It's that time of the year for me. Both my cable and cell phone agreements are ready to expire. Right now I am with Xfinity for cable and internet and AT&T for my cell phone. Originally with both providers I got a great "introductory" rate for service. Since I have had both for a few years the costs have been creeping up annually. Even though I call before my agreement is done and negotiate the best deal I can get it is still not as good as the "introductory" rates.
Why is that? I'm sure it has to do with how they measure their success to stock holders (New Customers). I don't understand why they don't value me as an existing customer as much as a new customer. I pay my bill on time, I like their service and recommend it to my friends. I really don't want to change.
Yet I am getting lots of mail from U-verse(AT&T) and DirectTV to switch right now with great offers. I just don't get it why Xfinity does not want to match these offers to keep me as a customer. I have a friend who will take her Xfinity equipment in and cancel her service at the end of an agreement. Then she will call a few days later and sign up for service again with Xfinity. BAM! New Customer. She gets the introductory rate again!
I don't blame her for doing that because she is trying to keep costs down for her technology. Yet why should any customer have to go through that to get a better price for internet, cable or cell phone services?
Right now I'm not sure what I will do. I hate change. Yet I would really like to keep my costs for cable, internet and cell phones reasonable. So I will try negotiating for something better than what I have now. If that does not work then I will call one of the other companies which are bombarding me with mail and email about the great deals they have.
Maybe someone needs to start a cable, internet and phone provider that rewards its current customers, who pay their bills on time, with great rates. What a concept!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
What's the Big Deal?
In the last few weeks in addition to the Olympics the sports new coverage has focused on the announcement by Michael Sam that he is gay. After the NFL draft in May he will be the first openly gay player in the NFL. This weekend the NFL combine was in Indianapolis and Michael Sam was the darling of the press. In one of his interviews he said “I just wish you guys would just see me as Michael Sam the football
player instead of Michael Sam the gay football player,”
Being a woman who has never played professional sports I keep thinking "what is the big deal?" What business is his sexual orientation to anyone? I would rather see a gay man in a loving relationship play football than a man who ran a dog fighting operation who later went to prison and then went back to playing football. There is something just wrong about someone who electrocuted non-performing dogs as part of his "business". The NFL has welcomed abusers of animals and women yet is all in an uproar about a gay man playing on a team?
So one night at dinner I asked the two hockey players who live with us what they thought about playing with an openly gay teammate. They are players for the USHL and are considered to be part of teams on which some of the elite American hockey players play. One was fine with it. He said he really wanted to play with someone who was a good player and helped the team succeed and sexual orientation did not matter. The other player was totally appalled about the idea of playing on a team with, and being in the locker room with, an openly gay teammate. He could not give me a reason, it just made him feel creepy.
I asked either of the boys if they had heard of the You Can Play Project (www.youcanplayproject.org) and neither had. I was a little surprised yet they are teenagers and not that aware of anything outside their sphere of reference (hockey, workouts, food and girls).
Their response did give me a chance to reflect about frame of reference. I, as a middle aged women, can't see what the big deal is about the sexual orientation of someone playing professional sports. They, as someone who may face this question directly, found it more of an issue. Yet both said that the real goal is a winning team.
As one coach said in an interview, football is an outcomes based business. If someone can help a team win then almost everything else is secondary.
Being a woman who has never played professional sports I keep thinking "what is the big deal?" What business is his sexual orientation to anyone? I would rather see a gay man in a loving relationship play football than a man who ran a dog fighting operation who later went to prison and then went back to playing football. There is something just wrong about someone who electrocuted non-performing dogs as part of his "business". The NFL has welcomed abusers of animals and women yet is all in an uproar about a gay man playing on a team?
So one night at dinner I asked the two hockey players who live with us what they thought about playing with an openly gay teammate. They are players for the USHL and are considered to be part of teams on which some of the elite American hockey players play. One was fine with it. He said he really wanted to play with someone who was a good player and helped the team succeed and sexual orientation did not matter. The other player was totally appalled about the idea of playing on a team with, and being in the locker room with, an openly gay teammate. He could not give me a reason, it just made him feel creepy.
