Social Media & Customer Service

I have a bone to pick with some brands & companies. I am one whom does not like to speak on the phone. I do it all day at work. The last thing I want to do when I have a need or an issue with a brand or company is get on a phone. I like to utilize where available email, chat, direct messages on social media or contact us on the website. However, there have been many times that it has fallen into the black hole of cyberspace. Either there is no response at all, or I have been advised to call in. This is my point. I do not want to call and speak with someone. I want to be heard loud and clear and not spoken over. I want to be heard with competence from someone who is within the country in which the company is based and not a foreign call center where the person on the other end just reads script from the screen. I want to be heard with comprehension and through typed conversations there is proof of said conversation and it is typed out. Most call centers are so redundant with automated responses that you must scream into the phone to be heard only to have the computer route you to wrong responses. Then you must start over again. This all infuriates me and anyone else whomever has had to deal with this issue. This causes the person who eventually ends up receiving the call to be lashed out at undeservedly so because the complainant is beyond stressed. I know because I get lashed out lots of times at work because I am not the area that they need.

There are some companies that just use social media for advertising and do not really interact with their customers and followers. However, some companies totally engage with their followers. I can report problems with my cellular service directly to Sprint on Twitter using DM (direct messaging). I am able to interact with Chewy and in fact have enticed more customers during the COVID-19 pandemic because of their great customer service, quality communication of constant updates due to the pandemic, and Batman and I have received an unexpected small, hand painted portrait. I use the hashtag #unpaidspokescat when I post to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram because Batman is in no way endorsed financially by any product or company. Some people use YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to be recruited and paid to post for products for financial gain and make a living out of it. Amazon is another great example of getting things done via chat thru the website or app. I have taken care of several issues that way. It doesn’t raise my blood pressure or cause me undo stress because I am introvert.

I have issues with Aldi in the past and now boycott because of their poor customer service. I was charged for seven cans of beans and only in reality purchased one. They move you through like cattle so fast that I am sure this occurs a lot. In fact, they show on their commercials how wonderful and caring the checkout personnel are that they have time ask questions or make comments to the customer. I laugh out loud because they do not in reality. They toss your stuff into the cart and you barely have time to pay and grab your cart before the next customer’s items are scanned. I am sure this social distancing is holding up the process because people need to be six feet apart. I had that overcharge issue and another issue where I was cursed at and basically accosted by a cart because I did not have a cart for few items and needed to pack my items. The gentleman, term used loosely, started tossing the next person’s items in the cart as I was retrieving mine. He said, “Fucking hurry up”. I replied, “Good God. I cannot even pack my items before you rush thru the next person. This is the last time I shop here.” I brought both instances up using Aldi’s website. I did receive responses. However, my concerns were ignored. I typed in all capitals at the bottom. “DO NOT CALL CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL ONLY”. Their response was the same each time. “We thoroughly investigate these matters and our customer service team from that location will contact you.” Never any calls nor emails from the actual store. I have not set foot in Aldi since. I even took to social media using #boycottAldi hashtag and tweeting to their corporate Twitter account. Cue the crickets chirping because there was no response from Aldi. However, I did receive replies from Batman’s followers about similar experiences or asking if I had a similar store in my area because they had excellent customer service.

Another case is Popeye’s and I had a complaint about one location and a compliment for a different location. Both instances occurred on the same day. I walked into one location and stood at the counter for ten minutes. The drive thru employee was busy completing drive thru orders. The counter person was busy filling Uber Eats or one of those other type company’s orders. There was no one taking orders at the counter. I left and went to another location and that location was busy as well. However, there were many employees filling orders at the counter, drive thru and for the app deliveries. The manager was more than friendly and apologized to each and everyone for their having to wait. Popeye’s never responded to online inquiry nor Twitter.

Final example that I will share. There are more; however, but I am only highlighting the most rampid ones in my eyes. An independent contractor for Tampa Bay Times got into a confrontation with my neighbor and balled up his fist to hit him. My neighbor had legitimate beef with this sad excuse of a man. He was blocking vehicles and illegal dumping newspapers into the condominium complex’s dumpster. This poor excuse of masculinity does not reside in the complex. He throws the papers with no regard to personal property nor condominium property. He has thrown the newspaper bouncing it off my screen door or kitchen window multiple times. I interjected due to the assault. I advised my neighbor that I had a run in with this guy before because he blocked me while doing the same illegal dumping into the dumpster. The guy started to threaten me about my weight. I laughed because I would have to care about this guy’s opinion of me. Any of my blog readers know that I am above that. My neighbor threatened to cancel his subscription to Tampa Bay Times. I encouraged it because the Tampa Bay Times is skewed liberally and has an agenda. The guy laughed and balled up his fist again. I advised this guy to leave. My neighbor followed thru and cancelled his subscription and complained about the independent contractor.  I also launched a Twitter campaign about the fact that Tampa Bay Times does not investigate their hiring of contractors allowing this type of individual to represent their paper. It fell of crickets chirping. I tried to complain about it thru their website. However, I would have to be a subscriber to even lodge a complaint.

It is time do use the social media as platforms for customer service. Especially now with the new normal during this pandemic. People should be refraining from going into places to lodge complaints or even do appointments unless your physical appearance is required. The technology is there. Most government agencies have online renewals in place to help ease the waiting times. With the ever-growing population and the places of employment downsizing and asking the remaining employees to take on more tasks these lines will increase. During the pandemic when places are closed or only allowing a smaller percentage of people into their places, the wait times have dramatically increased to get an appointment to take care of renewal needs.

