Amazon 2-Day delivery isn't so.... (a short post)

 

On Monday, August 25, I placed an order for 8 items, 6 of them were expected to be delivered the next day, August 26th.  However, Amazon sent me a "sorry message", saying that the above 6 items would be delivered on August 27th.  But these items were never delivered.  Now, Amazon reports that these items will arrive on August 28th.  If I desperately needed these items, I'd find another seller and buy similar things (if possible). One can understand why I am annoyed at Amazon, and may cancel this order if it doesn't come by the weekend.   Of these items, 3 are used to remove unwanted back hair, apply makeup, and help my wig stay on my head.  Luckily, I can get by for a while without these items.

A while back, RQS and I went to the Amazon fulfillment center to see how the firm processes goods.  It's a highly automated process, with people performing repetitive tasks all day.  (Not a job I'd want.)  The tour guise pointed out spots where items can get mishandled, or fell into the cracks of the process. I'll bet that my shipment fell into the latter category, as Amazon reported that the package had been received at the Hawthorne, NY distribution center.  (Sadly, that message can't be retrieved, and all I have is the status from the day before.)  But what could have happened?  Knowing how much they know about any package, whether it has been assembled, packed, shipped, or delivered, what could have gone wrong?  A 1-day delay is understandable, with a loose understanding of Amazon's processes. But a 2-day delay without a full explanation is not understandable, given Amazon's technology.  

Hopefully, this delivery will arrive tomorrow.  If not, well.... 

Updates on the last days before my cruise.

 

Lately, I've been preparing for my upcoming cruise, and trying to get as many things in order before flying to California.  I had been thinking of buying a camera for this trip and realized that it wouldn't make sense because I usually get good enough pictures on my cell phone and realized that that the DSLR camera I already own is gathering dust on one of my shelves. (In my defense, the camera doesn't take SD memory cards, lenses aren't made for this camera line any more, and the rig is bulky as hell.)

- - - - - -

Yesterday, I decided to look at cameras on Amazon and found that most of the inexpensive rigs would take more than 2 days to be delivered to my house.  (I wasn't going to pay extra for 1 day delivery.) This was unacceptable, and was one of the main reasons I started to think differently about buying a new camera.  For the most part, this was an unneeded expense, like my drive to the family homestead I took.

Why am I mentioning my drive to the family homestead?

My brother and I own a house that we've been renting out for years. This year, our tenant left, and the place has been vacant since January.  There were upgrades we needed to make to the house, such as replacing the water heater, replacing leaking gas pipes and replacing the washer/dryer in the basement, that had to be done before we could rent the place out again.  While we were doing this, another "might as well" came into play - we repaired and painted the basement walls, then redid the electric wiring and lighting to make it appear as an almost finished basement.  Yet, my brother forgot one thing: Did he make sure that the fire extinguisher was back in the kitchen before the final inspection.  So, I took 4 hours out of my life to find out that the extinguisher was in place when I could have spent it doing something more enjoyable.

There was no way I could do anything else that day.  I had to open up a co-op board meeting specially held to interview 2 applicants to purchase apartments.  This kept me from doing what I would have liked to have done - having one last evening by myself before 2+ weeks of being in the constant presence of others.

- - - - - -

Today, I had only one thing on my docket: seeing an acquaintance I met on the first post Covid shutdown cruise I took in late 2021.  J, as I'll call her here is a retiree who can afford to take several cruises each year, including at least 1 from a bucket list category.  We have been in very loose communications over the past 3 years, and we had another opportunity to meet again - She's going on a cruise that sails out of New York tomorrow, and I'll be leaving for California the next day.  But there is one problem.  She's staying at an airport hotel.  (Why she's not staying in Manhattan I'll never know.) So, this makes my journey to see her more complex, as I have to take Metro North to Grand Central, take the Long Island Railroad to Jamaica, and then the JFK Airtrain to the TWA Hotel where we planned to meet.

My friend was supposed to arrive in NYC at 9 am, but got bumped to a later flight.  That worked out for her, as she didn't have to wait as long at the hotel to check into her room.  I started down to the airport when she was checking in, and was lucky to catch an express train with a few minutes to spare.  (It helped that some people were leaving early, and I found a parking spot within 50 feet of the parking meter kiosk.