I asked either of the boys if they had heard of the You Can Play Project (www.youcanplayproject.org) and neither had. I was a little surprised yet they are teenagers and not that aware of anything outside their sphere of reference (hockey, workouts, food and girls).
Their response did give me a chance to reflect about frame of reference. I, as a middle aged women, can't see what the big deal is about the sexual orientation of someone playing professional sports. They, as someone who may face this question directly, found it more of an issue. Yet both said that the real goal is a winning team.
As one coach said in an interview, football is an outcomes based business. If someone can help a team win then almost everything else is secondary.
Monday, February 17, 2014
A Lucky Penny or a Miracle?
Last week my husband purchased a used truck for our son in Nashville TN. They are starting a business there and needed a truck to haul audio equipment. The truck was here in Indiana, Franklin to be exact. So once it was purchased my son made arrangements for a friend to bring him to Indiana from Tennessee to drive the truck back. His friend picked him up on Saturday morning and he arrived here late Saturday afternoon to pick up the truck. We met him on the south side of town and drove to the location of the truck, which was parked on the lot of an auto repair business.
The truck started right up but since it had been sitting in a grassy area for two months it would not move. My son let the truck warm up but still it would not move. Between the deep snow and the ice the wheels were mired down and he could not get the truck moved onto the pavement. Time was passing, it was dark and we were getting frustrated. My husband called two tow truck operators to move the truck off the grass but neither would come and help.
I suggested to my son that we go home and he try again the next day, when it was daylight. He could not do that since he was scheduled to work at two major events in Nashville the next day. Since it was getting late and we had not had dinner my husband and I decided to drive down the McDonalds and get something to eat. When we were sitting at the table he looked down and saw a penny on the floor, face up. Now my husband always picks up face-up pennies believing they are lucky. At the same time the penny reminded me that we needed a miracle to get out of this situation. So I said a quick prayer asking God for a miracle that would solve our problem.
As we were driving back to the lot where the truck was parked the snow was starting to fall. When we approached the lot we saw that a tow truck was there dropping off a car. My husband walked over the the driver and asked if he would pull the truck off the grass/snow/ice into the lot so we could get it going. He checked with his dispatcher and said he would do it. It was a AAA tow truck so my husband gave him our card and number so he could turn it in for reimbursement.
He pulled the truck out of the ice, it took maybe 5 minutes total. It was not much to him but to us he was an angel in a red tow truck who turned our night from a disaster to a victory!
Was it the lucky penny? Was it a miracle from God? In thinking about this after all was done and we all got to our respective homes I am convinced that God sent us a miracle that night on a snowy lot. Maybe lucky things, such as the penny, help us to remember that with God miracles can happen when all seems to be lost and our lives seem darkest.
So I am grateful that God answers prayer and sends us those answers in the most unlikely ways. For us it was the angel in the red tow truck on a Saturday night. For others it may be an answer to prayer in other unlikely ways.
How have you experienced miracles in your life?
The truck started right up but since it had been sitting in a grassy area for two months it would not move. My son let the truck warm up but still it would not move. Between the deep snow and the ice the wheels were mired down and he could not get the truck moved onto the pavement. Time was passing, it was dark and we were getting frustrated. My husband called two tow truck operators to move the truck off the grass but neither would come and help.
I suggested to my son that we go home and he try again the next day, when it was daylight. He could not do that since he was scheduled to work at two major events in Nashville the next day. Since it was getting late and we had not had dinner my husband and I decided to drive down the McDonalds and get something to eat. When we were sitting at the table he looked down and saw a penny on the floor, face up. Now my husband always picks up face-up pennies believing they are lucky. At the same time the penny reminded me that we needed a miracle to get out of this situation. So I said a quick prayer asking God for a miracle that would solve our problem.
