I've lost my joy.

I have lost my joy.

 It's been a slow process over several years.   It happens when you offer to help someone out and they take advantage of you continually until you have nothing left to give.

A few years ago an organization I was a part of had a change of leadership.  Without asking me first, the previous leader told the new leader that I would help him out.  I am very much an introvert, I do not like being in front of crowds and I'm very uncomfortable.  What I was roped into doing involved being in front of a crowd.  I did say I would do this temporarily but they would have to find somebody else.  It's been three years and they've made no effort to find a permanent replacement.  Once a week, every week.  We did have one person offer to help out, but when I offered to step down and let him take over, he stepped back and now doesn't do it at all.  Lately they want to change things and want me to teach new things.  I have been saying for three years that I am not a teacher, I am not a leader.  It is not my gift, not my calling.  I get emails and messages telling me that I should do things differently but nobody offers to step up and take over.  Because of this, I ended up leaving the organization as this is the only way to force them to finally find a replacement.

I once had joy doing what I do but because someone took advantage, I have lost the joy.

The next chapter in the Dentures Online saga

Well, things aren't looking too good about having new teeth for the new year.  They got my last impression on November 15 and I didn't get the next fit until today...a month later.  I was told that it takes ten days to process a wax fit, and was told two weeks ago that they were going to overnight them from the lab.  I don't think I've gotten a truthful statement from them ever.

This fit, the bit was fixed, the alignment was fixed, but they are still too big.  This means that if I'm lucky, I'll have the next fit by Valentine's Day.  Yet another impression (I have no idea what they've done with the last two) and sending the box back.

Here's the second fit

 

These do look a little better in...however I can't open my mouth without them falling out.

 

So...now the wait begins again.  I did send a report to the Attorney General's office.  I'm debating if I should just wait for them to take action or continue pestering Dentures Online until I have the denture I was promised.

The latest in the Denture.com saga

The latest...I got them in a chat and got the instructions for the first fit.  They received the kit back on the 15th.  I chatted today and they're again doing the "late next week" thing that they did with me the last time.  They also lied to the BBB with my complaint trying to say they tried to call me but I wasn't home.  It's my cell phone, they've never tried to call, didn't even bother leaving a voice mail if they DID call.  So now it looks like I'll have to dig out my phone records for the time frame to prove they never called.  This is the worst experience I've ever had.

Dentures Online Review

It's been almost three years since I last posted.  There really hasn't been much of anything worth posting about that I haven't put on my Facebook or anything I really wanted to share with strangers until now.

I've worn an upper denture plate since I was 29.  In the past year it started to crack.  It wasn't so bad at first and I was able to deal with it.  However I love eating carrots...raw carrots.  I also like to chew ice.  The hard biting and chewing caused the crack to worsen and eventually it cracked through.  This is my current denture, the white stuff is where I've glued it back together so I can go to work with teeth in my mouth.  I can't eat with it though.

 I am poor.  I work part time in retail which is not the highest money making profession by a long shot.  I am also going to college online but still have a few years until I have my Bachelor's degree and can try for a better job.  Because of this, I searched for a low-cost way to fix or replace my denture.  I called a few dentists but because of the age of the denture, 15 years, they would not repair.  Replacement dentures were quoted between 2,000 - 5,000 dollars.  I did some research and found Dentures Online.  I looked at reviews, checked out their Better Business Bureau page and did not see anything negative about them, and they were charging only $495 for a full upper denture plate.  I used some money from my student loans and placed the order in early September.   I got step 1, the imprint kit, right away and sent it back.  They received it on September 23, 2013.

For anybody who does not know how mail order dentures work, this is from their website.  I had the calendar/clock open to use as a date stamp.

They also published this as the expected time frame (this is important here)

So I figure I'll have new teeth by early November.  Oh buy was I wrong.  I expected to receive step 2, the wax fit in a couple weeks.  When it didn't show up, I emailed and asked for an update.  It took them 4 days to answer to say "it's at the lab in process"  and they'd send a tracking number when it was done.  A week later I heard nothing so I emailed again.  Once again I got a "it's in the lab, should be done next week" answer.  Week later, still nothing.  I went into their live chat to get immediate answers and was told that they were backed up and my order was awaiting process.  This was 2 MONTHS after they got back the imprints.  When I mentioned getting a refund because they were beyond their promised time frame (5-7 weeks from imprints to final denture). they started circling around and making other promises.  I was told that the denture couldn't be done until Monday (I chatted on Wednesday) because the technician was off for the rest of the week.  What business of worth has one technician and lets him take time off when they're so backlogged it's taking two months between step 1 and step 2?    I finally got an email from them on November 6 saying that step 2, the wax fit had shipped.  Here's what I got:

The DVD is an instruction DVD so I would know what to do next.  Check out the label on the DVD (keep in mind, this is STEP 2)

Yeah, they sent the instruction DVD for the first step, taking the initial impressions.  They sent the impression putty (the colored stuff in the little cups), but no trays to use it in.  I tried the wax fit in my mouth and the fit is terrible.  It's way too big, the edges are so rough that it hurts to put in.  The shape is not what was in the impression I sent them.  Unfortunately I didn't get pictures of the initial impression because I did not think that I could be sitting here two months later trying to get my teeth.   Here are some comparison pictures, my current denture that I took the mold of on the left, what they sent on the right.

