Dell Computers Loses Customer

I used to be a fan of Dell Computers, but no more. I purchased my last one, a Dell Vostro, less than a month ago, receiving it on December 4th. I started having power issues with it on December 10th where it might or might not power on regardless of whether or not it was on AC or battery. On December 14th I called Dell's service department to arrange it for it to be returned to the repair "depot" and the service rep assured me that I would receive a return box from them in 2-3 days.

On Saturday, Dec 19th, I emailed Dell because I still had not received the link. By Monday the 21st I still had not received the return box and opened my email to retrieve my reference numbers so I could contact Dell. Dell had replied to my email of Saturday and responded with a link to the tracking confirmation showing that a box had been delivered. I reviewed the confirmation and saw that they box had been delivered to Connecticut. I live in Florida. I replied to Dell's email stating the delivery error and that I would be calling in a few minutes to request a refund for my Dell Paperweight.

I called Dell and started with the repair department where I had to point out to the girl that they did send a box, but to the wrong location and that my patience was gone. I am a writer and require my computer for work and can not wait to see where they decide to send the next box. I requested a full refund for my purchase and was switched over to customer service. After explaining everything to customer service the gentleman wanted to switch me back to the repair department to "see if we could work something out." I was adamant. "NO. They can't even deliver a box to the correct address with the correct information when they have my address on the invoice. I am done. I need a working computer and I demand a refund."

The representative has scheduled a UPS pickup for today, Dec 22. This is now in direct conflict with the email Dell has now sent me saying the UPS will contact me in a few days with an email link to a shipping label. UPS cannot pick up a box without a shipping label although it is scheduled for pick-up today. This saga can only continue to worsen and I anticipate several more lengthy phone calls while I attempt to sort everything out during my brief 21-day return period.

I will not be buying another computer from Dell after this fiasco.

Updates From the Eclectic Muse

A few weeks ago I posted a request to help get an animal cruelty video banned from YouTube. Well, thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, this video has finally been removed and a lot of flying squirrel owners and animal lovers alike are breathing sighs of relief. It's very encouraging to me to see that a few people can make a difference.

Baby Nibbles Asleep in a Kleenex

In other news I have acquired a new baby flying squirrel to keep Benji company. The new girl, little Nibbles, is coming along quite nicely. Benji seems unimpressed at the addition of a new little sister and would much rather continue to steal and hide nuts. Nibbles is just a little bundle of love. She will curl up in your hand and, true to her namesake will nibble fingers, although not very hard.

We have a new foster dog from Save Underdogs. Sasha is a shepherd mix that appears to have come from an abused home. It's taken me almost an entire week to be able to pet her without her flinching. She prefers women over men and doesn't care for loud noises. She is very playful once she feels comfortable and seems to really enjoy playing with our other three dogs. Sasha is spayed and her house training is nearly complete. She hasn't had an accident in three days!! I'm really hoping that this special girl finds a forever home before Christmas. She certainly deserves it.

My holiday shopping is nearly complete. I did all of my shopping online and am just waiting for the last couple of items to arrive. I simply must rave on Cafepress.com for a moment. I ordered several customized items from them and two of them arrived in less than perfect condition. The photo on the mug was crooked and the photo on the Sigg bottle was too dark. Well, I contacted them about exchanging the items and let me just say that their customer service response was phenomenal and the replacement items are already enroute and should be here before Christmas! Way to go Cafepress!!

Well that's about it for this edition. I've got to get a few more articles knocked out and then figure out what I can have for dinner that I can actually taste. Sinus/head colds seem to completely render tastebuds useless.

The Curse of the Laptop

Only two days left, but if you act now you can enter to win a HP Pavilion dm 3 Laptop by going here

What has inspired this blog post? The new Dell Vostro that I got just a little over a week ago has died and must go back to the factory for repair. Perhaps it panicked when it saw just how much writing I really do...

Greyhounds in Need of Homes

Passing this along for a friend. Please feel free to forward this on.

