Road Trip Part 5 Picture Edition

Now that you are done hearing about the car drama, here are some fun highlights of our Vegas Road Trip!

Balloon Hats at Margaritaville

 Colin wouldn't wear his soccer ball hat so I did.

 Waiting for our table at Margaritaville

Red Rocks Canyon - 112 degrees that day! Hot Hot Hot!

 Selfie

VooDoo Zipline from the top of the Rio

 We are so BRAVE! 

But too cheap to buy the souvenir pictures of us actually on the zipline.

Tournament of Kings dinner show at the Excalibur

 From the TV show Pawn Stars

And the TV show Tanked

Cirque de Soleil Zarkana

And plenty of cocktails and sushi!

Obviously "What happens in Vegas, doesn't stay in Vegas"!

It is what it is...

Namaste

Road Trip Part 4

And the rest of the story goes like this.

I head off to the Kia dealership with a confident, positive attitude that things were going to go my way. Let's put that good energy out there into the universe.

I told my story to the service manager emphasizing that even though we were all OK, this has disaster potential written all over it.  He was horrified that this could happen. He immediately said they would refund the service fee.

He told me the employee would be disciplined. Now I'm picturing a 25 year old service tech with a pregnant wife. I don't want anyone fired over this. Mistakes happen. Granted this could be worse but I really don't want anyone to lose their job.

We then discussed the tips I paid out ($50 total) and the time taken out of my vacation. He said he couldn't reimburse me for the tips because I had no receipts. Seriously, do you ask for a receipt when you tip someone? So, no cash back.

Me: Surely there is  something you can do that doesn't involve cash.

He offered to give me my next service free. I already have the maintenance plan so that won't work.

Me: What else, can you do? I ask, giving him the pleasant stare down.

Him: How about a complete detail. Total value is $170.

Me: That sounds reasonable. I'll be in on Friday. And I'll need a loaner car so I don't have to wait around all day.

Him. See you on Friday. Again, I'm really sorry for your trouble. Thank you for being so understanding.

Score! My car is super dirty from the baseball season and the trip to Vegas. A detail will be great, just in time for the muddy cleats of soccer season.

I think he thought I was going to sue them. Which maybe I could have but it's not worth the hassle since it all worked out.

It is what it is...
Namaste

Road Trip Part 3

According to the Kia dealer in Vegas, the recalled part that I had replaced last week had 2 fuses. The SD dealer put them in the wrong places and shorted out the system! And it also killed the battery. 

WTF! Putting fuses in the wrong places? I could have broken down anywhere...like in the middle of the Mojave Desert! 

 When I talked to the service department in SD they said. "Impossible!"

Me: Here is  the name and number of the Vegas dealership. They are expecting your call. Work it out with them and I will be in to chat with you when I get back. I am expecting to be reimbursed the $100 service fee as well as the $50 in tips I paid out to tow truck and shuttle drivers and some sort of compensation for time and trouble. Work it out with whatever managers you have to but get it done or it will be allover Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Yelp the minute I walk out the door. 

I'm off today to deal with this today.

It is what it is...

Namaste

Road Trip Part 2

FYI, we are safely back from Vegas...

July 21

I had my van serviced last week in anticipation of the long, hot trip through the Mojave Desert to Fabulous Las Vegas.

Verdict - 4 new tires. Cost $750.  Gotta get them. It is what it is...I was hoping to win big, however, when you only play the penny slots and the budget is only $20, chances are very slim.

Here's where the story takes a big detour. After finally getting the hotel situation under control we all head out to The Strip to have dinner at Margaritaville because Its Always 5 o'clock Somewhere.

There were margaritas - well for me, not for Cadence

and balloon hats!!! (Colin was too embarrassed to wear his so I wore the
soccer ball)

Then a short walk around The Linq.

Problems began when we started to drive back to the hotel. First, the headlights went out. Next the radio, finally all power was lost! I was able to creep along to a semi safe spot in that little triangle where the 15 freeway on ramp connected with Flamingo Road. Stuck. Dead. Scary and dangerous! I called 911. They sent the highway patrol.

In the meantime, Phyllis had her AAA card and I called for a tow. They said almost 2 hours! WHAAAAAAT!!!! This is Vegas! Don't they have a reality show about tow trucks???? They have one about everything else. Tattoos, pawn shops, fish tanks, strippers, high rollers, housewives, etc!

Highway patrol arrives. He encourages me to try and start the van. It starts but I don't want it to conk out on me in 50 feet in a more dangerous spot. I ask copper to stay behind me and I will try to make it to the Rio, which is about a half mile ahead.