In my mouth, this is the right side.  My real denture on the left, the wax fit on the right.











The center.  My real one has super glue on it because the crack is between the two front teeth.









In my mouth, this is the left side

The original teeth have been ground down over years of use, and from sanding when I tried fixing with Repair-It so I don't have an issue with the teeth themselves, but the gum mold is just terrible.   I'm waiting to hear back from Dentures Online about sending the wrong Instruction DVD and find out what do I do next.  I hope I don't end up waiting another 2 months for the next wax fit.  I would love to be able to eat Thanksgiving dinner with my family but I don't think that will happen.

Here's a few pictures of what the wax fit looks like in my mouth as they did request pictures of the denture in but I'm not sending them in until I find out how to fit the wax and how to adjust it so it fits properly and they make me the right size final denture.

 Look how crooked they sit!  They're so far forward that I feel like a horse with them in.

I definitely do NOT recommend using Dentures Online.

11/12/13 Update:  Got a representative in another live chat and I have instructions on what to do with the putty.  They would not answer my question whether this will end up taking another 6 weeks to get the next fitting.  I think I'll make sure to put "RUSH, PROCESS IMMEDIATELY" on the box.

Holiday Shopping last minute

As a retail worker, I detest last minute shoppers.  There haven't been any sudden announcements of new holidays in a long time, yet people seem very surprised that one is coming up.  So, if we all know the holiday is pretty much the same time every year and we have a year to prepare, why do we feel the need to shop for it the day before?

I had to work on Christmas Eve.  I think this is completely unnecessary since 1) everybody's had from December 26, 2009 to prepare for December 25, 2010 and 2) Christmas merchandise is out starting right after Halloween.  The first thing that happens when I get to work is somebody standing in the aisle yelling "Where the $&@(# is Windex"  if you're using it to clean that potty mouth, it's in aisle 13.  Just before lunch I get yelled at because we sold out of cookie tins.  Ok, were you told just this morning that you're going to a cookie exchange?  I doubt it.  We've had notices up for the last two weeks that the store would close at 6pm on Christmas Eve and not be open on Christmas Day.  What happens at 6:02?  Somebody wants to buy booze.  Sorry, closed at 6 means closed at 6 no more browsing no more purchasing.  Get to the checkout and get out of here so we can go home.  You had all year to booze it up don't infringe on my time because you didn't plan.

Now, I can see having to run to the store because you ran out of milk, or marshmallows but not the day before to buy the entire meal.  You have a year to prepare, use it wisely.

Also, Walgreens by me was actually open on Christmas Day.  What are they thinking? ($$$$$)  Don't they realize their employees have families and maybe they'd like to spend the day with them?  Or is it about the almighty dollar?  I don't know about you, but I refuse to shop at any store that is open on Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Those days are meant to be spent with family, not with a bunch of idiotic shoppers who didn't plan very well.

*edited to correct a grammatical error*

Things overheard at WalMart

As much as I didn't want to, I had to go to WalMart this morning to get some things I need for a dessert I'm making.  I'm amazed not so much at the abysmal customer service but with the idiocy I see and hear there every day.

Heard just today:

Customer (actually, this was me):  Where can I find waxed paper?
Employee:  I dunno, did you look in school supplies?  

Maybe if I was going to write a dissertation with it

In the parking lot:

"Why are there so many cars?"    Ummmm because you're in a parking lot?

"Weird, the ground is all wet."   Because there's water falling from the sky!  Run for your lives!

The last time I was in, my total was $7.27  I gave the clerk a $10 bill and the 27 cents.  It confused her, she didn't know how much change to give me. 

I had a cashier who ran out of some coins that was required for my change.  He said "I'm out of ten centses" and called for change.  I was in a hurry so I said "Just give me 2 nickles, I'm in a hurry".  He looked confused and said "I don't think I can do that."   Ummm...last I looked 2 nickles was equal to one ten centses.

Deadbeat Dad Issues

I'm revisiting the topic of my first post.  Why?  Because I'm still dealing with it and I'm very frustrated.

My son is 19 years old.  I've been fighting to get child support for....19 years.   When I got the first support order, the father quit his job and moved out of state.  He claimed that he couldn't pay his support because he couldn't find work.  Thankfully, Illinois told him "tough, you still owe, pay up".  For a while, his parents were sending in the payments for him, I don't know why they stopped, but they did.  For 15 years, all he was required to pay was $25 per week.  Yes, you saw that correctly, Twenty Five Dollars Per Week.  I never got a cost of living raise in support or anything...why?  Because as soon as support was being taken out of his paycheck, he'd quit his job.

Now, a year after he no longer has current support, I'm still fighting him for the $3800 in back support he owes. His excuse...."It's a hardship".  Hardship?  He doesn't have to do anything but have to send a check every week.  I was up all night comforting a baby through his fourth ear infection in 6 months.  I was the one rushing a 3 year old to the ER after a mirror fell on him and cut his leg.  I was the one who had to try to explain to a 5 year old why he couldn't get a new Power Ranger toy every day.  I was the one who had to explain why the other kids at school have a daddy and he doesn't.   Believe me, Mr. Deadbeat knows nothing of hardship.

Why am I posting this now?  Because once again, I have checked to see if he's made a payment, only to see that nothing for the last month.  The last payment he sent was $50.  It really makes me want to start a facebook page to say that "Eric Langley of Friendship Wisconsin is a Deadbeat Dad"