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Jun. 11th, 2006
Skip if you don't want to hear whinging about petty first-world problems.
We ordered a custom blind (singular) from Hunter-Douglas on April 9th. The store, Linens N Things, said it would take 2-3 weeks. We really need this for the summer, so we're ordering it early; our bedroom window faces east, so the mornings in the summer are PHOTON CANNON time, and we tend to wake up around 5am as a result.
Three weeks later, we have no blinds. So I call Linens N Things, and they call Hunter-Douglas, and after a few days, we discover that Hunter-Douglas hasn't even started working on the blinds, because, as is documented nowhere in this process, they want a butcher-paper template made of the window itself, and not just the exacting measurements I made. So they put it aside, and told no one about this.
It takes me a week to make the template, because I need help from two other people at the same time, and I have to get the exact right kind of paper they want, or they'll reject the template, and it takes a few days to get down to the art supply store that stocks it, even if it's not actually the right width and I'll have to tape two pieces together. Regardless, a week later, I ship off the template, 2nd day delivery.
They get it; I have delivery confirmation. They claim they don't have it. The delivery confirmation is mentioned. Two days later, they go, "ooooooooh, this template." That's May 21st.
Linens N Things is now spontaneously checking up on them, and hears back, "Oh, the measurements don't match exactly (one 1/8th" difference in height, which is irrelevant, it goes up and down, we can deal with the 1/8th of an inch) so we haven't been working on it." I presume it could have sat there another few weeks, so I'm glad Linens N Things called. They confirmed the template is correct. They promise to "expedite" the job.
Two weeks later, I call again, since they've apparently decided "expedite" does not mean "do quickly." They've in fact decided that they'd rather do the job in Renton, rather than California, so they've shipped everything (including my template) back up here for no very clear reason. This took a couple of weeks, since writing a new label is, you know, hard. You have to get out a pen and find some tape or maybe buy a label, and who the hell has time for that? Anyway, that took a while, but the ship date is now June 20th. But they say they have finally started making it, which means it's too late to cancel, so HA HA FUCK YOU YOU'LL GET IT WHEN WE DAMN WELL FEEL LIKE IT.
So. We may get it sometime in late June. It'll still be useful to have this year, assuming we get it then - it'll help keep light out in July, and heat out and July and August - but I will not be buying anything from Hunter-Douglas any time again soon.
We ordered a custom blind (singular) from Hunter-Douglas on April 9th. The store, Linens N Things, said it would take 2-3 weeks. We really need this for the summer, so we're ordering it early; our bedroom window faces east, so the mornings in the summer are PHOTON CANNON time, and we tend to wake up around 5am as a result.
Three weeks later, we have no blinds. So I call Linens N Things, and they call Hunter-Douglas, and after a few days, we discover that Hunter-Douglas hasn't even started working on the blinds, because, as is documented nowhere in this process, they want a butcher-paper template made of the window itself, and not just the exacting measurements I made. So they put it aside, and told no one about this.
It takes me a week to make the template, because I need help from two other people at the same time, and I have to get the exact right kind of paper they want, or they'll reject the template, and it takes a few days to get down to the art supply store that stocks it, even if it's not actually the right width and I'll have to tape two pieces together. Regardless, a week later, I ship off the template, 2nd day delivery.
They get it; I have delivery confirmation. They claim they don't have it. The delivery confirmation is mentioned. Two days later, they go, "ooooooooh, this template." That's May 21st.
Linens N Things is now spontaneously checking up on them, and hears back, "Oh, the measurements don't match exactly (one 1/8th" difference in height, which is irrelevant, it goes up and down, we can deal with the 1/8th of an inch) so we haven't been working on it." I presume it could have sat there another few weeks, so I'm glad Linens N Things called. They confirmed the template is correct. They promise to "expedite" the job.
Two weeks later, I call again, since they've apparently decided "expedite" does not mean "do quickly." They've in fact decided that they'd rather do the job in Renton, rather than California, so they've shipped everything (including my template) back up here for no very clear reason. This took a couple of weeks, since writing a new label is, you know, hard. You have to get out a pen and find some tape or maybe buy a label, and who the hell has time for that? Anyway, that took a while, but the ship date is now June 20th. But they say they have finally started making it, which means it's too late to cancel, so HA HA FUCK YOU YOU'LL GET IT WHEN WE DAMN WELL FEEL LIKE IT.
So. We may get it sometime in late June. It'll still be useful to have this year, assuming we get it then - it'll help keep light out in July, and heat out and July and August - but I will not be buying anything from Hunter-Douglas any time again soon.
I can hardly believe this worked
Jun. 11th, 2006 06:13 pmThe Lake Forest Park farmer's market had been pretty small so far this year, which isn't that bad, since last year at this time it hadn't been around at all, but something happened this weekend, because suddenly there were twice as many booths (not counting the children's booths here for children's weekend) and at least five times as many people.
Also, more importantly, shaved ice guy was back. ^_^
I'm as surprised as anyone else
"Copper garden marker engraving kit" mostly consists of some bits of copper and sticks to hang them on, but printing out the text you want in a font you want on paper and then using the included "copper engraving tool" (a somewhat pointier stick) to etch through the paper into the copper actually works. So I'm making markers for my herbs, which, honestly, all kind of look alike to me except for rosemary. I'm finishing up the other signs now. ^_^
Friday's miles: 2.4
Saturday's token: 0.1
Sunday's miles: 2.3
Miles out of Hobbiton: 883.4
Miles out of Rivendell: 423.6
Miles to Lothlórien: 42.8
Also, more importantly, shaved ice guy was back. ^_^
I'm as surprised as anyone else
"Copper garden marker engraving kit" mostly consists of some bits of copper and sticks to hang them on, but printing out the text you want in a font you want on paper and then using the included "copper engraving tool" (a somewhat pointier stick) to etch through the paper into the copper actually works. So I'm making markers for my herbs, which, honestly, all kind of look alike to me except for rosemary. I'm finishing up the other signs now. ^_^
Friday's miles: 2.4
Saturday's token: 0.1
Sunday's miles: 2.3
Miles out of Hobbiton: 883.4
Miles out of Rivendell: 423.6
Miles to Lothlórien: 42.8
so irritating
Jun. 11th, 2006 10:21 pmY'know what bugs me most about the whole attempt to quash network neutrality so that the telcos can fuck with your ability to get to websites that don't pay them extra in the same way that they fuck you over with ringtones you don't buy from them is that they are apparently too fucking stupid to recognise that network neutrality is what makes them common carriers, with all the legal protections that entails. As soon as they exert content control, they are de facto (and possibly de jure) exercising editorial control, which opens them up to fifteen billion lines of attack for legal responsibility over the content they do then relay.
Of course, that will presumably last about as long as it takes them to buy off Congress enough to get an exemption written into Federal law for that, too.
Of course, that will presumably last about as long as it takes them to buy off Congress enough to get an exemption written into Federal law for that, too.