Do Not Trust This Company

See this logo? Looks nice, doesn't it? You'd think so. But you'd be wrong.

THEY RIPPED US OFF AND THEY WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE ANY CONTACT...

We ordered their products in January for birthday gift to son who lives in Hawaii. The owner of this company called, said they couldn't ship to a P.O. Box and they would refund our money.

THAT WAS FOUR MONTHS AGO. NO REFUND, NO CALLBACK, NOTHING.

We've called them and emailed them and they are totally ignoring us. They don't even have the decency to reply. I found this company at Hawaii Magazine online where this company was recommended by that magazine. That magazine will be hearing from me as well as the Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas where this company is located. This company orders food made in Hawaii, has it shipped to their warehouse in Las Vegas and ships via FED EX from the warehouse. I would have been a regular customer but now not only will I not order from them again, I will be happy to tell everyone do not trust this company. It could have been so different and I would have been recommending this company. Like Julia Roberts says to the sales lady in Pretty Woman, "BIG MISTAKE".

So maybe you nice folks could participate in a little social media experiment.

Here is Hawaiian Food Online's Facebook page.

In the upper right hand corner is a "Recommendations" section. We already added an entry using our screen name Hawaii Ripoff, and we'd really appreciate it if you could visit the site and make a recommendation that they take responsibility and refund our money. Mention our ORDER NUMBER 5280. The total amount is $59.99. It is not a huge amount of money but it is something that I cannot stand: Dishonor.

NOTE: They have not called me but they sent me a one line email saying he would check to see if the package was not delivered. I emailed back and said this was not difficult, that a package was not sent and again reminded him about FED EX canceling the order and that they did not pick up a package. It took my hubby getting involved, getting a Facebook account which we do not want to have, and leaving the message on their Facebook page, for the company to even respond to my latest email. We will see if I do get my refund. In the meantime other people could email this company since they are trying to close the door on their Facebook page, but it is still possible to add a comment on their Facebook page.

orders@hawaiianfoodonline.com is the email. Thanks to anyone who takes the time to show a company the strength we little people have when we get together.

SECOND NOTE: Thank you everyone for your assistance. The company emailed hubby and the check is in the mail. I filed a formal complaint with BBB and they sent papers to the company. I told the BBB I would let them know when the check gets to me and has cleared my bank. I don't trust that company at all now. But thanks for sending the emails. I am sure that put the spark under their response. I will write a post with a summation when this is finally over.

Nose Warmer

This past winter was cold. Did you notice?

Breathing in cold air sometimes gives me a headache. Sinus headache.

I cut the toe from one of Hubby's white crew socks (yes, it was clean).

I folded in the sides and sewed a piece of wide elastic I found in my sewing box.

Voila! My winter nose cozy.

It sounds like I have a cold when I wear it but I don't care. I breathe warm air.

I found the picture on Google. The one in the picture was crocheted. My socky nose warmer works fine for me but maybe next winter I'll crochet one. Or two. To match my neck scarves and hats. Stylin'.

No Two Look Alike

The view from the windows in our little cottage is interesting. Different from any view I have had in the past.

The living room is in the middle of the house; a bedroom on one side and kitchen on the other side. Yes there is an indoor bathroom and there is also a mud room but they are not major rooms.

There is southern exposure in front and northern in back. So far not very different.

When I sit on the couch and look out the picture window facing south there is one type of sky. Today it is fluffy white (very white) clouds with deep blue; in fact the blue and white are wide lines, blue then white then blue then white.

When I turn my head to the right to look out the window facing north I see the back yard. And the sky is nothing like the view out the front. Today it is blackish blue and gray.

Am I just dense or does that sound weird to anyone else? Different sky depending on which direction I look.

Sometimes there is a gorgeous golden glow in the southern sky which makes the huge trees with the green leaves look celestial. And the view in the other direction would have the deep blue and purple and orange sky.

It is gorgeous and I am not complaining. It seems like we are in a movie theater or another world.


