can't go home

This past weekend, Heather and I took a road trip to New Mexico.

It's been four years (I think...) since we had been back to the Mescalero/Ruidoso area.  It being Memorial Day weekend and all, I knew Ruidoso was going to be full of visitors.  The races started this weekend and nothing brings Texans to town like horse racing.

Well, OK, in the winter skiing brings them to town too...

I was not wrong.  For every New Mexico license plate I saw, there were five Texas plates.  Heather and I saw a whopping two – count them – two Colorado plates.

Including ours.

There was a time not all that long ago, that I considered moving back to New Mexico.  Southern New Mexico in fact.  After this last trip, I was left wondering "WTF was I thinking?!"

No, I won't be going back there.

I really dislike broad generalizations of certain groups of people, because 1) It's not fair and 2) it's usually way off base.  Having said that, from what I saw this weekend, in my opinion, Texans for the most part are loud, rude, and obnoxious. (Admittedly, a huge part of my bias against Texans stems from my stepmother's family who proved themselves to be well and truly money-grubbing-ticky-tacky-trailer trash.)

And they don't know how to drive.  Or park.  (yeah, yeah, I know, "it's a big vehicle."  So is mine but I still manage to keep it in the lines.  Just sayin' there Billy Bob.)

I've lived in Texas.  In many different cities in fact and for many years.  I never considered myself, "Texan."  I think that's something you have to be born into.

Ruidoso is a tourist town and they are heavily dependent on Texans for bringing in much needed revenue.  Texans are only too happy to do so.  But I just can't see myself living in such close proximity to all those Texans.  A plethora of different scenarios play in mind, and none of them have pleasant endings.

What struck me most about the area is that it HASN'T changed.  The same buildings are there.  Albeit a bit more tired and sad looking than thirty or even four years ago.  The names on some of the buildings have changed but there are still many of the same businesses plodding along as when I was growing up.

Frankly, I think that's a good thing – at least some of the old businesses are still making a go in the crap economy.  What I found disappointing was there weren't any signs of progress or development.  It felt as if I had been transported back to the 1970s.

The people as usual were friendly enough and seemed happy to have folks shopping, eating, and doing whatever they could to spend money.  But it just struck me as a town locked in time.  Conversations overheard indicated the mentality was still as 1970s as the architecture, decor, and hair styles.

There are a lot of good things about the area, don't get me wrong.

There is nothing like the smell of pine to take me back to my younger and much more carefree days.  Hearing the wind in the trees would lull me to sleep.  Seeing deer wandering through town and keeping the lawns "manicured" is something I certainly don't see in Longmont!

The people are friendly.  They smile at you.  They say, "thank you" and "please" and seem genuinely happy that you chose to spend some of your precious down time in their little town.

Most of the businesses are "mom & pop" businesses.  There aren't very many chain stores.  In fact, I don't think they even have a chain grocery store (Furr's and Safeway pulled out years and years ago.)  Yes, they do have a Wally World but that's no surprise.  And they have a Walgreen's but unlike other towns, they only have the one, not one on every corner.

I get the impression the town struggles with moving into the 21st century while trying to retain it's small townness.  It's hard to progress and develop without losing some of your character.

So, while this last visit made it glaringly obvious that the area is not someplace I could ever call home again, I applaud the town for plugging along and keeping themselves true to their character.  My guess is most folks were very happy in the 1970s and don't want to leave that space.  And they won't.

Here are some photos from our trip.  I snapped a few for old times' sake, since I have a feeling this was my last trip "home."  (Well, unless the pull of green chile strips becomes too much to bear.)

house where I grew up in Mescalero

New Mexico road 

S

Sierra Blanca view

Quintessential New Mexico house

 close up of the gate
 

L

Lincoln Cemetery grave

child's grave in the Lincoln Cemetery

w

wild iris on Ski Run Road

cool finds

In anticipation of a Memorial Day weekend road trip I was gathering some CDs for the journey.  We always have tunage on road trips.  And road food.  Gotta have tunes and food.  Usually both categories are filled with things out of the "norm" of my everyday life.  I don't eat Twizzlers or Pringles on a regular basis and don't usually listen to Disturbed or Green Day.  On road trips though, anything goes!

