Slice of Life: Making Coffee From Hay

   On Tuesdays, Two Writing Teachers hosts the Slice of Life. Everyone is welcome to share writing and comment on others in this special community. 

  

 

During the summer, I share a home near the beach with my husband's brother and his family. Sharing a home with ten other people (and usually more because lots of guests cycle in and out) poses challenges. This morning three of us gathered in the kitchen waiting our turn for the coffee maker. 

"This coffee maker is tough to predict," Paul announced as he denounced his coffee. 

I was next. The water bin was almost empty... and so was the coffee bean compartment. 

His wife cracked up as I filled the water and the beans. "Paul thinks it's like Rumpelstiltskin," she said. "Gold from hay and coffee from air."

My coffee was fine, and so was Paul's when he redid his with water and beans. 

Slice of Life: A Rotten Apple (Experience)

  On Tuesdays, Two Writing Teachers hosts the Slice of Life. Everyone is welcome to share writing and comment on others in this special community. 

  

 

I thought it would be an easy appointment at the Genius Bar. My daughter left her Airpod case on the plane last Thursday night, and she needed a replacement. Since I had a mall return, I offered to take care of that purchase. 

The (very) young-looking tech support, Sean, worried me when he tried to help. 

"These are two different Airpods," he said. "One is first generation, and one is second generation."

"They're pretty new," I countered. "We bought them here within the last month. And there's not really any way my daughter could have mixed them up."

I texted her to make sure.

"I'm feeling a little accused here," I said. "The two airpods that are here with me now are the SAME two airpods we walked out with on June 25, so it seems like the error is the fault of Apple."

Long story short... They charged me $100 for the replacement case and another $89 for a matching Airpod for me to bring her a match. After over an hour, I did not have any more time to spend there if I wanted to get home (an hour away) and send Julia back to medical school with a functional Airpod, something she needs to have in order to listen to her lectures. I voiced my story opinion annoyance fury WRATH as professionally and calmly as I could both at the store to Sean, Jordan the Manager, and a couple of on-line Apple people I called as I drove home. 

"I don't want to hear that you understand my frustration," I heard myself say, "but that doesn't solve the issue of this costing me $89 more than it should have." 

"You'll have to go back to the store," Josh the on-line supervisor said on repeat. 

And yes, we'll have to go back to the store, because the case and Airpod they sent me home with was STILL the incorrect one. (I honestly can't make this up.)

My blood pressure is rising, even as I write this post. Maybe tomorrow I'll chuckle at it. And hopefully someone reading this will chuckle... For now, I'll contemplate my next move in what has been so far, a rotten Apple experience.