With parking voucher in hand (I won't call it a ticket lest a reader get confused), I hopped onto the train (train ticket in hand), and made it to Grand Central at 3:45 pm.  I had a little time to kill, and went to the LIRR concourse at 4:15 pm, catching the next train to Jamaica.  It was easy to kill a few minutes in Jamaica (nothing much to see here, as the train station puts function over form), and then I caught the Airtrain to the airport.  (The Port Authority still uses the obsolete Metrocard to pay for Airtrain rides, and will eventually shift to a "tap and go" system sometime in the next 12 months.  But I digress....)  Given that I was in the airport at 5 pm, I decided to go to the JetBlue terminal, then walk over to the TWA Hotel.  Well, my friend made it to the Airtrain station earlier than I expected, and I trekked back to the Airtrain station to meet her. 

We met around 5:30, and proceeded to the TWA hotel for dinner.  This hotel was originally the TWA terminal at the airport and was decommissioned when American Airlines took over TWA.  It didn't make sense to preserve this terminal for flights, as it couldn't handle today's jets.  More importantly, this building is a landmark piece of architecture designed by Eero Saarinen.  So, it made sense to turn the place into an expensive airport hotel and make the place a living history museum.

I didn't get the chance to explore the whole place - it was time for dinner, and I was hungry.  We talked about cruising for the most part, and indirectly talked politics in a neutral way.  (She pays no interest in politics, but understands why I'd have trouble with the current regime in DC.  She loved the place, and was very glad that I suggested we eat there.  Service at the restaurant was fast in the delivery of our food.  Our water glasses were kept full.  And they weren't in a rush to chase us out for more paying customers.  So it was I who noted that it was 9:30 pm, and that I had to be on my way.

Hopefully, I'll see my friend soon on another cruise, or when she's in New York for some other reason.

PS: My friend is going on the same cruise as another friend from my Yonkers game night group.  Hopefully, they will bump into each other and have a great time.

  

I still wasn't feeling up to par today.

 

I decided not to go to a meetup today, as I was still feeling a little bit under the weather.  The soreness at the back of my throat has eased off, and I don't ache as much as I did yesterday.  Part of me wants to break open a bottle of Amaretto, mix it in some Hot Chocolate and relax.  Yet, this is not the time to have a drink, unless it's hot tea.

- - - - - -

When I got up this morning, I saw a dusting of snow on the ground. Given that places further South of me would likely have more snow on the ground, I decided NOT to go to Ikea today for the nightstand I wanted to put together.  Instead, I stayed in bed, in my jammies, covered by a warm blanket, trying to stay comfortable.  And for the most part, I was successful.

Occasionally, I would check my email to see what was going on, and noticed that I had a delivery both from my online pharmacy and from Woot.com.  So I went downstairs to pick up my packages, and found what could be the precursor of a big bill in my mailbox.  AARGH!

Coming back upstairs, I opened the box from Amazon and found the dish drying rack I had ordered.  Hopefully, this rack will prove more convenient to use than the old rack. After putting the new rack in place, I made some pasta for dinner, and then got back in my jammies to rest as comfortably as possible.  

What I didn't mention is that I received a call from an acquaintance - which I didn't pick up.  I was not in the mood to talk with anyone today, as I would be focusing more on my aches and pains than the conversation at hand.  Hopefully, I'll be in the mood to call her later on in the week.

Lunch with a friend, then a shopping trip in the rain.

 

Today's lunch table looked nothing like the one above.  Instead, today's meal was at the Mexican restaurant down the hill from me, lunching with a friend from the Census.

- - - - - -

Given how cloudy the skies looked when I got up, I wasn't enthusiastic about getting dressed and out in the world as Marian today.  What made things worse, is when I started to use my electric razor, one of the rotating blades wasn't being held in place.  Unfortunately, I couldn't fix this problem and had to place a rush order with Amazon for a replacement.  In spite of this, I was able to get myself made up and out the door in time for lunch.

It was nice to meet my friend again for our monthly lunch, and we caught up on what was going on in each other's lives.  All too soon, lunch was over and we parted until next month.  After we parted, I went to Kohl's to drop off a broken silicone vegetable steamer I'm returning to Amazon.  One of the 3 legs were broken, and another didn't have a silicone sheath over a plastic leg.  Luckily, I don't have to cook in my non-stick pots and pans for a while.  Then after that, It was off to Poughkeepsie to do some shopping at Target and Lane Bryant.

