Proof

My boyfriend likes to blame my occasional crabbiness with PMS. (Tip: Don't ask a woman who is arguing passionately with you if she's "on the rag." My brother did this once, and only once.)

I am a weather nerd. I grew up in tornado alley, so I watch a lot of the Weather Channel. In fact, I go to weather.com a lot too. It's one of the fews websites I will surf at work (because I generally like to work at work.) While I was in California, weather was boring and I complained about how I missed seasons, thunderstorms, etc. Last week, I was reminded of one of the things that I didn't miss. Tree pollen. Now I am seeing cottonwoods and dogwoods in bloom. Without my Tavist-D, I'd be itching my eyes raw. Really. My eyes water and itch and I rub them so much that sometimes the tear ducts get all irritated.

Back to the weather.com. Yesterday, I was bored so I started reading up on allergies. I don't know if I didn't learn this in my crappy Catholic high school or if I simply forgot it, but pollen is apparently one of the male components of plant sex organs.

Males can irritate a woman having PMS.

The Ride

Won't you join my roller coaster?

Last night, I learned that the b/f had finally received a job offer from the company we were thinking might make an offer. Woo hoo! The project is located approximately seven hours away. Ruh roh! This led to the discussion and decision that I have been dreading.

Do I quit another job to follow especially after only being employed a month and with my savings still depleted?

The decision was made that I would move closer to my job and he would move for his job. Long distance relationship, here we go. Plus, the drive is doable and we round-trip tickets costing app. $100, we just might make it work. I spent the rest of the evening in perma-hug and periodic crying because I know I will miss him not being a part of my daily life after living with him for over a year and a half.

Of course, I now have to find somewhere that I can afford to live, not the easiest proposition when It was going to be close living where I am now.

Then he finds out today that it isn't a job offer, yet. He has one more phone interview regarding the specific project. And for all the reasons I have for wanting him to stay with me, I really want him to get the job. He likes the company and he likes the work. How could I not want him to get the job?

On the good news, I find out my vehicle is repaired, really repaired. The bad news, it costs more than I expected (though less than elsewhere since the mechanic is a friend of my dad's). OH, and by the way, the transmission is fine but the fluid smells bad which is a sign that it will eventually give out. To replace it costs more than the vehicle is worth. Which means the vehicle that my parents let me borrow and don't make me pay the insurance for could become yard art within the next year. Not only do I have to find an apartment that I can afford, I have to consider the prospect of buying another vehicle and finding the means to pay insurance on it. I might have to suck up the higher rent to live in the city to have access to public transportation.

If You Are Looking for Porn, Look Elsewhere

Trauma and horror, I have discovered to my horror through my referrals that a porn search engine site has started posting my photo of Jack licking his paw. EWWWWW!!!! Anyone knowing how I can get them to take this photo off the site, please let me know.

Because the DSL Is Up and I Promised Angry Letters

As you may recall, a few weeks ago I fired off and angry e-mail to Victoria's Secret. I had received a gift card from the b/f, but every time I went into the store (and I tried several stores), they never had what I was looking for in my size, even though I know they make those items in my size.

I expressed my angst with them via e-mail of the displeasure I had for the idea of using the gift card with the website or catalogue and having to use a portion of the card's value for shipping costs when I have a local store that should stock these items. I asked them if it was possible for me to pick up an online order at the store and avoid the shipping charges. This was their reply:

Dear Karen,

Thank you for your e-mail regarding Victoria's Secret. We regret any disappointment this matter may have caused.

Victoria's Secret Stores and Victoria's Secret Direct are sister divisions of the same parent company, Limited Brands, Inc. As such, we function as separate businesses. Unfortunately, we do not have an arrangement where you can order from the catalogue and pick your items up at a Victoria's Secret store.

If you need further assistance, please reply to this e-mail or call anytime.

Thank you for shopping with Victoria's Secret.

Sincerely,

VictoriasSecret.com

Not being satisfied with this response, I replied...

Consider this my notice that I am dissatisfied with your business practices and after I have used my gift card at a store location will no longer shop at Victoria's Secret or any of its sister divisions (I have already instructed my boyfriend to buy future gifts from a different retail chain that I would prefer to give my business.) In addition, please remove my contact information from your mailing lists as I no longer wish to receive your catalogues/promotional mailings.

Karen

I was fired up on this one. I was hopeful that they would realize I mean business and do something to satisfy the dissatisfied customer. I might be pushing 30, but apparently I am idealistic because here's their reply...

