huh?

I feel really loved today. A couple months ago, I was a day late on a credit card payment, and I got charged $39 AND I had to pay a finance charge on the carried balance. I figured it was my fault though. There was really no reason why I was late, except I was thinking I'd paid it, and I hadn't. So I didn't bother to call and argue about it. Last month then, I payed off the whole balance, including the finance charge and late fee. Then a few days ago, I got a bill with ANOTHER finance charge...why was I getting charged interest when I paid my whole balance, on time?

So today, I called CitiBank. I asked the friendly lady, who spoke English no foreign accent, why I was getting charged when I paid my whole balance. She explained it had something to do with an average balance on the card...I didn't understand, but before I was able to get to the bottom of it, she said, "and I'll go ahead and give you a courtesy credit for that finance charge." I hadn't even argued with her! When I acted really surprised, she said that they don't mind doing that, so we [the customers] can be educated on how the finance charges are calculated...even though I never really got educated...just confused.

Then she volunteered the information that normally if you're late on a payment, if you call and explain you just forgot or were busy or whatever, they'll cancel the late fee. I said I wished I'd known that. She canceled the late fee from two months ago, even though it was completely my fault, and I'd admitted that! She even canceled the interest!

I mean, ethically, it really is the right thing to do, you know; be nice to people when they make silly mistakes, instead of taking advantage of them. But I generally don't expect that from big businesses these days; especially without a fight. But I didn't even argue about anything, and it is all as if I'd never made the mistake! I'm impressed, and I'm taking this opportunity to put in a plug for CitiBank. They treat you like you're human!

The Aveda Institute is like a box of chocolates

I really needed a hair cut today. There's an Aveda Institute in Tempe, where they train the stylists. They'll do my air for $10, since I'm a student, which is less than I'd pay at most barbers. So I go there.

But the real reason I go is that it's just such an adventure. First, you pay, then you sit and wait for your stylist. You watch these girls practicing, styling on wigs...they're all looking at each others' work, explaining what they think they did wrong. Then you start to notice the stylists themselves. They come up to the front every few minutes and get a customer. Some of them have gorgeous hair, and you think, "I hope SHE calls me." Then the quite overweight lady with the bleached, spiked hair comes up, and you start to tremble with fear. "There's no WAY she's touching my head!"

Last time I went there, the girl who did my hair said she really didn't know what to do with guys' hair. She'd only cut one other guy's hair, and about a week later, she'd run into him in public, and he'd said, "Hey! You screwed up my hair!!!" This came out when she was about half-done with my hair. And she was right. It came out pretty badly. I looked like a little kid from the 80's.

But today, I got a girl who was only four weeks from graduating, and who was planning to get a job at a Scottsdale resort when she finished. She did a great job. Even her gay supervisor liked it.

You never know what you're gonna get.

Oh Beautiful...

Yesterday was a great holiday for me! For starters, it was just really relaxing. And in the evening, Dmitry invited his group to his house to watch fireworks, eat good food, drink wine and Russian vodka and celebrate getting a grant from NSF.

But the best part was the huge storm that came through Maricopa County. We finally got rain in Chandler after I-don't-know-how-long. And this morning I was able to walk to Einstein's Bagels for breakfast! I didn't even wear sunglasses. It was just nice out. Like about 80 degrees and pretty humid and cloudy, which, for Phoenix in the summer, is absolutely heaven! I drove to work with the window down this morning. I sat outside with iced coffee and read some computer code I'd printed out. I feel human again.

evolution

I'm enjoying a very nice pinot noir tonight. My friend Sochetra gave it to me for my birthday. I opened it two days ago. On the first night it was fine. Nothing wrong with it, but kind of closed, and a bit more harsh than I'm used to with pinot. But still, it was good. It tasted like I'd opened it a year early, frankly; and if that was as good as it was going to get, I would have given it maybe 87 or 88 points. Not bad, but not exciting.

I tried it again last night, and the wine had opened up dramatically! All of a sudden there were aromas of caramel and cinnamon; flavours of strawberry, orange, nice oak, good subtle tannins. I was quite surprised. I've never seen so dramatic a change in a wine. It went from one-dimensional and a bit harsh to supple, rich and complex overnight!

Now it is on day three. All the same great flavours are there, but the feel has gotten perfectly silky, just the way a good pinot noir should be. So if you have a 2003 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir sitting around waiting to be opened (and I'm quite sure you don't, but just in case), please let it decant for an hour. It's well worth the wait. 93 points.