A little while back, I bought some sexy lingerie to wear at home.  And when I saw the robe in the above picture, I felt it might be the perfect compliment to some lingerie I bought 2-3 weeks ago.  (Sometimes, a T-girl wants to wear pretty things, even if her body doesn't do these garments justice.)  Unfortunately, I didn't see this garment in Lane Bryant, although the site said it could be found in the store.  (I guess I'll have to mail order it soon.)  Once done with Lane Bryant, it was off to Target to see if I could find a really cheap electric razor - which none were in my price range.  So I guess that I'll have to make do until the replacement shaving head comes in a day or two.

Now, it was time to go home.  Before I started off, I found that we might yet have another weather related delay in scheduled driveway/parking lot work - I'm glad I can use my brother as a fall back. In addition, I finally got a response from my sleep doctor - he says that he hasn't received the results of my sleep test.  AARGH!  This is hard to believe.  But I'll have to accept this for now, and will complain if I don't have more information when I get back from Bermuda.

- - - - - -

While writing this entry, NYC's Mayor has just been indicted by the Feds.  It'll be interesting to see what happens in local politics, as NYC only votes Republican when the Democrats have gone too far - and this is too far for most of us....

I get frustrated when a business says something is delivered when it isn't.

 

How many of you use Amazon and get notices that your products have been delivered when this is not so?  Well, I'm tired of these presumptive notifications from vendors, as false positives cause a lot of grief when deliveries are time-sensitive.

Years ago, I subscribed to Amazon Prime because they advertised 2-day delivery for most products.  This was very important, as Amazon was the only place where I could find a girl's locking diary that I could give to a young girl before Christmas.  Today, things are different.  On Amazon's site, they tell users to do the following:

1 - Confirm shipping address in Your Orders
2 - Look for a notice of delivery attempt
3 - Check around the delivery location
4 - Ask your household members and neighbors
5 - Wait 48 hours for the package to be delivered
6 - You can check with the carrier

You'd think that Amazon (and its carriers) could always take a photograph of the delivered object where it was delivered, and include that photo as part of an email confirming delivery.  This was helpful to RQS when her package was delivered to the building next door, and made it to her place a day later.  But false positives can cause big problems.

Quite often, I get false positives from Amazon and UPS regarding product deliveries.  The worst of these occurred a while back when UPS and I got our signals cross when I ordered a phone from Motorola.  The confusion had me going back and forth between UPS and Motorola trying to find out where the product was delivered and how to get a replacement shipped to me.  I ended up paying the first month's installment on the phone before I actually received it.  Although Amazon can be bad, but UPS can be worse because they consider a product to be delivered - even when they hand it off to the post office for last-mile delivery.  This happens quite a bit for many small items, and no notice is available on UPS's site to tell the recipient that they handed off the delivery to USPS. 

Shortly before the pandemic and during part of it, I was a customer of Freshly.  Their food was good, but their last mile delivery was terrible.  Out of 13 shipments, only 3 or 4 were delivered correctly.  My boxes were left behind entry doors where I couldn't see them, left in other doorways where no one cared about them, and in one case, left in front of a vacant apartment where the food was left to rot for a week. Although I got reimbursed for my losses, I got annoyed at the last mile delivery service they used - LaserShip.  Like many "Gig Economy" services, LaserShip bid out its deliveries to the lowest bidder, and this often meant that products were delivered incorrectly, if at all.  I'll bet that firms like this were the cause of Freshly's demise.

What in the world should we do as consumers?  For me, I'd report the products as missing as soon as they are marked as delivered and found not to be so.  Someone has to pay the cost for false deliveries and businesses have more clout than consumers to insure that their products get delivered properly.  So, make them pay the cost for the problems they created until these problems are fixed.

 

Getting things done at the last moment

 

One more day to go before my cruise, and I figure that I've left too much undone.  Last minute bill paying has yet to be done, and I have yet to visit a nail salon for a Mani-Pedi.  Tomorrow will be the last day that I'll have the chance to take care of these things, so I'd better have a game plan set up to make sure that all of my tasks are completed on time.

