The dishwashing saga continues

Sears agreed to replace the dishwasher but, because my dishwasher model would cost about $400 more, I was expected to pick up the difference. This was not acceptable. I'd entered into a contract with them that basically states, I'll pay for your dishwasher and an extended warranty and you'll make sure my dishwasher or something of equal value will continue to work until that time period is up. No where does it say just because my dishwasher is four-year-old does it diminish the value to me. It's just that simple.

Armed with my original manual and the feeling I had right on my side I went back to the store where the salesman, a very helpful employee of Sear; one of the few I might add, found a model comparable to mine and called the Service Contract division and informed them this was the only model I needed and it was $400 over what they offered. They reevaluated my claim and before I knew it we had a schedule for the delivery of my new unit.

So what did we learn here? It was way to difficult to get this far and I'm sure there are people who just give up and don't complain. Don't give up if you think you are right and have the proof. The first store and sales person told me I'd have to pay the difference because the dishwasher was old. Four years is old? I'd expect it to last as long as the extended warranty. I went to a different store and someone who knew what they were selling.

What made me stay with Sears after all the problems? The fact that they did fix it, and it has a decent warranty period and I like the dishwasher I had for four years. Now, we just have to wait for Thursday and the deliver of the new dishwasher and hopefully, no problems. I'm hopeful but my beloved is a bit more skeptical. Good or bad, I'm sure I'll post about it.

When life gives you lemons

My lemon tree is feeling the brunt of the drought. With water restrictions we are not watering as much and our darling lemon tree is going dormant. It never goes dormant so I'm hoping that is what it has decided to do and not the alternative; dying and I just can't think of that right now. It's a good old tree and in '07 it had some problems but came back to us after a severe trimming so I hope it will be resurrected, yet again.

This solid old tree has given us lemons year round for the thirty-six years we've lived here. The track, built in 1965, could very well have been built on an existing lemon grove. The parcel of land east of us, now a large apartment complex and huge grocery chain store, once had citrus groves. When we moved here developers were in the process of removing the trees to build these two project. So much of the valley was walnuts or citrus so this tree could be much older than the track itself.

Life without this dear old friend would be sad indeed for it's supplied many memories. Every year we make lemonade for 4th of July and, in it's hay day, supplied neighbors and friends with bags full of lemons. Our spring brings the most blossoms and on a warm day the scent from the tree can be almost overpowering but comforting in a way. Spring has a way of doing that, reminding us everything will continue on it's cycle again. I hope the old lemon tree has not forgotten that promise and next spring will bring forth the bounty of years past.

Health care; it really is up to you

Tell your member of Congress to get off their butt and support the President. They did it for Bush when they allocated billions (I still shake my head at that) to fund an immoral war in Iraq. Let's doing something for our kids and assure they will have health insurance in the future. We owe it to them for letting Bush ruin this country.

Sign the letter!

Free, not always the best choice

Today started the free-in-the-park-concerts and we tried the Thousand Oaks flavor of the month. The group billed themselves as Manhattan Transfer meets Take 6. This was a bit of an overstatement but it was free. They were real fine with the harmony but white people should never cover James Brown, N-E-V-E-R.

Free concerts mean people drag their kids and food and chairs and blankets and it's a bit odd. Why would people come to the concert only to talk with friends and ignore the performance on stage? On one side of us, a man started talking when the performers came out and never; never shut up. I mean he didn't even take a freakin' breath.

The group on the other side had a million kids with assorted parents and not once did they look at the stage. They too were afflicted with diarrhea of the mouth. These people were not on the periphery but close enough to see the group.

Truly, I have no problem with kids being at these concerts, and if they run around and don't pay attention, hey they're kids, but what's up with their stupid parents? Sit out away from everyone who might not like to hear your conversation or your cell phone and have a nice day in the park.

Up by the stage there were a group of parents dancing with children. The kids were having a ball, the parents, too. This is great, kids need to see live performances and what better place. Their experience was much better than the little ones running amok while their parents all chatted like magpies. Selfish bastards. And to think, the park wouldn't let me bring my dog. Why?

No lint

Oh this is pathetic. You know the lint you clean out of filter on your dryer? Well, if you wash a load of everyday clothes, dry them, and have no lint afterwards; your clothes are old. Mine seems to be pathetically old.

