<p>I want you guys to know that last night I had a dream there were two squirrels in my room (“marmots” I suspect). They were cuddled up in my dogs’ beds. (Likely story - they’re terriers.) It was creepy!!!</p>
<p>Looks like the marmots got into that bad /recalled petfood and got sick all over cc here for a while… welcome back</p>
<p>Ah, that’s it, jym. Explains all the bad karma. Suffering marmots. Of course. Well, then, it’s home-cooked grub for the marmots from here on in. We’ll add that to Alu’s Habitrail.</p>
<p>Update for my fellow “sinners” and supporters in times of stress…</p>
<p>It has been four days since my 18 year old D was stranded in Dallas enroute from CA to New York and had to stay there all weekend in a hotel alone without luggage. She finally made it back to NYC very late Sunday night. However, no sign of her luggage. I called about twice a day and they said it hasn’t been scanned yet into the computers in JFK. However, they have no way to checking if it is in Dallas or JFK or of knowing if all the backlogged luggage from last Friday made it out of Dallas yet…basically NO information, no searching for it, no way to call each airport’s baggage area. Supposedly, the luggage could have even been in JFK but simply in piles of luggage not scanned in. Meanwhile, D didn’t ask much about it as I know she was worried of it being lost and was so happy to be in NYC at first. I never felt like it was truly lost because the situation was such that thousands of bags were stranded over the weekend. Still, it wasn’t like anyone was looking or checking on it and so things were starting to look dismal as to if they were on top of things. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the day my D was traveling back to NYC on Sunday night, her cell had major problems and kept dying in the middle of calls. Then, yesterday, she said it was completely dead and not working. She had recently bought a new battery but it was not that as it was fully charged. So, no phone contact with her, let alone how much she relies on it. </p>
<p>She goes to school from 9 AM until 10:30 PM most days. I sometimes catch her late at night via IM. She was going to go about getting a new cell on her one hour lunch break today in Manhattan. The last time her phone broke, it cost a fortune to replace. So, now we have phone insurance. I hadn’t yet called today about the luggage because it was Day FIVE and I know that today they would start the claim process. I also didn’t want to tie up my phone in case she called for advice from the cell store. So, she apparently ordered a new phone as they said hers was completely dead and it was fully covered but not in stock and is being mailed to her (a hassle to have no phone but at least this is solved and not another big expense after this past weekend costing a LOT). So, she stops home for lunch and IMs me to tell me she ordered new phone. </p>
<p>JUST as she was IMing me, my phone rings. It is the driver of her luggage, five minutes from her dorm! I never was called as promised from the Airlines that it was found and being delivered and so had no idea and was ironically about to call them to get another round of “we know nothing”. So, what perfect timing, as this was the one 30 min. block my D was free all day and night and so she went down to the lobby and got it from the driver and I am so happy for her! I just could not fathom what would be involved in replacing all the clothing, cosmetics, shoes, class books (special ordered), sheet music (special ordered), some special small instrument (borrowed) and how she’d have no time to deal with it all. So, happy news on this one thing! Wish she had a phone but we’ll deal.</p>
<p>Marmots back in the game! Go suzievtD!</p>
<p>Yay for found luggage! (throws confetti)</p>
<p>Well, it’s obvious. jym deep-sixed the recalled marmot food that was causing all the problems! They got soozieD’s luggage to the Big Apple and soon she’ll have her phone. Make sure she downloads the special Marmot ring tone for future protection. Cheaper than the monthly insurance fee :p.</p>
<p>The insurance fee is a bummer but at this rate…kid is on cell phone number 3. Other D is on cell phone number 2. Each has had her IPOD fixed umpteen times and D2’s is now not working. D1’s laptop has now completely crashed and needed retrievel, plus rebuilding of the hard drive twice in past year. Does anything work anymore??? As if college didn’t already cost enough!
(not to mention D2 totaled car two years ago in major crash)</p>
<p>Oh, I almost forgot…D2 while in Brazil two months ago, had digital camera we got her for graduation stolen (that is what she maintains). Can’t replace it. </p>
<p>Wait…come to think of it, recently, D1’s brand new slalom skis have a defect and are coming apart (expensive race stock skis) but alas, they WILL replace those for free. Have yet to receive replacement.</p>
<p>Oh, yes, another thing I forgot. I got into my car yesterday after hubby had driven it earlier in the week and my windshield is majorly cracked all the way across. Forgot to tell me. Stone hit it (mud season was in full force last week before new snow dumped again).</p>
<p>I wonder what is on the horizon this week…D1 is traveling to NYC to visit D2 and then onto CA to visit her grandmother…hope no more travel mishaps.</p>
<p>I think the only thing for the soozievt family is to… STEP AWAY from the machines. Life in the Amish country seems a bit better suited?</p>
<p>Sooz
I’m just glad your DTR back in NYC safe and with luggage.</p>
<p>Yay for luggage!!! Seems to mysteriously show up after about 5 days. Wonder how long it takes them to rifle through all your stuff to see what they want? Hmmmm. Next time pack some marmots in there-- they can bite at the sticky fingers of those FTA employees/baghandlers. Sorry if I offend any airline employees. I is just beyond belief that the airlines doesnt join the 21st century and use the barcode sustem a bit more efficiently, like UPS or Fedex. (We’ve been through a similar lost baggage nightmare when older s went to South America with a volunteer organization last year. I feel soozievt’s pain).</p>
<p>And jmmom-
thanks for crediting me with the turnaround of some luck. No idea if the marmot replacement rations did the trick, but I’ll take it!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Half our luggage went missing when we returned from Thanksgiving. I’d gotten a call that evening from the airlines saying that they still didn’t know where it was. At 2 am I get a call from a guy saying “I’m out front.” (Dh was out of town and I had no idea who this “I” was.) Luckily it was our luggage, but really I think they could have delivered it at a more civilized hour.</p>
<p>mathmom-
I’ll bet the delivery man felt the same way. Personally, I’d take it at any hour, but yes, a head’s up call would have been appropriate.</p>
<p>OK, can we keep the good karma coming for another 24 hours? Marmots stay on the job and all that? Son is coming back from Japan tomorrow and I’d like him safe and sound, WITH luggage if possible.</p>
<p>Flying with S and W to New Mexico on vacation this p.m.</p>
<p>Would ask the marmots to cross fingers on behalf of our luggage, but don’t think that is possible…</p>
<p>Sure hope mommusic’s S and m&sfamily luggage don’t get mixed up in transit. ;)</p>
<p>Luggage is like kids. No amount of hounding will help you get your way. It either shows up or not. ;)</p>
<p>Congrats on the found luggage!</p>
<p>Uggh. Taking refuge from cur’s thread. Why do I always participate? Why do I always get hurt feelings? Why do I always get enraged when I think people are arguing in bad faith? Maybe I am just trying to justify elitism. Maybe I am a pig. Hmm. Self-doubt time. </p>
<p>Do any of you do this? Lash yourself alternatively while cursing others? It’s very productive. Not.</p>
<p>Uggh. Alcohol will make it worse. Give me that old dog-eared murder mystery that someone left behind on the bar one day and I will go sit in a booth and drink water until the regulars show up and start playing darts. Darts. That sounds good.</p>
<p>you want a lime with that water? I thought it was fine to preface your thoughts with your financial situation. Do not beat yourself up…</p>
<p>Alum, I hope I’m not out of line in bringing some of that thread here, but I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate you sharing your point of view. It’s just as valid as anyone else’s experience, and at least it’s a change from the groupthink that sometimes prevails. I don’t think you deserved any personal attacks on that thread.</p>