Eclectic Townage Curiosities

Someday, I’m gonna stop.

Saturday found us heading down to the town of Spicewood, Texas.

It’s a small town, near Austin.  We went to see one of our sons, his wife, and their 6 month old. Quick trip, quicker trip back.

But, en route, we went through all these small towns.  Garden City. Sterling City. San Angelo (not sooo small), then Eden, Brady, Llano.

In every one of them, I saw someplace I wanted to stop. A store. A tattoo shop. (Why?  I don’t know...I liked the name:  “Hurt Tattoo”.)

You know, the stuff that small towns are made from.

I love small towns.  I like knowing what makes them tick.

We had the time to stop on Sunday…but, being small town stores, they were closed.  And I'm glad that those owners were taking time off.  

And someday, I’m gonna stop.  Agenda, or no.

Why I Might Rig Down AT&T

Copied from an actual chat session between yours truly and Roxanna from AT&T.

Frustrating, to say the least.

Thank you for your patience! An AT&T customer service representative will be with you shortly.

You are now chatting with 'Roxanna'.

Roxanna: Hello.  Thank you for chatting with AT&T today.  I understand your U-verse account is locked.  Is that correct?

That Janie Girl: Yes. I have been working on this for probably 3 hrs total today. They told me when I had a chance to get back with y'all to ask for Tier 2 support. Can you help me? We have reset, reset, reset our password and now we're even locked out of our yahoo account

That Janie Girl: And I have Safari

Roxanna: I can assist you with this.  Please begin by selecting the 'Forgot your password?' hyperlink or click here.  This will allow you to reset your Password and unlock your account.

That Janie Girl: Even thought I've done this numerous times today, and just tried it 3 times in the last 15 minutes?

Roxanna: Let us try it one more time. I am happy to wait while you complete this process.

That Janie Girl: It will just send it to my home phone. Can you please give me a hard reset and supply me with the password?

That Janie Girl: I went thru the process, but then I'll have to wait another 10 minutes for it to call my home phone.

Roxanna: I will do everything possible to resolve this for you.

Roxanna: Before we get started and for your security, may I please have the U-verse Account Number and the First Name and Last Name on the Account?

That Janie Girl: the Uverse account number is XXXXX. First name on account Janie last name XXXXX. Billing address XXXXXX; actual address of service XXXXX. Phone number associated with account XXXX.  Last four XXXX.

That Janie Girl: The account ends in XXXX

That Janie Girl: The whole reason this happened is I was trying to view my bill and find out why it was over $600.

That Janie Girl: Do I need to call in to get to Tier 2 support or will you be able to help me?

Roxanna: Please bear with me a moment.

Roxanna: Thank you for waiting. I am unable to locate the account with the information above.

Roxanna: Is the First Name and Last Name that you provided the same First Name and Last Name on the account?

That Janie Girl: I believe so. It could be XXXX, but I believe they found it under That Janie Girl

Roxanna: I apologize for the inconvenience. I am still unable to locate your account. However, speaking with one of our Specialists over the phone would best answer your questions and address your concerns.  Would you like that number?

That Janie Girl: Yes please

That Janie Girl: They've found my account three times today….

Roxanna: You may reach one of our Specialists at 877-999-1085, Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Local Time; Saturday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Local Time.

That Janie Girl: So are you kidding me?

That Janie Girl: I can't get help right now?

That Janie Girl: How might I get to a Tier 2 support person?

Roxanna: I apologize for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, these are the hours of operation. 

Roxanna: We have three options for technical assistance. You can

1. Browse for common solutions online 24/7,
2. Chat with one of our Technical Support Agents online 24/7 or
3. Call 888-341-1270, Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Local Time; Saturday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Local Time.

That Janie Girl: So you don't have access to a Tier 2 Technical Support there at your office?

Roxanna: That is correct.

Roxanna: Is there anything else I can assist you with today?

That Janie Girl: They told me I could call back anytime

That Janie Girl: Yes ma'am. Please note on my account that I called in again and we spent X amount of time trying this. Did you ever find my account?

Roxanna: I am sorry about that.

Roxanna: You will have to call in for further assistance. I will make notes of your account. 

That Janie Girl: Can you please try to find my account? They found it several times today.

That Janie Girl: I would like to have access at least to my email.

