New stuff going on

Here we are - back at the SSB.  Seems like we just left, but ...

I have been busy ordering Christmas presents.  Yes, ordering them.  I hate fighting crowds.  I really thought I had this one covered.  The first three grands are getting older and they love $$$.  And that's great with me.  I would so much rather my funds go to them directly and let them get exactly what they want.  BUT last week daughter told me what grandson 1 wanted.  He wanted a basketball jersey -from a team that ISN'T the Houston Rockets.  That was a knife to the heart, but I ordered it. 

When you order you enter the world of the unknown.  I knew we would be gone from the 11th to the 17th.  I hoped that jersey would be delivered after the 17th because I knew there was no way it would come before.  It was to come the 15th.  NOW it has been turned over to the USPS from Fed Ex and delivery is TODAY.  Our carrier is so bad, we get our mail between 7-8 PM! 

So why am I so angry (other than the ridiculously late delivery of our mail) about this hand-off?  I also ordered a spring-form pan.  It has taken forever.  The delivery was set for the 11th - 14th.  It was ALSO handed off from UPS to the USPS. 

The tracking on this simple little thing is a pain to begin with.  It sat in California for days.  Then it was sent to Dallas.  From Dallas, it went to Ft Worth.  The first kicker was that it went BACK to Dallas.  Finally on to Houston.  There it went to the USPS - and the Houston Office is Never-never land.  Supposedly yesterday it was "out for delivery."  Nope - it was not.  Can't be located.  So the delivery date is now Dec 14-19.  AND if I don't have it by the 20th I am to contact Amazon and they will help.  Well, that pan was supposed to be used here in the wilderness TODAY to make a fruitcake.  Needless to say, I have decided to use another method because it didn't come by our departure date. 

I have LOVED Amazon for years.  Their promise of a two-day delivery was so great.  It. Never. Happens. Anymore.  DIL uses the wish list for her kids' list.  I use it.  I promptly ordered from it when we goe home the last time.  All things in the same order.  It took a week for the last one to be delivered.  They came in total piecemeal fashion.  I even contacted Amazon on chat because of the one that arrived last Sunday.

The person delivering said it was handed "directly to the resident."  We. Weren't. Home.  That set me off to begin with.  It was 6PM and we didn't get it handed to us.  The second thing, it wasn't even put on the porch.  It was dropped on the sidewalk.  I did let them know about that.  And there are many others in the neighborhood who have had the same problem.  I told them to tell Amazon.  It is the only way this will change.  If it doesn't - I am thinking I will drop Amazon like a hot potato.

So the rest of my day will be making two fruitcakes.  They are massive creations.  About 5 cups nuts and two and a half pounds of candied fruits.  All this held together with four eggs!  They are so hard to mix.  My shoulders are in such bad shape - I hope I can manage.  But they really are so good.

Our next adventure is right after Christmas.  We are doing a family vacation - all 12 of us.  The oldest granddaughter, as you know, is headed to Marist College in New York in the fall, and this will probably be our last chance for this.  We will spend New Year's Eve in South Padre Island. 

So (and yes I am going to use this term because there are many celebrations) Happy Holidays to you all!

PS - I splurged and got myself a nice Christmas present - which is why I have been so long in getting back. Before Harvey, I was having great problems with the Toshiba computer.  My guru put in a new something - CD drive I think.  Well - it didn't want to load.  So I rushed out and bought an Asus.  What a piece of trash.  I spent more time looking at a black screen than anything else, so Costco ran a special.  I got myself a nice new Dell laptop - and I love it.  I am really broke now, but a happy broke girl!