It's Officially Over

I don't even know if anyone reads this anymore. Maybe some old friends will think of me and look here.

You can find me on my big-girl blog... www.tarapoirier.com

It's not as much of a diary as it is a general commentary on business and marketing and practical how-tos. Still, this will be the last post.

I hope all is well in your world....

I'm Not Dead.

I'm not dead. Facebook has taken the need out of this blog as many of you just message me there, or I message you. So I guess, in a sense, Facebook killed Blogger. I was never a MySpacer, so that didn't do any "killing" of blogger.... and LinkedIn? Well, that's just a place to connect professionally. What is going on with Tara is easily seen on my profile, on what users have lovingly renamed Crackbook.

And if you haven't heard of Facebook yet, then you need to pull your head out of your ass, particularly if you have moved past the point of AOL dial-up as your ISP. And if you didn't understand what I just said there, then it's very likely that you only stumbled on my page because your grandkid left it open on that "computer thing."

Anyway, things are good. I'm not working at Mega Cranes/Mega Building Systems anymore - got a most-excellent (yay for the 90's & Waynes World) job at Van Houtte Coffee as their Regional Marketing Coordinator. An upgrade both personally and professionally. D and I are still going strong (did you doubt that?) and the family is all well.... even Chad in Chilly Halifax (why do people move there?)

It's winter, so snowboarding has been awesome with the exception of a little whiplash, followed by a double wisdom tooth removal. Oh, and Spring Training is on, so as I type, the METS are playing (Go Mets!).

And speaking of the 90's, NKOTB are back together, making 2008 potentially the most epic year of the millennium! I already have two dates for the reunion concert at which I fully plan on wearing my bangs in a high wave, with some pants that are rolled at the bottom. I <3 Jordan Knight!

So there is my ramble, at least it's been less than a year since my last post. If you are still checking on me occasionally....... thanks. Jump onto Facebook and look me up.. or on LinkedIn.

I hope all is well in your world...

Wasting Time

In the mood to waste some time. Read the notes on this site:

Passive Aggressive Notes

Too funny!

Oh, and Facebook is a way to drop your productivity significantly...

Free EXPRESS Vista Upgrade Through Moduslink?

My guess is that this post is going to be found by someone, somewhere, experiencing the same situation that I am. I purchased my laptop in January with the anticipation of a free Vista upgrade. Not just free, but EXPRESS. The word EXPRESS implies fast, faster than the other forms of acquisition. And if you call 4 months faster than walking into Best Buy, then that would be "express."

I have experienced the biggest headache ever attempting to get my "express" upgrade. I present to you, dear reader, the time line. And while I have all the email correspondence, I shall post the short version, if you can call it that.

1. Purchase laptop, order "free" upgrade costing me twenty some US dollars for "shipping."
   
2. Submit all paperwork a few short weeks after acquisition of the laptop (I had to make sure I was keeping it.
3. Discussion with Moduslink, back and forth, about what they needed.
4. Submit all paperwork/scans. Wait one month.
5. Find out that they did not receive the information. It is important to note that they did not write to me to tell me that they didn't get the information - I inquired after they sent me an email about being overtaxed for shipping. Resubmit with slightly frustrated email inquiring why no one thought to write me to let me know they could not open the file I sent. Get confirmation of receipt and an email confirming that my order has been processed. Date? February 17. Waiting period? 4-6 weeks.
6. Carefully read email about how to track my Vista, how the last date for submission to receive my was March 31, etc.
7. Inquire on March 26 about my Vista, and why it hasn't been shipped, and why the status only says "confirmed". Get automated response to "check the website." No human response, no idea what is going on.
   
8. Check the website, realize it has NOT been shipped over 2 months after the submission date (April 11). Write email commenting on this and requesting that a human writes me back to let me know what is going on.
9. Get two emails back almost immediately. First saying my order has been cancelled (John from Moduslink sent me this one) and the second CONFIRMING MY ORDER again, telling me it will be 4-6 weeks until I get my Vista upgrade.
10. Get very, very angry. If the order is cancelled, I wont be able to re-order because the submission date has passed. If the order hasn't been cancelled, then I still have no idea what is going on.
    

How can a company get a contract from Microsoft and many of the major laptop manufacturers and drop the ball so pitifully? I have no idea what is going on now, and am quite frankly tired with the whole thing. How can Acer stand behind this company as well?

And Microsoft wonders why so many people steal their operating system/software.

Weddings, Weddings, Everywhere... Weddings, Weddings, In My Hair!

My bestest friend (aka my "wife) is getting married to *gasp* a man. While some of you re-read that sentence a few times, I will continue to type about nothing. Shall I explain? Okay, since you asked so nicely.

It was the Spring semester of 12th grade and I was taking Law 12 with Mr. Derbyshire. He was famous in the school as a fair and just man - and more for being a superfun law teacher. (Note: for those of you who are confused by the term, superfun, think "fun" on steroids and cocaine) We lovingly called him Mr. D (didn't everyone have a Mr. Insertletterhere?)