As we were driving back to the lot where the truck was parked the snow was starting to fall. When we approached the lot we saw that a tow truck was there dropping off a car. My husband walked over the the driver and asked if he would pull the truck off the grass/snow/ice into the lot so we could get it going. He checked with his dispatcher and said he would do it. It was a AAA tow truck so my husband gave him our card and number so he could turn it in for reimbursement.
He pulled the truck out of the ice, it took maybe 5 minutes total. It was not much to him but to us he was an angel in a red tow truck who turned our night from a disaster to a victory!
Was it the lucky penny? Was it a miracle from God? In thinking about this after all was done and we all got to our respective homes I am convinced that God sent us a miracle that night on a snowy lot. Maybe lucky things, such as the penny, help us to remember that with God miracles can happen when all seems to be lost and our lives seem darkest.
So I am grateful that God answers prayer and sends us those answers in the most unlikely ways. For us it was the angel in the red tow truck on a Saturday night. For others it may be an answer to prayer in other unlikely ways.
How have you experienced miracles in your life?
Thursday, February 6, 2014
The Kindness of a Stranger
Right now Indianapolis is on pace for a top four snowfall, if not record breaking, winter. So my husband and I have had lots of practice shoveling the white stuff from our driveway and sidewalk. This last snow we got about 8.5 inches overnight and at about 3:00 AM the morning of the storm we heard the snow plows clearing the streets of our neighborhood.
Now I appreciate the streets being cleared but it seems like every time the plows come through they deposit the snow that was cleared at the end of our driveway. This snow was no different. On Wednesday morning we walked out of our house to find a mountain of snow packed into the end of our driveway. It was about 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide of hard packed snow and ice. There was no way our cars would get over the embankment. So we started digging to clear a path.
While I was working on the snow a pick up truck drove by with a snow blade on the front. After the driver picked up someone in the next block he was driving by our house again. I waved him down and we asked if he would take a few minutes to clear the mountain of snow at the end of our driveway. We were happy to pay him for his time.
He lowered the plow blade and with about 4 swipes he had the snow cleared and stacked up at the corners of our driveway. Those snow mountains at the corners of our driveway are about 5 feet tall now. This good Samaritan saved us hours of work and lots of body aches and pains.
When he was done we asked him if we could pay him and he said no, just enjoy our day. He did not have a company name on his truck so I can't even thank him by name in this blog posting. I was so grateful that this stranger came along and took a few minutes to help us out.
So this is a story of the kindness of a stranger, and the gratitude of the person he helped. To honor his kindness I plan to "pay it forward" and do something kind for a stranger the next time I have the opportunity.
Now I appreciate the streets being cleared but it seems like every time the plows come through they deposit the snow that was cleared at the end of our driveway. This snow was no different. On Wednesday morning we walked out of our house to find a mountain of snow packed into the end of our driveway. It was about 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide of hard packed snow and ice. There was no way our cars would get over the embankment. So we started digging to clear a path.
While I was working on the snow a pick up truck drove by with a snow blade on the front. After the driver picked up someone in the next block he was driving by our house again. I waved him down and we asked if he would take a few minutes to clear the mountain of snow at the end of our driveway. We were happy to pay him for his time.
He lowered the plow blade and with about 4 swipes he had the snow cleared and stacked up at the corners of our driveway. Those snow mountains at the corners of our driveway are about 5 feet tall now. This good Samaritan saved us hours of work and lots of body aches and pains.
When he was done we asked him if we could pay him and he said no, just enjoy our day. He did not have a company name on his truck so I can't even thank him by name in this blog posting. I was so grateful that this stranger came along and took a few minutes to help us out.
So this is a story of the kindness of a stranger, and the gratitude of the person he helped. To honor his kindness I plan to "pay it forward" and do something kind for a stranger the next time I have the opportunity.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
I am over winter!
I decided that we are paying for the wonderful, warm weather we had during Super Bowl XLVI here in Indianapolis on 2/5/2012. That winter was mild, with the Super Bowl week being unseasonably warm here in Indianapolis. This winter has been brutal. Between the Polar Vortex and the Alberta Clippers we have been left in the deep freeze for weeks and snow seems to just stay around forever.
