delegating the 'to do' list...

I have a habit of making a 'To Do' list every morning while my coffee is brewing. It's my way of trying to engage my time management skills.

By the end of the day as I reassess my list, I can see what I have accomplished over the course of the day. And I can also see that once again, I have failed miserably at getting the majority of the items crossed off.

I'm pretty good most of the time in my ability to complete the task at hand. I'm good at prioritizing my day. The things that need to be completed by tomorrow will be done by tomorrow. Items that have no impending time limit may get pushed to a day when the list isn't quite as large. When running errands I am able to plan the route as to not double back and waste time in the process. But there are just some projects that seem to mysteriously reappear on my list day after day, week after week.

I admit that the items that stay on the list usually have to do with calling some company or another to dispute a problem. I suffer from slight phone phobia. It's gotten better over the years, but I just don't like talking to people on the phone.

My ex-husbands life is connected to the phone line. If he has Internet connection and a phone, he can conduct his business anywhere. I got so used to him making all the calls necessary that I never needed to! I got used to it. And many times when that item on my 'To Do' list is still there after 3 weeks? I'll call to get his help. He's just good at it. And I'm not.

For instance, we have a trampoline in the backyard. I'm the 'kool-aid' mom of the neighborhood. All the posse comes here to play during the summer. That damn contraption has paid for itself many times over. Now it's not just a trampoline...like the ones you see on all the Funniest Home Video shows where the people you know were immediately carted off to the emergency room to then be taking the funeral home. Ours is complete with a heavy duty pad over the springs, and netting to keep all the little kiddies inside. We have rules as well. NO FLIPS and only 20 on the trampoline at a time....

But after 3 years, the netting has gotten a little beaten up and the padding is wearing thin by the entrance/exit area. So I went to the JumpKing website to order replacement parts. Navigating the website is an arduous affair. And they give a warning/waiver before you submit your order.

Normally, this step send up little red flags. But I knew the exact measurements of my trampoline. Hell, I even knew the model number....so I KNEW that the parts I was ordering for my trampoline were the right ones. Other fools may order the wrong ones, but that wouldn't happen to me.

I proceed to wait patiently for my replacement parts to arrive. I'm hoping that they will get here before the really good weather starts. Finally last week a FedEx delivery truck pulls into my driveway...and I know what he's bringing me.

"Hey ma'am! I've got 5 large boxes for you! And they are heavy."

"I'll get the dolly! WooHoo!"

New springs (2 boxes: 128 springs in all), new pad, new netting, new roller wheels. We are going to rebuild our trampoline! So my daughter and her friends all come out to help with the project. We get off to a fine start, taking down the torn up net and removing the pad. We ball it up nicely and place it in a bag for trash day. We then start to carefully replace the springs. So no little hands get pinched, I have them hang the new springs on the hook and then I go around and replace them, dropping the old ones for them to pick up. We get through this without a hitch and look at our nice shiny new tight springs. They test it out for bounce and we are now off to the next box.

This box is huge and holds the new padding. Nice and thick, better than the original, pricey and pretty damn heavy too. As we start to spread this out, I can tell that it's too small. Instead of the 14 ft. it's supposed to measure, it only has a diameter of 12 ft. I double check the box. 14 ft. deluxe pad is written in bold letters across the box.

"There is no fucking way that's 14 feet!"

"Mommy, you said a bad word."

"Goddamn it!"

"Mommy!!!!"

Many more expletives came out of my normally truck free mouth. How could they do this? I gave them the model number! I gave them the measurements!

I sullenly put the pad back in the box. Now we'll try to the netting. At least with the netting the girls could still use the trampoline while the new pad would be shipped. As we started to lace it on, guess what. Yeah. Too fucking small as well.

Normally cool and composed, I was now officially steaming.

I called the customer service line. The recording told me that they are only open from 12 noon to 4 pm M-F. This was Saturday....on a holiday weekend. So I would have to wait until Tuesday to call.

Tuesday at noon their time, I placed my first call. "All operators are busy, please hold." I held for 10 minutes. Then hung up. As the day progressed I didn't get the next call placed until their closing hours. Fuck. Now I have to wait until tomorrow.

I call on Wednesday. I make it through to the company but get a recording. "If you are calling to make a return or exchange we would be happy to accommodate you. A 30% restocking fee will apply."

30%? Are you kidding me?!

Are you telling me the items that I purchased, that are marked correctly but are obviously the wrong size you are going to charge me 30% of the purchase price to take them back, plus I have to pay for return shipping and the shipping of the new items? Ohhhhh noooooo they aren't.

Take into consideration that the new items are going to take another 3 weeks to arrive? 3 weeks of summer without the use of the tramp in the back for the neighborhood gang of kids?

Hmmmm.

Although I am very capable at this point to make this call and speak directly TO a real person, whoever would receive this call does not want to talk to me. I can guarantee that....

So, this is an item on my "To Do"list that I am passing onto my ex. He'll be able to handle the situation with finesse and perhaps get more from them than I would. He'll probably schmooze them into sending a whole new frame and uprights. I'm so angry right now, if I spoke with them they probably wouldn't even accept my return.

So with passing this information to M, I've managed to get that line crossed off my list...for now. Until the new set of packages come and we go through this all again......

I certainly hope not! If that happens we are taking our summer vacation cross country. I just may drive out to Texas where JumpKing is located with the boxes in back. And they do not want that to happen.....I can guarantee it.

:-)