Companies can hire people to work from home to take direct messages, chat conversations via the website as well as answer emails thus taking the time to read and take care of an issue. There is not a large need for call centers except for those that really have the need to talk with someone over the phone. Most websites already have FAQs where some questions are already there to be read. Websites have a lot of information available. I use that for my getting the information that I need. I know that people who are working like me usually are tasked with multiple jobs to cut down on the personnel for budgeting reasons. Why would I waste their valuable time if I can find that answer out myself? Social media can be more than a place of advertising. Mob mentality has been working. How about getting this worked out for the silent mob, the introverts, and the social anxious people of the world.

Reflections of a decade

Well here we head on full blast into another decade. Most thought we would be over in 2000 by certain end of day’s theories. But, tomorrow it will be 2020. I am going to take the time today, the last day of 2019, to reflect on my decade. A lot has happened through this decade. One would think the 2000s would have done me in with my crash and career ending injuries. However, that all prepared me for the 2010s. I had no idea what was in store for me. I am still standing. I preserved as always.

Looking back at 2010 that seemed to be a year of unraveling, my relationship was beginning to be in the toilet. My fears of a repeat of what happened the first time around came to fruition. I should have gone with my gut feeling when she had come snooping back around in 2007 getting her claws into me at my lowest time. Hey the saying went, “If love comes back to you then it is yours forever”. I call bullshit. It isn’t love when both sides aren’t winning and everyone is losing.  Relationships take compromise, but it seems that someone always bends more than the other. I was beginning to be loose myself and having to bend past a breaking point. The pending nightmare happened and the cycle of my ex leaving me for the same person happened again. It didn’t last for long and my ex got a taste of her own medicine. As quickly as her true love as she called it whisked back in, that person fled. I should have let sleeping dogs lie on that one. But I thought I will give this one last chance. Stupid me and I paid the price for it. It was breaking me more and more. I just had just reconciled with my parents after a falling out due to this person. I did have a blessing in finding Batman.

Going into 2011, the pressure and stress kept boiling. My co-worker went out sick in December of 2010 and wouldn’t return until July of 2011. I was left to do everything. Stress mounted as high as demands on me to keep performing. The more I got done without any help, the more that was expected of me. Nothing was ever good enough. That spilled through into my relationship with my parents and that with my ex. A Trooper, whom was like my brother, had a crash in October and was never the same. He suffered from possibly a stroke or brain aneurism. I started not feeling well towards the end of the year. I went to the gynecologist. A lump was found in my right breast. Trooper Dyer passed away on December 28^th. This was a loss that cut into my soul. Yes I had lost three of my four grandparents but their loss wasn’t as great as losing him. I wasn’t really close to my grandparents for various complicated reasons. My lump in my breast had been a catalyst to spark something in my relationship with my ex. I think the possibility of my having cancer and seeing me break with the loss of Bill showed her something about me.

No partying or celebrating for me on New Year’s Eve. On the first day of 2012, I was heading to a funeral. We celebrated Trooper Dyer’s life. Later that month came mammogram, ultrasound, biopsy and the eventual diagnosis of breast cancer. That term will cut through your soul like a knife through fresh baked bread. Telling my mother that I had cancer was the hardest thing I ever had to do. It broke her. She still hadn’t gotten over my crash. I faced more surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. That year took a toll on my soul and health. My relationship ended the further into the treatment I went. The cycle came around again. That her and her so called true love found each other again. My ex had and probably still has no clue whom she is as a person. She looked to me and her so called true love as a guide to whom to be. Both versions of her herself were different.

Beginning 2013, I started to work hard at getting better and to eat healthier.  I at times reflected back on I should have just said no and not had all that stress with my ex. However, the good times and experiences prepared me to be the strong, independent woman I am today. I focused on myself and doing what made me happy. Going thru both the crash and cancer, I knew I needed to focus on me. I started saying no to invites if I really didn’t want to do something. I learned more about myself and my personality. I became enlightened. I didn’t let the so called what was popular at the time or what society expected of me to control my actions. I stepped outside of that and focused on the real truth.

2014 began sad and depressing for me; Boo had become sicker and sicker. I ended up making the hardest decision to let her go peacefully and not to suffer anymore. She had cancer of the mouth. My Mom was present with me as I said my goodbye to my sweet darling. I held her as she passed. I buried my face into minky fur and said my goodbyes. I went home and my sweet boy greeted me. He didn’t understand that his sister didn’t come back home with me. He and I bonded even more as we both grieved our great loss. I joined Twitter and started meeting some great people. The further that him and I ventured into the social media life, the more I knew I had found my place. I no longer felt alone. I found others like me that didn’t want children. I found others that loved their furbabies as much as I do.

2015, Batman joined #ZSHQ, which is a Twitter club made up of all types of animals and stuffies that protect the world from zombies. Batman’s social media fandom grew. Every year since, he has received gifts and cards from all over the world for his birthday and for Christmas. Batman rose thru the ranks and now holds the rank of Commodore. I am now part of the HQ admin team as well the costume closet team. We are a close knit bunch. Thru these past few years, the Twitter family groups have grown. I have met a few of them in person. My close friendships thru social media have been some of the most rewarding friendships that I ever had in my 49 years on this earth. We have suffered losses together. We have supported each other thru hardships. We celebrate each other’s successes.

This past year, my parent’s took me to Epcot for my 49^th birthday. We had a blast. They really enjoyed it as much as I did. I turned 18 at Walt Disney World. I will turn 50 at Walt Disney World in 2020. I deal with my health limits daily. I continue to push through the pain and muddle through. I am nowhere near where I want to be according to the scale. But I continue to eat healthier and do what makes me happy. I learn from my mistakes. I continue to try to be a role model. I have seen ups and downs over the past five years. But shedding the toxicity for me in the past decade has done wonders. My wish for the next decade is that others break free from the agenda of the current state of the world and find a way to be more humane. I will continue my efforts to be a voice for the voiceless, the animals of the world.