Photo found on Google. This is not a photo of a window in our house.

Snap!

Stop that!
Sheesh.
That hurts.
It is irritating.
Annoying.
Every time
I enter the
house through
the front door,
it snaps me
on the butt.

Photo found on Google. It is not a picture of our front porch.

Arranging Books

Are your books lined up on shelves or stored in boxes?

Do you arrange your books according to subject? By size? By color? By author? Or artsy-crafty?

Lined alphabetically by author name, or by book title?

Is it important to situate your books with titles right side up and books that are standing up with titles facing the same direction?

Are your books a personal thing or on view on your shelves for others to notice?

Do you take a book with you to appointments to read while you wait in the queue? Or do you pick up a magazine in the waiting room and mindlessly flip pages to pass time?

Would you describe your book life as "literary snob", "casual but chic", or "slob"?

This Hurts Just Reading It

Cartoon found on Google. This post is re-posted thanks to Blogger being down.

Someone with a good sense of humor sent this story to me:

I actually kept my mammogram appointment. I was met with "Hi, I'm Belinda!" This perky clipboard carrier smiled from ear to ear, tilted her head to one side and crooned, "All I need you to do is step into this room, strip to the waist, then slip on this gown. Everything clear?" I'm thinking, "Belinda, try decaf. This ain't rocket science." Belinda skipped away to prepare the chamber of horrors. With the right side finished, Belinda flipped me to the left and said "Hmmmm. Can you stand on your tippy toes and lean in a tad so we can get everything?" Fine, I answered. I was freezing, bruised, and out of air, so why not use the remaining circulation in my legs and neck and finish me off? My body was in a holding pattern that defied gravity (with my other boob wedged between those two four inch pieces of square glass) when we heard, then felt, ZAP. Complete darkness and the power went off! "Oh, maintenance is working. Bet they hit a snag." Belinda headed for the door. "Excuse me! You're not leaving me in this vise alone are you?" I shouted. Belinda kept going and said "Oh, you fussy puppy...the door's wide open so you'll have the emergency hall lights. I'll be right back...." Before I could shout NOOOO! she disappeared. And that's exactly how Bubba and Earl, maintenance men extraordinaire, found me, half naked, and part of me dangling from the Jaws of Life, and the other part smashed between glass. After exchanging polite "Hi, how's it going" type greetings, Bubba asked, to my utter disbelief, if I knew the power was off. Trying to disguise my hysteria, I replied with as much calmness as possible "Uh, yes, yes I did thanks." "You bet, take care" Bubba replied and waved good-bye as though I'd been standing in the line at the grocery store. Two hours later, Belinda breezes in wearing a sheepish grin. Making no attempt to suppress her amusement, she said "Oh, I am sooo sorry. The power came back on and I totally forgot about you. And silly me, I went to lunch. Are we upset?" And that, Your Honor, is exactly how her head ended up between the clamps.

Texting

The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

Mothers Day

In two months my mother will turn ninety years old. She and I have had our ups and downs and I didn't live with her after I was twelve. We have stayed in touch most of the time and lived in the same area some of the years, but most of the time there have been many miles between us. That wasn't what really distanced us though. I held resentment in my heart, which was unhealthy for me and prevented me from having a true mother/daughter relationship with my mother. It was so unhealthy that when I spoke of my parents they were referred to as "the mother" and "the father". It goes to show how far I have come that I can now speak in the first person and acknowledge "the mother" as my mom.

My mother was not the only person to disappoint me when I was a child. My brother still holds resentment and anger toward her and the few times he mentions our childhood he says if it had been today, our parents would have been arrested for abuse. We were four people living together for a few years but we were not connected to each other emotionally. The parents who were supposed to be the adults were ill equipped to be parents. Consequently, my brother and I did not have an example of what a family could be. We lived isolated lives and remained on the outside trying to understand how to fit in but not knowing who we were or how to participate in a well balanced life.