Good News - I make it! Barely...
Bad News - I'm dead in the taxi lane.

Call to AAA

Me: I'm changing my location. I have made it to a safe spot at the Rio. I'm in the taxi lane. I have no power. I really need your help. This call is under my MIL's name. I have a AAA account, however I don't have my card with me. My MIL is elderly. I have 4 children with me. Its 100 degrees and I have no power for AC. They can not sit with the vehicle. I will send them home in a cab. Please look up my account and change the call. I have ID but no card. I'm sure you have dealt with this before and can help me. ( if you have AAA you know the card holder must be present and I wasn't about to let Phyllis and kids sit around for 2 hours)

AAA: What's your name?
Me: Mary E. MacNaughton
AAA: We have no one under that name.
Me: Try my phone number or my address.
AAA: Sorry, we can't find it.
Me: Seriously???? 3 grocery stores, 2 drug stores, Starbucks and a multitude of other places I shop know where I am at any given moment! Keep looking!

Finally they are able to look up my card.

AAA: We will change the call to your number.
Me: Thank you. What is the call number in case I need to call you back?
AAA: It will be the same one.
Me: Are you sure? Please text it to me.

I send Phyllis and kids in a cab. I sit and wait in the taxi lane at the Rio telling 1 out of every 4 cabs that go by that yes, I know I'm in the taxi lane but my car is dead and I'm waiting for a tow truck. Mostly they are nice.

1 hour later I call back to check on the progress. Its freakin' hot! I have no power so I can't close the windows and go into the Rio. Plus the tow truck might come and I don't want to miss it.

Me: I'm calling about # 12345
AAA: We canceled that call.
Me: YOU WHAAAATT!!!! I have been waiting over an hour! If I had not called, there would be no truck?????
AAA: You said you moved to a safe location.
Me: I said said that I moved to a SAFER location and I had to send my elderly MIL and 4 kids home. I still need a truck.
AAA: We are really sorry.
Me: I have been waiting 2 hours! Send someone now! I can't believe there are no tow trucks within 5 minutes of me. THIS IS VEGAS!!!!!

20 minutes later Lamont shows up. He hands me an ice cold bottle of water. He thinks its the alternator. Finally we arrive at the Tahiti Vacation Club. Its 12:30 am. I tip Lamont $20, mostly for the water but also for explaining to me that tow trucks can get about $500 for a casino call for  illegal parking. Roadside service is secondary. /

To be continued...

It is what it is...
Namaste

Road Trip Part 1

Vegas here we come! Packed up the car with kids Cara, Colin, and their friends Cadence and Seth aka Syd and snacks for our 6 hour road trip. We left Monday at 10 am right on schedule.

My mother in law, Phyllis had to use up her timeshare points so she got us a place in Vegas. As always, nothing goes according to plan. It turns out there are 2 Tahiti's in Vegas. Tahiti Village and Tahiti Vacation Club. She "thought" she booked the Village. 2 bedroom suite, lazy river, tiki bar and the biggie WiFi.

 Wrong! We showed up there only to find out we were actually booked at the Vacation Club. Still a nice resort but older. Still the 2 bedroom suite but no tiki bar, lazy river or in room WiFi. And it's not what we had been hyping about all week by showing the kids the Village website.

After Phyllis gets on the phone and does some negotiating, we get 3 days at the Village in addition to the rooms we have at the Vacation Club! Only problem is it's only 1 bedroom and a living room. Definitely not for 6 people.

And did I mention Scott decided to fly in for a Wednesday to Saturday stay and drive back with us? No... Well...he did.  And did I mention its HOT in Vegas - like 111 and he doesn't like the heat?

So we decide that Phyllis will stay with kids at the VC and Scott and I will take 2 nights at the Village. So it's nice and quiet for him and not messy from 4 teenagers. We can use the facilities all will be good.

The WiFi is kind of spotty so...to be continued...

It is what it is...
Namaste

Foodies

The theme for our family Christmas gift exchange this year was Groupon. Cara got a food tour from Paula. Yesterday we went to the lovely island (peninsula, really) of Coronado to taste some of their yummiest delicacies.

Cara waiting to get started.

