Kids and Fish

Went to the store yesterday in search of some algea eaters for my son's fish tank for Christmas. He's had the tank for almost 2 years now and while we clean it regularly we thought they might help. We've had pretty good luck with the tank. We started with 3 Zebradanio fish, which both Dan and Io died. We added another one at some point that we named Kirk Maltby, sorry to say but he's now been put on permenant retirement (if you know what I mean). Other then that we've only lost one other fish named Swimmer. All in all it's been a success and considering that we currently have half of the Detroit Red Wings represented in his tank Zach is pretty happy.
I found a snail (now known as Sammy for Samuelsson) and 2 algea eaters (Lilja and Lebda}. When Zach got home I sent him upstairs to clean the outside of his tank with windex. He was so surprised when he saw his new fish. He was excited because he knew they could do a good job. Katie was excited too, "ALLERGY EATERS" are just what we need. It was so cute I almost hated to explain that they eat algea not allergies. Although, we could use some allergy eaters at our house as well!

Pierre McGuire GET IT RIGHT!

My son is currently watching last nights Flames v Wings game, reminding me once again of how many times during that game I had to say "jerk" out loud. I understand the Pierre Maguire words for TSN and therefore is going to support the Canadian teams. While this makes sense, I've seen and heard many other commentators support their home team and still make objective comments. Last night he accused Franzen or Frahhhnzen or Frenzen depending on how he pronounced it at any given moment, of purposely charging at the goalie. Did he even watch the play??? Yes the goalie got bumped into, and yes Franzen was trying to get into a small space, but he only bumped the goalie when he had to put his head down to avoid getting a puck in the face. Oh, that's right Pierre Maguire realized it after his accusation and had to say something about Franzen putting his head down.
If you are going to be a commentator will you PLEASE PRACTICE PRONUNCIATION, or at the very least decide to mispronounce the name the same the entire game. It is not Kronvall or Kronball it is KronWALL! The fact that you couldn't make up your mind Mr. Maquire leads me to one conclusion...you didn't do your homework. Yes the Flames played aggressively, but in the end it was the composure of the Red Wings that won the game. Which we celebrated not only because they are our team, but because we knew it made you have to take back some of your rude comments during the game. You might want to listen to or watch Mickey Redman or Larry Murphy who both seem to be able to do their job, support their team, and not tear down the opponents.
Oh, by the way...TSN please get your sound fixed before the next game!

Time Warner my Favorite Place for Customer Service!

Would you belive, that Time Warner did it AGAIN! If you read my blog at all you would know that in October and November I've had to deal with issues with Time Warner. Now, it's December and just for the holidays I got to do it all over again!!!!

October-
signed up to get NHL Center ice on 10/7
10/8 3 calls from sales reps to ask if we want Center Ice..uh, yeah signed up for it!
10/9 3 more calls in a row with barely enough time to hang up from the sales reps
asking if we'd like...NHL Center Ice.

Somewhere between Oct and Nov Phil has to call in to get Center Ice reactivated on one of our televisions and is told that it doesn't normally come on both. (which is entirly untrue)

November-
11/5 receive a bill for double what it should be and call not once not twice but THREE times to finally get someone who understands that it is not my fault and to not hang up on me. After 2 days of messing with CSRs I finally get it straightened out. Receive 6 calls asking me to rate their customer service.

December-
12/6 go to watch a game with company over when...guess what it's not on both tvs. Call and get put on hold for 15 minutes (ignoring my guests) so I hung up. Get a call to rate the Customer Service. Rated them as extremely disatisfied.
9:45 call back about Center Ice and ask for a Manager get hung up on
10:00 call back, ask for a Manager, get told I have to talk to them first, and while being transferred get hung up on AGAIN
10:11 call back a THIRD time, tell the person I'm not going to answer any questions till I get a manager and they say, I see you're having problems with Center Ice and in 30 seconds poof it's restored! I told them we need a credit for it on our bill that it has been a waste of my time and energy since October. I get offered $10. HA! Told him that was unacceptable and so he said $15 was the best he could do. I told him I'm calling on Monday to the person who had to deal with the issue last time and after 10 minutes of being on hold he says $25 should make me happy. I of course told him that it did not make me happy, he could put it on my bill but I am still calling on Monday. That for the time I've taken to deal with Time Warner this year I could have made a lot more than $25 if I worked for them.