Right now my neighborhood is an ice skating rink, the roads are covered in a thick layer of ice. So when I walk my dog she and I both are slipping all over the place. Oh, for a few sunny, warm days to melt the snow and break up the ice.
So to all the people who prayed, wished, and did possible sacrifices to get the great weather for the Super Bowl in 2012, thanks! In the way of the Universe nature must be balanced and now we are paying the price for that weather.
I really try to be grateful for where I am everyday (see blog post on "You live where you live"). Yet right now I would be so happy for a warm spell to at least get rid of what we have, winter-wise, before the next big storm hits.
Now I know why I don't live somewhere further north. Of course if I did I would be prepared with the right clothing and boots, as well as a snow mobile to get around.
One day closer to Spring!
Right now my neighborhood is an ice skating rink, the roads are covered in a thick layer of ice. So when I walk my dog she and I both are slipping all over the place. Oh, for a few sunny, warm days to melt the snow and break up the ice.
So to all the people who prayed, wished, and did possible sacrifices to get the great weather for the Super Bowl in 2012, thanks! In the way of the Universe nature must be balanced and now we are paying the price for that weather.
I really try to be grateful for where I am everyday (see blog post on "You live where you live"). Yet right now I would be so happy for a warm spell to at least get rid of what we have, winter-wise, before the next big storm hits.
Now I know why I don't live somewhere further north. Of course if I did I would be prepared with the right clothing and boots, as well as a snow mobile to get around.
One day closer to Spring!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Hey Bob Evans - bring back your regular sausage!
Last Saturday my husband and I went to Bob Evans Restaurant for breakfast. Having breakfast there is one of our favorite Saturday things to do, especially when we have a "buy one, get one free" breakfast entree coupon.
So we sat in the section of our favorite server and ordered our breakfasts. We were enjoying seeing friends and chatting with other Saturday morning "regulars." Then our breakfasts arrived. We had both ordered sausage patties with our eggs. What a surprise, what they delivered are the "new" breakfast patties that had just been introduced the day before. We talked to the manager when she stopped by and asked her had the sausage been changed. She first said they went to another "brand." What! You are Bob Evans and you are serving some other brand of sausage. She then asked if we liked it.
The sausage they served was pale, flat, dry and tasteless. It tasted like the worst generic sausage you could find. We said it was inedible and a huge disappointment. She offered to take it off our bill. She also said they had constant complaints since it had been introduced the day before.
I started working for Bob Evans when I was 15 years old, serving sausage sandwiches at the Ohio State Fair when the company had a booth there. Later I, and my sisters, worked at Bob Evans Restaurants all through college. Our wages and tips helped to pay tuition and college expenses.
I know the Bob Evans company is now owned by Owens and is not a family owned sausage business any more. I know you must bow down to the desires of the shareholders. I know that cutting expenses is the way you make profits. But serving some nasty sausage in your restaurants is not the way to make friends or keep your old friends happy. If the corporate wonks think that this is an acceptable way of keeping expenses low you really need to get out of your offices, visit your stores and talk to your customers!
It's just sad to see another thing being changed in the name of profits and corporate cost cutting. It would be like McDonalds serving a Big Mac without the "special sauce." It's just not the same and I am sad to see the change.
We will now be ordering bacon or ham when we visit Bob Evans for breakfast unless they bring back the original sausage.
So we sat in the section of our favorite server and ordered our breakfasts. We were enjoying seeing friends and chatting with other Saturday morning "regulars." Then our breakfasts arrived. We had both ordered sausage patties with our eggs. What a surprise, what they delivered are the "new" breakfast patties that had just been introduced the day before. We talked to the manager when she stopped by and asked her had the sausage been changed. She first said they went to another "brand." What! You are Bob Evans and you are serving some other brand of sausage. She then asked if we liked it.
The sausage they served was pale, flat, dry and tasteless. It tasted like the worst generic sausage you could find. We said it was inedible and a huge disappointment. She offered to take it off our bill. She also said they had constant complaints since it had been introduced the day before.