This afternoon, I had a couple of tasks to take care of, and only dealt with one of them.  And that was taking a duplicate Amazon delivery to the UPS store for a return credit.  (See previous post for more information.)  The other task, left undone was to go to the nail salon for a Mani-Pedi.  That, along with getting some cash for the cruise and doing some last minute packing must be done as early as possible, as I'll need to be fully rested before an early morning trip to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

Once done with UPS, I went home and took a nap.  I had forgotten about the chicken in the refrigerator, and ended up stopping at Mickey D's on my way to Game Night.  Although I was late, they made way for me to join in a game, and I did well for a change.  But I was there for one reason - to give two kids their Xmas presents.  And both loved what I bought.  The hostess then brought out a gift for me - a nice bracelet with phosphorescent beads.  Although a little small, I was able to wear it - and may do so on my upcoming cruise.

On the way home, I chatted with RQS.  We're still making our arrangements for next weekend, as we're going to a concert that Sunday night.  Then, the next weekend will be the holiday - and I can't wait to get dressed to the nines with her again....

Sometimes, Amazon gets it wrong.

Today, Amazon reported the above item as being delivered to my door.  One problem.  Although I can see that it was delivered to a building in my complex by the color of the paint and the style of the floor, it was not delivered to my apartment.  Instead, it went to someone in another doorway.  Amazon's last mile delivery service screwed up again!

- - - - - -

One of the first things I've learned to hate lately are the "Last Mile Delivery Services", subcontractors who take products from a corporate warehouse and deliver then to the final recipient.  Unlike UPS and FedEx, Last Mile services usually bid to deliver packages on a route and do not build up the institutional knowledge needed to make complex deliveries correctly.  For example, a woman I noted as being a "Queen Bee" (not in a negative sense) lived in a place where Google Maps could not generate accurate delivery instructions.  She usually had to tell people how to find her place using an alternate address not legally associated with her house on a cul-de-sac.  My case was much simpler.  I live in a complex with 31 apartment buildings with 4 entrances each, and the last mile service delivered my perishable packages to both the wrong floor, the wrong doorway, and the wrong building.  I severed the relationship with the firm shipping my perishables, as their subcontractors could only correctly deliver things to me less than 30% of the time. A woman I know in Queens, NY has had similar problems as her goods were sometimes delivered to the wrong building in her densely populated area.

A few years ago, Amazon started to set up its network of last mile delivery subcontractors, even providing the financing for the delivery trucks needed to set up their businesses.  All of these trucks would carry the Amazon brand, and would only service one customer - Amazon. Over the past few years, it seems like there was a consolidation among these subcontractors, as a friend from the Texas meetup group (not mentioned in this blog) got a job with one of these subcontractors and has her routes strictly managed by Amazon.  I expect something similar occurs in the NYC metropolitan area.  And here lies the problem.

You'll note that in the picture above, the Amazon subcontractor has taken a picture of the door to show that the package has been delivered.  Yet, I can determine by the doormat that the item I ordered was delivered to the wrong doorway, as my doormat is patterned differently.  Sadly, Amazon does not make it easy to tell them exactly what went wrong, as this would be useful information to hold the last mile delivery service to account.  

- - - - - -

Will I buy things through Amazon again?  Yes.  We have few choices, now that the department stores are dying off.  Most things I want to buy do not sell in a high enough volume to be carried by a local store.  But they do sell enough for Amazon to warehouse in regional centers, then delivered to the customer by Amazon's complex logistics network.  Hopefully, next time, Amazon will get it right.

 

 

PS: The UPS Deliveries were delivered the next day via USPS, and the mis-delivered Amazon package made it to my door as well.  Now, I have to return the extra package....

Catching up with friends (Or, at least one of them)

The above is an old picture of me with a meetup group that no longer exists.  Although I made some friends due to being in this group, by the time Covid-19 hit, we had all gone our separate ways.  Yet, the pandemic resulted in me developing new friendships, with whom I was in contact today....