Animals and Their Humans – Time to Dispel Stereotypes

I read an article recently from scientificeamerican.com regarding why pet loss should be taken more seriously. I totally agreed with everything that was written in the article. I am in the “furbaby” club. I did not bear a child. I did not ever wish to. I consider Batman as my “furbaby” and he is referred to as my “furson”. Link to the article below:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-we-need-to-take-pet-loss-seriously/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sa-editorial-social&utm_content&utm_term=mind_news_text_free

I ran into an issue this past week when Batman was ill. I had taken him to the Animal Emergency on Saturday. He was treated and sent home with medications for me to administer twice a day. The findings were faxed to my regular veterinarian. On Monday, my regular vet called me to check in on Batman’s health. Batman was a little better but still needed to eliminate. When I returned to work on Tuesday, Batman still had not eliminated. I found out that my co-worker had called out sick. I had spoken with my Captain in regards to possibly leaving early to have my regular vet treat him for his health issue. My Captain, however, hates cats. He laughed at me that I had taken him to the emergency vet. He stated, “No. You should just take him out back and just shoot him.” I was taken back by this. Hopefully, the Captain was just joking but still I was quite upset.  The vet tech and I played phone tag most of Tuesday. The vet tech only called my home phone and not my cell phone. When I had returned the phone call after retrieving the voice mail remotely, the vet tech was gone for lunch. I spoke with the receptionist. I never received another message on my home phone nor a call back that day. I wasn’t able to log into my home phone remotely to have it forwarded to my cell phone. My co-worker never came into work this week so I was never able to take Batman to the vet. Luckily, the medications worked on Batman and the vet trip became unnecessary. I had my home phone forwarded to my cell phone for the rest of that week.

I should have been taken more seriously and allowed to make some kind of arrangements for the time off to have Batman’s medical issues taken care of. It is hard because only two of us are on staff for the station that I work for. Any of my prior Captains would have had no problems closing the station done for one afternoon. My prior Captain would have even allowed me to bring Batman to work with me. He allowed my co-worker to bring her dog to work several days when Bambi was seriously ill. My co-worker eventually had to make the difficult decision to end Bambi’s suffering. There needs to be a change in how workplaces treat those that have “furbabies” over human babies. It is no different in our eyes as pet parents. We worry about our “furbaby” just as parents worry over their child being ill. When a parent loses a child, they grieve. The same applies for pet parents as well.

As I have spelled out in other posts on my blog, I am not a people person. I suffer from social anxiety. I also do not fit into sort of society cliques. I am an outsider all the way around. I had lost cats before in my life. They have always been a part of my family even before I was born. But when I lost Boo in 2014, that was a true loss of a family member. Cuddles was special to me as well and losing her 1997 was heavy loss as well. Boo and I had many wonderful adult years in our own place. She was truly my cat and not the family cat that we all shared time with. We also had a few years with Batman added into the mix as well. The day that I was going to have her put down, the Captain that I had at the time had never seen me so depressed. I had to go into work because my co-worker didn’t know how to do the deposit and some of the other pressing paperwork. I quickly got that work done then left for the day. I was glad that she was at least somewhat accommodating for what was one of the worst days of my life.

I found solace and support later that year after I had joined Twitter. Twitter has a wonderful animal community which all support each other through everything. I was able to talk with other pet parents that had lost a beloved pet. Later on, I took on the persona of Batman as my main Twitter presence. Batman became involved in some Twitter clubs with other animals.  Once a month, there is a virtual tribute ride where animals lost can be honored and acknowledged. Batman is a member of this “club” and it is an emotional ride each month. This allows a support outlet amongst others that feel as I do about my “furbaby”. There also is honor flights done by “The Aviators” which is a virtual flight where a flight leader leads a flight to the rainbow bridge to send a lost pet off with love and support focused on the lost pet and their grieving pet parents. Those flying or riding can offer their final goodbyes as the lost pet crosses the rainbow bridge. The most emotional flights and rides have been for those animals that have become my best furiends on Twitter. That person’s furbabies become an online family and their loss is also my loss. Each one that we have lost have taken a piece of my heart with them.

Workplaces and society need to accept the fact that some people may have furry children rather than actual children. I heard so many times after Boo had passed “Oh it is just a cat” and how I would want to punch them in the throat. Those people were subsequently cut out of my life. I have no room for those type of people. There are too many other people that I have met over the past few years that think like me. They offer me support, guidance and love. They are more a family to me than my own relatives.

It makes me sick when I hear the news of puppy and kitten mills where the breeding animals were rescued from deplorable conditions. Those useless, greedy excuses for human beings should be treated in the same manner as those animals were made to live in. However society believes that is cruel and unusual punishment.  I applaud that society is starting to wake up and increasing penalties for animal cruelty charges. I want to see more done. There still is trophy hunting and poaching going on.

I know there are still some cultures that actually celebrate the killing of animals. I am with the rest of the world that wants these practices stopped. I applaud celebrities such as Ally Walker, Ricky Gervais, Pauley Perrette, Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Ellen DeGeneres who are the most outspoken for animal rights. With their star power, I am hopeful that we shall be successful in ending the barbaric practices such as Yulin Meat Festival, trophy hunting and poaching.

If you feel as I do, join Twitter or even Instagram to feel and be a part of this wonderful animal community. Some people may think it is weird but they are part of society that feels that animals are just animals. We in the animal community find them weird for not loving animals the way that we do. I wholeheartedly disagree with that part of society. To know true unconditional love is to love an animal with all of your heart. You grow a bond with that animal and cherish every moment because your time with them is fleeting because they do not live long lifespans. We are their whole entire world and it truly is a treasure to feel that kind of love.

