Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Colors, they are a Changing!

This was it...the last day to finish up all of the errands and finalize the details for the grand move out west. The day consisted of a lot of errands, follow-up, running around and even a bout of getting lost in some alternate universe known as Paterson, New Jersey...let it suffice to say that for myself personally, I do not plan to return! Crazy streets, crazy neighborhoods and a very odd vibe...enough said!

It took about 8 hours to get the last of everything done, and then it was another drive back to Larry and Trish's house upstate. Here is the big payoff for the day - there are seasons back here on the East Coast and the leaves are changing color every time you look at them...absolutely beautiful! I was really grateful to get the opportunity to see it in the daylight (we drove up in the dark last night) and really enjoy just how beautiful it can be to transition out of one season and into the next.

A couple interesting stories of note: Eric had a shirt that we found (Bloomingdale's receipt and all) in one of the many closets that he bought as a gift and never gave. We called to confirm their return policy and decided that it was certainly worth it to stop in and get the refund. This was one of the last stops of the day, so I volunteered to go in. I had the grand fortune of connecting with the most unhappy and stubborn of employees who really didn't want to help me. Too bad his stubborn attempts were no match for MY grand stubborn streak - the snottier he got, the more deliberate I became that I wanted the refund on a Bloomingdale's gift card; he even said to me on several occasions, "You're not making this very easy for me." My natural reply, "NOPE" I wasn't mean or snotty, just stubborn...perhaps there is a little lesson in customer service for our Bloomingdale's friend there!

The other cool event of the day was dinner with Larry, Trish and Shaw - our hosts for the past two nights. We went to a local restaurant called "Mt. Fuji"...think of it as Benihana with a view. The evening was great and the food awesome. Trish summed it all up when she toasted the group with a simple, "To good friends...forever." Nicely put and very apropos. The colors may be a changing, but loyalties are here to stay!

1 comment:

Ebe said...

Have good trip back, my friend!
And as I always tell my classes - customer service is a lost art form!
It's nice to be back in the blogging world - already have a few more stories to tell - stay tuned! :)