1st stop was Peohe's for some Crispy Coconut Shrimp.

http://www.peohes.com/

On to Candela's for cheese and chicken empanadas.

http://candelas-sd.com/

According to Cara, this next stop was the best. We learned all about olive oils and balsamic vinegar at Coronado Taste of Oils. Cara thought it was not going to be good but she loved tasting all of the oils. And there were tons to choose. We picked up some garlic olive oil and a bottle of the violet balsamic. We also got a small scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with amaretto and espresso balsamic. That was very tasty!

http://www.coronadotasteofoils.com/

Next up was the Fuzziwig's Candy Factory where we enjoyed handmade dark chocolate sea salt caramels. Fuzziwig's was stuffed with every other kind of candy that you can think of!

http://www.fuzziwigscandyfactory.com/

The last stop was the Bottega Italiana Gelato shop for some caramel gelato. It was super delish. I only wish we could have tried one of the more exotic flavors. 

http://www.bottegaitaliana.com/

This was a walking tour so we walked about 2 miles which was nice since we had so much to eat.

I totally recommend it! Thanks Paula!

It is what it is...

Namaste

And It All Started With A Big Bang

One of our favorite shows is the Big Bang Theory. Its about 4 super smart, socially awkward physicists  and the not so smart but pretty blond waitress that lives next door. They share a love of all things science, math, video games and comic books.

Imagine my surprise when I find myself in the middle of a Big Bang episode as I wait in line right in our neighborhood Vons. Since I didn't catch their names, lets just call these two Leonard and Raj.

Leonard: Raj! Long time, no see! Where have you been, man?
Raj: (in your best tech help Indian accent) Leonard! How are you doing, man? I have been taking a summer course in aerospace technology.
Leonard: You going to game night tonight?
Raj: Yes, I was planning on that. I did not see you at the rocket competition last weekend. Were you there?
Leonard: No, I was at the model train club event. How did you do in the rocket competition?
Raj: Not so well. Our rocket only went 3,000 feet. It was quite disappointing.

At this point, I have to turn around to see these two. You got it...Leonard was tall, thin with nerdy glasses and in need of a haircut. Raj was a short, roundish Indian. Both appeared to be late 20's. What were they buying? Leonard had a package of hot dogs, buns, chicken nuggets and a bottle of some type of craft beer. Raj had greek yogurt, some cucumbers and ice cream. And 3,000 feet seemed to be a good distance to me for a rocket.

Leonard: Too bad. What was the winning distance?
Raj: 25,000 feet.
Leonard: WOW!
Raj: It was quite impressive.

And that was all I heard.

All together now...
-The Earth began to cool, The autotrophs began to drool.
Neanderthals developed tools.
We built a wall, we built the pyramids
Math, science, history, unraveling the mystery and it all started with a Big Bang!
Bang!

It is what it is...
Namaste

Testing, Testing

How fun is it to test new product? And get paid!

I finally got chosen to be on a test panel for Jack In The Box! $35 to try a new food. I had to sign a confidentiality agreement so I'm really not supposed to talk about what I tried so let's just say it's not something I ever eat. It was just my luck to try a new sandwich made from a feathery fowl. Its a bird thing. I don't eat them...ever. So I took a bite or two and filled out the survey. I pretended I was Cara because I know she would have LOVED it.

Here comes the best part.

It was explained that they are sort of like the airlines and overbook so a few of us didn't get to  go into the testing room. We still got paid. We were asked if we wanted to come back later. It was only an hour wait so I waited. $70! Score!

Looky, Looky, How appropriate is this Weird Al video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc

If I really wanted to stir it up I could send this to a certain person lacking in proper grammar...

It is what it is...
Namaste

She's On A Roll

News from the Crazy Train

Although I was not expecting any response from my email yesterday, I got not one but two!!! I'm soooooo excited to hear what she has to say.

Thank you for the information. I didn't ask u to blast my email to everyone. It doesn't matter if I brought it to your attention at the beginning or after the season . Bottom line is, brought my this to your attention so that you may be aware and whatever your position is in the league. I wasn't gonna whine about it during the season and ruin the season for my child . I paid my dues , it wasnt free to play in your league and what difference would it have made if I brought to your attention then . Nothing would've changed ?! You just need to understand the kind of people who approve to volunteer . It doesn't work this way in a organized league .so read your rules of book and tell me if your league is really organized .. I didn't ask for you to blast my concern to the world .. I only told you and asked you for the main league information. I don't appreciate that you shared my email with everyone . That was not necessary !!!

And 3 hours later there is more!

There's no details to my opinion ! I never mentioned  they were stealing money ?! stealing time and just being overly competitive and playing favortism is what I was referring to as being crooked .  There's a lack of volunteers because no one really wants to be part of an unorganized league .

Everyone has the right to their own opinion and that does not make them the enemy .  I voiced my concern about being a valuable part of this league this year. Good criticism is actually an opportunity for your league to grow. Nothing is perfect,  but you can actaully make things work out for a better community  Having the right people and right attitude actually makes a difference.