What I believe

You might wonder why I'm not more vocal about the upcoming presidential campaign, to be honest, I'm quite tired of everything and we have not even got to the convention. Way too much press for everything they do and we have to listen to more until November. Oh when it gets closer I will start talking about registering to vote and hope all my friends encourage anyone they know to do the same and I do have an Obama placard in my front window, thanks to my daughter but you could drive yourself plum crazy if you followed every breath and fart the media thinks is news.

Now who I'd like to see more of in the coming months is Michelle Obama. This is one tough cookie and I say that with the utmost respect. She seems very real to me. Time will tell with anyone, I just hope she doesn't disappoint, we so need someone to look up to these days.

Now, has he made mistakes? You bet he has but compared to the current administration of untrained monkeys he looks pretty damn good. As soon as they are out of office I'll quit comparing them to monkeys; it's so insults the monkay.

And while were at it, Screw Fox News and the New Yorker. I know, NY's cover was satire but I know people who think this is true. I'm very sad to say they know Obama is Muslim and a terrorist. You are kidding, right?

Listen, I'm gonna vote for Obama, period. Does he answer all my needs? Probably not but he's the best thing out there and we need a change. Will it actually make a change in the way we live? Probably not. If I were a dreamer I'd say by next January we'd be out of Iraq, have health care program for everyone, and could thumb our collective noses at foreign oil. If I just get one of those, Santa, I promise to be a very good girl.

Update from the battle front

A very nice repair man came and got the buzz back but said we needed the cable from the box to our house replaced. His quick fix was just that, quick and would not hold us for very long. There will be some static on the line but at least I'll be able to make calls. I listened and it's less than the usual static. I'm hoping to hear from someone today or Monday.

And the war rages on

For about twenty years I've had an on and off battle with our phone service. First it was Pacific Bell, then SBC and now AT&T. Like most wars, no one wins; it just becomes a stalemate. Our neighborhood was built in the 60s and when the phone lines were put underground, something novel at the the time, I think they used something cheap as we've had many years of problems.

It usually starts with static on the line that I can hear then it progresses to static that keeps both from hearing the conversation. Sort of negates the whole purpose of a telephone, I know but since it takes an act of congress to get it fixed I tend to overlook most of the static. It's rather become my signature I believe. With the popularity of cell phones I've not even used the "land line" all that much lately and last night it rolled over and died. Completely. No buzz. Maybe it felt lonely. Unloved.

The phone company now wants you to test all your equipment yourself before you holler for help, which we did, and nope it just won't buzz. And it seems like it won't even think of buzzing until Saturday morning between eight a.m. and noon. Geeze, I'm almost missing the static.

Who or what is art?

Question: Is that Art?
Answer: No, he only looks like your cousin, Arthur.

Question: Is that art?
Answer: Who the hell can answer that!

Being at the Getty Center I'm exposed to a wide range of art. Even though we are better know for our painting collection, the 9th through the 19th century, we've collected much more in the ten years the Center has been open and have some modern pieces. For one, the photo collection has grown immensely and now includes some prints from 2006, Luc Delehaye. We also have some very contemporary exhibits like the new works of Tim Hawkingson which seemed a big hit last year.

Sometimes I look at different art movements and wonder if the artist thinks, "… wink, wink, let's just slap some color on a canvas, add a huge price tag and pass it off as art to prove these suckers will buy anything with a famous name attached." But, I like Richard Serra's fluid bands of steel and Chuck Close's portraits. Can't understand conceptual or performance art.

All of this art is making my head swim. How to look at it, how to appreciate it, how to understand it. I found a website that does explain some of the art movements, Modern Art
but does little to help how to understand it. None the less, if you too are confused about what is art, check this site.

So why the angst? California Video is just open at the Getty Center and even though I'm not crazy about the exhibit it is the very beginning of an art movement assembled together to view and study. This experimental venture into video did not exist before 1968 and continues today with a piece created for the show. In 100 years people will look at this collection and because the Getty Center has conserved this block of work and will be able to see it from it's inception. I do have to remind myself how the Impressionist movement was quite radical during it's time.

Check the website for the exhibit California Video and you might find something that inspires you, or puzzles you, or just starts a conversation about art. And maybe that's what the artist wanted in the first place.