That Janie Girl: I've given you all of the answers to the questions they asked me. Name, address, billing address, last 4 of SSN, last 4 of account #

That Janie Girl: and phone number associated w/ account

Roxanna: I am unable to locate the account with the information you have provided.

Roxanna: Can you please verify the telephone number associated with the account?

That Janie Girl: The home number is XXXXX. My cell is XXXXX. But when it asks to send a password, it wants to send it to XXXXX, so that must be the number associated with the account, wouldn't you think?

That Janie Girl: 

Roxanna: Just to clarify, is your service U-verse?

That Janie Girl: Yes ma'am.

That Janie Girl: I have Uverse television service and Uverse internet service

Roxanna: I know it has been an inconvenience and I am sorry. Please call the number above for further assistance. I am unable to locate your account over the chat. 

That Janie Girl: I don't understand why you can't find the account and everyone else has found it all day long.

Roxanna: Mrs. Snelson, I apologize for the inconvenience. Web Assistance Center is only for website navigation. We do not have access to any account specifics. You will have to contact U-verse Customer Care directly.

Roxanna: Is there anything else I can assist you with today?

That Janie Girl: No thank you.

Roxanna: Thank you for chatting with AT&T today.  It has been a pleasure assisting you. Please come back and chat with us again if you need help in the future. We appreciate your business. You may click the “Close” button in the chat window to close this chat.

Chat session has been terminated by the site operator. (as I sit, head hanging down, looking at my computer screen in total disbelief.)

And that, people, is technology for you.

Sweet Ada Jael

I took this three generations picture two years ago.  Meet Ada Jael.

Friday found us trekking towards DFW, giving a friend a ride home.

Saturday morning?  9 a.m.?  At our beautiful goddaughter’s 2nd birthday party.  I can't believe she's two.  I was with her mommy in the delivery room when she was born.  Time flies!

Here’s the little cake-faced darling now, beautiful Ada Jael.

Saturday morning until late afternoon?  ThatManILove and Ada’s mommy shopped for the perfect mattress, and perfect trundle mattress, comforter, sheets, shams, and perfect bunky boards for Ada’s bed (that I had purchased for a mere $100).  I’m not going to speculate how much dinero he dropped.  Nothing’s too good for baby Ada!

Is she beautiful, or what?

We were exhausted by nightfall…and had to go eat at Fish Grill at Arlington Highlands.  It was wonderful.

Sunday, we headed back to Dallas to our friends’ house and stayed the night.  We had a great time, and talk about carbs - almost everything we cooked that night was fried.

Monday morning, we headed to Kilgore to look at some flowback and wellhead equipment.  It was fun, a beautiful shop and business, with super preventative maintenance plans and a great repair facility.  These guys are definitely starting their business out the right way!

And...I was blessed to see my cousins for a bit!  I sure miss them! We spent that night with friends, and had a good time. Headed home yesterday morning. A good trip!

Here's A Shoot, There's a Shoot, Everywhere a Shoot, Shoot

Have you ever looked ahead on your calendar, and your heart clenched?

That’s what my heart's been doing, every time I look at my calendar this week.

I’m a salesperson.  In the oilfield.  And being a woman, I’m good at planning events.  So, on top of my real job, I find myself helping on the industry event scene.  I do a certain amount for my employer, and then a certain amount for various non-profits.  And then, on top of that, I take customers to said events.  My brother swears I can shoot a shotgun while giving an interview to a TV station, and still break my targets.  I think he exaggerates a bit. (Possibly to make up for the fact I can still beat him.  Shooting, that is.)

My brother, Scott.  I love him! We have a lot of fun at all these events!

Here’s a short look forward for me.  Most of this is for my employer.  And on top of that, I serve as an officer in the American Association of Drilling Engineers (AADE), and we try to make a lot of the AADE chapter events. 

July 18 - 27 - Helping design invites for our Oct 3-5 New Mexico Oil and Gas events, getting them in the mail, coordinating the updating of our customer lists, planning for the Oct 17-19 Permian Basin Oil Show and Customer Party, and planning our Customer Appreciation Shoot in September AND calling on customers and putting out fires! I should probably drink…starting now.  At midnight…no.

July 28th - Midland - Oilman’s Shoot - taking customers shooting in one of the largest sporting clay events in Texas - huge fun - but it’s HOT here...

Aug 2-4 - Ruidoso - taking customers on a weekend golf outing and helping plan spouse’s events (I think there are 20 of us going?)

