Virgin Mobile....NOT!

Whatever you do, don't get a Virgin Mobile phone. You can buy it, but good luck trying to activate it! Virgin Mobile is a prepaid cell service that uses the Sprint network (I have a Sprint cell phone, and it works fine, except for the wireless web isn't working right now, BTW).

The reason I'm complaining about Virgin Mobile is that they must not have any concept of how busy the Christmas season is. I get hired by a company here that has a call center to activate Virgin Mobile phones for folks over the holidays. No problem. The school offices are closed until the New Year, so I figured I would pick up some extra money.

WRONG! I get there the first day after training and I sit there for about 5 hours or so not taking any calls because of a computer/phone technical issue. That part was actually pretty sweet.

We finally get some calls after much hand wringing and we set some folks up on the service. The next day, I come in and we're swamped with folks calling in. OK. Except, the system we use to activate folks (give them their phone # and program the phone so it actually works) is on the blink.

When that happens, we're supposed to tell these people to call option 2 (customer service/tech support) to get the phones up and going.

WRONG! Apparently, when these people called "option 2", the idiotic voice mail hung up on them, then they call us back raising all kinds of hell (deservedly so) because they have no phone #, and their service doesn't work.

I go back in today and we still aren't able to get these folks ringing away at the world, and they're still calling up giving us hell. I don't mind that too much; I just felt completely helpless not being able to actually DO anyhting to help these poor people who got stuck with this piece of junk. More than one person told me they were going to take the phones back where they bought them, and I openly encouraged them to do so.

Today was the last day of the assignment (Thank GOD!). I finally got so frustrated with not having the ability to properly do my job that I just walked right out the front door during my shift. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

Just as a side note, these phones cost anywhere from $50 to $150, and come with $10 of service on them right out of the box. I'm supposed to get a phone for free when I pick up my check on Thursday. If I do get one (I'm not holding my breath), that puppy is going right to EBAY.

Good luck to that poor fool when he tries to activate it!!

Helpless.....

There is nothing more helpless than when your child is sick, especially when they are a baby. It doesn't help that I live 75 miles away either.

Anyway, my little one (Bryan) is in the hospital with a bout of pneumonia. He came down with it yesterday. He seems to be doing OK now, but will be there a couple of days.

Aren't they cute?

My two little boys, Ben and Bryan.

On the 5th day of Christmas....

Well, I haven't posted a lot lately, so I figured I would let you know what has been going on with me in the interim.

1. I got a new job with the Scripps Research Center that starts on Jan. 3. Scripps owns HGTV and some other cable netowrks, plus a bunch of TV and radio stations and newspapers. They also sponsor the National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC. I will be conducting media research and other polling and marketing efforts. I'll also still work for the University part time.

2. My transmission is fixed, but my van is still in NC. I'll go get it at some point soon.

3. It is supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow here. I sure hope it doesn't.

PS: It didn't snow but for about half an hour. No road problems here!

One week until Christmas. Are you ready?

Thanks

I had a very nice chat today with an online friend. The first of many, I hope. Thanks for being there for me, Ann. You know where I am if you need me for anything!!

Merry Christmas!

Snow....

I don't normally like snow, well I should say I don't like driving in it. I wrecked my car in the snow last winter. However, I just looked out the window and saw it snowing a little bit and it looks kinda cool.

Got my grades back today. 1 A, 2 B's and a C+. Not too bad considering everything that has happened since school started in August. GO VOLS!

Pictures

Ben and Bryan-May 2004

Here is a picture of my 2 kids. Ben is the older one. He loves helping his mother with little brother.

Here we are....

Well, my beloved Tennessee Volunteers lost in the SEC championship game to the Auburn Tigers 38-28, which is honestly a lot better than I thought they would do. They now go to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas to play Texas A&M on January 1. I think I'll pass on the $75 tickets and the plane ride to Dallas though. The basketball team lost to UT-Chattanooga 69-68 yesterday. Looks like it's gonna be a long year for Buzz Peterson.

As for me, my transmission blew up on the way to visit the folks in North Carolina over Thanksgiving. It's getting fixed. I'm now in the middle of final exams. 2 more to go and then I get almost a month off.

That is about all for now.