Soooo... in preparation for the upcoming trip I sorted through my CD collection.  I have six CD binders.  And they are all filled to capacity.  Roughly there are over 1400 CDs in the collection.  Which means there are lot to choose from and can make decision making hard.  What sounds good on a Tuesday night might not be what I'm in the mood for on Friday night.  So I fill two travel cases with CDs.  I think this will give us about 30 or 40 to choose from.

BUT that's not the point of this post...

In rummaging through the collection I found some songs I didn't know I had.  Most of the CDs have the liner notes stored behind them with the songs listed.  This go 'round I actually took the time to read some of those to see if there was anything on some of the more obscure discs that might trip my trigger.  Lo and behold there was!

One of them is Baz Luhrmann's "Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen."  I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to have found that song.  It came out during a pivotal time in my life and seemed oh-so appropriate then.  Yes, I know the lyrics are actually taken from a column written by Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune in 1997 titled, "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young."  Regardless of where the lyrics originated or your age, the song is oh-so apropos for anyone.




Another find was "When Will I See You Again" by the Three Degrees.  Hearing this song takes me back to my first "love."  The song came out in 1974 but I remember listening to it a couple of years later when my then "boyfriend" joined the army and moved to Texas.  He would come back periodically, but not surprisingly a long distance relationship while a sophomore in high school wasn't meant to last.

The song still takes me back to those days.  I can see myself sitting in my room listening to the song over and over and dreaming and wishing him back home.  Ah, the joys of young love...


remember 45s?!

I'm really looking forward to this road trip and hearing all the awesome tunage I discovered.  Hope Heather will enjoy it as much as I will.  Maybe she'll get a "mom" autobiography as we tootle down the road...

quiz thingy alert!

Bouncing from this blog to that blog to the blog over there and back again, I found this quiz thingy on this blog, http://silly-pants-kate.blogspot.com/, and never having done any of these quiz thingies, I thought I'd give it a go.

The rules as I understand it are that you are to answer the questions below the set of answered questions, make up ten of your own, and pass it on to seven others (or do like I'm going to, and post it on your blog.)  The others answer your ten questions and send them back to you, make up ten of their own, and in about 5 years you'll probably see this quiz again and get to start from scratch! 

Ready to give it a go?  (I'd love to see your answers!)


1. What was your favorite vacation from your childhood?
Probably Disneyland.  I remember having dinner at the restaurant near the Pirate's of the Caribbean ride (this was waaaay back in the late 60's so it wasn't Pirate's of the Caribbean starring Johnny Depp) I think the restaurant was called the Blue Bayou or some such.  Both my sister and I had birthdays in July, and the "cast members" (remember they're not staff or employees at Disney, but cast members) came over after dinner and dropped of a cake and sang to us.  I thought that was the coolest thing ever!

2. What is the one thing you would tell the ten year old you?
Boys will ALWAYS have cooties.

3. What is the biggest compliment that anyone has ever given you?
I've been told many, many times that I'm a wonderful mom.  This makes me very proud, but I have to give half the credit to my most awesome daughter.  She's the one that made it easy.  Now if I could just get her to do the windows...

4. Who is your favorite band and why? (Can't that be two questions?)
Wow.  Favorite band.  Really?  I have to pick one?  Nope, can't do it.  It would be almost like being unfaithful.  The Cure.  The Devlins.  The Cure.  The Devlins.  (Note I'm not including Jimmy Buffett - he's not a "band" although he does have one that plays with him, The Coral Reefers.)  OK... that just threw a major wrench in this whole thing.  The Cure.  The Devlins.  Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band.  The Cure.  The Devlins.  Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band.   No, I can't pick just one. 
Why?  I think it's because I like their music...


5. What bad habit or fault would turn you off someone you are originally attracted to?
Racism and bigotry.

6. The drinks are on me - what's your poison?
Cosmo, baby, cosmo.

7. Which celebrity do you really detest and why?
Sean Connery.  In an interview once with Barbara Walters he said sometimes it was necessary to hit a woman.  What a slimeball.  (His wife at the time has since divorced Sir Sean.  Thank goodness)



8. Who is your hero? (Doesn't have to be famous)
My sister, Elmo.

9. Are you a dog or a cat person?
Yes.

The Doester

Izz McFizz

C

 Willa the Corona Kitteh

Miss Kyna

 Miss Fallon waiting for noms

10. Who influenced you the most when you were growing up? (Again, doesn't have to be famous)
It depends on the influence. Being as great a parent as possible? My mom & dad & my daughter.  Not accepting mediocre?  My mom.  My love for the outdoors (when it's warm, that is)?  My dad & Mother Nature.  My work ethic?  My dad.  My foodiness?  My mom & dad.  My love of music?  The Partridge Family & The Monkees.

