Gifting and Returning

The MC received a gift card which they wanted to put toward paying off a credit card from Marshall Fields -- a credit card they used to buy some things on their registry they didn't receive. Sounded simple enough, right?

Wrong.

They couldn't mail it in. They couldn't do it by phone. They couldn't take it LS Ayers and have it done there. It HAD to be done in person. And it had to be done by February 1 when Marshall Fields will be bought out and changed to Macy's.

Well, guess what. There IS no Fields in Indianapolis. So -- MOB to the rescue. They'd mail it to me, I'd run up there and take care of it. Easy.

Wrong.

Bob and I went up there last night to take care of it after getting the bill and the card in the priority mail. "Oh, I'm so sorry," the lovely young thing said when we presented it. "This had to be done by January 29. We have no way of entering it."

Oh come on. You must have SOME way of doing this. Can't be all that difficult.

Two sales associates and a supervisor hung around the cash register trying to figure it out. "I know!" said one. You buy something for $100, and return it, and then we can do a return credit.

Huh?

OK. We "bought" a cute girl's dress and a necklace for $101.89. I gave them $5.00 and the gift card, and got $3.11 in change. Then we returned the outfit, I got my $1.89 back, and they scanned the receipt to apply to the credit card.

Didn't work.

Finally the supervisor went to her office, reappeared with 2 $50 bills which she handed me, I handed the sales associate, and she applied the cash to the bill.

How easy, you think. But it ISN'T all that easy. The department stores are making out like Enron with these gift cards. First of all, if a gift is returned to a store, you can do an equal exchange or get an in-store credit -- in the form of a gift card. If you get a gift card as a gift, you can make your purchase but in most stores, if your card is $50, and your purchase is $48.02, the $1.98 is left on the card. How many people are going to come back and buy something else, applying the $1.98 to the next purchase? Probably not too many. So the store has now a "free" $1.98 credit. Or, the customer buys something that costs more than $50 -- store has made out again.

We were at one of my favorite stores in Indy -- Van Maur's -- which has the nicest women's lounges and places to nurse your baby of any store I've ever been in -- but I digress. The MC had a "gift card" for $37 which was for something they had had to return. Truth be known, there isn't much in Van Maur's that can be purchased for $37, but Chris found a great sweater for something under that. There was $1.06 left on the card.

"I'm sorry," the man said politely, "but I can't give you the change."

Against store policy or something.

"Well," said Chris. "What can I purchase in your store that will be $1.06?"

"Er, well, um, we don't have anything for that much."

"Exactly," said Chris. "So, may I please have my money?"

"It's against store policy."

"But you don't have anything I can buy for that amount of money, and I'm not likely to come back here again in the near future."

The man gratefully waved us off to customer service -- who, after much hasseling and hemming and hawing allowed as how THIS TIME ONLY they would Break The Rules and give Chris the $1.06 which rightfully belonged to them.

As long as they promised to never do it again.

No problem, said the MC. They wouldn't ever be shopping there again.

Shopping is one of my favorite sports -- but returning gifts can send one over the edge.....

The MC could regale you with a few more stories of their wedding presents....

"Regifting" seemed to be a popular theme this year.

Just a suggestion though -- if you do it, it's really nice if you remove the previous gift card!

But that's a story for another post.

The "Pampered Pregnancy"

No, this is NOT a post about the new MC. This is an advertisement I saw for a particular hospital's newly renovated mother/baby unit in the Chicagoland area.

It says in part, "Our Pampered Pregnancy program still showers moms-to-be with all of our special amenities before, during and after delivery. "

Now, before delivery, I presume I'm in labor. I'm not sure what ameneties they are offering during my pregnancy when I'm in labor, but I wonder if they have hospital based doulas? Someone to help me get through the labor without the expected epidural? Or, is all they have to offer you an epidural in the lobby? Some moms might like that, but given that the more medication the mom receieves, and the longer she gets it -- the more is transferred to the baby and the more difficult it is to initiate breastfeeding....

But they are advertising what you get AFTER delivery: a renovated room with "lovely hardwood floors, all in a hotel-like setting, refrigerator, flat screen TV, pull out sofa for your partner's comfort."

The sofa sounds nice. Why would I need a refrigerator? If this is hotel-like setting, I presume room service is available. When I worked as an RN in the mother/baby unit, all the mom had to do was ask me to get her a cup of tea -- and I did it. Part of my job as an RN. But I suppose since we are adding refrigerators, we can cut down on nursing staff. Maybe the mom's family is expected to bring in her food -- now that's a thought. If they put in microwaves, I'll know that's the deal for sure.

There's more! A "bedside baby examination area in the room so you can be with your baby during in-hospital checkups." Excuse me, but that is normally called the basinette. We've had those around even when I was a really YOUNG nurse (which was at least a million years ago).

"Your large private bathroom [nice to know it is private. I'd hate for it to be public] also provides conveniences such as a hair dryer and soothing soap, lotion and shampoo." Good. I travel a lot -- even the cheapo hotels provide that sort of stuff. And this "hotel" is gonna cost a heck of a lot more than $89/night plus tax.