With this time where everyone is whining about something and calling everyone a racist for one reason or another, I am speaking up for those of us in the animal community. I am not going to continue to stand for it. I will speak my mind and spell out why. Hopefully that makes some people look at this view in a different light. This post may help others that have lost a pet and felt ridiculed because they were told that it was just an animal. Join me and start thinking outside the box. Look at things from both sides with an open mind.

 

4th and Final Susan G Komen Race for the Cure

Originally this was to take place on October 7, 2017 but due to Hurricane Irma effecting basically the entire peninsula of Florida was postponed until February 17, 2018. The venue went from Albert Whitted Airport to Vinoy Park due to the Indy Car series which utilizes Albert Whitted Airport for their upcoming season opener race. The crews would be working on setting up the course in the area at that time. This meant that there would be no close parking area which we already faced and dealt with in 2015. There are no good parking garages close to either venue, Albert Whitted Airport or Vinoy Park.

On the papers handed out during the package pickup in 2015 handicap parking areas were shown. But when I tried to pull into those areas, I was turned away. We found a parking garage but had to walk almost 2 miles from parking garage to start of the race, then what I walked during the race, then that 2 miles back to the parking garage. That next day I was in so much pain due to my injuries from my crash in 2007. I cannot walk great distances without repercussions.

In 2016 in response to all the complaints of the parking situation, they came up with an idea of parking at Albert Whitted Airport for a $10 parking fee paid in advance upon registration for the event. I was one of the people who made a complainant about the parking situation being that I am handicapped and so is my mother. So we registered early and got a parking pass. That year I was able to park right near the event area and start of the race. That was such a convenient thing to have and made the event much more enjoyable as it was for my first one back in 2014 which was held in the Carillon area which there were parking garages near the start/finish.

With the date change of the event, package pickup locations were changed from what we normally had in the past. Now the locations were not as convenient for me to leave work, head to my parents and drive them to the location which we normally chose to be in front of the New Balance store at Westshore Plaza Mall. We had always made an evening of it by getting our race packets then going out to dinner. Westshore Plaza Mall is just across the Bay from us and not a bad drive for me during the evening rush hour once I picked them up. I had to take off of work early to travel way into Tampa by Hillsborough Ave and Lois Ave. The location was at Crunch. Here I am handicapped and overweight walking into a gym full of young and skinny people. That just made we feel so out of place. My parents felt funny walking into that location as well. At least the location in the mall was in the area outside of the New Balance Store. The area was not in the way of anything. Here at Crunch the pickup was right by the doors and we were in the way of people coming and going.  I should have known this was a sign that this was not going to be a good event. But the volunteers there did mention “Survivors Dinner” which I never knew about before. I knew they had a VIP dinner for a donation. I thought since this was my sixth year as a survivor that we should participate. Boy was I wrong.

Prior to the event, I had left my house late to pick up my parents which was my fault. I arrived and my mother wasn’t ready. We had to wait a few minutes before we were ready and loaded in my car to travel. We start on our trek towards downtown St Petersburg, my Mother had forgotten her glasses. So I had to make a quick U-turn to head back to their house to get her glasses. My father was instructed by me to research the parking. Come to find out he did not. He is retired as well as my Mother. I work 40 plus hours a week. Now I can’t drive and look at Google Maps. Suzanne had already arrived down there and parked in the Sun Dial parking lot. I just decided to head there that way we would not be too far from each other once the event was over. This was another sign that this was not going to be a good event. Found parking in the Plaza garage right next to the stairs on the second floor right by an intersection. This would make it easy to remember where we parked. This was across from the Sun Dial Mall itself which was near where Suzanne had parked. I followed my father after I helped my mother down the stairs thinking he knew where we were heading. We walked two blocks to the south before I caught the fact that we needed to head East towards Tampa Bay. I made a mental note that no more will I allow him to just take off walking. I will have to do my own research on things that we plan to do.

We start our trek to Vinoy Park which was almost a mile. We found a bench and I kept Suzanne updated as to where to find us via text. This allowed my Mother to rest. Once we were all together we walked around the vendors tent. We walked near the Survivor Tent. I only saw cookies on trays out. That is not dinner plus sugar feeds cancer. There were not as many vendors. There also weren’t as many water stations in the area which meant water was hard to come by. We headed towards the VIP tent. We got up to the donation station only to have one of the volunteers tell me “This isn’t for you. You need to be over at the survivor’s tent.” I replied, “I am with my family and I only saw cookies over there. I don’t want cookies.” My Father was standing there holding $40 to pay for our entry into the area. Another volunteer said, “No the food should be out there. Wraps and salads.” My Dad put his money back in his wallet where both volunteers could see and said “I guess you don’t want my money then. You just lost $40.” I turned and walked away saying, “This is my last race. I am done.”

I now felt like I was being discriminated against by being a survivor. Again, I was treated as if I do not belong or worthy enough. I get that every day of my life because I am a square box in a circle world. It takes a lot for me to be out amongst crowds due to my social anxiety and PTSD. It truly is huge effort on my part. I used to feel a part of something bigger than myself because there are so many breast cancer fighters and survivors. We sat down on a bench so that my Mother could rest. I was fuming inside. My father was also fuming. Suzanne and myself started making jokes to try and lighten the mood. I knew I had to calm down so that the stress would not consume me. Stress is a trigger for cancer as well as sugar feeds cancer. My mother said, “When something becomes more of a hassle then it is worth, time to ditch it.” My philosophy exactly Mom. From dealing with my crash injuries then cancer, I came to feed off that philosophy quite a bit. Many found themselves on the ditch side.