Dear Valued Client,

Thank you for your e-mail regarding our catalogue.

Though we’re sorry that you do not want to be on our mailing list, we will, of course, comply with your request.

It may take up to 90 days for you to stop receiving our catalogues as they are preprinted. We appreciate your patience as this change is being implemented.

If for any reason, you receive a catalogue from us after 90 days addressed to any variation of your name or address, please contact us [I'm not given them the benefit of publishing their contact info]; or reply to this e-mail.

Thank you for contacting Victoria's Secret.

Sincerely,

VictoriasSecret.com

If I were truly "Dear Valued Client," they would have actually tried to keep my business. Apparently the threat of the loss of sales from one plus-sized woman does not phase them. I therefore encourage all my readers to boycott Victoria's Secret until VS starts carry all of its sizes in all of its store and stops making the odd sizes pay for shipping.

Looks Like We Made It After All

Happy Birthday to me!!!!

Okay, it's not actually my birthday, but it is the one year anniversary of Misc Karen. Check out the oh so meager beginnings
here. It's so awful that the only reason that I can think of for pointing it out is so you can see the improvement.

This week got off to a terrible start on Monday with the automotive breakdown in rush hour traffic (my vehicle is still in the shop). Tuesday, the b/f's computer went kaput which effectively put my plans for the blog this week on hold. My dialup connection isn't so hot and it makes me pine for his dsl.

I couldn't let this day go in silence however. I thought it might be nice to note some of my favorite posts for the past year (feel free to link to any you liked in the comments.)

1. Misc Karen Goes Political (to no avail)
2. Misc Karen Develops a Readership at the USDOJ
3. Okay, I spend what felt like hours on my dial up connection trying to find my post about helping my mom computer shop. I loved how my claws came out in my mother's interest.
4. Just Reading This Takes Me Back
5. Misc Karen Is Not Blinded by Love

Signs You Survived Monday

1. You overhear the following conversation involving the cigarette-deficient fast food employee.

Customer: "Do you have any medium lids?"

Employee: "Yes, they are right over here.:

C: "I don't like those lids. [They are the kind that can also be used for coffee cups.] Do you have any other medium lids?"

E: [After a stunned pause.] "No, those are the only ones we have. We use them for coffee too. They do have a hole for a straw though."

2. You talk to a business contact of your father's, a contact who was a practicing mechanic for 30 years and still maintains his certifications and happens to live only 20 miles away. He can tell from your conversation that the problem with your jalopy is a component of the distributor. He goes on to explain how the part functions and the symptoms of how it misfunctions and asks a few more questions. You provide the info and go on to mention the problems that you had back in November with your cross-country move which re-affirms his diagnosis as the part would have been more prone to wear out when the engine was running on 4 cylindors. The man offers to take a look at your vehicle on Wednesday and to fix it for the price of parts.

Signs It May Be Monday

1. Vehicle stalls at light during morning rush hour traffic and will not restart. Police officer must divert traffic while waiting for tow truck to haul said vehicle away.
2. Vehicle spends day at mechanic's garage where it starts on every single attempt. It fails to stall once for the three different mechanics who drive it or for the 1 1/2 hours it is left running.
3. Realize that tax preparer is an idiot who does not indicate all the places where signature is required. Acknowledge that another visit to tax preparer is in necessary to avoid audit on state taxes.
4. Go to fast food chain that boyfriend has been craving as a thank you for making him follow you home to make sure vehicle does not stall and leave you stranded. Fast food employee asks if he can bum a cigarette when you pick up food.

It's hard to believe that with a lazy blogging week like this that Misc Karen is on the verge of the one year mark. I'm working on some ideas and I'll definitely be sharing the response to my Victoria's Secret letter.

Misc Karen Writes an Angry Letter

Victoria's Secret has raised my wrath. For some reason, my local store doesn't carry my size even though the company does. I refuse to pay for shipping charges just because my local store is lazy. I'll pick up the order at the store, but I'm not paying $6 in shipping. I have shared my wrath and am waiting for a response. Little do they know that I will hold out using this card until I am convinced I am getting my money's worth.

The Tax Man Cometh

He says I am getting a refund. A bigger one than last year. ;-)

P.S. Sorry about my absence. Stupid Blogger problems.

I know. I'm a bad blogger. Hopefully I will have a real post by the end of the week.