- - - - - -

My first task of the day was to get shaved, showered, made up, and dressed to see my friend SJM formerly of the imaging firm.  Setting a meeting time for 12:30 pm worked out well for both of us, as we both got to the restaurant on time. The two of us had a lot to talk about, and SJM noted that I had just as much chaos going on in my life as she had in hers.  I covered the headaches in regard to my GI Tract, the loss of my backpack and wallet, along with the struggles I had to deal with along the way.  Other than to say that she was very happy to talk about her husband's improving health, I won't say much about what she said to me.

After lunch, I returned hope, and opened up two boxes I received from Amazon.  One contained a replacement backpack and a selfie stick, while the other contained a Bluetooth mouse and some USB-C cables.  Setting up the mouse with the Chromebook was a breeze, and it was worth $10 to both free up the USB-A port on the Chromebook and to never need to worry about having a battery handy to use the mouse.

- - - - - -

Evening was coming and I had a Zoom meeting scheduled with RQS, STX, and JTX.  (This was the only reason that I didn't take off my makeup or breast forms when I got home earlier.) So, I set an Alexa alarm to alert me to be ready for the Zoom, and proceeded to take a short nap.  Two hours later, I checked my computer and my Texas friends had both bailed out for the night, as they were too tired.  So, I rescheduled things and had a face to face with RQS over Zoom.

Hopefully, we'll get to have a good Zoom in two weeks....

Another Day, Another Return to Amazon

 

Yesterday, I boxed up a dress that had to be returned because it was too big.  Today, I have to return a drill I bought from Amazon because it wouldn't charge.

- - - - - -

Buying off-brand items of Chinese provenance is like buying pigs in a poke.  One doesn't really know what one is getting until one opens the box and inspects the merchandise inside.  Sometimes, the product is quite good, and is a bargain.  Other times, the product is garbage, and has to be returned.  In the case of the drill above, it has a solid feel, but ts construction leaves a little to be desired.  For example, this drill is charged using a USB-C cable.  But it doesn't come with a charger block that can be plugged into a wall socket.  So I connected it to two charger blocks of my own, and it didn't charge.  So, back it goes to Amazon for a refund.

Over the past few months, Temu has been spending a fortune on a media campaign to get people to use its shopping app.  From having a woman dancing on screen showing off her latest purchases to "authority figures" showing products on Temu whose prices are too good to be true, this firm's business model is built on getting customers used to low prices and cutting Amazon out of the shopping equation.  But Amazon has an advantage that Temu doesn't - One and Two day deliveries.  If I need a product NOW, I can get it quickly.  With Temu, the product has to be shipped by air from overseas, and then delivered to the end customer.  They don't have Amazon's economies of scale.

- - - - - -

Even Amazon has its weak points.  If I need to inspect an item, try on an item, etc., then Amazon doesn't do much for me.  For example, I'd prefer to look at a pair of shoes and try them on before buying them.  I'd have saved from many mistakes, had I been able to do this more often.  If I need something "yesterday", then even Amazon isn't the right place to buy something.  That is why "Category Killer" stores are so useful.  I'd never know what products are available (and at specific price and quality levels) without being able to see them in the stores.  The blinds in my windows are examples of items I needed to see in person before buying them.  And I wouldn't have wanted to have them shipped to me, then have to ship them back if they weren't what I really wanted.

There are some products that Amazon realizes require a hands-on purchasing experience.  Their purchase of Whole Foods was a good way for them to see how people buy perishable goods, and apply what they learned to in-store shopping experiences.  When I was in LAX (Los Angeles Airport), I saw a store which used Amazon's shopping technology to offer a "Grab and Go" shopping experience.  Yes, it may be convenient.  But it lacks a human touch.  If a product is defective (let's say some foreign product if found in a bag of chips), one has no one to complain to.  

- - - - - -

In the end, no shopping experience will ever be perfect.  As a TG who straddles both masculine and feminine worlds, I like the ability to find products online that I can buy - all in one place.  But I miss being able to chat with store personnel to find out what looks best on me.  

But for now, I have to shower, get dressed, and return my drill before my next delivery comes....

I forgot it was a holiday, but the post office didn't.

 

I decided to return a dress I bought through Amazon.  It looked "just OK", but not good enough to keep right now.  So I boxed it up, printed a return label, and got set to bring the dress to the post office to be returned for credit.  One problem - today was a Federal Holiday, and I can't bring a package to a post office that's closed.  AARGH!  That's one more task I'll have to take care of tomorrow before my new sofa arrives.

