An AT&T Debacle

Hey there! I know I usually post on Mondays, but I have a very good excuse. I had an AT&T tech at my house from 9 am to nearly 8 pm yesterday. Seriously. And we still don't have all our services back. In fact, they are sending ANOTHER tech out today. (If you follow me on any of my social media accounts you already know this because I ranted all day yesterday! If you don't want to hear more about my issues, I'll give you a pass. Maybe check out Pinterest board called laughter is best? Or watch this cop dance to Shake it Off?)

Ok, for those of you still with me, let me begin my tale of the AT&T debacle. And before get going, let me make it clear that yes, I know this is totally a first world problem. But it was still a problem!

So the first technician got here about 9 am. He ran new lines, got us new equipment, tried all that. He left late morning/early afternoon to go check a pedestal or something on another street and came back over an hour later. He did some more work, other techs came by to check on him, still nothing. Around 3:30 he told me he was going back to that pedestal and that he'd be back in ten minutes or so. I got a text around 4:15 saying it was taking longer than he thought. An hour later I asked if he knew how much longer. He replied "still nothing..". I asked if it would be done tonight. He replied "Doesn't look like it." Finally I asked if he would be back tonight to put the box back together. He never responded, but he does have iPhone read receipts so I know he read it at 5:40 pm. And then I never heard back. 

My husband was home by then, and there is all kinds of AT&T stuff going on in the neighborhood. James stopped a couple of the guys and told them what was going on, and one of them came over and helped us out. He closed up the box that the first tech had left wide open in the backyard, and put all inside equipment back together. He spent probably 2 hours or so helping us, including going to the platform where the first tech disappeared. 

Except this guy came back and explained that there seems to be an issue at that platform. He explained that he couldn't do anything because the first tech had not handled things correctly, including lying on the ticket and saying that we had left and he couldn't access the house anymore. 

Cue my head exploding. 

I literally spent all day dealing with this yesterday, and that guy had a the gall to say he couldn't do his job because of us? Sigh. Well, after the second tech left, I had to call AT&T and talk to someone there because he couldn't do anything further. (That guy really did the best he could. He went above and beyond for us! Unlike the other guy...) But like I said, we got another appointment for today.

This has been frustrating on so many levels. First, I had the day off yesterday and had big plans. Cleaning the house and sorting the clothes from my closet purge while binge watching Doctor Who and clearing my unwatched shows of the DVR, that kind of thing. But you can't really clean much when you have a random dude walking in and out of your house all day. And no internet make binge watching Netflix impossible, and no cable means no DVR! I couldn't even watch DVDs because the guy had all the tvs showing that same dreaded screen: 

I know, that isn't that big a deal. But it was my only holiday off work until Memorial Day! And I'm heading out on a whirlwind trip to DC this weekend, and I needed today to get caught up on all things bloggy/get the house in shape before my husband destroys it in my absence. 

What is most frustrating is learning that the first tech wasted much of the day, disappeared, and then lied about it. That I am absolutely livid about. And yes, I have his full name and ID. I'm not sharing it here because I'm not that mean. I have spoken to his manager and also given his info to AT&T corporate. And yes, I also sang the praises of the second tech that took the time not only to help me, but to explain what was wrong. I made sure the local person I spoke with would tell the second tech's manager, and I plan on following up to make sure they did. The manager I did get to speak to was actually nice and helpful, and the corporate guy I spoke with was helpful as well. (The one I called earlier in the day was NOT.)

Here's the thing. I totally understand that some things can't be resolved right away. I understand that there are shorts in the line and other technical people have to come fix it. What I don't understand is someone disappearing mid-job and leaving things open and unfinished. Maybe he couldn't have gotten everything back online, but he could've not left a mess behind. Maybe he could have told me he wasn't coming back. (Should I consider myself AT&T ghosted?) 

On the bright side, at least I did have the day off and didn't have to take it off for this. And they did get the internet working. Not well, but enough to write this! And as I said, I've spoken to a local manager who gave me all his contact info, so if things don't go well I have a local contact to figure out what's going on. 