Now this is the best part -- "We're even pampering baby with a newly decorated nursery featuring a beautiful baby-calming mural."

No way. I nearly choked on my coffee when I read that. A BABY-CALMING MURAL???? Who in the world thought up THAT amenity? What did they do? Poll the babies to find out what mural was most calming?

For one thing, a newborn's range of vision is approximately 12 to 18 inches -- about the distance from the mother holding the baby snuggled at her breast to her face. Secondly, most babies keep their eyes shut -- they rely on other senses to be calmed -- their mother's voice, skin, heartbeat, lung sounds, intestinal grumblings -- all the things they heard in utero. I can assure you, they ain't looking for no mural! Most of all, they rely on their mother's breast for comfort!

In fact, even the prophet Isaiah noted that it is the MOTHER that comforts: "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you." (Isaiah 66:13). Isaiah doesn't say a thing about a mural in a nursery!

So no, I don't think the babies are checking out the nursery walls when they are in distress. They have their eyes tight shut and their mouths wide open as they are crying -- waiting for the one thing that can comfort them -- their mothers.

So what would I like to see in this "Pampered Pregnancy" facility? I love the private rooms -- I'll take those. I want nurse midwives, doulas and excellent lactation consultants. I want a nice, big easy chair in that private room to facilitate breastfeeding. I want good, breastfeeding friendly pediatricians. I want staff that understands true family centered and Baby Friendly care.

Pedicures, manicures, a refrigerator, flat screen TV and a "baby-calming" mural just isn't going to cut it.

I wonder how many nursing positions were cut to make room for a refrigerator, hardwood floors and a newly decorated nursery....none of which is going to mean beans if you don't know how to best care for yourself and your baby when you go home in 48 hours.

Unreal.

Just unreal.

Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul

We've just returned from Indy -- from our first visit to the MC. As much as you can know that a marriage is right, it is such a wonderful treat to experience that marriage first hand and actually SEE what is transpiring.

I'm not a naive-blinders-on-mother (in-law). I know that all marriages have their ups and downs, especially in that first year when the couple are simply getting adjusted to living together -- day in, day out. Lord knows we did -- though I have to admit, I think we had less problems than many couples....mostly because Bob is incredibly adaptable, and tolerant of my Type A personality.

However.

We arrived on Friday night after suffering horrendous Chicago traffic on I294/80/94 topped off by snowy rain, and then rainy snow. It was clear in Indy though, and we were given the grand tour of their townhouse -- which is just lovely. Torrey has a sense of decorating that I don't have. (In fact, Steve, our painter has, on more than one occasion wished that Torrey was home to direct the painting of our living room as my sense of color (purple) clashes with his (earthy). Steve would be in complete agreement with the two (earthy) colors they have in the living/dining room). Torrey said more than once that it is incredibly helpful that both she and Chris have the same sense of style and decorating. Bob and I do too -- it is just that it is different than Generation X. Which, I suppose, is as it should be since we are leading the Baby Boomer Generation.

Anyway.

They took us out to a really fun restaurant with amazing food -- Bob's specification was that it was a restaurant that we didn't have in Chicago. Great food -- great fellowship. What more can you ask for?

Saturday we went to a bookstore -- Half Price Books, it was called. Bad mistake. Bad store. No -- wonderful store if you have self control and/or unlimited finances. Even 1/2 price, the books add up. Torrey got a copy of Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst which is one of our favorites that she'll be able to use with her kids as a therapist in an elementary school.

Then the mall. Hit a couple of stores, then went to see Hoodwinked -- a really funny and fractured fairy tale. I'm convinced that one of the characters is actually a friend of ours (but he didn't get the credits, nor did he get paid for it....).

Chris cooked dinner on Saturday night. Torrey made dessert. Absolutely wonderful. They can come home and cook for us anytime -- especially since my cooking is basically applying microwave to food.

Church on Sunday morning (I could sing 1 of the 4 songs....remember, we do hymns at College Church), and then Chris made homemade hummus for sandwiches -- we haven't eaten this healthy in YEARS. Again, delicious.

OK, so why "chicken soup"? Watching Torrey and Chris together was wonderful. He is incredibly tender and loving with her. Case in point. This morning he asked if I had made coffee yet (we were up before them -- not much of a surprise there!). Yes, I had, but Chris, you won't like it. (Chris' coffee will put hair on your chest and other places you'd prefer not to have it. It is STRONG!!!!). That's OK, he said, I wanted to bring some up to Torrey who was not yet out of the bathroom. A bit later I saw him bringing her up some breakfast -- a twist, he said -- instead of breakfast in bed, he was bringing her breakfast in the bathroom.

There was no sniping at each other -- just gentleness and tenderness and sweetness. Their little home is perfused with love. It truly is

Chicken Soup for a Mother's Soul.

Narnia -- the Movie -- and Susan....

