2:26 p.m. - 2006-12-18

Few things are ever straight forward

Well ..... the purchase of my laptop is not going as smoothly as I had anticipated.

But �.. on the upside - - this whole experience has taught me a lot about myself. Most importantly � that when I get focused, its very hard to dissuade me.

As I mentioned last weekend I had ordered my very first brand new computer � a laptop in fact. I�ve had a few computers in my day - all hand-me-downs, but never ever a brand new one. I was/am terribly excited.

Last Monday I checked my e-mail, and sure enough status was that it was on it�s way. Tuesday I checked my e-mail, and there seemed to be some kind of hick-up. Wednesday it seemed that there was a definite change in the wind, but no information was forth coming. Thursday I resorted to old fashioned methods � I called the company that I was ordering it from.

They had good news .... And they had bad news. Which did I want first?

I chose the bad, so as to end of a good note. Boy, was I wrong.

The bad news was the my 1st choice was a discontinued model (which I might add is still listed as available on their site - even today), but the good news was that they would �upgrade� and could substituted - at no additional cost to me - an equivalent choice. Once I had heard the words �upgrade� I cease to hear much else. I told him "sure, go with this 2nd choice�, and hung up from the call and immediately called my husband to tell him the news.

The first thing out of this �man�s� mouth was �so, what did the upgrade it too?�

DOH!! I had forgotten to ask. So, of course, I immediately called the laptop people back to ask my should-have-already-asked question.

Turns out that their version of �upgrade� is not what I or my husband would call an �upgrade�, it was more of a lesser latteral move. Back on the phone I was and had the poor guy going in circles trying to get me an now 3rd choice equivalent to what I wanted.

Later that day he gets back to me to say that he�s spoken to the laptop makers directly and although his company doesn�t list this particular model they would be able to get one for me. But I must decide quickly due to the Christmas rush, and that this particular model was moving quickly.

Not an hour later I e-mail him back to say �yes� I will take this 3rd choice, and replied that he would get back to me early on Friday to confirm it acquisition.

Friday morning arrives with a wicked wind storm having occurred overnight and we had no power.

Crisis! I was expected to get the e-mail confirming my laptop. Oh, how we become hooked on technology!!

We were back up with power by 11am (Thankfully) and sure enough there was an e-mail waiting for me.

Blast and Darn!!! This 3rd choice � given by the laptop maker themselves � was a discontinued model as well. I was beginning to have serious doubts about my choices as well as wondering if I was supposed to get a laptop at all.

Meanwhile � the husband on was on the hunt down for an alternative laptop as well as the company to purchase it from. And he did.

Instead of ordering it over the internet, which had already caused me much strife and consternation, I chose to call this new company directly � speak to a sales person � and make them promise on a bed of nails that they would actually, physically, positively have the laptop in stock.

�Ben� was my sales person and the poor guy didn�t know what hit him. Thankfully � he was a salesman with a great sense of humour and we had quite a good time of it. I was very adamant that he assure me that he could lay his eyes or hands on the very topic of our discussions. I wasn�t fooling around any more and did not want to hear the words �discontinued� or �upgrade�. He was very good about my situation, and we even got talking about all other manner of issues. In fact � I know he�s a father of 9 and a grandfather of 2. He lives in Toronto, and they didn�t have any snow yet. It got to be quite comical.

All this to say that after multiple phone conversations and e-mails I believe that Ben and I have come to an understanding and my purchase is on its way to me. �Ben� has even reassured me � several times now � that he will be calling in a couple of days to make sure that I have indeed received the laptop � and prayerfully � before the weekend.

I would never have dreamt that such a relatively easy purchase would prove to be anything but. Say your prayers for me. This isn�t over yet.