Don't worry Monday is only a day away and yes...they'll be hearing from me AGAIN!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Hope your holiday season is filled with wonderful moments spent with family and friends.

Time Warner Does it AGAIN!

You may have read my blog on 10/9 if not please take the time to read it before proceeding with this blog.

Now that you've read through the blog on 10/9 I'd like to ask you how many calls should it take to correct a bill for $200 more than you owe. The answer should be 1, BUT not so. It took me 3 calls. 2 to people who didn't think it was TWC mistake. You forgot to pay in Oct. I was told, you were late on your bill, you need to send in your bank records. Considering I was looking at them at the time, and know for certain I had paid each month, I asked to be transferred to a manager. OOPS! I was disconnected.
So I called back and asked to go straight to a manager, actually got to talk to one (maybe he should be counted as person 3?) Your were late on your bill, and we only charged you once for a service that incidentally was listed on the bill TWICE. Let me check on that...disconnected AGAIN!

So, not being one who pays bills late or wants to be charged more than what I owe I called a THIRD time. Got a very nice person, named Taraca.
Taraca I said " I'm very frustrated. I do apologize if I sound angry, it's not towards you but I've called 3 times now, been disconnected twice, have a bill that is over $200 over what it should be, have been told it's because I didn't pay a bill that I did, and last month received 6 calls in 2 days from your Sales department. I'm not angry with you, but I want you to know where I'm coming from"
You know what? She actually did her job. She was polite, understanding and handled my call as quickly as she could. Apologized for needing to put me on hold and when the hold was taking awhile actually came back on line to let me know it would be a few minutes longer. She really should get a raise or a promotion at least!
While on the phone with her my phone beeped several times. By the time I got off the phone with her I had 4 voice mails from TWC asking me to rate their customer service.
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!! I started to respond to one, but afraid it would reflect on Taraca decided to make one more phone call to Customer Service. Before I could call I got call number 5 from TWC asking me to rate their customer service.
I finally got through to a person, who gave me a name to email, and suggested that I email from the customer service complaint area on the website. Although, surprisingly she could not tell me how to get there. So...I found it myself. With an hour and a half now wasted of my day on one problem I emailed their customer service and emailed the person and now I'm posting here.

Give me a break! I should definitely should at the least get some kind of billing credit. Oh...just in case you think they don't care while relating this whole situation to my husband on my cell the home line rang. GUESS WHO???

Yes of course TWC wanting me to rate their customer service. TRUST ME YOU DON"T WANT ME TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW!

Have you voted?

Loaded the kids in the car, took them to get a doughnut on the way so they'd have something to do while I voted. I've been warned that there would be long lines and a huge wait. Surprisingly there was neither. Of course that could be because at 9:00am many were already off to work.



I expected to see touch screens or the punch cards. Nope, I was handed a ballot and told to color in the bubbles. We are a nation with vast amounts of technology, and we color in the bubbles when we vote. I felt like I was taking the A.C.T. all over again. I colored in my bubbles faithfully though, and then took it up to a scanner to have it scanned in. The whole process took 15 minutes. Still I couldn't help laughing as I left. My 8 year old said he wished he could vote. I do too, one more vote for our choice couldn't hurt, but I just looked at him and said "maybe by the time you vote it will be digital!"



Happy voting. Go do it, it shouldn't matter how long it takes it's your right and your responsibility.

Z hits YouTube!

