I’m in to losing all kinds of money this week

Why is it things go wrong when the trusty husband goes out of town?? He was out of town once and I thought my washing machine broke.? Turns out it was just making noises because I didn’t have it cram packed full of clothes and I was just paranoid.

That menu over there <———- indicates that I was supposed to be having dinner with the trusty in-laws last night.? Well, plans change and that was not the case.? I didn’t have anything planned and didn’t really want to go to the store so I thought, I have freezer full of food.? I’ll just pull something out of there.? Great idea.? I’m so smart.

I opened the stand-up freezer and noticed a puddle of what looked like strawberry juice at the bottom and *sniff, sniff*… that smells odd.? I poked the bag of strawberries and realized, well… that’s not frozen.? Hmm… neither is that freezer dinner, or that one, or that package of petite sirloins, or that bag of really expensive organic, pastured meat that we just bought last weekend at Skagit River Ranch.? Odd.? Oh wait, not frozen.? Not frozen = not good.? Meat that should remain frozen until ready to eat should be just that.? Frozen.? And while we’re on the subject shouldn’t a freezer we just bought last December be working and stuff?? And where the hell is my husband so I can freak out properly?? That’s fine, I’ll just freak out to the trusty in-laws.? Much safer than freaking out to my mom who would also freak out and make the situation that. much. worse.

As I was freaking out I ran through exactly what the trusty husband would have asked had I been able to call except his suck ass was on an airplane somewhere over Canada.? 1) is it turned on. Just me but, I couldn’t find an on/off switch, but the light wasn’t on. 2) is it plugged in?? Mostly.? There was a plug in the socket, but since we are smart and have a fridge and freezer plugged into the same outlet the trusty husband put the freezer on a splitter (that is kinda heavy) so both plugs would fit.? Kinda heavy… hmmm.? Yep, the plug fell out of the socket.? And defrosted my freezer.? Hundreds of dollars in meat.

I called the county extension office.? 5 transfers later the lady with the hacking cough informed me that sadly the meat had probably been in the “food danger zone” too long and would probably kill me if I ate it.? Then I freaked out a little more and was sure I was going to die.? Well she used words like “danger” and “bacteria.”? And then my life flashed before my eyes and I realized that if I eat any of the stuff I wouldn’t live to see the Caribbean.

Then this morning I checked my email and I had one from United Airlines.? It was my mileage statement.? Normally I delete anything that comes from United as it is usually some spam wanting me to apply for a Visa card of some sort.? Me and credit, we don’t make a good team.? Delete.

I’ve been trying to find a way to get to San Diego to go see the George Michael concert with Tricia and thought that if I had to I’d just use my free ticket that I’ve been hoarding.? I’ve been hoarding those miles to go to some place tropical, but sadly most countries frown upon foreigners sleeping on the beach and begging for food.? Besides, they really like all visitors to hold appropriate passports.? Especially the US.? (We can get the child out of the country, but we can’t get him back in.)

So I glanced at my mileage summary and it said this:

See that were it says “Current Redeemable Miles Balance?? 0”? That would be the number of miles I have to use to get that free ticket to somewhere tropical.? 0.? Zer-effing-oh.? Where did my miles go?? Did I get drunk one night and fly to Lewiston, ID?

Since the trusty husband was home he could talk me through the freak out this time.? Mostly because he still had his 43,652 miles and they didn’t expire until 2009.? He told me to call them.? I called.? I got “Sharron.”? “Sharron’s” first language was obviously not English.? I asked why my husband still had 43,652 miles from the same flights, to the same country, to pick up the same child.? She informed me that United changed their policy in January and miles are only good for 18 months from the last activity on your account.? I assured her that this was not the policy when we signed up for these accounts and that I should be able to keep my miles.

I informed her that she was robbing me of my God given right to a tropical vacation.? Dammit, I flew to Far East Siberia 3 times and I deserve a trip to Fiji.

Hopefully her little work around solution will help.? I had to call the Sheraton in Seattle that we stayed at for the fancy dinner, get a copy of the bill and mail it to United.? Of course I can’t just fax it and I have to mail it.? To Canada.? Then give them 45 days to review.

I contact Sheraton.? Lady whose first language is actually English helps me out, but I have to have a Starwood card.? Sign up for a Starwood card, they apply it to our piddly $35 parking charge, the send me the statement, I send that, the bill from the stay and a letter stating how dumb United is my grievance, give them 45 days and hopefully I will get my miles back.

I’m more pissed about the miles than I am the meat.? The meat was an accident.? The miles are a product of the stupidity of United Airlines.