you can now shop with me online!

Finally!

Customers can now order from me directly when they are shopping on Saks.com.

Just bookmark, and go to this link:

stores.saks.com/lynf

This gives you access to the entire Saks site, but any shopping you do online will be credited to me.

So, if you could pass this link on to everyone you know who shops (or could possibly shop) at Saks, I would be immensely grateful.

Save it.
Tweet it.
Post it on Facebook.
Email it to friends.
Share it with anyone and everyone.

And a million, trillion thanks.

a night out alone

I have lived in Manhattan for over 30 years. 

I pride myself on knowing the city well. Even the subway system isn't a mystery to me. But still, after all these years, whenever I go downtown (West Village and Greenwich Village specifically), I have no idea how to get anywhere.

I'll exit the subway, look around, and then have to ask someone (usually more than one) how to get to Bleeker, or MacDougal, or some other unnumbered street. This happens to me tonight. Again.

I am going to see Harry Clarke...

the play I was supposed to see with Stephanie but missed when I had that Verizon fiasco a few weeks ago. 

I stop someone on the street to ask where some named street is and she smiles and says, "Sorry. Can't help help you. I'm a tourist too."

I want to tell her that no, I'm not a tourist. I live her. I know the city. This is my home. I just get lost in this neighborhood. But I just smile and thank her anyway.

I don't like being taken for a tourist!

I arrive at the theater solo. It's another thing I love about NY. Being anonymous is fine. I am not uncomfortable sitting in a theater with no one I know sitting next to me.

Billy Crudup is spectacular. He assumes many different characters and is believable in all of them. The story is not as strong as the acting, but it's still a great 90-minutes of theater.

visit to philadelphia

I first book a trip on Megabus to Philadelphia on March 16, my birthday. But Alexander and I both have a lot going on so I reschedule to the following Wednesday.

Then Wednesday comes and we have an unexpected (ultimately disappointing) snowstorm, so this trip also gets canceled.

Trip number three is then re-scheduled for April 11.  The text I get the morning of April 10 ends with, 

So today is my fourth planned trip to spend the day with my son. And it's a success. 

I arrive around 1 and get off at the wrong station. But soon Alexander arrives, and we are off on our Philadelphia adventure. 


Our first stop is CVS (to get band-aids for my foot blister, already).

We then grab a quick lunch at one of Alexander's go-to places.

 

The next stop is Alexander's apartment. He's been living in this one-bedroom for almost a year. It's in a good location, near the Penn campus. Other than that, there is nothing good I can say about it. He promises to move when his lease ends in August.

We then decide to walk the city and experience some of its history. I'm impressed with Alexander's knowledge. Not of the city's history, but of the streets and subway system. 

We spend about an hour learning about the Liberty Bell, its famed crack, and its symbolism. 

I can't remember the last time I've spent an entire day, alone with my son. And he really makes an effort, not even denying me the privilege of trying out my iPhone 8's camera abilities.

We walk some more (over 20,000 steps in all), talking about subjects we never have time to really explore. 

Dinner is at Parc Restaurant, overlooking Rittenhouse Square. 

When we finish eating,  a plate of miniature cookies are brought to the table with a candle in them. Since my trip to Philadelphia was originally supposed to be in celebration of my birthday, Alexander told the restaurant it was my birthday when he made the reservation. 

I'm on a 7pm bus home, packed with memories of a day well-spent, with the one person I love most in the world.

Six uninterrupted hours with my son. No arguments.— even when touching on some serious subjects. A little bit of new knowledge (both personal and historical). And many laughs. 

It's a perfect day!

houseguest

A few weeks ago Zelia calls me. "Just listen before you say no." That's how she starts the conversation.

She then tells me that a friend of hers is coming to NY on business and needs a place to stay for 8 nights, and could she stay with me. "She'll pay you a hundred dollars a night and she's very very nice."

I respond yes, surprising both Zelia and myself. Work has not been good lately (mostly due to exorbitantly high returns —last week they were over 50% of my sales). I could definitely use the extra income.

"Just tell her that I don't like to talk," I tell Zelia. I can pretty much live out of my bedroom and I don't want the responsibility of conversation.

Lika arrives on Tuesday.  And really, she's the most perfect guest.

Lika is Brazilian and currently lives in Florida. But — she lived in NY for many years prior to moving to Florida, and knows the city well. There is nothing I need to explain to her.

She is incredibly neat. Leaves nothing lying around. Goes to her office early and comes home late. Is vivacious, Smart. Fun. Considerate. Independent. Interesting. And totally self-sufficient. Lika also fits Zelia's description perfectly of someone who is always in a good mood. 