Coach Jeff, one of Zach's coaches posted his goal this afternoon on You Tube. He is so excited to be on You Tube. Of course we spent several minutes discussing that if his team hadn't worked together in the defensive zone he would not have gotten the puck and been able to score. Tonight as he prayed for his day, he prayed for his team, for their win, for working together as a team and...for being on You Tube. He's 8 what can we say!

Gas Tank Mystery Solved!

You have got to check out the link below. It will prevent you from making a very common mistake at the gas station!

http://momelettes.com/2008/10/did-you-know-your-car-tells-you-which-side-the-gas-tank-is-on-2/


This is so cool. I'd really love to know how many actually knew that before hand and never let us in on it.

Obama Commercial

Do you have $3-$5 million dollars to spare? Apparently, Obama does. So what would be a good use of that money? How about a 30 minute commercial talking about ourselves? OR maybe that money could be used for something more worthwhile like:
feeding the poverty stricken
public education
research for cures to cancer
fuel breaks for gas heating
dealing with a piece of the wall street mess
the list is probably endless if we really wanted to take the time to sit down and make one!

The truth is I think it is time that politicians stop wasting money telling people what they think they want to hear. They talk about "changing" the country. They need to start with "changing" their own spending habits and using their money wisely. Yes, I'm sure it was all private donations, but money is money and a 30 minute commercial is not worth $3-$5 million dollars.

I didn't watch it, and had no desire to do so. I'm sure he was pledging to fix all the problems with the country. Is he planning on having the rest of the elected officials agree with him on everything? The President still has to get ideas past the governing bodies of our country, so no president can fix it all. Neither one running for office has a chance of everything going the way they would like it too. So what do we do? We look for the things that will make our country stronger. Faith and Family. Pray before you make your decision on election day, and pray for our country...we are certainly at a crisis of FAITH and Tuesdays election will determine which road the country is on. One to further destruction, or one to rebirth.

Star Wars Returns

Hope you have a wonderful Halloween! Star Wars has returned to the lives of many who dressed up as those characters when they were kids. Luke and Leia can't wait to go trick or treating this year. Let me just say it is not easy to get really long blond hair into a small wig! Happy Trick or Treating!

Think before you Vote!

Have you really spent time thinking about this election. Watch this short video, and then consider the things that are important to you. This election is about more than the price of gas. It is about the future. Please think about it, and please vote for what is important to you, not what your neighbor or co-worker is telling you to do.

Who Am I by Casting Crowns

This has always been one of my favorite Casting Crowns songs. This was recently sent to me, and it is so cool it just has to be shared with others as well. Enjoy it. Pass it on.

The End of Bubba, and ...Bubba?!

Hockey may have just changed for fans everywhere. In the past while you could watch the team you wanted to with NHL Center Ice, you could always hear the announcers you wanted to. Being a Wings fan, this always was a frustration.

If truth be told the media does not really care for the Wings and even when games appeared on Vs or NBC it was rare that impartiality was shown through out the entire game, with support for both teams as they made good plays. At least when the Wings were one of the teams. We've watched far too many games on those 2 channels where they would be telling all the things the Wings could do wrong and only talk highly of them as they were mopping the floor with the other team. Center Ice had the same dilemma but only because on away games you were forced to view the game from the home ice perspective. This year that appears to have changed.

This year we've noticed that the games listed are either (H) or (A) which has allowed us to view the game with Ken Daniels and Mickey Redman. Both of whom, if you've ever paid attention to Wings games call the game like it is. Naturally, they support our team, they are the broadcasters for the Wings, but at the same time we've heard them, especially Mickey, comment on calls that were bad for the opposing team and his famous "holy moly" has been used for good plays by the opponents as well. The best thing about getting the home ice feed. No more will we have to endure the broadcasts of Bubba and Bubba out of Nashville. I'm sure they are good for their team, but if someone could PLEASE give them a lesson in pronunciation and general hockey rules it would be greatly appreciated. It is Frahhn Zen (Like Hanz and Franz) not FRAN zen, and Datsuyk is one of the most widely known players our team has, you could at least get his name right. Oh, and it's Kron wall not Kron val or Kron vall or Kron ball. We've endured many different commentators over the years but they have to be the worst. Of course what can you expect from the team that throws Catfish on the ice. The octopus at least makes sense. It had a significance when it was first thrown and was not done in a "let's do something like the Wings" fashion.
So thank you Center Ice for giving us the choice. Nashville, I wish you well with Bubba and Bubba, but...up here in Ohio we won't be missing them when we are cheering for our team.
GO WINGS!