OK now for my list of 10 questions:

1. Someone hands you a cool $One Mil.  What do you do with it?
2. What to you would be the world's coolest job?
3. What is on the menu for your favorite meal (anything goes)?
4. What was your favorite television program as a child?
5. If you could live ANY where (outer space, under the ocean, in a national park, etc.) where would it be?
6. What is your absolute, without a doubt, hands down worst travel experience?
7. What is the one product you refuse to buy?
8. What do you do when (you think) no one is looking?
9. If you could choose five people to go on a holiday with (real or fictional) who would they be and why?
10. What is the weirdest thing to ever happen to you?

things to do this summer

Are you wondering what you should do over the summer? Are you looking for something totally different to do?  Are you itching to see a side of America you really had no idea even existed?

Well, then check out some of the festivals that celebrate our unique culture!

Go on, you know you want to!  Just be sure and send me a postcard.

First if anyone is interested in visiting New Orleans in July you can attend the San Fermin in Nueva Orleans.  This would be the Running of the Bulls New Orleans style.  The bulls aren't really bulls but members of the Big Easy Rollergirls.  The "bulls" sport helmets with horns and are armed with plastic bats to intimidate the hundreds of runners.  Here is a video of some of last year's run. 



Second we have the Roswell UFO Festival in Roswell, New Mexico.  I grew up not too far from Roswell and managed to avoid getting caught up in the UFO frenzy.  Honestly, I never did dress up as an outer space alien for Halloween.   Never.

As you know in 1947 a UFO crashed in the desert near Roswell.  Initially it was reported as a "flying disk," but later the United States Army changed it to a weather balloon.  There's been controversy ever since on what it really was.   You can find "real" and "authentic" photos all over the internet of the alien and the spacecraft.

 Family vacation Roswell style.

Over the 4th of July weekend, to celebrate the historic event, the city of Roswell hosts a huge festival.  It makes perfect sense that they would hold this festival on the day we celebrate our country's freedom.  Has anyone seen the movie "Independence Day"?

Next we go to our very own Fruita, Colorado for Mike the Headless Chicken Festival. 
    
Really you can't make this stuff up.

Seems back in 1945 there was a farmer in Fruita who was wantin' some chicken for dinner and went out and lopped off poor Mike's head.

Well, kinda.

He missed Mike's jugular vein and a clot formed preventing Mike from bleeding to death.  Mike was also lucky enough to retain most of his brain stem, which allowed him the pleasure of living a relatively normal - as normal as can be expected without a head - life.  In fact Mike managed to live another 18 months after his decapitation.  Now the city of Fruita holds a festival so that people can come together and remember good ol' Mike.  And do the chicken dance.  And eat...

a

ah, isn't he cute?!

So, go on.  Get out there and experience all the thrills, chills, and excitement these and many more wacky and fun festivals have to offer!

hope you're not brown skinned

I've been thinking of how to write my thoughts on the whole Arizona illegal immigration law.  I'm adamantly opposed to my tax dollars being spent to house, clothe, feed, and medicate those who are in the United States illegally.  Period.  We have our own citizens struggling to survive.  My tax money should be spent helping them.

Frankly, I don't buy the whole, "they're stealing jobs from Americans" line of bullshit.  Honestly I don't know of one person (American that is) that is willing to work for slave wages mowing yards, cleaning toilets, toiling in 100+ degree heat planting and harvesting crops, etc.  Do you?  The majority of these jobs are filled by immigrants here legally.  Yes, there are some out there who will hire those who enter our country illegally, because they can get away with paying them next to nothing - or in some cases - nothing at all; the wages are garnished to pay for the workers' "room and board."  Slavery folks, that's what that is.

Arizona passed a law that is to go into effect in August that states:

FOR ANY LAWFUL STOP, DETENTION OR ARREST MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS
UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE,
 WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON. THE
PERSON'S IMMIGRATION STATUS SHALL BE VERIFIED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
PURSUANT TO 8 UNITED STATES CODE SECTION 1373.

My question is what constitutes, "reasonable suspicion"? 