Eventually as it neared time for the survivor parade, we wondered towards the survivor’s tent. I looked for the signs which are usually held up to designate survivors by the number of years being a cancer survivor. They were handing out stickers instead. I thought to myself, “Hell I can’t even get to stand amongst those that are 5 years plus.” I was looking forward to that since the walk in 2016. Third and finally strike just solidified my decision that this was the fourth and final event. Besides I thought to myself as I stood in line for the sticker, “I have no more room for any more medals. This will fill up my stand where I hold my collection of race cars.” I did spot some mini finger food on a tray next to the mounds of cookies. I shook my head and laughed to myself. I did the survivor walk and looked around feeling totally out of place. We stood for a photo making a ribbon for the aerial photographs. I made sure that I was in the back and out of the way. I really didn’t feel like being there. I was starting to get a migraine.

Dad made his way to the front of the start so he could work on his pace. He always walks the entire 5K. He wanted to best his time from last year. Me, Mom and Suzanne headed to the very back. We just meander along for a bit and then find a spot to sit and wait for him to return. Neither myself or my mother need to be overdoing the walking since we still had the trek back to the parking garage. Once we stop, me, Mom and Suzanne have a blast just chatting about anything and everything. Normally on the old course we would sit at the corner by the Vinoy on a bench facing the marina. On this course, we sat at a picnic table near the dog park. We talked about the “haves” and the “have nots” along with our people watching. I also filled in my Twitter besties about the situation so that they could add their comments to my rant via Twitter. I am so thankful for them. Suffering from social anxiety, they allow me to be social in a way which keeps me comfortable. My besties are the best support anyway can ask for. We chat about anything and everything. Without social media, we would have never met.

Due to social media, I can share my story in hopes of inspiring others by my courage, resolve, and journey. I also can share my experience to possibly save someone else from experiencing what I have experienced. I wish the organization of Susan G Komen Race for the Cure well but I can no longer be a part of it. There are other organizations out there for breast cancer survivors and I can throw my support in that direction along with those that will follow my lead. Cancer sucks for those that are fighting it, have fought it, and those that support the fighters. When one of us gets cancer, the family and friends feel like they have it as well. Cancer has the snowball effect. So me, the lone wolf, will take pinkwarriorbatman elsewhere. I thrive as a lone wolf and I am more than pink.

My Experience with Hurricane Irma

I am writing about my experience with Hurricane Irma. I live in the Tampa Bay Area. I have dealt with many storms before. I experienced Hurricane Elena back in 1985. I was only 15 at the time. I just remember that storm kept doing a dance up and down the Gulf of Mexico till it finally made landfall Biloxi, Mississippi. During breaks in the feeder bands, we kids would go outside to get away from being shut into homes all boarded up. The kids tied a bedsheet to two poles then hop on skateboards and surfed the wind through the puddles. I just watched them glad to be outside. Another Tropical System came through our area drenching our area sometime before 1992. I can’t recall the name or the time. I just remember coming home from work to find most of my normal routes was flooded. I eventually had to come into the neighborhood from a different direction and drive across some people’s yards to get to my parent’s home. I remember the no name storm of 1993 which occurred in March caused a lot of flooding in our area.

Once I became a Florida State Trooper, I was sent up to Pensacola in October of 1995 for Hurricane Opal. The detail of Troopers from all over the state stayed in Tallahassee at the academy the night the storm came in. We left as a group in the middle of the night heading across Interstate 10 towards Pensacola on the backside of the storm which had weakened from a Category 4 prior to landfall. We traveled convoy style dodging downed trees along our path. We made it to Pensacola and stayed there a total of 9 days. I saw the devastation to the barrier islands there first hand. The intercostal waterway was filled with debris swept off the barrier islands from the storm surge. I got to be observer in a helicopter one of those 9 days. The intercostal waterway was filled with debris swept off the barrier islands from the storm surge. We saw washers, dryers, fridges, cars, boats, and such in the water. The bridge appeared to just end at the barrier island due to the sand that had been washed all over it. We landed in a safe area and went looking in some homes that were still standing searching for those that stayed behind. It was such an eerie sight. That last day before our detail left, bulldozers had opened some of the roadways on the barrier island. The mounds of sand reminded me of snow drifts in the Midwest after a blizzard.

I will always remember the Hurricane season of 2004 which Florida which seem the constant crossing route for Hurricanes that year. That season was very taxing with the many twelve hour shifts and cancelled days off. It started with Hurricane Charley which was aiming right for Tampa Bay. It was a Cat 4. I remember helping Pinellas County evacuees on Interstate 275. Some were heading to friend’s homes in Orlando. One young family was heading to their father’s house in Punta Gorda. Then Hurricane Charley pulled a fast one and veered right off the projected path and made landfall in Punta Gorda. Hurricane Charley rode right across the state emerging back into the Atlantic Ocean off New Smyrna Beach. Barely a month later, Hurricane Frances hit the east coast of Florida coming in between Fort Pierce and West Palm Beach. Hurricane Frances crossed the state coming off into the Gulf of Mexico near Tampa Bay. Hurricane Frances then went up into the panhandle and northeasterly back out into the Atlantic Ocean as remnants. Barely a week later, had Hurricane Ivan come through the Caribbean Sea and into the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Ivan made landfall near Alabama but Florida felt some minor effects from the rain bands. Next came Hurricane Jeanne about a week after Ivan. Hurricane Jeanne hit near Port St Lucie and went through Pasco County almost emerging into the Gulf of Mexico before it tracked northward into Georgia. Three major hurricanes hitting central Florida in six weeks and those three Hurricanes crossed the same area of Polk County all three times.