Is Hockey Taking Over Your Life????

Not sure who this is originally by, if you aren't certain if Hockey is taking over your life here's a way to tell.



IS YOUR KID'S HOCKEY TAKING OVER YOUR LIFE???

You base the next purchase of your new vehicle on whether it will hold six kids, six sticks, and six hockey bags.

You relate directions to places by the nearest arena.

You know every single kid on every single team your child has ever played on... But don't have a clue who his school mates are.

You feel lost when you have a free weekend.

Your spouse waits until you decide where to sit and then chooses a spot on the opposite side of arena.

You become a partner in a skate sharpening business to save money.

You ground your kids for a week (except for hockey practice).

You can rationalize spending $159 on a Synergy for a 9 year old but won't spend $5 on a Birthday card for your wife.

When someone asks how old your children are you respond, "I have a '94 and a '97."

You have had to use a grandparent to take kid #1 to a tournament because Dad was in a Different state with kid #2 at a tournament and Mom had kid
#3 two states away in a 3rd tournament all in one weekend

You have more miles on '08 mini-van than a '66 Chevy

Hockey practices are your entire social life.

You buy gloves according to how loud you can clap in them.

You find yourself missing the parents of your child's team mates during the off-season.

You plan the birth of next child so he has a good hockey birthday.

New baby's first word is Zamboni.

You have been barred from more than one rink on more than one occasion

You Purchase a new $135.00 stick because the old one "didn't have any goals left in it."*

You know a few 5 year olds that are good but "lack focus".

Your kids have asked if Christmas is "home or away".

Time Warner Cable Customer Service Perfection!

A year ago we spent two weeks in a row calling a cable company to find out if they would be offering NHL Center Ice. For two weeks we received various answers ranging from "what are you looking for", to "I've never heard of that", or even " I can't tell you if we will be offering that.". Finally, on the day before the season was to start we decided to quit messing around with this other cable company and to take out service with Time Warner Cable as they knew what Center Ice was and that they were offering it.
Now a year later I realize why we made a good decision. Tuesday, I noticed that we had received 2 phone calls from Time Warner. While we didn't have a message I could see on the caller ID that they had called. I didn't think much of it as my husband was planning on calling them later in the evening to see what kind of deal we could receive for a year long cable contract and to get us signed up for the Center Ice package as the NHL season was about to kick off. He locked in a decent price and the lady assisted him in getting the new package set up on our system.
Wednesday the phone rang, and I noticed on caller ID that it was Time Warner Cable. I thought to myself, they must be calling about the service we just added last night. (although they typically don't do that.) The person on the other end introduced herself and then proceeded to tell me that it had come to her attention that last year we had the NHL package and she would like to know if we were interested in having it again this year. "Well, we just signed up for it last night." I said. Surprised she asked if we had done that on line or via the phone. "My husband called in and spoke with someone, and we should be all set." We hung up and 10 SECONDS LATER the phone RANG. To my surprise it was....TIME WARNER CABLE!
Feeling a large sense of deja vu, I answered the phone....

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is _______at Time Warner Cable. I noticed that you had the NHL package last year and was wondering if you were interested in having it again this year"

"Well, funny you should ask, as I literally just hung up with someone from Time Warner. We signed up for it last night so we should be fine"

"Oh, well. Thank you for your (BEEP, BEEP...went my phone with another call coming in, give you one guess who it was.) time"

"Ok, bye"
I pushed the button to get to the other call and literally started to laugh.