Now since this is Arizona I'm going to go out on a limb and guess this law is aimed at illegal aliens from Mexico.  Granted, our country is full of illegal aliens from Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, etc.  I'm guessing Arizona hasn't attracted any of those groups, right? 

Right. 

So, a peace officer can stop ANYONE they suspect of being here illegally.  That could be me, you, Chun-Ling, Anastasia, Humberto, Mehtap, etc. and ask to see proof of citizenship. 

I don't carry my birth certificate.  Do you?  I have a driver's license.  That doesn't prove I'm a citizen.  It just proves I passed a driving test.  I also have a passport, but like my birth certificate, it's not something I carry with me.  (And for some unknown reason, here in Boulder County, Colorado, my passport does not prove my citizenship anyway; although, the Social Security Administration says it does.)

I find it appalling that any state in our country would go to such extremes.  Yes, we do have a problem with illegal aliens coming into our country and draining citizen resources.  Yes, we do have a problem with illegal aliens bringing drugs into our country.  Yes, we do have a problem with illegal aliens coming into our country and committing atrocious and horrific crimes.  Guess what folks?  We have citizens doing the same thing.  Do I condone this behavior?  Not at all.  It is a problem that needs to be addressed, I agree. 

I don't agree that any state can make it open season on Hispanics.  And that folks is in my opinion, what this law is all about. 

The majority of those who work in any of our law enforcement agencies are honest, hard working, non-racist people.  They have a hard job, and I give them kudos for doing what they do to keep the rest of us safe.  However, having lived in various parts of the country, I'm only too aware of the things that can happen when someone who is not honest or is a racist pins on a badge. 

Does anyone remember the civil rights movement?  Anyone?  Does anyone remember "law enforcement" kidnapping and killing civil rights workers?

How about the policeman helping violent criminals in New York?

Or the accused child molester in Miami?

All it takes is one "rogue" cop to decide he's tired of "Mexicans coming over here and stealing our jobs" to cause a major uprising.

Yes, we need immigration reform.  Yes, we need to stop the influx of those entering the country illegally. 

I don't think giving law enforcement Carte Blanche to stop any brown skinned person with a Hispanic accent and request proof of citizenship is the way to do it.  And it will be the brown skinned people with the Hispanic accent who will bear the brunt of this.  I know it.  And you know it.


As an aside, Arizona has also passed legislation that will curb how certain courses are taught.  Arizona HB 2281 makes it illegal to teach courses that promote the overthrow of the U.S. government, are designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group, advocate ethnic solidarity, or promote resentment toward a race or class of people. 

The only problem with this is that technically teachers could be barred from teaching about the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, the attack on Pearl Harbor, etc.  All of these examples could potentially promote hatred of various races or classes of people.  (There are certain exceptions to the law, such as courses or classes for Native Americans that are required to comply with federal laws.)

 According to the Associated Press, Tom Horne, state superintendent of public institution, has pushed this legislation to limit a program in the Tucson Unified School District since he learned that Hispanic civil right activist Delores Herta told Tucson students that "Republicans hate Latinos."  (Frankly based on what I've seen so far, she doesn't seem to be too far off the mark...)

Shouldn't we be teaching our children about all cultures?  And yes, the teachings should include the good and the bad. 

I'm hopeful future generations will learn tolerance and empathy and throw off our society's growing narrow-minded, insular tactics.
 

summer please

It's hard to believe that just a few short months ago I was writing a blog on my daughter's trials and tribulations of going off to college.

Cruising along.

Cruising along.

Cruising along.

BAM!  She's home.  She survived her first year and came out with some pretty decent grades to boot.  Go Heather!

Of course the end of the school year means summer, right?

Wrong.

It means since we live in Colorado we'll be kept on our toes for the next few weeks with predictions of snow.  In fact this week some areas could see one to two FEET of snow.  Not inches.  FEET!

Luckily I don't think we live in that area.  I'm hoping anyway.

Over the past couple of months, we've been getting our yard prepped for the –

*drum roll please*

– VEGGIE GARDEN.  This has entailed a lot of work, and luckily for me, most of it done by other people.

Ted pulled all the rock up in the back yard.  The plan being to make part of the back yard a veggie bed and part of it for the dogs.  I paid to have dirt brought in.  Planting dirt to be exact.  You see there are many kinds of dirt, and you have to be specific with landscaping people what exactly it is you plan on doing with dirt.  I let them know I was planning a garden, so I got garden dirt.  I'm hopeful it's dirt that is going to produce scads of vegetables!