After that, I figured that I should make a quick run to Walmart to pick up a couple of pairs of leggings.  Unfortunately, I misplaced those I used to wear to work under my tunics, and needed a couple to wear on my upcoming trip.  Again, a problem - the local Walmart didn't carry in my size.  So, I decided to drive up to Fishkill, where I found 2 pairs in my size in a color I could wear under tunic length dresses.

Do I intend to wear dresses without leggings if I can?  Yes!  I prefer wearing dresses whenever I can.  As a TG who lives on both sides of the gender coin, I prefer to wear dress like garments that reaffirm my feminine nature.  However, I'll have my leggings, so that I can be practical in the cooler autumn weather.

The awkwardness in my plan is that I'll be with RQS at her place the day before our trip, and there the night we return.  Why is this an issue?  No counter space in her bathroom.  I'll have to get made up in a hurry, and can't afford to skip anything, or to leave anything behind.

Keep your fingers crossed....

Often, great deals are too good to last.

 

Woot.com is one of those sites that offers deals that are too good to last.  But it illustrates why one should be able to spot a good deal when it is available and pounce on it if it fits your needs.

- - - - - -

Over the years, I have learned that really good deals do not last long. For example, near the end of 2021, I found a great deal on a cruise from NYC to the Bahamas and back. It was one of the first cruises to take place after the Covid-19 Suspension, and had a price that could not be beat.  There was no single supplement, and I snagged a mini-suite for $1,400.  How could I beat that?

Now that I am comfortable going out in the world as Marian, I will occasionally buy a "Mystery Box" from Universal Standard.  It is like buying a pig in a poke, as you never know what you're going to get until you get it.  There are some items I am comfortable wearing, and others that I don't have the occasion to wear.  On the whole, I have broken even on my mystery purchases from Universal Standard, and will consider buying more mystery boxes in the future.

Years ago, I was hunting for a dress I could wear to a wedding and found a dress that looked good on me. I found it listed on Roamans.com for $140.  The same dress found be found on Amazon.com for $120.  But, on another onestopcom's site, it sold for $50 as long as you purchased a total of garments whose price totaled $75 or more.  That was a great deal on a dress which I've only had the occasion to wear only once.   

Bargain hunting can be fun, as well as addictive.  Now that I'm retired, it pays for me to search for bargains, but not always jump on them.  Luckily, I have the option to buy (or not buy).  And I'm glad I can enjoy bargain shopping to its fullest.

Sometimes, packages get lost for a while

This weekend, I found that Amazon Prime isn't always able to deliver products in 2 days.  However, it is not as much of an Amazon issue as it is an issue with its contracted carrier, UPS.  This item was expected to be delivered to my place by Friday evening, and delivery was delayed by events while the package was in UPS custody - somewhere in New Jersey.  

I'm not going to complain about this, as I don't need these trackers until I leave for Hawaii.  But I may have encountered a flaw in the "last mile" of Amazon's package delivery system.  Once a provider has a glitch in its' system, it can propagate to cause problems with other service/goods providers.  If snow shuts down an airport, it fouls up transportation for any person needing to use that airport while the snow is on the ground.  Both RQS and I wondered why the package was delayed when the package was in New Jersey.  Unlike Upstate New York, the weather shouldn't have been a factor in the delivery's delay.  Unfortunately, I doubt that we'll ever find out what caused the delay.

 

 

Preparing for a Hawaiian Cruise

Thank god for Amazon!  Over the last few weeks, I've been ordering things I'll need for my upcoming Hawaii cruise.  In addition to buying new luggage, I've been buying little things such as water shoes for the time I may be at a beach.  In the above picture, I am showing some of the things I've bought for my upcoming cruise.

There are several minor issues one must be aware of when traveling to Hawaii.  Due to the fragile nature of its habitat, they require that only "Reef Safe" Sunscreens are used. In addition, when I go to Pearl Harbor, I'll need the clear "stadium backpack" to hold personal goods, as they do not allow civilians to carry normal purses on the base.  Given that I'll be in an inside cabin, I bought an inexpensive motion sensitive night light for use in the room, and I've bought a plastic luggage tag to help the baggage smashers route my suitcase to my cabin.  And, in case the suitcase gets lost, I will have a Tile Tracker attached to help in locating the bag.  