I hadn't been attending the school for long and my only friends were ones that I hijacked from my cousin who had attended the school since 8th grade. It was only a few weeks into the semester when this girl called me out for kicking her table for the majority of class. "Would you mind not kicking my table?"

I hadn't realized I was doing it.

"Oops, sorry!"

Bit by bit we became friends and started hanging out at lunch, etc. We'd talk, hang out as much as possible and bitch about what every teenager does - our parents. One day, after school we went to the mall where I bought a pregnancy test. She came back to my house where we took it. Within 30 seconds of peeing on the stick, I called her into the bathroom to a positive result. Uh oh.

She was super supportive that week (she didn't have to be, we had only known eachother a few weeks at this point) but the deal sealer was the day that I miscarried and she skipped school to sit at the hospital all afternoon. It was at this point that I knew that I knew I had a friend for life. Who on earth risks detention, suspension and the wrath of Daddy (in this case, wrath is an understatement) to help someone who they barely know?

I'll tell you who. She does. She even brings you home, gives you a hot water bottle, keeps your boyfriend there, and feeds you Chunky Chicken Noodle soup (which you gladly accept after a day at the hospital!)

So when the "get married in class" project came up, and we looked around the class, the only person we were willing to tie the proverbial knot with, was eachother. And that is how she became my wife. So Craig, you can marry her legally, but she will always be my Wife. If best friends could enter into some ridiculous legal contract to bind you for life, we would have happily done it years ago.

And now she's getting married. And I will stand beside her, silently giving her away, fixing her veil and dress, and be proud of the woman she became.

Until that day though? It will be WEDDINGS WEDDINGS EVERYWHERE! Dreams of her wedding plans, doing something stupid, forgetting something stupid, and even reading bridal magazines permeate every ounce of my being. And if anyone asks why I do it, I'll point them to this post and only ask them to read the first half, or I'll let them spend half an hour with the bride and I'm quite sure the question will be thoroughly answered.

April 10th is our 10 year anniversary, and as we always joke, we beat most of Hollywood!

I hope all is well in your world

Still Got Some Fans...

Wow, was surprised to hear from a few of you, still checking every now and then. Glad to know that I'm moderately amusing whist you surf your regular netspots.

Life goes by so fast sometimes that you forget where you are. The problem with "living for the weekend" I suppose. I mean I've been with the same company for a year now. A year. I've been graduated for over a year now. OVER a year. And yet, it feels like yesterday.

Upon discovering that time had flown I realized that I wanted so badly to register for a class or two. I miss knew knowledge. Not that I'm not learning something every day (I've taken up Yoga!) but it seems that learning something you are passionate about is something we only get to do between going to work and getting home.

So I'm commited to going back to school. Not full-time mind you, but enough that I can finish my MBA. My brain yearns for knew knowledge in my field. I want to expand, to grow. More importantly, I want to be stimulated by something other than the day to day stress of a job. I miss the ever changing social aspect too. Sure you don't like everyone you go to school with, but you meet them, you learn about them, and you learn about people in a way that your typical office can't provide. It's sad that that is so under valued in the work force.

My laundry is done.. and I've got to get to bed to get up for Friday. I love Friday. It starts the weekend....

I hope all is well in your world. May you all find a bumpy road - but not too bumpy. It builds character and it is also where you seem to learn the most.

Two Days in a Row?

Look what I can do!

Today is Thursday. Thursday is that weird day that is in between the anticipation of Hump Day and the joy that is Friday. For six years I forgot what Friday meant.

They say you shouldn't go through life waiting for the weekends. I know very few people, even those that love their jobs that don't live for the weekend. I imagine that, if given the proper position, one would live less for the weekend - but I'm not that one. Even the lovely ladies at my local Timmy's know how exciting Friday is for me.

"How are you! Oh right! It's FRIDAY!!!!"

I don't know what I am more embarassed about - that I live for Fridays so much, or that the ladies at the Timmy's know me. Speaking of which..

When the hell did I start calling it "Timmy's?" I was never a "Timmy's" patron, really, until they put one on my way to work. Ahh, I see a case study coming...

Tim Horton's was established in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario. And since then they have grown to 3000 stores. THREE THOUSAND! And most of these are in CANADA. Where we have.... 35 Million people? Do the math, that is ONE "Timmy's" for every 11 thousand or so Canadians. If there are over 300,000 people in Surrey alone... How many Timmy's are there?

Not only are there many Timmy's - but they are put in strategic places. On routes to work. All of them have drive-thru's so that you can - easily - pick up their coffee crack on your way to work. Then, all of a sudden you are having your daily Timmy's. And that, my friends, is how Timmy's becomes Tim Horton's.

With the addition into gas stations (Esso) it becomes a one-stop-shop. Donuts and Gas. The marriage of two, well needed, commodities to get yourself to that place that you go to so you can live for the weekends. All the while waiting for your Monday morning Timmy's.

Marketing Strategy is divine.

I hope all is well in your world.