There were other storms here and there that we had to respond for in Central Florida. Then after my crash in 2007, I became non-essential personnel. The offices have been closed a few times in the past 10 years. Nothing more than a day of the office being closed. This monster of a Cat 5 Hurricane was bearing down on the entire state of Florida. The storm was twice as wide as the state. We were going to get more than a small percentage of winds and effects with this one. Before the storm, I was checking in with each update. I would look at the models. I had a feeling it was going to go right up the middle of the state. The two most dependable models were showing that. I checked in with the geezers as Florida started being more in the cone of uncertainty. I was checking to see if we were going to hunker down or evacuate. The choice was to hunker down. I knew the roads were going to be clogged and with the track of the storm it was going to be hard to find somewhere to go. We couldn’t go north then west due Hurricane Harvey’s aftermath. Going north was not going to be a good option because that was going to be everywhere that those fleeing the state were going to go. I remember when Hurricane Floyd was bearing down on the whole east coast of Florida. All those Floridians evacuated to the west side of the state and caused major gridlock. I went and got extra pet food for Batman. My parents insured me that they were going to get the generator gassed up and prepared. They were going to get water and supplies. It wasn’t discussed any further.

Hurricane Irma devastated islands in the Caribbean to the point that they are inhabitable due to the infrastructure being destroyed. We received word on Thursday that the office was going to be closed Friday and Monday due to the storm. I worked diligently to get work done and to stay busy. I worked on getting my bag packed for going to my parent’s house on Sunday. They actually expected me to go sooner. The storm wasn’t due in our area until Late Sunday night. I advised them I would be over with Batman on Sunday afternoon. I packed Batman’s bag. I then worked on securing my home office and my TARDIS. It is hard to decide what you will actually take and what will stay behind. I only had one tarp and I used that on the TARDIS which covered that and half of my entertainment center. I live on the second floor in a no evacuation zone so flooding was not a concern but losing the roof was a worry. I packed Boo’s ashes, her paw print, and a sample of fur. That cannot be replaced. I felt if me and Batman were going to evacuate then she would come along. I filled my freezer with extra bags of ice from my ice maker. I also placed extra glasses of water in the fridge. I was going to take all my leftovers which were going to leave the fridge pretty much emptied. I lowered the temperature on both the freezer and the fridgerator. I had frozen a glass of water then placed a quarter on top. This way I could know how much the freezer defrosted if power was lost. I did all the laundry just in case the power would be off for a long period of time. I felt I had prepared my place as best as I could.

With my Twitter friends being from all over the world, we had just prayed for those in Texas. Now those in Texas were praying for us joined by those from the rest of the world. Several close Twitter friends are in Florida. We all promised to keep in touch as a group. I left home around 2pm on Sunday and headed to my parent’s house. There was no one on the road. It was a ghost town. Batman was not happy with the wind. Normally he enjoys riding in the car. We got to their home. My parent’s helped me unpack the car. Batman walked into the house and looked around. He explored a bit. Zoey was not happy at all. Batman approached her to make friends. She was so mean. My Mom put Zoey into the master bedroom with their Quaker parrot. This way Batman had the rest of the house. He settled down pretty fast. We all stayed glued to the TV. I spent a lot of that time talking with my friends on Twitter. Everyone was concerned how Batman was doing. It kept my mind off the impending storms approach. My Mom was pretty wound up. She was constantly changing channels taking in every livestream and report. As the night wore on, the wind and rain got worse. Batman stayed close by me. He was safe with me. We tried to sleep but the wind howling woke us a couple times. I was on the couch bed while Mom was in her recliner. We kept hearing loud bangs on the roof followed by scraping. The power flickered on/off a few times. The power finally stayed off around 2am Monday morning. The TV had drowned out some of the wind noise. Now the house was dark. We had our flashlights. Mom had lit all her battered operated candles. I had brought over some extra. This way we could have some light as we needed to go to the bathroom. It was a restless sleep that night. We awoke to a breezy, partly cloudy day. We went outside to survey the damage. We found lots of broken limbs and leaves from the trees. Some of Mom’s plants in the backyard were blown over. We made breakfast on the grill. We discovered that Kcups were not going to work for coffee. Luckily the neighbor that shares the generator with my father had some ground coffee. Lesson 1, make sure you have ground coffee and either a French press or camping coffee pot to make coffee with. The breeze kept the humidity at bay as we all went out front to rake up the storm debris. My father and neighbor started the generator only to discover that it was running but eventually stopped generating electricity. Mom and I ran over to my place to find there was no power at my place. My condo was safe with no damage. The carports sustained damage. Also the storm had broken a pipe in front of our building so no water as well. Mom and I grabbed my bacon and eggs to take back to the house. With no Wi-Fi, the cell signal at my parent’s house is not enough to fully get onto Twitter or Facebook.  I was anxious to check in. The entire Florida group was accounted for and safe. That eased my mind. I was able to answer many text messages inquiring about my safety.

Tuesday was more humid. We fixed breakfast again. Dad said this was camping without the fun. Dad sent Mom and I out on ice run to try and keep the freezer okay. Dad and the neighbor were working on getting the generator fixed. Another neighbor helped them as we were gone. We drove all over seeing lots of damage. Mom and I found a Village Inn open and had lunch. We had to wait on a table. There were some college girls next to us that found out that there was no school for the rest of the week. Many people looked weary and tired. We overheard many conversations about the power being out and damage sustained. We get seated and order. I was able to get good signal at the restaurant so spent a lot of that time getting caught up. I was able to learn from Facebook that Town and Country area never lost power. So I told Mom that was where we were going to head to in order to find ice and something to bring home to the boys. Most of the people in the restaurant were nice and understanding of the limited menu items, the extra time that it was taking to get orders filled. They had limited staff and only had gotten power back on that very morning. Then came in some entitled persons who feel as if the world owes them. All they did was bitch and moan. Seriously? We all just went through the hurricane. They skipped out without paying. People frustrate me that act like that. Unfortunately, the world is beginning to fill up with them. We finished eating and found a Publix opened which had ice. Their deli was operational so we decided to get some chicken for the boys. That Publix had a 20 minute wait on chicken. We stopped at another one on the way home to find some hot wings for the boys. The boys were happy with the hot wings. The other neighbor allowed the boys to borrow one of his generators which they shared to get the fridge and freezers back to temps before switching back to the other house.

