This will be a short post with a quick catch up. We returned from a delightful 8 day extended family vacation only to find our kitchen infested with ants and all of us getting Covid. I didn't feel well on the drive home and managed to have given it to the 10 other family members on the trip. Two days after arriving home, we had a tornado four miles from our home, so that was fun too!
We are all better now, but last week was not pleasant. Also not pleasant are these pictures I've saved for you:
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| Someone was actually trying to sell this monster on my local Facebook Marketplace. |
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A dustpan without the broom was going for free on my local Buy Nothing site. I can never get over the crap people are afraid to just throw away.
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I'm still seeing lone flossers in virtually every parking lot I walk through.
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My photo doesn't do it justice, but I parked next to a car that was detailed in glitter. I would have loved to see the woman that drove that car.
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In the middle of the day, I saw two raccoons near someone's front door while I was on a walk. Rabies, anyone?
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| Really, TJ Maxx? Really? |
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In my pile of mail was this life insurance letter addressed to me (my married name) expressing sympathy for the loss of me (my maiden name). I have been battling this company for a full year now, since I found the policy in my mother's mess. My father (who is deceased) was the owner of a policy for me (the insured). All I want to do is get it into my married name and change the ownership to a living person. You would think a life insurance company would know how to do such a thing, but they don't seem to. I've sent a death certificate, an affidavit, a marriage license, along with filling out numerous papers and they still don't know WTF they are doing. After calling to say, "I'm alive!" and not getting anywhere, I sent an email to the president of the company and copied it to every name I could find online. I also wrote a really nasty google review. It's been six days and nary a word from them. Surprise, surprise!
I'll be around to visit you soon! |
Bijoux, I also got back from vacation to an ant infestation! Twinning! But I do not have Covid (that I know of, anyway, it seems like everyone's going down like timber with it this summer).
ReplyDeleteUgh, what a mess with the life insurance. WHAT MORE DO THEY WANT FROM YOU. Also, it's kind of funny that they are sending condolences to you beyond your grave.
I feel like I could use that whipped boob polish, honestly. We don't have TJ Maxx here though.
The buy nothing group I was in, back in Calgary, was absolutely nuts. Sometimes there was great stuff! But also, once there was leftover pizza from a child's birthday party. AND PEOPLE TOOK IT. I gave away used makeup, I kid you not. I had bought a two-pack from Costco, didn't like it (pandemic purchases, what can I say) and I didn't want to throw it out. People LINED UP (virtually) for that used makeup.
Ugh, sorry that you were dealing with ants, too. They were on our ceiling, floor, counters, everywhere! So gross! I have no idea what that insurance company wants from me. But after reading their google reviews, I know I’m not alone. Insanity!
DeleteI’m cracking up at the leftover pizza! I don’t see too much food on the site, but I’ve seen a lot of opened vitamins. Doesn’t seem too safe, does it?? I got rid of a big bag of Lysol and air fresheners that my mom had. You’re right; people lined up for it!
Welcome back, my friend! You have been very missed! Sorry to hear about getting Covid while on vacation, but I hope that it wasn't a severe case and that you and your family are on the mend.
ReplyDeleteYour mention of ants reminded me of my time living in Florida and how so often I'd find my kitchen infested with ants (usually around the cat food dish I placed on the floor) and sometimes inside a cabinet where I had a box of crackers or something. That's when I learned to keep everything (with the exception of canned goods) in the refrigerator. Florida is such a "buggy" State.
Okay, and that doll CREEPED me out. Especially the way she has her mouth opened. And that tongue! Ewwwwwwwwww!
"I'm still seeing lone flossers in virtually every parking lot I walk through."
Same here in Philly. I see them constantly. And I can't get it through my head why someone would feel that it's totally okay to do that with their flossers. How gross!
"Really, TJ Maxx? Really?"
LOL! Doesn't it blow you away the stuff you find at TJ Maxx?!?! The one that I used to go to by my apartment just recently closed. I would get my reading glasses there because they were so cheap.
" I sent an email to the president of the company and copied it to every name I could find online. I also wrote a really nasty google review. It's been six days and nary a word from them. "
Good for you! I can't tell you how many times I've had to do what you did to get something resolved. In fact, I just did that about an encounter I had (several times) at CVS.
Again, glad to see you back. Have a grrrrrreat rest of your week!