Saturday night, Zelia, Lika and I have dinner together at a new-ish French restaurant (AOC East) that I didn't even know existed, despite it being a few blocks from where I live. It's the perfect little spot for good, reasonably-priced food.

In a couple of days Lika will be gone. I've really enjoyed her company (and our conversations together).  I hope she'll return on her next visit. She'd of course be welcome.

a long-ago war

It's a cloudy, rainy day. Perfect for staying in. But I don't.

In October, an exhibit opened on Viet Nam at The NY Historical Society. It is part of my history and something I wanted to see. And so, every week since then, I've had on my list of things to do, See Viet-Nam Exhibit.

The exhibit ends on April 22, so today is the last day I can go. And I do.

The exhibit covers the US involvement in Viet Nam, 1945-75. It is a comprehensive review of a tumultuous (and sad) time in our history.

I was never directly affected by this war. But I remember the protests. The coverage. And the domino theory that helped justify our reasoning for fighting this war.

I remember:

• A boy from my hometown who came home without legs, but had a car outfitted for him so he could still drive.

• All the student protests.

• Being lucky that no one close to me was drafted. Most college students were deferred, so draftees were mostly the poor. It was not a fair system.

• Having my college close down and all finals cancelled in May after Kent State. I benefited from that because I had a broken leg from skiing and hadn't been to one class since February. But horrifying for the country that four unarmed  college kids were killed on their own campus by members of the Ohio National Guard.

In hindsight, most would agree that this was a war we should never have fought. Unfortunate how our politicians don't learn from history.

an old-fashioned play with some contemporary twists

It was probably a couple of months ago when three of my friends and I got tickets to see My Fair Lady at Lincoln Center for today. We even agreed that lunch before would be great.

But then yesterday I wake up with a scratchy throat, runny nose, watery eyes, and a heavy head. All I want to do is sleep.  When someone suggests it might be allergies (and reminds me that I feel like this every spring), I conclude that's probably what it is.  Though of course I can't be sure.

Today I awake after 9 hours of sleep, and feel a little hung over (despite having had no alcohol in a week). I  send the following email to my friends:

I am so sorry to do this, but I am going to skip lunch and go to theater.

I hope I don’t ruin it for all of you (lunch, I mean), but this head cold is making me just want to sleep…so rather than be bad company at lunch, I’ll rest up and be decent company to sit next to.

See you in our seats. 

xx

But then I get this email from my friend X:

Should we all cancel?

Also, if you are sick I don’t want to get sick ( sorry...) so I don’t want  to sit near you. Is it too late to reschedule everything?

And then this from my friend C:

That was my concern yesterday :((

So I call the theater and try unsuccessfully to re-schedule my ticket. I email everyone again:

Sorry everyone for causing such a mess. I did try calling to see if I could change date just for myself and there were no good single seats (I wanted a Wed matinee…guess they are very popular). And, C would have had to change the tickets because my ticket was purchased on her credit card.

But I really think my head cold is allergies as I seem to get this around the same time each year so I don’t think (and do hope) that I’m not contagious.

I won’t hug or kiss anyone.

See you in the seats.

The end, I think.

But then I get a call from C; who like X, also doesn't want to sit next to me. I'm starting to feel a bit like a pariah.

I am about to call the theater again, but then I remember. We have three seats together (me, X and C) and two seats together (S and her friend)  a few rows back. Fortunately S and her friend are not afraid to sit next to me.  So S and her friend switch their seats with X and C and now everyone is happy (I think).

Before coming, I didn't think I'd make it through three hours (my theater preference is 90 minute one-acts). But the beautiful music, with all its recognizable songs, grabs hold of me from the beginning and never lets go. 

I doubt Lauren Ambros will be remembered as one of the better Eliza's, but the overall show is great. When Freddy sings On The Street Where You Live I almost start crying; others do. There is much creativity in the sets, the choreography, and the costuming. And even the changed ending makes eminent sense for today's audience.

I love every minute, and think of my dad. This is exactly his kind of show.

trusting strangers

I love Craig's List.

While I've never bought anything on it, I have sold a few things, and all to great buyers.

I am very trusting and believe that most people are honest and nice. Friends ask, "Aren't you afraid to let strangers into your home?" And the answer is, "No, not really." I guess because I've always had good luck with strangers.

I still won't sleep in a house alone. I read In Cold Blood while in high school and that ruined it for me.  But having people come into my home? No problem.