With the heat and all, it was getting old pretty fast. We had plenty of water. I had breakfast food covered. We didn’t have enough other food once the leftovers were gone to sustain other meals. We were praying that the power would come back on soon or at least some of the local restaurants to get their power back. The two Publix locations that we had went in there was no bread, snacks were gone, no water, canned goods were scarce. We awoke Wednesday morning after hearing a generator going on all night until it ran out of gas around 430am made sleep very interrupted. We planned on clearing out the backyard. Dad used my diced ham to make omelet with the last of the eggs. To out delight, we saw the lights come on. We closed up the house so the AC would cool it down. We all worked hard on the back yard. Mom started to not feel good. Dad and I cleaned up after finishing our yard work. We went to local Publix and got some food and chicken soup for Mom. Dad and I also stopped by my place to find out the power and water was back on. I was overjoyed because I had enough. Batman was such a good boy and all. Work still was without power until Wednesday evening. I got us all packed up and back home after having lunch with my parents. I only got unpacked enough to be ready for work in the morning. I was exhausted. Still others were without power through until that weekend. The damage to the keys is horrific.

Pet Safety

PETS RESCUE STICKERS x 4 with BONUS ‘Pet Home Alone’ WALLET CARDS x 2. Alert … https://t.co/BAehVtk49X via @amazon

— LTC Batman🇺🇸Rhonda (@RhondaHendee) July 4, 2017

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Yesterday was a wakeup call. I received a text from one of my Troopers. He recognized my street name on the active EMS calls website. There was a three alarm fire in my condo complex. I was at work. I opened up the EMS website to find the structure fire call had a total of 35 units on scene. It was the building next to mine. At first, I was relieved because that meant nothing was wrong with my building. However, from my experience, that many fire engines and trucks was not a good thing. I began to panic a little. I checked my pet camera. There was power in my place. I couldn’t see Batman on camera. I turned the sound on and didn’t hear any commotion.  It is July in Florida which means the air conditioning was one.  I had received a weather alert for my home and work area a few minutes before I received the text. I checked the weather radar. I did see a storm moving away from my area. It had just rained heavily at work.

I called my parents whom are both retired. I advised them of the situation. They tried to contact my neighbors but both were at work. The others neighbors are all new to our building. I felt hopeless. Anyone that knows me or have read my blog, you know how important to me Batman is in my life. He is one special guy. They were worried about being able to get to him and really didn’t seem like they wanted to go over there to check on him. Mom did ask where his bag, leash and cat jacket was. I immediately knew his leash and cat jacket were by the door. But the bag, I hesitated not really remembering where it was. I really only used that to carry him into the vet. He hated the bag and liked riding in the car. So that is why I have been leash training him, his cat jacket Velcro on and secures him.  I asked my Twitter friends for prayers that he would be safe. I kept an eye on the radar and the EMS website.

My ex then texted me about the fire and asked if Batman was okay. She had seen it on an independent news post on Facebook. I found that post and learned more about the fire. It was a lightning strike. It had spread through the 3^rd floor attic of that building. Firefighters had to cut a hole in the roof to locate and extinguish the fire. As everything was beginning to wind down, my parents decided to go over to check on Batman to ease my mind. She called as they walked towards my building. Firetrucks were still parked everywhere so they had to walk to my building from two buildings down. When they opened, the door and I heard my little guy talking to them. I was at ease.

I am now moving his soft carrier near the door so it is near his leash and cat jacket. I am also ordering a sign that goes in the window which alerts fireman that there is a pet inside. There is also a wallet card that you can have in your wallet in case of an emergency. This way my parents can be alerted. I also already have in place someone to take Batman in case of my death. Everyone needs to have an emergency plan in place. Anything can happen in a minute.  So think about your fur babies emergency plans. Make sure it is implementable. My parents are also going to get me an escape ladder to get off the second floor in case my one and only stairwell is compromised. I know where to go in my place in case of a tornado to keep me and Batman safe.  Now that it is hurricane season, I will get a go bag ready for me and Batman will also have a go bag in case of our needing to evacuate.

DUNEDIN FIRE: The National Weather Service says lightning is to blame for a condo fire in #Pinellas County.

WATCH: https://t.co/NpsBNXi6g3

— Merissa Lynn (@MerissaFOX13) July 3, 2017

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You Need to Smile

Nothing irks me more than to be told to smile. I do not like to smile very much. Never have even from little up.  To me, a smile is meant for someone who is special to me or if something is really funny. I do not want to be fake towards people so why should I fake a smile. I don’t know them  and in most cases want to know them. Some may find this harsh but in today’s world, I just really want to be left alone. This world now everyone is offended by something. Guess what? I am offended that you are offended. This world does not entitle you to anything. Everyone has a right to live how they want. Your beliefs do not outweigh those of others. We are individuals with free will to live how we want. However, most people do not use their free will. They follow the popular path as lemmings blindly doing what is popular. What is popular changes by the minute. It is the most important thing for a miniscule of time in the scheme of your lifetime. Something else always comes along to take its place at the top. It is the current cycle of the blind masses. If you want true change, you must break the cycle.

