I downloaded it to my phone and transferred a book that I was reading to my iphone.  I can now read books where ever I am and don't even have to have my Kindle because I can read on the phone.  How great is that.  So if I'm waiting for a meeting to happen and want to read a couple of pages, or if I'm outside waiting for Zoe to go the bathroom, or waiting for a pot of water to boil, I can read.  I love to read actually I am reading two books currently.  

The best part of the feature is that both the App and the actual Kindle synch up to each other so I can read a couple of pages on my phone and then go to the Kindle and it will know where I left off on the phone.  How amazing is that!  Technology is incredible.  

Conehead

It started Tuesday night as we prepared for Zoe's womanly surgery.  Or should I say the violent ripping of womanhood away from her.  We now have confirmed that there will be no little Zoe's running around in the world.  What a shame!  Zoe went in to be spayed on Wednesday morning.  I was smart enough to have my mother take her so she got to see me when I picked her up.  She was very glad to see me, although very lethargic.  The instructions included no walking up and down stairs, keeping her confined to small spaces, including her crate for ten days.  Making sure that she doesn't chew on her sutures otherwise an E-Collar would be put on her head.  Why do they call it an e-collar and not just a freaking cone?  

Zoe was doing great.  Until yesterday afternoon when I got home from work and noticed that she had ripped one of her sutures out.  That's what I like to think but the fact is that the suture disappeared.  Panicking I took her to the vet who decided it was time for an E-Collar.  So now I'm living with a conehead dog who I have to put ointment on and who can't walk, run, jump like she wants.  The next ten days should prove interesting.  

Happy Holidays

Just wanted to take a minute and wish you all happy holidays. This month has flown by with holiday parties and preparing for yesterday for the residents at work. It was a truly unique Christmas, spending most of my time at work and taking care of the puppy. One of my resolutions next year is to write more on this blog and personally. Hope everyone had a great day yesterday. I'll be in touch soon.

Ron