Wreck-tastic

One of my favorite daily blog reads is Cake Wrecks. The premise is simple, people send in photos of professionally made/decorated cakes that, well, are wrecks in one way or another. Sundays are just the opposite, where she presents "Sunday Sweets", which are truly amazing cakes.

Here is the "Cake That Started It All" (photo from Cake Wrecks site):


Just in case you haven't had your morning coffee, the instructions to the cake decorator were "...and underneath that..."

Today's Wreck was especially humorous, because we get a bit of the story behind the wreck. And so I present for your consideration...

"Happy Falker Satherhood!"

Because We All Need A Bit of Humor...

My fellow blogger at Add Humor and Faith posted this forwarded e-mail she received. True or not, I couldn't resist passing it along...

When you die, leave a forwarding address!

Be sure to cancel your credit cards before you die. This is so priceless, and so easy to see happening, customer service being what it is today.

“A lady died this past January, and her credit card company billed her for February & March for their annual service charges on her credit card, & added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00, but now it was somewhere around $60.00.

A family member placed a call to the credit card company and here’s the exchange:

Family Member: ‘I am calling to tell you she died in January.’
Company: ‘The account was never closed and the late fees & charges still apply.’

Family Member: ‘Maybe, you should turn it over to collections.’
Company: ‘Since it is 2 months past due, it already has been.’

Family Member: So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?’
Company: ‘Either report her account to frauds division or report her to the credit bureau, maybe both!’

Family Member: ‘Do you think God will be mad at her?’
Company: ‘Excuse me?’
Family Member: ‘Did you just get what I was telling you — the part about her being dead?’
Company: ‘Sir, you’ll have to speak to my supervisor.’

(Supervisor gets on the phone):

Family Member: ‘I’m calling to tell you she died in January.’
Supervisor: This account was never closed, so the late fees and charges still apply.’ (This must be a phrase taught by the bank!)
Family Member: ‘Do you mean you want to collect from her estate?’
Supervisor: (stammering) ‘Are you her lawyer?’
Family Member: ‘No, I’m her great nephew.’

Supervisor: ‘Could you fax us a certificate of death?’
Family Member: ‘Sure.’ (fax number is given)

After they get the fax:
Supervisor: ‘Our system just isn’t set up for death. I don’t know what more I can do to help.’
Family Member: ‘Well, if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her. I really don’t think she will care.’

Supervisor: ‘Well, the late fees & charges do still apply.’ (What is wrong with these people?!?)
Family Member: ‘Would you like her new billing address?’
Supervisor: ‘Yes, that will help.’
Family Member: ‘ Odessa Memorial Cemetery , Highway 129, Plot Number 69.’

Supervisor: ‘Sir, that’s a cemetery!’
Family Member: ‘What do you do with dead people on your planet?'

It's like Laurel and Hardy, I'm tellin' ya!

File This Under "Is She For Real?"

Before the children made their appearances in our lives, The Husband and I enjoyed going to movies. We don't do that so much anymore. As a matter of fact, I may have sprained my brain trying to figure out the last movie that I saw in the theatre.

After reading this, I don't think I've missed much.

Scatterbrain

I have a head cold. A real honest-to-goodness head cold. Can't remember the last time that happened. I'm taking Alka-Seltzer Cold three times a day, popping extra Multi-Vitamins, and mainlining Vitamin C in an attempt to stave off the beast.

Consequently, my thoughts are all over the place. What you see is the result of my inability to form a coherent string of thoughts.

We leave for MouseLand a week from today. The shuttle is picking us up at 5:00 IN THE MORNING. In order to get the brood ready, this means I'll have to get up at 3:45 IN THE MORNING. I'm tired just thinking about that.

I have yet to hear from "Guest Communications" regarding my transportation rant.

So my Man is traveling to Las Vegas to attend a trade show for work. On Tuesday we found out that the convention and lodging was booked for the Monte Carlo Resort. On Friday the hotel caught fire.

They moved the convention and lodging.

I'm traveling to Las Vegas in March for a professional association meeting. I'm presenting a session and have yet to create it. Did I mention my co-presenter won't be able to attend the conference so I'm flying solo?

Tonight I left the Man home with the boys and went to my first church small group meeting. It was so nice to have intelligent conversation with other adults. For fun. Not related to work. With no children. Woo-Hoo!

Went to Wal-Mart today. A sign above a dairy case said something about the products in that case and referred to "our's". This was a REAL sign, not handmade for the occasion, but an honest-to-goodness corporate sign. Sigh.

A Rant

I'm livid. Furious. Outraged. Flabbergasted. Astonished.

And I must vent.

So we're planning this trip to Disney in February. Two weeks from Saturday, actually. Our family, my brother's family and my parents. All headed down with all FIVE children to meet the mouse.

We each purchased Disney Vacation Packages. All told, before airfare and incidentals, we're spending close to $9000. We went with the packages because they are all-inclusive.

Or so we thought.

One of the perks when you purchase a Disney package is Magical Express. This is free transportation from the Orlando Airport to your hotel property.

The children are ages 4 mos., 2 years, 3 1/2 years, 5 years and 7 years. In most states, they would all be in some sort of child safety seat. In Florida (and many others, I assume), child restraints are not required for mass transportation, such as the Magical Express Motor Coach. When we expressed concern, particularly for the two youngest, we were told that we could hold them on our laps for the 30-45 minute drive. Has anyone ever tried to hold a 2 year old for that long? In a bus? And since when is it safe to hold an infant on your lap in a moving vehicle?

Unacceptable.

Here's my beef. Disney World is arguably the #1 family destination in the world. They are the gold standard when it comes to customer service, event planning, and hospitality. I don't care who OWNS the buses. If Disney includes "free transportation" in their vacation packages (targeted at families, remember), then there should be an option for child restraints. Families with small children could be picked up in vans with seat belts.

And I certainly don't appreciate the associate telling me that Disney didn't own or operate the buses, but they had the Disney logo. Sorry dear, but I don't care about that. Any first year marketing student will tell you that once you slap your logo on something, then according to the customer, it's YOURS.

Now, I know this isn't true, but since I'm the "guest" here, my impression is what counts. By providing an option that doesn't have seat belts or child restraint accommodations, Disney is showing complete disregard for the safety of my children. I don't care that the motor coach is very safe, and there haven't been any accidents in three years. When it comes to the safety of children, Disney should be BENDING OVER BACKWARDS.

Yes, I realize that this is a "free" service. But when I spend THIS MUCH MONEY on a DISNEY vacation package that INCLUDES transportation to your hotel and back to the airport, I expect that it will be safe for EVERYONE in my party.

Again, don't tell me that the motor coaches are perfectly safe and not to worry because an accident isn't going to happen. Because, Disney, all it will take is one accident, and the Year of a Million Dreams will turn into the Year of a Million Nightmares, and you can bet your Mickey ears that you'll be wishing on a star that you'd addressed this sooner.

After speaking with no less than FOUR people in different offices, I was told that I could WRITE to Guest Communications with my concern. So I will. And you should too.
wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com.

Rant over.

Cheers!