X
I really only felt really bad for two days, so it wasn’t the worst. I just felt terrible that I gave it to all my grandkids, etc. I was definitely ground zero! Keeping stuff in the fridge is a nuisance, but I understand! I had my kitchen trash can in the laundry room all last week. That was a pain!
DeleteIsn’t that doll disturbing? She had no takers🤣 And I love TJMaxx, but they do have weird stuff. OMG, I meant to ask you if you saw the Hello Kitty news??? That it’s supposed to be a girl and not a cat??? I was dying, thinking of you!!! I’m having a much better week, so thanks! I hope you do a CVS post now! XO
Ummmmm. . . no comment on the, uh, polish. . .
ReplyDeleteWhat will they think of next?
DeleteI also spent a couple days down with COVID. Was in a meeting with a guy who tested positive, but was asymptomatic. Didn't hit me too bad, tho. And so far, Jenn is staying out of the hospital. . .
DeleteIt was nothing compared to the flu I had over Dec/Jan. Glad you are doing ok now.
DeleteWelcome back, Bijoux, and returning home to ants and with Covid was certainly not good to read, so hope both situations are improving. Yikes on that doll, hideous is the word that came to my mind. You are so right about strange things people will give away for free vs. tossing out. I formerly volunteered in a thrift store when we lived in VA . The unsaleable items people would donate vs just discarding was amazing. Now, I volunteer with the library's Friends group and it's much the same with books that are torn, marked up, out of date. To be fair,, there are also some great donations in both situations. Kudos to you for going higher up in the chain of command for that insurance company. Do keep us posted on any news.
ReplyDeleteWe are all back to normal, for the most part. Or as normal as any of us get! Middle Child, who works at the library, is always aggravated by the people who throw book donations into the drop off chute. Things like dictionaries that are 50 years old and textbooks from the 1980’s. I’ll let you know if the insurance business is ever resolved. I’m not holding my breath.
DeleteWow. That insurance situation sounds incredibly frustrating. Is there a number you can call to speak directly to a human? Yes, that doll is a monster. Hilarious about the dustpan. (I'd toss it in recycling. Hard plastics are recyclable, right? Glitter car-wow. I would TOTALLY want to see the driver. Boob whatever--gross. Raccoons-freaky. Shoot. What else? This has been a great exercise in memory power. Okay, now I've got to cheat and scroll back up. Woohoo! I only missed the flosser! That is truly bizarre that you see those everywhere. Who is wandering through parking lots flossing?! Sorry about the Covid, etc. :( Glad you're better now. ~Betsy
ReplyDeleteOh, I've talked to plenty of humans directly, but everyone says something different and no one has been any help. I've gone through the saga countless times and the person is always like 'What the heck?' but then they tell me something new. It's incredibly frustrating! So much bizarre stuff in this world, am i right?? Thanks for the well wishes!!!
DeleteHow is it possible that so many people are that incompetent? Are they actually trained to be that way in hopes people will just give up??
DeleteI did see an employee give them a poor google review for lack of training.🤷♀️
DeleteThat's honest, at least. Wonder if the employee got fired. Or maybe he/she left the review after quitting.
DeleteOH FRIEND. I’m so sorry you’ve got both Covid and ants. What the fuuuuu. Sending you a big hug!
ReplyDeleteThat baby doll definitely needs to be put out of its misery. And when your post popped up in Feedly, the baby doll's picture was right there with your blog title.🤣
Plackers again! Maybe there’s a secret Plackers cult we don’t know about. I hope they don’t disappear because I love Plackers.
I’ve noticed people are putting glitter on their driveways when they seal coat them, and I have to admit, it’s kind of mesmerizing.
I keep seeing people on TikTok befriending raccoons, and I’m like, HELLO, RABIES????
God, I’ve missed you—my voice of reason. Maybe I need some boob polish? No, definitely not
I'm so glad you're still alive.❤️
Thanks for the hug!!!! I purposefully put the doll as my first photo so people would notice it in their feeds!!! Aren't I awful??? Middle Child loves Plackers, too. I prefer the standard waxed Johnson & Johnson dental floss myself. Glitter on a driveway?? Whaaaatttt??? I'll be by your place soon. I spend time reading your links, so give me a bit!
DeleteI'm sorry to read about the mess with an insurance company. I've been through struggles like that after my mother died and it is, to put it mildly, tedious. I don't like seeing flossers in parking lots and will admit I'm seeing fewer lately. I don't know what that means, but if it's a trend maybe it's headed your way.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that the aftermath when someone dies (or in this case, goes to assisted living/demential care) is worse than the actual death. Why does every agency make it so difficult for those left behind? It's criminal.
