Email Shmemail

I ordered something from whateveritis.com, once. That was a big mistake. I received a thank you for setting up an account with us email. I received a thank you for placing an order email seconds later. I received an email that told me they would email me when my order was shipping. A few days later, I was blessed with an email telling me my order number, and a tracking number for my shipment, although it had not been shipped just yet. A day or two later, I once again opened my email to find another whateveritis.com piece of correspondence. This time, I received my order number, my tracking number, and confirmation of shipment. About a week later, I received one more email stating I should have received my package by now (I had), and they hope I was enjoying my product (hadn't used it yet).

Then the merchandising emails began. Now, I know this is their advertising, and someone, someday may buy something else from them, but it isn't going to be me.

No longer wishing to subscribe to whateveritis.com email lists, I scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the unsubscribe line, and click on the words "if you wish to unsubscribe from future mailings, click here". Done, new window opens, and tells me to please enter my email address. Done, now, another window opens asking me if I want to unsubscribe to only whateveritis.com emails, or all related emails. I check the all box. Then a window opens to tell me I am now unsubscribed from any future emails, however, this will take up to a week, and I may still get emails already scheduled to be sent during that time. I get that, although why they can get me on their list in seconds and not off in seconds is beyond me.

I check my emails later in that same day, and lo and behold, there is an email from whatevwritis.com. "This email has been sent to you to let you know that you, or someone has removed your email address from our email list. If you did not do this, or wish to continue receiving emails from us, please click here, and you will be directed to your account settings page where you can reset your email preferences."

Delete, delete, delete!

Bad Texting = Stroke?

Ok. The latest sign of having a stroke is incoherent texting. Really!

My kids already laugh at my misplaced letters, wrong words, and  sometimes they just have no idea what I'm trying to say. I readily admit, my fingers are too fat to hit those little keys. So they get- I lobe you's, see you latwes, and other nonsensical messages. Now, they need to figure out if I'm having a stroke, or just being a poor texter; what a terrible burden to place on text recipients.

February and Spring

I grew up in Tempe, AZ. Spring always came right on time - the middle of February! Valentines Day tradition was to drive over to Alameda Street and see the beautiful cherry blossoms in all their pink and white finery. This was spring, whether or not Mother Nature agreed. 

After I got married, and moved to norther California, spring seemed to come along at the pace of a snail, sometimes not appearing until April. February! That is when spring should be. I longed for the cold days to be over, for the trees to sprout green, and flowers to begin budding. I suppose I was a little home sick at first, but still craved that Feb. spring. 

A few years later, we moved again, to southwest Washington State. A beautiful area, one with 4 real seasons; not just hot and warm (winter), and a week of blossoming cherry trees. Fall, an almost new concept to me was welcomed, colors so vibrant they take my breath away. Winter, also a new concept, held new experiences such as the front door to the house getting iced over and snow drifts baring exit out the back door. There is no escape! Summer varies here, hot, wet and cold, wet and hot, or just plain wet, or dry. Never can predict it, weather just happens. 

I still look for spring in February, and while our trees are not even beginning to bud, the daffodils and crocuses are peaking out of the ground, and budding, waiting for warmer weather to pop open and say spring is on the way. 

February in the Pacific Northwest usually includes a false spring - a week maybe more of warm weather, right around the middle of the month. The master bath in our home has 2 outside walls, a large southern facing wall and a shorter western wall. Both get the majority of sun shine, making the room a hot house in the summer, but prime breading temperature for our resident lady bugs to hatch, or what ever it is they do during this false spring. Look out Valentines Day, the lady bugs are on the loose.

Our Valentines Day cherry blossoms have been replaced by Valentines Day lady bugs. My body still thinks spring should be in the middle of February when I'm ready for warmer days, but I'll take the short break of warmth that we do get, and eagerly wait for the lady bugs to show their red and orange capes, welcoming an early spring.

The Elusive Beast

They leave their marks everywhere. In the house, the car, the shop.
Bits of themselves, left for me to clean up, when I see them.
Dregs of something hanging in corners, up in the far reaches of
my cathedral ceilings. It takes a ladder to capture these things.
Things left by Things I have never seen. These elusive beasts
create havoc when visitors approach. Did they leave a gift
I will be ashamed of if my guests spot it? Did they trail after
me as I cleaned, and leave their mark?
I have yet to see one, I don't think anyone ever has.
This beast is more scarce than Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster
and Area 51 sightings all wrapped up into one.
No color, size, or shape can be given this beast. While
everyone sees what is left behind, no one sees the Thing.
This Thing called a cob, that leaves cobwebs. I live with
the elusive beast as best I can.