Ford

The Dilemma

The hallway in the office is long. It runs the length of the building. When I turned the corner I saw a coworker at the other end. She crossed the hall but before she disappeared around the corner, she paused, smiled and waved. We have said hello to each other in passing but the physical gesture seemed to jump to a whole new level. Were we ready to commit to more than a polite hello when in hearing distance?

It seemed odd to me. Then I realized. What if somebody is behind me? I have been known to assume someone is making contact with me when in reality – not so much. In fact, I kind of do it a lot. Surely somebody was behind me. Somebody who was on a waving basis with this co-worker. That would make sense. But how could I know without turning my head and looking? That would just look silly.

Hence, the dilemma.

So, do I wave and risk being mocked for intruding on somebody else’s wave or do I not do anything and be known as Ms. Snooty-Patooty? I waved. I also never looked behind me because I didn’t want to know if I was wrong. Better to be laughed at for over-friendliness than to be ostracized for being rude. Especially in an office filled with women.

The Update

I called the Ford store today to get help with my radio/clock situation. First of all, the person’s name who answered the phone was Corina. I’m sure it wasn’t spelled that way but I spell-checked it for her. That never happens to me. This must be what Jennifers feel like.

After I recovered from my shock, I asked her about my radio.

“What?” she responded.

“My battery went dead and I need to reset my radio/clock.” This was the third time and second person I explained it to.

“Huh,” she said, “I’ve never heard of that before. Let me find someone to ask.”

My confidence in this being a simple task faded fast.

She got back on the phone. “Is this a factory stock radio?”

“Yes,” I responded.

“That’s weird. That shouldn’t happen.”

I decided not to tell her that according to the owner’s manual, that’s exactly what it needs. Last night, I found a little blurb under the battery section but it didn’t give details. It just says to reset the radio after installing a battery. Installed battery? Check. Reset radio? That’s why I’m calling you.

So, Felix, the Ford Explorer, has an appointment at 2:00 on Friday. Too bad I’m not a betting person because then I’d start a pool of how much this is going to cost. I’d have to win though because I have a feeling I’m going to need help paying the bill.

I have a certain list. It contains names of companies that have ticked me off and I boycott. I’m sure they are hurting because I choose not to patronize them any longer. Believe you me, they will rue the day they messed with CK (bonus points to anyone who thought of Real Genius after the trigger word rue).

It’s a rather short list because for the most part, I’m pretty easy going. It really takes a lot to get my goat. That last sentence caused quite the distraction. Where did that saying come from? And is it really the worst thing if somebody takes your goat? Wouldn’t your horse be more valuable? What if somebody plays keep-away with your winter hat? That would tick me off more than somebody stealing my goat. Especially since it’s winter and I need my hat. I don’t even own a goat.

But I digress.

photo courtesy the web

As I was saying, there are only a couple of companies that have ticked me off so much that I actually boycott them. I learned this from my dad. He’s a wholesale grocer salesman. One year, the mega-corp Kraft muscled in on dad’s business. This is a small community and there isn’t room for the little guy when the big guy comes to town. So there was quite a while when the Lee family refused to buy anything from Kraft. Have you ever noticed how many products are in the Kraft line? A lot. It took my mom forever to shop but she supported my dad. We’d still be Kraft-less but the CEO sent my dad a letter and apologized profusely. He begged us to come back to the Kraft side. Okay, that’s a lie. We just got tired of generic brands and I’m pretty sure my mom got tired of spending extra time at the store. But we were persistent for a couple of years. That’s how we roll. We are a loyal bunch.

In honor of my family’s proud tradition of boycotting companies that don’t even care, here’s my list.

photo courtesy the web

Dell. Dumb Dell. I say that as I’m typing on a Dell laptop, with a Dell computer sitting behind me, and one upstairs connected to a Dell printer. But no more! The last computer I bought I mailed my final payment two days late. I was charged interest because they received the payment late. Hello? Even the US Government allows a grace period. Not to play the sympathy card but I’m so going to. The reason the payment was late was because I took my sick mother to Salt Lake for her doctor’s appointment. True story. No more Dell…starting now.

The newest addition to this list is Ford. I drove a Ford Escort on my mission and didn’t care for it. When I went car shopping this last time, my heart was set on a Toyota Rav4. I even knew what color I wanted – the blue metallic. Oh yeah, that says CK. Instead, I was trying to be smart and keep my options open. Big mistake. I went to the Ford store and there nestled in between two big trucks was a seductive Explorer.

“Hey baby,” it said to me, “I got your SUV right here.”

photo courtesy the web

I drove it home that day. After, of course, signing my life away.

So far, I’ve had to get four new tires. The frame under the radiator was cracked (this is another sore spot. I took it to the Ford store and their sophisticated equipment couldn’t find anything wrong. But I was still charged for their labor – to find nothing wrong – when something was wrong). Two seatbelts in the middle section needed replaced (which I would have postponed fixing but because I drive other people’s kids, I thought I better see to it). The windshield needs replaced. The running board on the driver’s side is cracked. The battery died (on the day of my mom’s funeral. Not a way to win brownie points). And now the radio/clock doesn’t work. I was told it needed a fuse. Well, heck, I can replace a simple fuse. Except for the fact the fuse box is in such an awkward position I can’t even get to it.

Today somebody told me it’s an anti-theft device and all I need to do is enter a security code. Seriously? It’s a pre-owned vehicle so I have no idea where the security code is located. I’ve tried googling it but no surprise – the answer will cost $29. I’m going to have to break down and get the Ford store’s help.

So yes, I will continue to boycott these two companies. It’s their loss. I’m sure they will feel it.

What’s on your list?