DeleteI will never understand tossing a flosser out of one's car. People are so lazy.
Oh no! Sorry to hear you got Covid! I am always down for weeks when I get infected and it sucks. I'm glad you're on the mend though!
ReplyDeleteWe used to get ants here, when we first moved in. I haven't seen them in years, but lately I have a little moth problem in my pantry. So now, like Ron, when something gets opened it goes right into the fridge until I find the nest. Such a hassle!
I'm amazed at the things people willing take from the free group. This week alone offered and taken were gently used thongs, clean but used period panties, clean but used boxer briefs, clean but used socks, and a half pack of condoms. The condoms I get, but undergarments should not be shared, especially amongst neighbors. Ick!
Weird about the insurance. You'll have to let us know how that unfolds!
A moth problem would drive me bonkers. The Buy Nothing group is beyond weird, isn’t it? I can’t believe people take used underwear! That is just gross. But yeah, I rarely see anything that doesn’t get taken immediately. People must have their phones set on high alert because you have to ask for items within 5 minutes it seems.
DeleteSomeone should start a page about the weird crap found on the free groups. Once, I was offering 5 zucchini and one lady only wanted 1. Like, it was going to cost her more in gas to come get the 1 zucchini than she would have spent on one at the grocery store. People are just weird LOL. We do have a 24 hour "simmer" limit on our group so everyone has a chance to put their name into the drawing. Keeps it fair so the people that are on there 24/7 aren't snapping up all the good stuff right away.
DeleteLOL . . . I wonder what she was going to do with one zucchini? I've never heard of a simmer limit. It just seems first one, first served in the group I'm in.
DeleteI'm so glad to see you're back and that you enjoyed your trip but sorry to hear you all were sick afterwards. I absolutely despise ants so I'm sure that was not pleasant to deal with. That doll is beyond creepy. The boob polish, well they think of everything don't they? How frustrating to deal with that insurance company. Don't you just shake your head at some of the stupidity that some of these companies generate? It is beyond infuriating. I hope you're feeling better and enjoying the last part of the Summer.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lori. I can’t wait to share my vacation here when I have time to go through the photos. I’m so exhausted from dealing with that insurance company. They are just so incompetent, it’s hard to believe they are still in business. It’s been 8 days now and still no response to my email sent to 5 people.
DeleteOh no. Sorry about the covid and the ants. Yikes. I hope the vacation part was fun. The doll is super creepy. I helped out at a parish wide garage sale over the summer in order to be able to shop at the presale. This was not my first rodeo, but I was helping sift through the donations and get them to the correct room and I was blown away, BLOWN AWAY by some of the garbage that was donated. What is wrong with people?
ReplyDeleteThe vacation was amazing and I will post all about it in the future. Isn't it nuts what people will donate? I understand feeling bad about throwing stuff away, but garbage is garbage!
DeleteSorry to hear about the covid and the ants. We suddenly have masses of ants in our back garden, but luckily none in the house. I hope you and the other ten recover from the covid asap.
ReplyDeleteYour long battle with the insurance company doesn't surprise me. So many companies now (a) seem to regard customer service as some quaint old tradition they can do away with, and (b) have an army of untrained and incompetent staff who can't solve a very simple problem like a change of name and policy-holder.
I hope the ants stay outdoors! We've gotten rid of them (for now) and we have recovered from Covid. I'm glad to hear that my battle with the insurance company is no surprise to other people. Sometimes I wonder if it's just me?!
DeleteGlad to hear that you are not dead but sorry to hear about COVID and your home invaders. Take care of yourself and I need to get to TJ Maxx to take care of my boobs.
ReplyDeleteYou get the max to the minimum at TJMaxx!
DeleteGeez Louise, what an awful jolt back to reality. If I were you, I might be rethinking ever going away on vacation again!
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, it's hard to go anywhere when you're DEAD. My condolences to your family and RIP to you, my friend. I am thankful for the many blogging years we had together and hope you're in a better place now.
LMAO……I’m definitely in a better place than I was last week. But I just saw in my daily mail preview a piece of mail from the dreaded insurance company and it’s addressed to my father’s estate, so I doubt it’s going to be good.
DeleteWow, that insurance company had dumb people. Sorry to hear about the ant problem and covid. Hope the ants are gone and you all are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteThey are the dumbest! But I’m back to normal now.