There are so many things left to be taken care of before the cruise.  For example, I have to schedule a hotel room with 13 day parking with an airport shuttle.  My flight leaves Newark at an ungodly time of the day, and I won't be able to get to the airport in time if I were to drive to the parking lot from home the day I start my travels.  Hopefully, I won't forget anything.  But I know I'll be writing about my trip in this blog....

Meanderings

I don't own this dress anymore.  When I bought it, I thought it would look nice on me.  However, my style has changed a lot since then, and I no longer shop just for things that fit me.  Instead, I try to choose garments that both fit well and make me look pretty.

Why do I mention this?

My place was never as bad as it is now while I was seeing my last serious girlfriend.  I've more than documented the disastrous end to that relationship and the loss of two friendships when I could have used them most.  So I won't go into talk about the past, save that I miss having company now and then.  Right now, I have 5 large bags of clothes in my living room which have to go to charity.  And I want to do this (and more) before I have a woman come to this apartment.  It's been over 2 years since I've had a guest here, and I'd like to make it presentable for someone new - preferably before New Year..

Today, I talked to TCL on my way home and I was reminded about why a relationship never clicked between the two of us.  One might say that she is too smart for her own good.  But that alone wouldn't be an issue.  Instead, she is both too judgemental and wanting too much to tell others about what she thinks is the correct way to do things. For example, I mentioned  the issue with Amazon's last mile delivery, and she said that I should have dropped the mis-delivered packages off at the correct apartments. Since I was in a rush, I alerted one of the neighbors that her package was mis-delivered, and asked her to pick up the packages bound for her doorway.  She did not do that.  She was focusing on what she would have done, and not my telling of the story.  And that can be off-putting when one has to deal with it every day.

Given everything, I'm leery of buying anything from Amazon during this holiday season.  Yet, I just had two packages come that I ordered two days ago - each from different companies.  The first was a bigger box that contacted 3 packages of disposable makeup wedges.  The other contained two rolls of clear medical adhesive tape.  Both these things are in short supply at Walmart, Target, and local drug stores. But I could get them through Amazon.  And I will have a big enough supply before I'm on my cruise without worrying whether the brick and mortar stores will restock them in time for the cruise.  (I can still remember when Walmart had no house brand exfoliating makeup remover wipes in their stores, and going to buy out the last of the remaining stock in a nearby store.)  

There's a part of me that wishes there was a way to reconcile with the former cruise partner (FCP).  Yet there's another part that doesn't want to deal with her anymore.  We once had a "sail away" inside cabin (or ocean view cabin) which was directly below a lounge area.  She couldn't deal with the bands making music above our cabin until 11:00-11:30 pm, preventing her from relaxing.  So she hectored "hotel staff" on the ship until she got a satisfactory substitute - a balcony cabin.  I'd have accepted the original room, as we let the cruise line pick the room before sailing and they delivered on their side of the contract.  Although we got a nicer room, I didn't like how we got it.  And this would bother me if I had to deal with her again in any close relationship.  Sometimes, a person has to accept a "no" on minor things, so that s/he can demand a 'yes" on the important ones.

In short, I'm finding that I hate pushy people.  I don't like being pushed around, and will push back hard when pushed.  Sometimes, being pushy is appropriate for the matter at hand.  But when someone is too pushy for too long, I lose my tolerance for that person.  So far, TCL knows that limit with me.

 

Amazon Delivery. It can suck big time!

Today, I came home to a pile of packages in front of my doorway's indoor mailboxes.  One problem.  ALL of these packages were delivered to the wrong place.  ALL of these packages should have been delivered to the next doorway.  Amazon's captive last mile delivery service screwed up big time!  

- - - - - - 

Sadly, almost every business requiring home delivery uses last mile delivery services.  UPS, FedEx, and USPS all tend to give decent service.  (I have my issues with UPS, due to a screwed up delivery they made several years ago involving a new cell phone.)  However, when firms use contractors such as LaserShip and CDL Last Mile, that's when quality goes to hell.  And that's what has happened with Amazon and its captive last mile shipping companies.