FYI: It's an email not a book I'm writing or letter to an actual president . You don't get paid enough to criticize or correct someone's writing and spelling  . I didn't ask for your criticism on my  spelling and grammar.

Credentials  on your wall or paper does make you smarter than other people . If you were an actual president of something that mattered  , I would actually take you more seriously .  Don't respond back to my email because it would actually be harassment. I think you criticized me enough for me to understand your judgemental  , instead of understanding a simple concern and opinion from a parent .

Thank you !

I WILL NOT respond because apparently answering an email concern sincerely constitutes harassment. Nope, don't want the internet police on my back. What do you think she would say if she knew she was the star of the this weeks News From the Crazy Train??? Chooo Chooo

It is what it is...
Namaste

Just when you think its over, the Crazy Train has pulled back into the station with a farm division parent on board.

She registered her kid about a month after the season started. This is fine as many of our younger players are unaware of the registration dates, etc. When the trophies were ordered, the trophy person was given an original roster and his name wasn't on it. No one realized this. Slightly disappointing but it happens. A new one was ordered when we did the All Star trophies. I get a nasty email...Where is my kid's souvenir? meaning trophy He didn't get it yet. I apologized for the mistake and told her I would let her know when it arrived. In the meantime, I get another nasty email wanting a refund. After contacting the manager to get some background, I call her to find out the reasons. All of a sudden, she can't talk and will call back later. No call. Surprising huh?

We make a plan to meet yesterday at Starbucks to deliver the trophy. I introduce myself and go to shake her hand. She ignores me, picks up the trophy and walks off. Well, OK then....

Then I get the following email. And my response. Hop aboard the Crazy Train!

Dolly H	9:54 AM (21 hours ago)
to me

Can u please email me the information to the head league office . I think you shouldn't have crooked people volunteer their invaluable time to coach the kids . Our coach which is your friend were the worst and very crooked people . It's not fair for parents to sign up their kids with crooked people . You have to have experience and passion to be able to coach all the kids not just your favorites . Coaches also make sure to treat every player in the team equally. Maybe in miramesa is different and it's okay to have crooked coaches and coaches that only value who their favorite people are on the team . But it's not like that in better neighborhoods like ladera ranch .. if u want this to work for your baseball team .. have people who have a passion and experience and don't play favoritism ... coaches that whine as well and steal from the team are the worst . Coaches that only shares the success with their own team favs should not be allowed to coach and argue with other team coaches because they have issues outside should not bring their drama to the game .. game were never on time because the coaches did not agree on something or whatever .. seriously .. this has been the worst season .... we had a great coach and team last year in tball .. you should allow more valuable people to volunteer for this .. don't have them volunteer because they want something ... do it because they want to really coach the kids and treat every kid equally .. so yes coaches this year played favoritism and also did not really coach the team only their fav members .. ughhhhh ...... thank u and Pls send me the Information on the main league office .. I understand you don't get paid to do what you do but need to understand to do it woth the heart of passion and with all fairness  not just to make a name for themselves and collect the rewards meant for the team for themselves and not share it with the whole team but only the people they like on the team ... Soooooo wrong ......

Good morning,

MMWLL is governed by the MMWLL Board of Directors. So if you want to email them, your email went to me which is correct. We are a part of but not governed by District 32. Their contact information can be found on their website. http://www.eteamz.com/llbbca32/

In order to address your complaints properly, I will need specific examples of what you are calling "crooked" behavior. Stealing from the team is a serious allegation and again specific examples are needed. Please included dates, dollar amounts or equipment that you believe have been stolen and the board will follow up.

I am sorry that I am hearing about these issues after the season has been completed. In the future, any problems regarding treatment of the players should be directed to the player agent and any manager issues should be directed to the manager representative at the time their are happening so they can be dealt with immediately. 

In MMWLL we have a serious lack of volunteers in all areas from board members, to managers, to umpires to snack bar and field help. The few people that do volunteer spend an unimaginable amount of time doing many jobs above and beyond the position they volunteered for. I am attaching a volunteer form should you or your husband find some free time to dedicate to the league and join our shrinking ranks of league volunteers. We always welcome new ideas.

In keeping with league protocol, I am forwarding your complaint and this email to the player agent, Scott MacNaughton, manager rep, Scott Moody and District Administer Lisa LaPage. You are copied on that as well.

As a tip for the future, your emails will be taken more seriously if you use standard spelling, grammar and punctuation. 

It is what it is...

Namaste