Basically, it has been a frustrating experience but there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Now that my rant is over, tell me. What is your horror story with cable/satellite service? As much as I've ragged on AT&T today, I've dealt with worse companies. (Cough, Time Warner and Cox, cough.) Most of the AT&T people I dealt with today were nice and tried to help in a timely fashion...I know that isn't the case with every company! So, someone please tell me they've had worse problems with cable/internet than this! :)

A Capsule Wardrobe and the KISS Concept

Hey y'all! Some of you may know that I’ve been putting together a capsule wardrobe for winter.  If you haven’t heard of a capsule wardrobe before, here’s the scoop.  Essentially it is a mini wardrobe made up of really versatile pieces that you totally LOVE to wear. That definition comes from Unfancy, one of my favorite capsule wardrobe blogs. (That’s right, this is so popular now there are multiple capsule wardrobe blogs.) There are several different ways to do a capsule wardrobe. Caroline of Unfancy chooses 37 pieces, Courtney of Project 333 chooses 33, and so on. Most people seem to choose between 30 and 40 pieces. Some people include accessories (bags, jewelry, etc) some don’t. There are no hard and fast rules for a capsule wardrobe. You gotta make it work for you.

And that’s what I’m doing! I’ve decided to let myself have 45 pieces in my winter capsule. That sounds like a lot compared to the other blogs I’ve mentioned, I know. But since I work in a corporate setting, I have two very different styles. Most days I’m wearing black pants or a skirt with a top along with plain black heels, but after work I change into more casual wear like jeans/boots and often a different top. Some capsule wardrobe gurus recommend having two separate capsules in situations like this. But I'm trying to follow the KISS concept in my life these days.

So to keep things simple, I expanded my total number of items for my capsule. 45 pieces of clothing it is! Now, let’s talk about what is included in that number. You can do it any number of ways, but for my project I am choosing NOT to include accessories in that total, nor am I including underthings (underwear, bras, camisoles, leggings, etc) or coats/jackets (because Oklahoma weather is totally unpredictable, I may need my parka coat one day a light jacket the next). I may choose to include some of those in future capsule wardrobes, but for this first go around I’m not. Also, I am not including work out gear or lounge wear/PJs in the capsule wardrobe number. I know Caroline of Unfancy does her own little capsule wardrobe for those, but I’m not worried about them at this point.

 I’ve been working on this capsule wardrobe project since the end of 2014. I actually spent New Year’s Day starting my big closet purge (more on that another day) and I’ve been dressing out of my capsule wardrobe for about two weeks now. I wanted to give myself some time to get used to the idea before I started blogging about it. It’s actually been incredibly freeing to go into my closet and only see that small segment of clothes. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve changed up my style much so far. I’m wearing pretty much the same things I was wearing before, but now I don’t have to wade through all the other clutter that was filling up the rack. I’m sure as the days go on I’ll start mixing things up a bit more now that I can’t reach for those one-off items I used to wear every so often. But that’s the whole point, right?

 Well, not entirely. There’s another point of this project. To stop spending money on clothes! 2015 is going to be a year of simplifying and going back to the basics (I’m reading Essentialism right now and loving it!), but this year I’m also planning some big financial changes. I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck for way too long, and it’s time to stop. Cutting back on shopping is only one way I’m going about it, but I think it will be a huge help. I am allowing myself a few exceptions. I ripped my favorite pair of jeans and I need to replace them, and my go-to black heels I wear to work are starting to wear out. So if I can find reasonably priced and well-made replacements for those, then I will buy them. Other than that, I’m keeping my cards in my wallet where they belong.

 There is one more exception to this capsule wardrobe: I’m going to DC next weekend, and while I’m there I’ll be going to a pre-Broadway show of Gigi at the Kennedy Center as well as attending an event on Saturday night that calls for a much nicer dress than anything I have in my capsule wardrobe! I’ll be renting two dresses from Rent the Runway for these events. I paid for them back in 2014 so technically I suppose it isn’t cheating, right?

 So that just about sums it up: 45 pieces of clothing, not counting underthings, outerwear, or accessories. No shopping for three months (with small exceptions). Wear all 45 items in as many ways as possible to learn more about my own style. Pair things I’ve never tried before. Make Stacey London proud. Keep it simple.