Years ago, I used to get delivery of precooked meals from Freshly.  Once each week, I would expect to receive an insulated package containing 6 meals, which I would then eat during the week.  However, Freshly lost money having me for a customer, as they had to give me refunds for improperly delivered packages.  Out of 13 deliveries, only 4 of them were close to being delivered according to the shipping instructions on the package.  Half of these packages were delivered to the wrong doorway, and placed in front of the wrong apartment.  So, I dropped Freshly, and started looking for pre-made meals at the local supermarket.  I preferred Freshly's quality. Yet, if I couldn't count on acceptable deliveries, it wasn't worth my time to call in for refunds on what seemed like a weekly basis.

A couple of weeks ago, a neighbor's insulin shipment was delivered to my door.  The person making the delivery didn't care which group of 6 apartments he dropped the box at.  Instead, he made the package drop, and said "to hell with it."  Luckily, I spotted the problem, and a neighbor took care of delivering the box to its intended recipient (with an apology for accidental opening).  What would have happened if this box was left in front of an apartment that was vacant (which happened to one of my Freshly shipments)?  This woman would have been without an essential medication.  This is inexcusable!

When I tried to contact Amazon, I reached a chatbot - which couldn't understand that I was complaining about someone else's products being delivered to me.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to have Amazon call me.  This is just as well, as I want to get this fellow fired.  He doesn't deserve a job if he can't get a simple delivery straight.  

 

PS: A lot of people are having problems due to last mile delivery services.  I'd rather pay for shipping and know I'm going to get my goods delivered correctly.  Too bad that I'm in the minority in this country....

 

Monday, Monday - but I'm not complaining.

 

OK, so it's the start of the week. As usual, I stayed in much of the day, as I really don't like getting out of the bed until the afternoon.  

- - - - - -

When I looked to start my next letter to my meetup group's pen pal, I found out that I didn't finish last week's letter.  So I figured that I'd close up that letter, and send it out today.  Hopefully, my pen pal will enjoy receiving it.

On other matters, I ended up going out for the day as Marian.  I wasn't that busy.  It was a simple shopping run to the Wegmans in White Plains.  Considering that I needed to get some prepared meals for the week, it was best that I make the drive today, as the weather forecast for tomorrow calls for 2" of snow.

Arriving home, I picked up my mail.  Inside was the last 2 packages from my last order from Amazon - a chin strap for use with my CPAP mask, and a set of scissors for trimming nose hairs.  How interesting.  Yeah, right.  But these items are rarely found at the local drug store, and have to be ordered online.  I only wonder how people lived without being connected to the internet - and that's what we did until 30 years ago.  It's amazing how things have changed in our lifetimes!

Can I say that I did much?  Not really.  But I did get myself dressed up and out the door as Marian.  If I had more places to go, I might have gone to them.  Sadly, the pandemic is getting in the way of life - and will be doing so for the near future.

Amazon Prime and Whole Foods

Many people will soon be looking for ways to avoid going to the grocery store during the next wave of the pandemic.  I can't blame them.  Some people have taken to going to lesser known and lesser frequented stores to get their vegetables and meats.  Others have taken to ordering pre-made meals online from places like Freshly, and letting others do all the prep work.  Today was the first time I was with someone when the weekly "Whole Paycheck" (a.k.a. Whole Foods Market) delivery came.

As much as I don't like having expensive items left in front of my door due to a potential opportunity for loss, I like having things of little to moderate value left in front of my door.  Food is one of these things.  In the past, I would have a box of 6 meals from Freshly dropped off in front of my door (if the delivery service bothered to read the delivery instructions).  But I haven't bothered with Freshly in a while due to their "last mile" delivery services.  So, when I saw my friend get a delivery from Whole Foods, I figured that if things get bad, that I might just use their delivery service.

I was impressed with one of the things they do when packing items that needed to stay cold - they used dry ice.  Unlike Freshly, which uses reusable cold packs, the Whole Foods delivery leaves minimal product to dispose of.  Only the bags the refrigerated/frozen food comes in need the dry ice, and it evaporates quickly after the bag is opened for transferring goods into the refrigerator/freezer.

Given that Amazon controls the last mile delivery, I may just use this service in the future.  Hopefully, it won't get bad enough that I will need to do so to avoid a visit to the store down the hill from me.