12.20.2009

Friday Fragments ... Sunday Edition

With the girls out of school for three weeks, I'm left with little time to do anything besides break up fights, assign consecutive time outs, scold, break up more fights, yell at one particular child to eat her breakfast... and lunch... and dinner, schedule a few play dates, work on our reading, play a little more, rinse and repeat. Thankfully there are several 'winter camps' to send the kids for a few hours each day to get them out of the house, and out of harms way!


Here's the latest from Casa de Chaos this past week...


After four months, the internet service at our previous house has finally been canceled, all charges have finally been waived, and the provider is no longer seeking legal action against me. Legal action you say....? Confused? Join the club. See, we canceled internet service with Tata Indicom when we found out that the construction on the flyover near our new house severed the internet cables in our neighborhood and it was going to take months before it would be available. Instead of putting our account on hold, we were instructed to cancel. Which we did. Only Tata Indicom didn't push the paperwork through for six weeks after we moved. So they billed us for that time, and claimed that I used their service. Which I didn't because I now lived 2 km away, and began using a newer, crappier internet service ... a mere 256 kb connection which is barely a step above dial up. And Tata called me every few days for two months demanding I pay. If only I could get them to call me as often when my internet didn't work. Frankly, they owed ME money for the weeks without service. Oh the frustration!! Here's the e-mail we received telling me that everything was waived.


Mr. Kugan: The customer requested a service and the service provider has to say YES or NO based on the feasibility of his service in the customer requested area as per your rule “ The same day”. Please copy us any prompt reply, you sent to the customer reasoning your inability to provide the service, for further
Action.
Rgds


Did you decipher that the service charges I refused to pay were waived from this e-mail? I guess I'll just have to take their word for it.

Grady turned seven months old this week. Seven months, yikes! One of his top teeth has fully made its entrance, and the other has one corner through, with the rest just a few days away. He sits up on his own, pushes himself up on his hands and knees, and is even close to pushing himself up into the sitting position. Before I know it he'll be rocking back and forth, crawling, and then getting into all the girls things. Polly Pockets - you better watch out!

Hanukkah came and went this year ... without .. a .. single .. gift .. we .. ordered. Ugh. Luckily, my parents presents made it, and just like the oil that lasted for eight nights, so did their gifts... as I judiciously handed them out each night. Thankfully the girls are excited over the little things ... like one night when they got 3 funky pencils and 2 coin purses that I bought in Thailand, and a pad of notebook paper. You'd have thought I gave them iPod Nanos or something cool like that. We're still waiting for my in laws and our boxes to arrive... hopefully by the end of the week. Oh the girls are going to have one heck of a Christmas!

The rest of the week was jam packed with: a movie night at a friend's house, two afternoon play dates, Hanukkah dinner with friends heading back to the States for the holidays, Hanukkah dinner with our Havurrah group, a cookie decorating party, and another Holiday party at a friend's house. And to top it off ... today Sheridan is celebrating her 5th birthday (though her real party is in a few weeks when we can organize her huge shindig). Stay tuned to that monstrosity.












9 comments:

Mom24 said...

Happy Birthday Sheridan! Five. Wow!

I can't believe Grady's 7 months either--time flies!

You sound like it's been crazy busy, but mostly good.

Unknown said...

Yea for Sheridan! 5 is sooo much fun. (Eva is loving it!)

Missed you all week...but now I know why.. you have your plate full girl!

Pretty pretty pictures as always! : )

Natalie said...

Happy Hannukah and birthday and not getting sued and happy happy happy!

Rick said...

Lovely family - sweet smiles - cherish these days - they will grow up very soon - this I know from experience.

Ramit Grover said...

I sued the Tata company in May 2003 for their FAULTY product. The case is still stuck in court.

4 judges have been transferred from their chair overnight just because they decided to rule in my favor.

Welcome to India!

Incredible India!

Ramit Grover said...

I should write something about them. The entire deal. Would make an interesting read.

Ramit Grover said...

Love the girls tattoo and the face paint.

And you should know that the company seldom sues you for non payment. Actually, it never will.

99.99% chances are that a Indian court will never rule against you because you're an American Expat. This is true. Trust me. You're on Indian soil. Not just Indian soil, but Incredible Indian soil. :P

If you haven't paid them for two years too, which is not possible in the first place, but even then the bill would work out to be about Rs. 24000/ US$ 500 approx. including taxes. The cost of suing you and hiring a lawyer plus paperwork et all works out to be waaaaay more than that.

No one sues anyone in Incredible India. It's a sheer waste of time and energy. Generations will pass on and re produce more generations, but the case will be stuck in court.

Welcome to Incredible India, yet again.

Robin said...

Happy birthday Sheridan!

Never a dull moment with you guys, eh? Sounds like you were keeping so busy that they never even had time to consider the missing gifts. I hope the do turn up eventually - I'll bet it will be even more fun to spring them on the kids from time to time with no warning at all.

Christy said...

That face paint is too cute. And what a bummer about most of the presents not getting there! But YEAH for little girls getting excited about the little presents!

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