I also had pea gravel brought in and put down for the dogs.  They weren't too keen on walking on the river walk to do their thing, and our neighbors had pea gravel put in for their dog and it seemed to work.  Luckily for us, it's working too.  Otherwise I suspect the veggie garden would not be a veggie garden.

Kyna loves the pea gravel.  She loves digging in it.  She loves rolling in it.  She loves running it.  While sitting 20+ feet away I've been dinged on the head with pieces of it while she's tearing through it.  Must think about investing in a hard hat and safety glasses to wear while sitting outside.

Ted put up fencing around my perennial beds, herb bed, and veggie bed.  This fencing was my idea.  You know to keep the dogs out of the gardens.  I didn't want something so tall I couldn't get into the beds without dismantling the fence, and I didn't want something so elaborate that it would require a gate, so I chose mini picket fencing.  It's about 2' tall, and Ted warned me it wouldn't keep the dogs out.

He was right.  Fallon steps right over it.  Next time I'm getting wiener dogs.

So, now I will wait maybe not so patiently, until it's safe to plant the rest of the vegetables and herbs.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

a tale of customer service

My beef this week has been with customer service.  I've noticed over the past several years that decent customer service has gone the way of the dinosaur.  Too bad some of the customer service agents couldn't have accompanied them on that little sojourn, but anyway.

Customer service story #1.
I'm part of a group of women who try to get together once a year for a long weekend away.  It started out way back when our now college aged kiddos were tots, and we would get the kids together once a week for playgroup.  As an escape from being a MOM, the group decided a weekend away once a year was in order.  So for the past 15+ (OMG It's been that long?!) the moms have traveled to various places to be non-moms for a weekend.  We each take turns making hotel arrangements and coordinating who is or isn't going to make it this year.

Well, this year was my year to do all the legwork.  Being an owner of a Starwood condo timeshare, I'm in the "gold" class of their Starwood Preferred Guest club and was "awarded" a 50% discount at any Starwood property.  

(Now mind you, I have never had issues with the Starwood Company before this.  In fact I've been treated like royalty at their properties.  Club level, upgraded rooms at no charge, free happy hour, etc.)

So I'm thinking that a nice hotel on the beach might be in order.  The group decided on Clearwater Beach, FL and I called the super-secret-only-owners-get-to-know number and made a reservation for two rooms with a gulf view.

w

 would be a nice view, eh?

When I called to make the reservations, the two rooms were booked with two separate confirmation numbers.  This means while I'm on the phone with the agent, one of the reservations shows up in my e-mailbox.  I noticed it doesn't say "gulf view" but "bayline/harbour view."

 not quite the same view.

Uh-oh.  So, since I'm still on the phone with the agent I ask about this and am assured we have a gulf view room but that the reservations are all showing as bayline/harbour view.  I let her know we are a very particular crowd and if we don't get a gulf view I might end up on someone's  shitlist. Well, I didn't say "shitlist" but she got the message.  She assured me we had the gulf view rooms and made a notation  in the reservation that we required gulf view rooms.

Earlier this week I decide to call to make sure everything is in order.

Gulf view?  Ha!  In my friggin' dreams.

Nope we don't have gulf view rooms.  But for an additional $35/night they can rectify this little glitch.  Needless to say, Ruth is not a happy camper.  For those of you who know me well, I don't just let things slide.  Nope, I'm going to take it up the ladder.  The agent I'm speaking with is unable to help me so I request to speak with a supervisor.  I am told, and I quote, "You're wasting your time.  They're just going to tell you the same thing I just told you."   Excuse me?!  I asked to speak with a supervisor.  Your job is not to argue with the client but to do whatever it takes to keep them as a client.  After being "accidentally" disconnected I called back and decided to bypass the agent and go directly to supervisor mode.  The new agent thought it was her duty to argue with me that she "might" be able to help me.  I assured her this was not the case and there really was no point in me wasting her time or my time.


I was held hostage by this agent who wouldn't let me speak to a supervisor until she tried to help me.  So, after explaining the issue AGAIN, I was told there was nothing she could do.