DeleteHoly Covid! So sorry you guys ALL became sick! I suppose the only good news is it was AFTER vacation? But the ants. And the tornado. And then that scary doll. What are you trying to do to me? 🤣
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you would assume that the glittery car belongs to a woman. You know it's 2024, right?
The insurance company would make me so angry; why must you/we/us deal with stupidity on a daily basis?
I don't think raccoons out during the day mean they have rabies, but they might have found something so tasty to eat that they would forgo their nap time.
I started losing my voice on a Friday and we left to go home Sunday morning, so I managed to infect everyone without realizing I was actually sick. I thought my throat was sore from talking too much🤣
DeleteYou’re right, the car could have belonged to another pronoun besides she/her. What was I thinking?
I always equate daytime nocturnal creatures with rabies. Even though I know nothing about them!
It sounds like you’ve had quite the whirlwind of challenges lately! From dealing with a kitchen infestation and a COVID outbreak to dodging a tornado, it’s no wonder you’re feeling overwhelmed. And then there’s the oddities in your local area and the frustrating insurance battle—what a mix of frustrations! I hope this week brings some calm and a resolution to the insurance mess. Wishing you smoother sailing ahead! Wishing you a beautiful week ahead! Check out my new style post: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/08/uoozee-church-outfit-review.html
ReplyDeleteIt was a lousy week, but we have moved on to better days. Thanks so much for your support and sweet comment!
DeleteHey, Bijoux! Sorry I'm a little late to this post, but it's been a little hectic here. And I'm so sorry to hear that you had Covid. I hope you and your family have recovered.
ReplyDeleteThat was one creepy-ass doll, but the creepiest thing in this post is your insurance company. What a pack of incompetent ghouls! Throw them to the racoons!
Feel better...
Thanks, Rob. We are all back to normal now. I’m still dealing with the lunatics at Protective though. Sigh.
DeleteOh no on both the ants and the Covid. People are getting it again. It just won't go away. Hubby and I got another booster last week. We're heading to our 55th class reunion tonight and tomorrow and I wanted some extra coverage, though it's not been the full 2 wks they suggest. Additionally we'll be headed to Sicily in about a month, so needed coverage for that as well. One of my classmates that was scheduled to come to the reunion can't because she got Covid, and another one can't come because her husband got it, so she assumes she's next up and didn't want to come and expose everyone. Hope you're able to the bug people in to spray. We have them spray the outside of the house, the baseboards in the kitchen and dining room area which tend to be the problem areas, and we have ant traps things out. There were very bad last year and that was the first time we did more than the little traps, so I had them come out in Spring and do it before we had the problem. That doll is scary. Agree with you about rabies. Two of them that close to the house is not good. Good luck with the insurance mess. I fought with medicare for over a year trying to get my MIL's final bills taken care of years ago. They kept telling me she died......like I didn't know it. I told them yes, I know she died; but these bills were incured while she was alive....you don't get medical care after your dead.
ReplyDeleteI hope the booster works for you. I’ve given up on them! My husband sprayed for ants outside and we used traps indoors. I’m only seeing one a day now, so I think we’re covered. I feel your pain with the Medicare issues. I pay my mom’s bill and just learned about the donut hole gap. The government sure knows how to screw people.
DeleteI'm glad you had a nice vacation but bummer you were sick and everyone else got it! And to have an ant infestation when you got home! That doll is super creepy and did that dust pan have dust on it? What a dumb insurance company!
ReplyDeleteSounds like we both had fun family vacations. We are considering the western side of Michigan next year! I’ve been to Muskegon as a kid and Sleeping Bear Dunes 20 years ago, so I think it’s a good option. Take care of your arm.
DeleteI’m glad your doing better now. Hope it continues.
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
Thank you.
DeleteYes I have been dealing with ants all summer they were driving me crazy. And yes COVID has been spiking everyone at my job has been sick, one person had COVID and then got strep throat a month later then got sick again with another bad cold passed it on two there people and then another coworker got sick with something else at the same time, it was crazy. I avoided getting sick thank God. Though at least you had a nice vaca.
ReplyDeleteAllie of
www.allienyc.com
I’m sorry you’ve had ant issues, too. I’m still killing one or two a day. I keep hearing about all the Covid cases. I think that despite all the vaccines, we have to just accept it as the common cold now. No more vax for me!
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