"Hello, I'm not really laughing at you, but since you are the THIRD call in a row from Time Warner, I'm finding this a bit funny"
"
The third call?"

"Yes. I just had 2 calls from you offering to sign me up for Center Ice, which we signed up for last night"

"Oh, I'll make a note of that, is there anything else I can assist you with?"

"No, I think we're all set, thanks."

"Thank you"

SO here we are on Thursday. When, you guessed it the phone rings and its....drum roll please!

TIME WARNER CABLE

"Hello! This is _________ from Time Warner Cable. How are you today"

"I'm fine thank you"

" We have in our records that you carried Center Ice and the NHL package with us last year, were you interested in doing that again this year"

"Well, I'm glad you called to ask, but considering you are the 4th call regarding this since yesterday and we signed up for it on Tuesday night I think we're all set"

"Oh, thank you"

RING RING!
"Hello"

That's right it was TIME WARNER CABLE! Only this representative was quick on the ball, or maybe I should say puck since they were offering Center Ice!

"Hello, I'm calling from Time Warner Cable would you be interested in the Center Ice and NHL Package that you had last year?"

"We signed up for it Tuesday evening"

"Oh, I see that and you signed up for a lump sum bill, is that still how you wish to pay for it?"
Man I wish I had thought to say, well after getting 5 Calls from you I don't think I should have to pay for it...oh, well!

"Yes, lump sum would be great"

"Ok, if there is anything else we can do for you let us know."

I hung up and started laughing. I had a customer over for an all day Crop so I began to tell her about the last 5 phone calls when ...

RING RING RING

Who I wonder could it be, oh, look the phone ID says TIME WARNER CABLE

"Hello, are you calling to offer me the Center Ice and NHL Package"

"Uh, yes I was this is __________ from "

"Time Warner Cable, yes, I know. You see (please read the next part while trying hard not to die laughing!) we are so happy you called as you are the 6th one to call us in the last 2 days, and the 3rd in the last 2 minutes. The thing is we have signed up for Center Ice on Tuesday evening and we have already happily set the DVR to record the Wings game tonight (I forgot it was on VS but it makes the story better to think it was actually on Center Ice), anyway just so you know the Wings are going to Win this evening and we will happily be following the season on the Center Ice and NHL package that we signed up for already"

"Did you say 6 calls?"

"Why yes, I did"

"Oh, I'm sorry about that I'll speak to my manager about that."

"That would be greatly appreciated, you have a wonderful day and GO RED WINGS!"

Thus I do believe TIME WARNER CABLE deserves an award for either really being hockey fans or being money hungry and calling all who have ever signed up for the Center Ice Package. I'm not sure which it is, but YOU GO TIME WARNER I feel so well taken care of and YES I HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR CENTER ICE. If they call again tomorrow, I think I should be able to get the service for FREE!

The Word is Out!

I've known for a while now, as many have, that Creative Memories is at the top of the photo preservation industry. Not only do we offer many scrapbooking products, we also offer framing, digital organization and digital scrapbooking. We have something for anyone and everyone who takes a picture. Now, the word isCreative Memories is featured in a number of current magazines and Web sites. Look for all the good news about our products and people in the following places:
Create and Decorate, October 2008Includes the Everyday Display in a full-page feature in the Discoveries department. Available on newsstands now.

Create and Decorate, Holiday IssueShowcases the Tag Maker. Appears on newsstands beginning September 14.

Scrapbooks etc. The Ultimate Guide to Digital Scrapbooking 2This Better Homes and Gardens Creative Collection specialty publication includes a full-page advertisement for Storybook Creator Plus Software on the back cover.

bhg.com (Better Homes and Garden Online) Features an interview with Senior Unit Leader Michelle Reese of Ohio, in the "Holiday Gift Tips & Tricks" area of the site. Appears on bhg.com from October through December and is part of an ongoing rotation with other expert tips, tricks and interviews. Look for Michelle’s ideas on the "Tip Of The Day" pop-up window on the landing page.