At work, I am direct and to the point. Complete your business and go about your life. I will go about mine. The universe does not revolve around you nor does it revolve around me. Let the interaction amongst strangers be completed as quickly as possible. I will fulfill your business in an efficient and quick manner so that you may move on. But I will not kiss your ass or fill you with fake sentiment.

Society has gotten to be so politically correct that has turned the masses into vile, hateful, bullies. Everyone else’s ideals being forced upon one another and I am sick and tired of it. I am individual thinker. I do not follow nor comply with society standards. I make up my own mind by doing my own reflection with the totality of the facts. I do not rely on liberal media, political leaders, religious leaders or what is popular at the moment to guide me. All of those sources are skewed towards their own agenda. They do not give you the full facts. They tell you what they want you to hear. Break the cycle, do your own research, make up your own mind. Get the whole facts.

The ISIS attacks in Paris, Belgium, Orlando and Nice are a reminder that it is not okay for anyone to force any ideals or ways of life. Christians did this back during the Crusade days. ISIS and radical Islams are doing it now. With the current administration in control in the American government, the United States have taken steps backwards in regards to Civil Rights Movement. The gay community fought for many years to be given the same rights as heterosexual couples. That time has come after they were persecuted and the term hate crime was coined for many attacks on gay individuals. Did you know that there were some gays that actually attacked others because they didn’t agree with their right to marry. You whined and fought to have your rights. That did not give you the right to attack others who did not believe. Granted yes not all gays are like that. Just as not all Christians want to convert you. Not all Muslims want to kill those that do not believe in Allah. Not all immigrants came into the country illegally. Not all blacks are thugs wanting to kill police officers. Not all police officers are bad.  Not all Democrats voters violently attack Republican voters supporting Donald Trump. I could go on and on with examples.

I am offended by those people that have animals for the novelty of it then leave the animals in a hot car where the animals die. I am offended by the greediness of people that breed animals in deplorable conditions while thousands of abandoned animals are waiting for forever homes in shelters praying to be adopted. I am offended by those that mutilate domestic animals for their pleasure because they hate them. Hey wake up, I don’t like non animal people but you don’t see me mutilating you.

I am offended by the atheists trying to remove every mention of God. They waged war on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Winter Solstice celebrations. They are fighting to have memorials removed because they contain a cross. Those memorials were erected to archive an event in history. Leave it alone. You don’t like, don’t visit. You have the right to not believe in God. Don’t force me to do it. You have the right to not celebrate but don’t take that right from others that do celebrate one of those holidays.

Jennifer Aniston recently told the world how fed up she was with the rumors that she was pregnant. I applaud her. She has spoken out like I do. A man will not define her. A child will not define her. I do not want a man or a woman in my life. I do not want a child. I knew from little on that I was different. I do not like children so why would I follow the masses and have a child. I did not. I will not. This world is overpopulated enough. The overpopulation has led to many conflicts, tearing the Earth apart, Americans are obese while others in third world countries are dying of starvation.

Yes, social media has given us a voice to speak to those around the world. It has given me the opportunity to find my tribe in life. I do not like to be social in person but I can be social on social media sights. There are some that are using it for harm and bullying. Let us all work together towards enlightenment of breaking the cycle and becoming better individuals. Then some of this madness will stop because no one will buy into it.

My 2014 in review

Well, a little later into 2015 than I wanted, but hey life happens. Sometimes faster than we want it those hours fly by and stuff still doesn’t get done. But you know what, roll with it, don’t be so rigid. It is what is and you can’t control everything. I started 2014 with a renewed zest for making me happy. 2013 wasn’t a very good year at all.

I went to testing in January at Daytona International Speedway and had a great time. Was the closest to getting Dale Earnhardt Jr’s autograph than I ever had before. If I had felt better, then I probably would have had the patience to wait for his latest practice run to be over with and he returned to the garage area. I got to park on the infield which was a thrill all in itself.

February, Dale Jr, won the Daytona 500 and that was awesome. He joined Twitter and so did I. I had no idea what that would end up bringing into my life. At first, I fumbled around with Twitter just mainly following anything Nascar. Then after having some more interactions and finding other people with similar interests. It has become a place for me to really express myself.

May, I went to Downtown Disney with my parents, I hadn’t been there since sometime in early 2013 before the break up. It was fun to share with them. It also was fun to make new memories where many had been made there with my ex. It is almost like erasing the haunting feeling of that place. Towards the end of summer, I began not feeling well again. It was a big kidney stone which required surgery to be removed.

The end of September beginning of October was the surgery for my kidney stone. I wasn’t concerned for the surgery because I have had many before. However, this one was different, there were some complications. Instead of overnight stay in the hospital, it was a three day stay. I needed a total of three blood transfusions. I ended up with a two week recovery time instead of the week. A simple surgery ended up in me being in recovery for over 10 hours. Thank God for my parents being retired. They were able to watch over me and help me during my recovery. That was the longest three days away from Batman. I had never been away from him more than two nights, ever. During that time, the Longmire Stampedes were still going on and I received a lot of love and support from the posse members.

Towards the end of the year, I really became into my own on Twitter as playing Batman. I have a real close net of other pet parents. We chat as our pets. We do adventures as our pets. It is a great way to talk with friends who have similar interests and see their humor and creativity. I have a real sense of belonging. Something that I have been lacking. I am not real good with real human contact in large groups. I am not a very trusting person for obvious reasons. You can only go through so much before you are snake bite. I look forward to our #catchats. I feel that I am on the right path as 2015 has begun. Take time for yourself because it is a healthy thing to do. Take time to take in the experience of life. Don’t just go around trudging through the routines. Do something spontaneous.