Last week I met Ari and Rich, two really nice guys who came to look at the sofa I am trying to sell. Since I re-arranged my furniture a few months ago, my sofa now blocks the entrance to my son's room. If you know of anyone who is looking for a sleek, modern Ralph Lauren sectional (it's 108 inches by 108) in great condition, let me know.

And this week Vincent (an adorable, young and married Parisian) came over. He bought my barely used Bose Wave 1 Music System. 

 

I was asking $275 and we negotiated for $240.

When Vincent arrived, I said, "Would you like to hear it?" His response? "No, I trust you." 

He handed me cash; I packed up the Bose; we talked awhile;  and he left.

78¢

I want to be clear. 

1. If I could find another job, I would.
2. I need to work.
3. It's more about self-esteem than money, although the money is important.

Writing a blog is taking a risk. I know I'll be judged and of course I am. It comes out in many ways.

A family member getting angry about something I once wrote; she no longer reads my blog and that hurts me.

Someone telling me I complain too much about my job; someone who doesn't work and hasn't in a jillion years.

Someone else saying if I have no money, why do I spend money on XYZ?

As much as I try not to write about people I care about in any way that I think would upset them, I sometimes err.

If I avoid everything that hurts or upsets me (and I do omit more than I write), my blog would feel insincere. So sometimes I am more open than perhaps I should be. 

And when I complain about my job, it is usually about the inequities and unfairness; it's not to say (although it may come off this way), poor me, I work hard and have no money. But rather, poor me, how did I end up here?

The truth is, I actually like what I do when I'm busy. I enjoy meeting new people. Helping them look good for everyday or an important event. Learning a bit about them. And working for a store that offers really great merchandise.

What I don't like is getting paid zero when it's not busy, yet still be required to work — processing other people's returns, lugging clothes all over the place, opening and closing registers, doing price adjustments, and getting little corporate support. It is a place that puts no value on the sales associate. And sometimes I feel compelled to just write about that! Even though I understand it may be tedious to read.

So with that long preamble...This week, aside from one great male customer, was horrid.

I work Friday and Saturday (and will be working again today). For these two days combined (18 hours),  I will earn $106 — that's $5.89/hour, assuming no returns (which is not a realistic assumption). 

Yesterday was particularly dreadful. I net $13 in sales— that's 78¢ for the entire day, including 9 hours on my feet with no break. (I choose to skip lunch, hoping I won't miss any big customers who might happen by). I walk over 16,000 steps, and come home utterly exhausted and with aching feet. 

I feel depleted and sad. 

Sad to feel so taken advantage of. 

Sad to feel so under-appreciated. 

Sad to be asked to do so much for a company that cares so little for its hourly workers. 

Sad to now be an hourly employee.  

Sad to not be using my advanced education and years of senior-level marketing experience.

And sad that I feel I have no other choice but to stay.

Sorry for the rant. I just had to get it out. 

And, every day's a new day. So maybe today will be better.

aftermath

I write a letter to the CEO of Verizon Wireless, John Stratton. WIth no effort at all, I find his email address online.

I detail my complaints and he responds within an hour, telling me someone from the Executive Relations Department will be in touch with me. And true to his word, Ashley calls soon after.

Ashley has this sweet, bubbly, baby-doll voice that immediately makes me question her competence. But she surprises me.  She understands my issues quickly, and tells me to give her a couple of days to see if she can get me the originally promised promotional deal. In the meantime, she credits my account $50 for the inconvenience, and $34 for the theater ticket.

In the meantime, I pick up my iPhone X from the Verizon store, and come home to set it up. Some things aren't working right. I spend the next two hours on the phone with Apple. The conversation ends with the tech saying to me, "I think you need to take your phone into a genius bar." 

Should this not surprise me? Nothing in this whole adventure has gone right.

I go to the Apple store and they direct me to a Verizon store, since that was where I purchased the phone. Fortunately, there is a Verizon store nearby.

Since the iPhone X didn't work, I decide the 8 is good enough and purchase the 8. I pay $378.12, leaving a balance of $384. That's $16/mo. for 24 months.

Ashley calls me today and tells me that she could not get the promotional discount for me but instead offers to pay off my phone, and gives me $150 for switching my line to Verizon (in case I don't qualify for the promotional offer). And if I do qualify, I still get to keep the $150.

I think that's a fair deal.

I am impressed with the quick, two-day resolution. And hope my experience with Verizon going forward is better than its start.

Now I can finally say it (I think), THE END.

nightmare with verizon wireless

It's definitely time for a new phone. 




I also want to switch from AT&T to Verizon. I anticipated a complicated process. What I get instead is the most horrible customer experience I have ever encountered.