The Dairyland Race Track in Kenosha, WI will be closing on Dec. 31, 2009. 900 Greyhounds need to be adopted or they will be euthanized. there are only 6 weeks to get this task done. Contact Joanne Kehoe, Operations Director Ph: 312.559.0887 or Dairyland Race Track Adoption Center direct at 262.612.8256.

Laptop Computers

The old laptop died just in time for the holidays. I like to shop (online) the sales so I did a bit of shopping in the Dell Outlet this morning and got a good deal on a sweet little Dell Vostro. I've had good experiences with my Dells (the computer that died was an Acer Aspire One aka PoS) so it was only natural to hook myself up with a new one. The thing I like about the small laptops is that they fit in my shoulder bag and can go to work with me. If I need more power I've still got my desktop for backup.

What didn't I like about the AAO? Mine came with Linux-Lite, which for a Windows trained girl it just wasn't able to do what I needed. I was unable to download and install any updates, and Acer customer support was virtually non-existent. I'm a writer, so I need a computer that can keep up with my needs. This time around I'm going Dell.

Animal Cruelty on YouTube

If you're an animal lover you definitely don't want to watch this video. A group of "adults" show their ignorance by bashing an innocent and terrified 3 ounce flying squirrel to death with a shovel instead of humanely capturing it and releasing it outside like it should have been. What can you do? Go to YouTube and FLAG this video as offensive and list it as animal cruelty.

Why am I so upset? I actually own a flying squirrel that I have hand-raised since she was orphaned. Benji is a pure joy to be around. She is intelligent, playful and loving. And this is coming from someone who was most definitely not a big fan of squirrels until Benji came along. My world would be bleak indeed if this tiny angel wasn't in it. It would take a sick individual to deliberately harm a flying squirrel.

Please flag this video and get it removed from YouTube! Senseless killing of an innocent flying squirrel. http://tinyurl.com/yzbcflu

Benji and I thank you.

Kayaking Along the Emerald Coast

Last weekend turned out pretty good. On Saturday I purchased a Wilderness Systems Tsunami 120 kayak. It's a bright banana yellow (not my first choice, but hey—it was on sale) and I also picked up a kayak cart to help in transporting it when necessary. Then I just had to sit out a rainy Saturday and hope that Sunday would be clear enough to paddle Boiling Creek as planned.

Boiling Creek is a beautiful pristine creek located south of Milton on the Eglin Reservation. The last couple of miles of the paddle is along the Yellow River and although not as scenic, is still a nice place to paddle. I'd heard a lot about this creek in regard to its clear water and vibrant plant life, but I'd never done this particular float trip before and had looked forward to it for weeks. I am thrilled to say that I was not disappointed!

Getting there was a lot easier than getting to some of the other creeks on the Eglin Reservation, and the group that we were traveling with had a good shuttle plan in place so we were all able to drop our kayaks in the water as soon as we got there and head off. Immediately a sense of wonder takes over and it's almost as if you're transported to another time and place.

The water was clear even despite the previous day's rain. Beautiful pitcher plants lined the banks and various types of lilies decorated the surface of the creek. The current itself was slow and easy, allowing me to relax and just enjoy the ride, which was fine. It's easy to get absorbed in watching the aquatic life beneath while drifting along.

At one point an otter leaped into the water between Kris's kayak and my own. It was one of those moments in time that I didn't even bother to fiddle with the camera because I knew I'd never get it focused in time, rather, I just watched the otter swim easily beneath my kayak and disappear into a bed of lilies on the opposite side of the creek.

At one point I angled my kayak in closer so that I could get some detailed pictures of one of the lilies, and to my surprise my kayak started to sing! As the kayak drifted over the top of some of the underwater vegetation, it created the same effect as a bow being drawn across fiddle strings. I'm thinking about christening the new kayak “Siren Song.”

We'd started early to avoid the threat of rain and managed to have a dry trip, even stopping for lunch right before Boiling Creek joins with the Yellow River. This trip has become my favorite float trip by far, even in comparison to Turkey and Econfina Creeks. The sheer peace and tranquility makes it a favorite and I can't wait to get back out there and do it again!

Plan your own float trip on Boiling Creek here.