I LOVE Narnia. I've been a friend of Narnia and all things Narnian and CS Lewisian (is that a word?) since I was a youngun. I was introduced to Narnia in the late 50's, shortly after The Last Battle was published....I've always had a very hard time figuring out which one of the books is my favorite, but I will say that I think they should be read in publication order -- not in the order in which they occur in time. Reading The Magician's Nephew several books AFTER reading The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe is such an "aha!" experience....

We even had a cat named Puddleglum once upon a time.

Anyway, Bob and I saw the movie a bit over a week ago. I thought it was wonderful! Bob was worried -- he knows I don't like movies that are made from books, particularly when it is a book I've read over and over and can practically recite word for word. But oh, I DID enjoy this movie, and thought it very true to the book -- with a few exceptions. Where was reference to the "Emperor-Over-the-Sea" and what was that river business??? But other than that -- it was terrific. (Except when was the last time you saw a blonde witch?) I heard today that they are already starting work on the next movie, "Prince Caspian."

For anyone who has read The Last Battle -- the burning question remains: whatever happened to Susan? Did she ever get back to Narnia?

Well, someone on my Spare 'Oom listserv shared the following website with us. The story is marvelous. Print it out, grab a couple of kleenex and a cup of tea (or coffee -- that's always OK too), and enjoy....

http://www.livejournal.com/users/honorh/226358.html

Cats and Computers

Our New Year's Day gift was presented to us by Munchkin-the-cat who is close to losing the third of his nine lives. Never accept a "free" cat. They cost more than any other kind.

It's been raining here, and the snow is completely gone. Munch went outside as is his wont, nibbled on some grass, came back in, and promptly urped all over the keyboard of Bob's laptop.

He cleaned it off, but the first inkling we had that something was wrong was when he couldn't get into his e-mail -- the password didn't work. Hmmm....worked on my computer. We changed it, but the new one didn't work either. "Password invalid." Well, that is really dumb. Then we noticed that the little star didn't come up when we pressed S. Oh oh -- just where Munch did his thing.

The s didn't work. Neither did the d or the e or the a. Pretty vital when doing word processing.

The upshot of the whole thing was that we ended up with a new laptop (his was four years old -- ancient in computer years) for only $450 more than it would have cost to replace the keyboard.

Christopher, our Mac-man said the problem is that we have PC's -- if we only had a Mac, it would have been impervious to cat vomit.

Yeah, right.

Speaking of which, Munch is actually TORREY'S cat. I'm ready to ship him to Indy so that we can test out Chris' theory of Mac's and cats.

Happy anniversary, by the way, to the newlyweds -- it's been a whole month now!!

Presents and a New Year!

New Years Day, 2006. Is there anyone that doesn't have a sense of a clean slate -- a new beginning? I'm not talking about resolutions, though I'm sure there is a bit of that in all of us. Ahhh -- THIS year, I'll lose weight. THIS year, I'll exercise more. THIS year, I'll save better. THIS year I'll be a better hostess. THIS year the check registers will be readable.

Well, THIS year (so far) we were much more organized about putting the Christmas decorations away. Everything is done except the tree. The wrapping paper, bows and bags are all organized for the first time ever. Bob has all sorts of ideas for us cleaning today -- he's looking forward to a garage sale we are organizing with Torrey and Chris. "Let's go to Office Depot -- I need...." he said.

Bob -- um -- it's New Year's Day. I honestly don't think Office Depot will be open. He wanted to go to Border's last night about 8:00. Bob, it's New Year's Eve -- I don't think they'll be open this late. New Year's isn't a holiday for my husband. It's a day to ORGANIZE! He was up at 5:15 this morning, working on his desk drawers before we left for church (hence the burning need to get to the office supply store.) He's so excited he doesn't have to go to work tomorrow!

I was thinking about Christmas presents. Every year I try to have at least one that I can't wait for SOMEONE to open. I don't always succeed -- some years are better than others. This year I think my favorite was the calendar I gave Torrey and Chris for a shower gift. It was a hang-in-the-kitchen and write-everything on it. I put in all the birthdays and anniversaries of our family and Chris' family. I added little ideas -- "have a picnic in the park". "Grill out." "Go to Starbucks" "Go roller-blading on the Monan Trail." "Have coffee with Pickett." "Dinner out." And then I put in occasional little puzzles or jokes. It was a labor of love -- and definitely my best gift this year. Well -- if you don't count the Martin Luther bobble-head doll I got for Timothy -- the Reformed of the Reformers.

What was the best gift I received this year? Definitely having the entire family home for Christmas -- it may be the last year that will happen for the foreseeable future. Next year Jill, Derrick & Deven will be in Naples, Fl; Torrey & Chris will most likely be with his sisters in Indiana, and Timothy -- well, we don't know where Timothy will be. At this point he is hoping to be somewhere in the Middle East with a mission agency.

So -- thank you Jesus for your birthday and all that means to us. Thank you for my most wonderful family. Thank you for the New Year and all the promise that it holds.....

And Office Depot should be open tomorrow.....