New Computer

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was getting a new computer from Office Depot. Well I am now typing on my new laptop from Best Buy. When we ordered the laptop through OD, it said the product was in stock and it would be delivered July 22nd, between 9:00am and 5:00pm. All through the weekend the site different update messages. "In stock." "Processing." "In warehouse." Then Monday July 21, it switched to, "Delivered, Short-shipped." This concerned me a little but it still said the scheduled delivery was July 22. I called the automated service and was told the order was processing and delivery was set for July 22.

July 22 came and we expected our computer. At about 4:00 Jill started making calls. She finally got a hold of a real person, who told her that "Delivered, Short-shipped" actually meant that they were out of stock, and our order may not be eligible for the rebates. So we tried to cancel the order. We called again and spoke to someone else, who told us that it was impossible to cancel the order, that the computer would be shipped to us when they were in stock, and that if we did not want it all we had to do was refuse delivery and our bank account would be credited with the full amount of the product. This did not set well, so we contacted customer support by e-mail, hoping to get something in writing.

While being as vague as possible, the rep. apologized for any inconvenience and told us that the order amount was set to $0.00, and if we were still interested in the product, an agent would be glad to assist us. Unsure if this meant that our order was indeed canceled (since an earlier rep told us this was impossible), we asked point blank if we would be receiving the computer or if it was canceled. Again they responded that the order was set to $0.00, and we could reorder if we wanted to do so. They apparently do not like the word canceled and we are still concerned that a new laptop may show up at our door any day.

I have purchased other products in store at Office Depot, and have always been satisfied in the past. But their on-line and phone customer service were both horrible in this instance. The only good thing I can say about the experience is, it appears, they never charged our debit card for the computer.

Meadow's Birth

Our second child was born two weeks ago today. We had her at the same hospital as we had our first. She was born July 3rd and Cannon was born July 5th, two years earlier. In both cases Jill had to have a C-section. We were prepared for a very similar experience.

But as most things in life, the experience was not simple repetition. During the first c-section, I stood and watched the whole bloody mess. This time I brought in a camcorder because I thought Jill needed to be able to see it later. However, when they finally brought me into the surgery room they had already begun the operation and they directed me toward a stool near Jill's head. There was a screen I could not see or film over, so I was not sure what was happening. I wanted to ask if it was all right for me to stand up, but I was terrified of distracting someone who was doing something crucial. So It was only moments before Meadow was brought out that one of the nurses told me I could stand if I wanted to.

Meadow came out kicking but not screaming much. And they stuck a tube down her throat several times to remove fluid. The doctors and nurses all get a little tense when things aren't going just as planned, but they worked with her until she was breathing well. (Although she still isn't much of a screamer)

The first baby required a 5 night stay in the hospital and I stayed with Jill almost the entire time. This time we had Cannon too, so I spent the nights with him at my parents, and Jill only had to stay 2 nights. Meadow and Mom (which sounds like a late 70's sitcom title) were ready to come home. I am not sure how different it will be raising a little girl, but so far even the things we thought were going to be the same have surprised us.

Other stuff

I am recommending people check out www.drhorrible.com, especially if you are a Josh Whedon fan. Act II went up today. And it will only be free for a limited time.

I hope the Royals will trade Jose Guillen for a young, hitting second baseman with a good attitude, and pick up Raul Ibanez as a free agent in the fall.

The El Dorado picnic is in full swing. I have no use for it, but if any of my dear readers are thinking of coming, I would love to see you. Speaking of the picnic, someone said hi to me that I vaguely recognized. It turned out to be someone I knew from junior high. I asked her if she was back in El Do. She said said she had been for the last 6 years. Maybe El Dorado isn't as small of a town as I thought.

We ordered a new computer today. You can see it here if that sort of thing interests you. I think it is a very good deal provided the mail-in rebates come through. If you think it is a lousy deal, I don't want to hear about it. I always get sick to my stomach after I make a purchase like this.

I am right now tutoring someone from Alaska. It is so hard to resist the temptation to ask them if they know the Ford's (a family we met on a mission's trip to Alaska 12 years ago). I mean Alaska's not that big, right? It's better than asking them if they know Don Mobley. He is the missionary I stayed with in the Dominican Republic so my brain associates him with Alaska as well.

Medow Joy has Joined Us in the Land of Light and Sound

I will be blogging a bit about the birth of my daughter soon. For now I hope you will be content with a few pictures.