Both my parents came from lives of poverty and abuse. As I came to understand what their lives must have been growing up, it became clear to me that they didn't know how to break the chains of abuse in order to equip their children for a better life than they had.

Learning to forgive entails more than one aspect. Forgiving for me meant also letting go, forgetting the unhappiness. It meant letting go of anger. My anger affected every relationship in my life. And while working the twelve steps in a codependency recovery program, I admitted to myself that blaming others for my behavior is so lame. I knew I wasn't perfect, but facing truths has helped me to accept myself as a struggling human being, and at the same time accepting my mother as a woman coping with a life she detested.

My mother did the best she could. That is all any of us can do. She won't read this post because she won't use a computer. It is important to me that she knows she is cared about and I send cards and sometimes flowers to her. There is no sorrow in this post. I write this as a way to remind myself how far I have come and that I too am doing the best I can do.

To all the mothers out there, I wish you a day of love and appreciation.

Schools

Did you read this post at Life With Kaishon?

For awhile I have been thinking of ideas regarding schools. I am not a teacher, my children are grown, but I am a concerned citizen. No, that is not the same thing as a nosy old lady with nothing to do.

The women who saw the need in Philadelphia for an early learning center and put the work into all the aspects of opening such a facility deserve a huge applause of appreciation from their community and from all of us too.

I think the word "school" no longer has the strength it once had. Too many tragic things are now associated with "school".

We need to put the emphasis back on the basics of education at all levels of learning.

That is why I am proposing we use the words "learning center". After the little ones are adjusted to the fun of learning at the "Early Learning Centers" like the one in Philadelphia, the little tots advance to "Elementary Learning Center", then to "Middle Learning Center" before entering "Pre-College Learning Center". Emphasis is on LEARNING.

Hola

Happy Cinco de Mayo.

This will forever be a holiday I celebrate. I grew up in southern California. Cinco de Mayo was a celebration full of colorful costumes, amazing food, camaraderie, music and dancing. I have more of an attachment to this holiday than many of the monthly holidays we celebrate in this country. Time to make make some homemade refried beans, enchiladas, and rice. Yum.
When the people in Mexico took a stand against French soldiers May 5 1861, it was a boost to the morale in Mexico. That one day showed them what they could do when they worked together. France ruled Mexico for five more years but the one day of showing strength that caused the French to retreat is forever a victory.
The holiday has become a commercial holiday in our country, and like I said, it was a yearly event when I grew up in southern California. May 5th is a sentimental holiday for me.
Whatever the day is for you, enjoy your day.
Celebrar el día con alegría.
(Celebrate the day with joy.)
Feliz Cinco de Mayo.

Kids Do Say The Darndest Things

Graphic courtesy of Glitter Graphics

A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying "Everyone who thinks they're stupid, stand up." After a few seconds, Little Johnny stood up. The teacher said, "Do you think you're stupid, Johnny?" "No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself."




Teacher: George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn't punish him?
Louis: Because George still had the axe in his hand.




A firefighter was working on the engine outside the station when he noticed a little girl nearby in a little red wagon with little ladders hung off the sides and a garden hose tightly coiled in the middle. The girl was wearing a firefighters helmet. The wagon was being pulled by her dog and her cat. The firefighter walked over to take a closer look. "That sure is a nice fire truck", the firefighter said with admiration. "Thanks", the girl replied. The firefighter looked a little closer and noticed the girl had tied the wagon to her dog's collar and to the cat's tail. "Little partner", the firefighter said, "I don't want to tell you how to run your rig, but if you were to tie that rope around the cat's collar, I think you could go faster." The little girl replied thoughtfully, "You're probably right, but then I wouldn't have a siren".

Free of Pretense

Swinging in the breeze
Weightless and free
No strings attached
Unconditional love

Ears to listen
A shoulder to lean on
Advice if you request it
Tissues at the ready

No phony baloney
No bullshit either
Showing some love
With genuine feelings