In short, it takes me over 7 hours on the phone and in person. Multiple errors and misinformation occur every step of the way. And a laughable, Jeopardy-like fraud-verification process is involved. My son's phone is still not working. And I still need to pick up and activate my phone. 

Here's what happened.

On Easter Sunday I go into one of these Wireless One Verizon authorized retailers on First Avenue in Manhattan. I get Alicia — a totally inept customer representative.

She tells me I qualify for a promotion where I'll be paying $120/month for unlimited service on two phones. It takes over two hours to process. 

AFTER Alicia de-activates our two phones from AT&T, and
AFTER Alicia activates our two phones with Verizon, and
AFTER I put down $525.30 toward an iPhone X (and Alicia charges me tax of $121.30 when it should be $88.75)

... Alicia tells me I don't t qualify for the promotion she had told me I was getting, and now my monthly charge will in fact be $30 higher than promised BEFORE I signed. 

Isn’t this illegal?

I leave the store upset. And the more I think about it, the angrier I get. 

So  I return to the store within a half hour of leaving and tell Alicia that I want to reverse everything I had just done.

AFTER Alicia refunds my money for the phone, she says she is de-activating both my phone and Alexander's. Now we both have no cell service and we are told we need to go back to AT&T to activate our phones.

It is now almost two. I am supposed to see a 3pm performance of a play (Harry Clarke) that I have tickets to see. I forfeit the $34 (my ticket is non-refundable) and now my friend Stephanie has to go alone. I can't see sitting through a play before getting this nightmare resolved. To let Stephanie know, I have to stop some nice random person on the street who texts Stephanie for me.

And then the nightmare gets even worse.

I come home and call Verizon Wireless as I decide I still do want their service (it's better than AT&T when I visit the Cape).

I call and ask for the Win-Back group. I am again given mis-information (that works in my favor). So after 45 minutes, we finally begin the sign-up process, only to be disconnected. I almost cry.

Now I have to start all over again.

When I call back, I got a sales rep and ask to be connected to the Win-Back department. I am on hold for about 15 minutes when I get someone. The first question I am asked is, "What is your social security number?"  Huh?!  I haven't even been asked what service I want. Turns out I've been incorrectly transferred to someone from the Credit Department and not the Win-Back department.

So I ask again to be transferred to the Win-Back Department and this time, after another 10 minutes on hold, I get Asia Crew, the only person in the whole process who seems to know what she is doing. 

She tells me that I can't be connected to the Win-Back department since Alicia NEVER de-activated my son’s service (just mine, and I am the primary account holder, not my son).  How can this even happen?.  

Asia and I spend about an hour on the phone.  By  the time we hang up, I am told where to pick up my iPhone tomorrow and that my son's phone should be working. (It isn't, and now we need tech support but that's a whole other long story).

A few minutes after I hang up from Asia, I get an email from Fraud Verication saying that I need to call them before they can process my order, even though my order went through just fine with Alicia the first time.

Now I'm about to enter The Twighlight Zone!

I call the number I am given and am asked a series of totally ridiculous questions, including:

·    What is the name of the athletic mascots at the two colleges you attended?  Why the mascots and not the schools? I have no idea what the mascot is of the graduate school I went to.  

·    Then I am read the last four digits of phone numbers that I may or may not have had. I correctly identify my current landline number which I’ve had since I moved to NYC in 1985, but I have no idea what the last four digits of phone numbers I may have had before then. I mean really, who can remember their phone number from 33 years ago?!

So I fail the verification quiz. This time I think I actually do cry.

Now I’m 20 minutes into this call. It’s 6:20. I have a 6:30 dinner reservation with my mom. I have been trying to get Verizon as my new carrier since 11am.

I ask for a supervisor. After a very long hold, I get one. She cannot re-do a new set of verification questions. So even though the first time I had no trouble (with Alicia) getting service and buying the iPhone X, this time I need to: 

• Take a photo of my license and email Verizon fraud a copy. 
• Take a photo and email a copy of my current lease (as I receive all my bills electronically and erase them once I pay them). 

It's now Monday morning.

·    My phone order has still not been confirmed for pick up at the Verizon store on Third Avenue in NYC. 

      I am out $34 for the non-refundable theater ticket I lost.

      I spent over 7 hours trying to switch to Verizon. 

      I was given misinformation by numerous Verizon reps.

      I was over-charged on tax by Alicia. 

      I was promised one rate and once I signed (and my phone activated on Verizon), the rate changed (isn’t this called bait and switch, and isn’t this illegal?).

      My  son and I have had no cell service for about 24 hours now.

It's been an absolute nightmarish experience every step of the way.

And I still can't even write THE END.