Um, Miss I-Don't-Listen-Because-It's-Beyond-My-Capabilities, didn't I just explain that to you?  What is it about customer service people who won't actually LISTEN to what you have to say?


So, onto a supervisor I go, so that I can explain the situation yet one more time.  I'm told there's nothing he can do but bump it up to the "corporate" level.  Someone will get back to me in 24 to 48 hours.


Right.  Sure they will.


72 hours later *I* call *them* back.  Guess whose issue wasn't bumped up to "corporate?"

Yesterday  I get an e-mail from "corporate" basically telling me they have no recording of the initial conversation but they would be happy to put us in a gulf view room.  At additional cost.  Really?! Oh please let me pay more for a room I already booked at a lower rate!  Please, please let me!  Let me!

Yes, I am a very sarcastic person.  But not while talking to customer service people.  Having worked in customer service industries, I know for a fact it doesn't help.  I'm very calm, professional, and tactful.

After numerous e-mail messages back and forth with "corporate" it was resolved that nothing was resolved other than I will never book another Starwood property again.  My last exchange with "corporate" came back with an auto reply that she was sorry but she would not be in the office until 12 April and if the issue was urgent to write to customer support.  You're kidding me, right?

Sigh.

I forward all of the e-mail messages "corporate" and I have exchanged to customer support and receive a message back.

"Thank you for your email to Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
This message is to acknowledge we have received your email.
We are currently experiencing higher than normal e-mail traffic, which may result in a delay in responding to your message.
We are working very diligently to respond to your e-mail in a timely manner.
We would like to extend our sincerest apology for any inconvenience this may cause, as well as our appreciation and thanks for your patience at this time.
Best Regards,
Customer Service Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide"

Yes, they spelled e-mail two ways.  And my issue is still unresolved.  But I write letters.  To owners and presidents.  It's amazing the response you get then.  I'll keep you posted.

Customer service story #2.
STARWOOD TAKE NOTE ON HOW THIS SHOULD BE DONE!!!

Last year I bought a nice Weber grill.

This year the starter mechanism went out.  You know, the little doohickey you press and magically the burners light?  I have the receipt somewhere in my house papers but don't think it's still a warranty issue so don't bother looking for it.

I call Weber customer service.  The woman on the other end listens to the issue and asks if I had registered my product.  I tell her I'm not sure.  Sometimes I send those little cards in and sometimes I don't.  I do; however, have the serial number for my grill so she looks it up that way.  Nope, I didn't register the grill so she has no way of knowing if it's under warranty or not.  OK, this is my fault and I'm fully expecting to just order a new part, pay for it, and wait for it to show up.

Nope.

The customer service agent (Starwood are you listening...? emphasis on SERVICE) says, "No problem Ms. Covington; we'd be happy to send you a replacement starter kit at no charge."

*blink*  *blink*

After picking my jaw up off the floor, I thank the customer SERVICE agent profusely.

Three days later the part shows up.

Go WEBER!!!

Customer service story #3.
AGAIN, STARWOOD ARE YOU LISTENING?!

A couple of weeks ago I ordered some nifty upside down growing bag thingies and various accouterments.

 Check 'em out; they're really neat!

The box shows up and I open it and take inventory to make sure everything is there, and alas there are three extra bags and three extra chains missing.

I immediately call the customer service line and explain the situation.  The woman I'm speaking with apologizes to me and says she will get the missing items sent out ASAP.

Guess what?  Three days later they show up just as promised.

Go Gardner's Supply Company!!

So, there is such a thing as decent customer service out there.  For that I'm grateful.  There is hope for us yet.

PS Juan at Buca di Beppo in Broomfield is a mediocre server at best.  Note to Juan:
1. You do NOT slap food or drink on the table as you are walking past.  Take the time to SET the food or drink down and make sure your guests don't need anything else before you go on your merry way.
2.  If the guest says the wine smells like bleach you might want to check the glasses (or have the barkeep check) to make sure there isn't an issue with the glassware.  You wasted two perfectly good glasses of wine on what could have been a very simple fix.  Never mind the rolling eyes and attitude.  The guest should NOT have to go to the bar to get the problem resolved.  That's YOUR job.
3.  Don't think I'm going to tip you 15% or 20% because that is the "norm."  I tip based on service.  You don't offer up exemplary service, you don't get an exemplary tip.  I gave you 10% only because that is what you deserved and frankly I think I was being generous.