(this one is really cool! I've met Michelle and actually had dinner with her at a training class!)

Create and Decorate, December IssueIncludes the Merry & Bright Paper Album Kit as a last-minute gift suggestion. Appears on newsstands beginning Oct. 28.

Memory Makers Magazine, September/October IssueFeatures the Everyday Display as a special prize in a reader contest. Available on newsstands now.

Decorating Digest, November/ December 2008 IssueShowcases the Everyday Display, the

Merry & Bright Paper Album Kit and the Tag Maker. Appears on newsstands beginning in mid-November.

Scrapbooking and Beyond, Winter 2009 IssueFeatures a full-length article about the way scrapbooking supports the healing process during a time of personal loss. Unit Leader Phyllis Cumberlander of Washington, D.C., shares her own story, including how she started her Creative Memories business. Appears on newsstands Dec. 2. out. We can now be seen in the following magazines.

Check it out! Creative Memories is taking the industry by storm.

Brrrr!

Fall has definitely hit the Cleveland Area! It is freezing and the heat is back on in the house. The sky is grey and the leaves are turning colors. While those may be things to be depressed or sad about there are good things too about fall coming.
The Top 5 Things About Fall
5 The beautiful colors in contrast with the grey skies (take a few pictures you'll see what I mean)
4 Warm fuzzy blankets
3 Soft glow of candles near the fireplace
( none of us can afford to actually use the fireplaces
with the cost of gas so candles will have to do)
2 Wanting to be inside to get projects done (perfect time for album making!!!!)
And the number one thing about Fall....
1 Televised NHL games are only a few days away!!!!!

Homework Help

Do you find yourself running to and from practices, and meetings? Are you wondering how and when to get homework done. I've finally figured out a system that works for our family. The biggest problem I've had in the past is remember to practice spelling words. Now with my Creative Memories Keepsake display the words can simply be hung by my calendar in the kitchen with a magnet. Then whenever we are off in the car to practice or where ever we are going we can grab the words and spell away in the car.
Also, I've found that keeping a bag of pencils, crayons, school paper and a writing surface, such as a clipboard, in the car the kids can also work on the go for the evenings when time is limited.
The best option would be to just be home everyday after school, but this is the life we all seem to be living. Even when you limit the activities as our family does you still end up on the go, so why not make the go work for you! Just a tip.

A Real Workout

Ugh! My arms are now killing me. I just spent the last 9 minutes in boxing drills on the Wii Fit program. Of course I was trying to prove to my 8 year old that I can do better than him. (which I did!). The Wii fit is not for the light hearted exercise fan. There are some fairly good workouts.
I realize that true exercise guru's might feel otherwise, but still the yoga is not always easy to hold the positions, and the strength training I haven't even attempted yet. It addition now that I've done the step program and unlocked the next 2 levels I have the goal of doing even better on it. I've also unlocked the advanced boxing as of today! It's a lot of fun, and does get the heart rate up and the muscles burning.
Now Zach is on the program trying to box his way past my record. Hope he gets it, it will give me something else to aim for!

I Did It!

Wow! It is a great feeling to get something accomplished. Today after 4 months of making calls I have completely called through my entire customer data base. Now it would be great to say that it took me that long because I have so many customers, but truth is...it simply took me that long to find the time to make calls and log them in!
Have I increased my business any by making the calls? Well, at least all of my customers have heard my name, website and phone number one more time. I did get a few that want more information and a few that want me to add them to my email list. So, who knows where that will lead. Regardless, I'm no longer fearing the phone. I have something to offer with Creative Memories that can change lives. Whether or not they are interested is completely up to them!

Gosh, that feels good.