Aug 10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Sales calls, meetings, and taking customers shooting in the AADE Shoot

Aug 17 - Dallas, Tx - Sales calls, and taking customers shooting in the AADE shoot

Aug 24 - Denver, Co - AADE National Board Meeting (and taking customers shooting in the AADE shoot)  (And I’m really supposed to be in Midland that week, helping put on the Bustin’ Clay for United Way shoot...guess I’d better tell them I have a conflict)

I’m going to stop there.  I am starting to hyperventilate, seeing it all down on paper.  And I had better start cleaning my shotguns, because mine is dirty, and then, other people will want to borrow our extra guns.  Gotta make sure everything is up to speed!

Yours truly.  Yes, I am color coordinated.  I can't help it.

Eeeeeeeeek.

Got stress much?

Southwest Airlines, you’d best be ready.  Your A-Lister is heading to the check-in counter!

And He Sleeps...

Over the past couple of weeks, I've found Zack the Wonderdog snoozing at the VERY same time I've been in possession of my camera and the wherewithal to remember to snag a shot.  I thought I'd share pix of my aging boy with you.  (He's 10 now.  And he really did used to be solid liver.  I call the gray his "frosting".)  My beautiful ZackAttack.

Hummingbirds, Part 345

Okay, I just made up that title.

But in the evenings, when time allows, my camera and I have been hanging out in the back yard.

As have the hummingbirds.

Here’s what’s happened in my back yard lately.

Isn't this cool?  Taken at dusk.  No flash.

Taken at dusk, also.  Flash.

This is his "I'm a SuperHero" pose.

SuperHero, Intensified.

Morning.  I think he thinks he's a hummingbird.

I think he's an acrobat.

Now, he's just getting cocky.  Beautiful, though, right?

It's a Good Thing I'm a MultiTasker...

It’s going to be another one of those “Oh, it’s been two months since I’ve posted!”  posts.

You knew it, right?

I have things I want to say, every day.  But not enough time to commit them to writing.  And it’s making me crazy.  I mean, right now, it’s 3:10 a.m. and I can’t sleep so I finally just popped open my laptop and here I am.

Our boys are making us crazy in different ways, but I’m not going into that here.

Work is absolutely making me jump through myself.  Yes, it’s a feat.  But one I, for the most part, can handle.

On top of my regular duties on the executive sales team, I put on several events for our oilfield populace.  So I’m currently juggling several plates, all the way to November and back.

Last night, we had an API (American Petroleum Institute) meeting, featuring Dr. Michael Economides, a renowned author and expert on geopolitics.  Over 200 people attended.  We put this gathering together in less than 2 weeks, and it was a rousing success.  Dr. Economides cracks me up.  He’s wildly intelligent,  funny, and sometimes seems to be “out there” in his thoughts about the energy industry. I, however, think his judgment is sound, based on facts, and I love to hear him speak.  Dr. Economides never fails to open my eyes and further educate me in my own industry, one I’ve served for almost 30 years.  Holy Crapola Thirty Years! Man, time flies when you’re having fun.

Dr. Economides is from Greece.  The aforementioned trip in the prior blog?  Was to Greece.  Here's a picture of yours truly and ThatManILove in a restaurant on the island of Mykonos.  It was wonderful, beautiful, and we had a great time.  If you get a chance to go to Greece, do it.  The people are absolutely wonderful, and they were so grateful that tourists were there!  I'll try to catch you up on that adventure sometime over subsequent posts.

Fun on Mykonos!

On the home front at Casa De Crazy, ThatManILove has taken a sabbatical from his most recent past client, and is looking around for his next gig.  His timing couldn’t have been better, as we leased out one of our duplexes to a corporate client, and we had to furnish it and get it ready.  The clients moved in this week.  It was hard work, but fun, to furnish a property from the ground up.  The clients were greatly pleased and seem to be enjoying the property.

And now, we have a trailer house to refurb.  Once the refurb is completed, our plans are to move it to a lake lot.  And we don’t yet know where.  We have people begging to rent it where it stands, but it’s hard to refurb something to your own standards just to rent it out and put it in jeopardy.  We don’t want to have to refurb it twice, right?

It’s now 3:24 a.m.  Maybe I can catch a couple of hours of shut-eye…I’ve a busy day tomorrow!  Blessings to all!