laurushka.org/blog

I didn’t post my December pictures here yet– click on the fox squirrel to view my facebook album. Enjoy!

After seeing how much I was being charged for having a home phone that we hardly ever use, I decided to shop around for other options. We have a Verizon land line and Verizon DSL. I also have a Verizon cell phone, but even though everything is on one bill, I was told a few years ago by the Verizon DSL customer service that the cell phone didn’t help prove that I was a dedicated Verizon customer.

I inquired about other options on Facebook, and I looked at some websites (geez, Comcast– I could not easily find out how to get the simplest cheapest cable internet on your website). I finally called Verizon to see if I was obligated to remain on their DSL for any set period of time– I’ve had it since 2002, but to get lower prices, you have to sign up for x amount of years.   I shouldn’t admit this, but my bill records are a bit sloppy, and I wasn’t sure. However, when the customer service rep told me that I signed up for “Price for Life” on September 1, 2009 (which obligated me to two more years at $29.99 (September 2011!) and then after that I would ALWAYS have that rate– a “PRICE FOR LIFE”) I was confused. That’s only a few months ago, and I didn’t recall signing up for it then– but I did remember signing up for a Price for Life a while ago. She said they have only had the “Price for Life” a few months, so that wasn’t possible. After dropping a bunch of things on my land line (which reduces my phone bill by more than $15 a month), I hung up and wondered about this “Price for Life” business. If I signed up for it in 2007, then maybe I had fulfilled my obligation on September 1, 2009. I called back and spoke to a DSL rep, and found out that this was the case– I signed up 9/1/07 and as of 9/1/09, am no longer obligated to Verizon, but will have $29.99/ month DSL for life. A PRICE FOR LIFE. Even with Clear Internet or Dry Loop DSL options, I decided that sticking with our land line and the $29.99/month DSL was a decent deal.

And then yesterday, a manager from Verizon called me to explain that PRICE FOR LIFE does not mean FOR LIFE. It means “until Verizon decides to raise the price.” I didn’t realize “Price for Life” had an asterisk behind it.

HUH???

I asked for this in writing. She said she had no way of mailing or emailing me anything. The manager understood how ridiculous calling something “Price for Life” when it is not for LIFE is… she said every customer she explains this too has the same disbelief.

If they do raise the price, I will supposedly get an email to my verizon email, that I do not use. I requested it be sent to the account I do use, but she couldn’t guarantee that it would be delivered there. I will have to keep an eye on it.

I let her know that I had researched other options. I do not need a land line. I have other options. I am not obligated to Verizon in any way. And that if they raise the price, I will leave. I am not the one that called it “Price for Life”. Verizon did. And if they can’t stand behind it, I will leave. And I’m free to leave even if they don’t raise the price. So, if you have any recommendations for Internet service, let me know!

I found it slightly ironic that she called on the day I decided to be my Computer-Free day. I think I need to spend one day a week not looking at the computer at all. I did that yesterday, and hope to do one next week too. And I hope to decrease my overall time spent on the computer. So, it’s time to sign off now.

My dear friend James sent me a package for Christmas. (Thank you, very much!!) Inside were very nice long-sleeve t-shirts for Lilia from Speak Nicely dot com. They have simple, positive statements on the front. I think they are the antidote for the “clever” onesies and t-shirts that say things like “High Maintenance” or “Princess” on them. Lilia had a hand-me-down “High Maintenance” onesie, and I hated putting her in it, but it was the right size, long-sleeve, and easy to get on, so I usually layered it with something on top.

The messages on Lilia’s shirts are: A Smile Is Good, I Am The Future and Say Nice Things. I really like the sentiment, and Lilia likes the shirts– she put one on immediately.

But I have a couple reservations about her wearing them. Immediately upon seeing the “Say Nice Things” shirt, I thought… “But what if she doesn’t say nice things while she is wearing it? Will that make us hypocrites?” I mean, she is only three (almost four) years old… she doesn’t always say nice things! In fact, she tends to growl at toddlers smaller than her!

And then there is the issue of forcing MY message on her. Like putting a baby in a Barack Obama t-shirt. Does that baby really have an opinion? (Lilia actually really liked Barack Obama, but it turned out she liked John McCain too… she was too little to not like someone! Although I never really introduced her to Sarah Palin… I think she would have seen through her in a second!) Lilia had a super cool David Bowie t-shirt when she was a baby… but when I would put her in it, I felt guilty… she didn’t know David Bowie yet, and given her tastes (Pete Seeger or Christmas music, 24-7), she probably wouldn’t like him (yet… I will give her time!).

Anyway, she is now almost four, and she understands the meaning of “Say Nice Things” and “A Smile is Good”… she doesn’t quite get what “I am the Future” means (I asked her… “are you the future?” and she said “No!”). And she is old enough to pick out her own clothes from the drawer, so she can pick out whatever she wants to wear (not that she does that everyday).

I did take some pictures of her in her “Say Nice Things” shirt yesterday.

I asked her to pout in this one:

Finally, a smile with her hair back so you can see the shirt:

And what I feared actually did happen– we were having spaghetti for dinner last night, and I worried that she would get sauce all over her new light pink shirt. I rolled up her sleeves and gave her a napkin; Joe suggested she just take the shirt off. That suggestion didn’t fly– she growled, “I WANT TO SAY NICE THINGS!”  I think the irony was lost on her.