 I’ll be doing regular updates throughout the project, and I’ll try to do daily Instagram pictures of my outfits. I’m not a fashion blogger by any stretch of imagination, so don’t expect Kendi Everyday here (she’s a fabulous fashion blogger for those who don’t know). But I’m going to do my best! The real goal of this project is to discover my true style, simplify my wardrobe (and life), and save money, not magically transform into a fashion blogger :)

Have any of you tried a capsule wardrobe? Would you ever consider doing one?

Quick Lit: January 2015

Hey y’all! It’s the 15th of the month, which means it’s time for QuickLit! I didn’t get too much reading done since the last one. The holidays kept me busy! But I did finish 5 books, so let’s delve into them now.

I picked Astonish Me up when it was on sale last month at the recommendation of this link-up's founder, Modern Mrs Darcy. Side note: They’ve changed the cover and I really don’t like the new one. Of course, that doesn’t have anything to do with the story! This book spans thirty plus years and revolves around the world of dance. There’s May-December romance, cocaine, marriage, babies, AIDS, Cold War drama, and of course dance. I wouldn’t call it a page turner per se, but I really enjoyed the book. While you might be able to see the final twist coming, it was still fun to experience! Even if you’ve never been around dance, you’ll enjoy this book too. ($9.99 for Kindle) 

I listened to the Audio version of Tell the Wolves I’m Home, and I really enjoyed it. It takes place in the 1980’s and elegantly details the story of June Elbus, a 14 year old girl whose uncle dies from AIDS. The story makes the AIDS crisis more real, at least to me as someone who was a toddler during that crisis. Tell the Wolves also accurately depicts the tumultuous relationship between teenage sisters. That aspect of the book may actually hit me harder than the rest, because it reminded me of my relationship with my sister. The author delicately weaves the AIDS crisis, art, talent, teenage relationships, and familial discontent together to create a wonderful book. I highly recommend it. ($9.99 for Kindle) 

I read The King’s Curse this month, the final book currently available in the Cousins War series that I’ve been working my way through. Not the best, but I did love the point of view it was told from. We often read about King Henry and all his wives from the viewpoint of the wives, and everyone always seems to spend most of their time talking about Anne Boleyn. I loved that this book spanned most of the life of Henry, from the time he was a child to the time he beheaded the 67 year old Countess who was the narrator of the story. (Please don’t complain about spoilers – this is history and happened nearly 500 years ago.) If you’re a Philippa Gregory fan, read it! If you aren’t, then read some of her other books first. ($11.99 for Kindle) 

I bought The Truth About Style just before Christmas. I was ordering it as a gift for a friend so I just went ahead and ordered two at the same time. It was a quick read (especially compared to some of the other books on this list) but I loved it. Stacy London (of What Not to Wear fame) met with 9 different women and revamped their style. This book was really like a deeper and more emotional episode of What Not to Wear. And since I loved the show, I loved the book. London also has some fabulous insight into style, and I’ll be quoting her in some upcoming style posts on here! (Not available on Kindle, $15.14 paperback)

I know All the Light We Cannot See was the darling of 2014, but I didn’t love it. Or maybe I did. I can’t really tell. I feel like it is a book that will stay with you for months after, and I only finished it a couple days ago. I listened to it as an audiobook which may have influenced things, but who knows. Light is a very heavy book (see what I did there?) and at times I felt like it was slow. Overall though, it was incredibly well written. It moved me. I actually finished it while sitting in a Bed Bath & Beyond parking lot with tears streaming down my face. It’s one of those books that I feel like I can appreciate even though I didn’t love it, if that makes sense. I recommend it, but know that it isn’t a quick and easy read. It takes place in World War II so there are obviously some very serious things that happen. War brings all kinds of heartache. One thing I think this book did incredibly well was to remind me that so many people were simply swept along by the war. I’m sure this happens now as well, but when you think about it, most of the German people were victims as well. They were simply doing what they had to to survive. Which I’ve always known I suppose, but Light was a very great reminder of it. It’s a book I think you definitely should read this year. ($10.99 for Kindle)

And that’s it! I did start a couple more but haven’t had a chance to finish them. Next month you can look forward to hearing my thoughts on the Fiery Cross, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. What are you reading right now?

This post contains affiliate links. If you're interested in something, please click through and help support Mrs Robbins Sparkles!