I started working for Bob Evans when I was 15 years old, serving sausage sandwiches at the Ohio State Fair when the company had a booth there. Later I, and my sisters, worked at Bob Evans Restaurants all through college. Our wages and tips helped to pay tuition and college expenses.
I know the Bob Evans company is now owned by Owens and is not a family owned sausage business any more. I know you must bow down to the desires of the shareholders. I know that cutting expenses is the way you make profits. But serving some nasty sausage in your restaurants is not the way to make friends or keep your old friends happy. If the corporate wonks think that this is an acceptable way of keeping expenses low you really need to get out of your offices, visit your stores and talk to your customers!
It's just sad to see another thing being changed in the name of profits and corporate cost cutting. It would be like McDonalds serving a Big Mac without the "special sauce." It's just not the same and I am sad to see the change.
We will now be ordering bacon or ham when we visit Bob Evans for breakfast unless they bring back the original sausage.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Who is the next change agent?
I have been missing for the last couple of weeks. Between the holidays and travel and the Polar Vortex making Indiana as cold as Anchorage Alaska it has been a busy time. So I start 2014 with the question I have been asking people as I talk to them. Who is the next great change agent?
With the passing of Nelson Mandela and comparisons of him to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi and other great change leaders of that generation I have been thinking about who is next? Who will be the next person to rise and attack a major human wrong and lead the way to a wide-sweeping change in the way we as humans treat those who are less fortunate than us.
I have asked several people as I see them who they see as the next great leader/change agent and amazingly none of them can come up with a name. I read about business leaders having great ideas (drones to deliver our packages from Amazon!) or political leaders who say the way we are going is wrong and we need to strike out in a new direction. Yet I don't see the rise of someone who is saying they see a way to further attack inequities, discrimination, poverty or other problems plaguing our lives here on Planet Earth.
My husband forwarded a blog post to me today from Bob Lefsetz (http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/) who normally writes about the music business. He was lamenting the same thing mainly that there is so much inequity in this world that we may never overcome it. "The truth is the game is rigged. And until we're willing to stand back and say we're mad as hell and we're not gonna take it anymore...."
This is not a call to action. But if anyone who reads this blog knows of an emerging change agent, someone who you see will change the way we treat others in the future, or who will open opportunities for those who have none now, then let me know.
Just a quick edit. Today it was announced that singer, songwriter, activist Pete Seeger died at the age of 94 . To paraphrase one of the quotes I read in his obituary, maybe we don't need one great leader but many small leaders. So maybe the next change agent will come with the small things people do everyday that makes a difference in someone's life.
With the passing of Nelson Mandela and comparisons of him to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi and other great change leaders of that generation I have been thinking about who is next? Who will be the next person to rise and attack a major human wrong and lead the way to a wide-sweeping change in the way we as humans treat those who are less fortunate than us.
I have asked several people as I see them who they see as the next great leader/change agent and amazingly none of them can come up with a name. I read about business leaders having great ideas (drones to deliver our packages from Amazon!) or political leaders who say the way we are going is wrong and we need to strike out in a new direction. Yet I don't see the rise of someone who is saying they see a way to further attack inequities, discrimination, poverty or other problems plaguing our lives here on Planet Earth.
My husband forwarded a blog post to me today from Bob Lefsetz (http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/) who normally writes about the music business. He was lamenting the same thing mainly that there is so much inequity in this world that we may never overcome it. "The truth is the game is rigged. And until we're willing to stand back and say we're mad as hell and we're not gonna take it anymore...."
This is not a call to action. But if anyone who reads this blog knows of an emerging change agent, someone who you see will change the way we treat others in the future, or who will open opportunities for those who have none now, then let me know.
Just a quick edit. Today it was announced that singer, songwriter, activist Pete Seeger died at the age of 94 . To paraphrase one of the quotes I read in his obituary, maybe we don't need one great leader but many small leaders. So maybe the next change agent will come with the small things people do everyday that makes a difference in someone's life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)