Stuff

Before I start, let me highly recommend this video:

www.thestoryofstuff.com

Click on "Watch Now"

Then you will understand what I mean when I say that my sewing machine is (actually, was) a 100% verifiably disposable, designed-for-the-dump product suffering from a case of planned obsolescence.  My mom bought it for me last July at Canadian Tire for $50, usually sold for $150.  She bought it to me in September, and in November (yes, this past November, as in 2009) I began my first sewing project - a turtle sleeping bag for Grant.  For him to grow into, fortunately, because it's is insanely close to being finished yet sitting in a pile in the closet of our office.  That is because my sewing machine did not make it through even one project before the threads on the needle clamp screw became stripped.  Obviously, one cannot sew without a needle, and the machine could no longer hold the needle.

The part technically can be ordered from Europro, at a cost of $20 including shipping and handling.  $19.85, actually.  So let's think about this... $20 for a teensy little screw?  To top it off, somewhere along the way I lost the entire needle clamp, which, I was told by the owner of Sewing Lane, would cost around $30.  Ha!  No thanks.

So, with a broken heart, we took my sewing machine to the electronics recycling at the landfill and I said my final farewell.  Goodbye little friend.  You did not serve me well.  You got my hopes up.  You promised you could sew through multiple layers and stay straight.  You couldn't.  You promised years (or maybe at least ONE year) of happy sewing projects filling my home, then dashed my dreams on the rocks.  So long.

Also, I am going to take this time to mention how extremely disappointed I was with the service at Sewing Lane.  I am ALL for giving my business to small, locally owned businesses, but customer service has to be fair.  I called many weeks ago to see if they could order my part for me, and I was told that the owner would order it or call me back if she couldn't.  No call back.  A few weeks later, I called and left a voice mail message (they clearly don't have call waiting) asking if they had been able to order my part, if my part was in, etc., and I most definitely left my name and phone number.  No call back.
Then, when I went into Sewing Lane on Friday, they had no part for me, no record of my name, zilch.  So thanks a lot.

And while I'm typing out my beefs, I'm getting more and more frustrated by the day - we signed a lease for our current home last Sunday, and are still awaiting our copy of it.  No biggie, except I'm waiting for it in order to get renters insurance, change my driver's license address, and our car registration, which expires at the end of May.  *Impatient foot tap*

AND our former landlords have YET to send us our damage deposit for our previous rental house.  They live in Arizona and I have no idea how they plan to get it to us, as they haven't answered my latest email.  Their ten days is definitely up, but there is no penalty!  In BC, the law says that if your landlord doesn't return your damage deposit within 15 days they have to pay you double!  But sadly, not in Alberta.

So there's a cynical Monday post for you.  Happier days to follow, I'm sure.