Yes, it has! And I have been so busy thinking and praying and praying and thinking.
In April, Michigan grandson Garrett will be 16 and there's already a pick-up truck (what else?) sitting by the barn waiting to be tagged and insured. A few days after Garrett's birthday, grand daughter Gracie will celebrate her 12th birthday and she is spending her free time at sleepovers at home and with her friends. Both of these kiddos are so busy with football, weight training, soccer, basketball and ballet all the while earning straight "A's" on their schoolwork. My taxi and babysitting services are no longer needed. So, with that being said, I have listed my home to sell.
I have absolutely no regrets. I know many of you wondered at my decision to come north to live so quickly after HC Baker died, and I wondered too. There were many days when I had to force myself to get out of bed, wash my face, brush my teeth and just breathe. In the past three and a half years, I have had the opportunity to love and be loved abundantly by Garrett and Gracie. When they were born, I was so far away and every time I visited, I had to re-introduce myself to them. We have spent my time here creating wonderful memories I know I will always remember and cherish, and I hope they will too! I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. It's been wonderful, and my heart is full.
So once I completely decided to stay for a while and sold my blue cottage and bought the gray beast, I began another part of my journey. As many of you know and some of you have seen, I tackled this house with energy and enthusiasm. I loved watching this house become my home. There is not a room I have not poured my heart into. I love what it has become. But now it's time to move on.
I have been blessed in so many ways by TR Baker. He has been my roommate, my heavy lifter, my yardman, and on many occasions, my "grounder"! TR Baker will remain in northern Michigan. He has wonderful friends, a great job with a bright future, and he loves the out-of-doors just like his Dad. He will make his own way and continue his journey.
Once my home sells, I plan to come back home - Louisville, Kentucky. I have missed my daughter Libby and her family, my sisters and their families, my friends and my church. I have made many new friends up north loving every minute as I was welcomed into this precious community of Topinabee with open arms. Great people are here, and they have wonderful plans to keep this a growing and friendly place to live and vacation. What I have loved most about it is it's a family town. And there's nothing more important than your family.
Without a doubt, I have the most loyal, supportive friends and family in the world. I have discussed my move with several of them and they are ready to help me adjust AGAIN! My word for 2014 is DISCOVER, and that's what I plan to do this year. I look forward to discovering more about myself and others, and especially what the Lord has in store for me next.
There is still a bit of time for any of you to come for a visit. A wonderful old friend is coming in a few weeks. He's quite brave as this morning's temperature was a few degrees below "0" and outside my back door is 4+ feet of snow. I'm excited to see him! I have plenty of bedrooms, a furnace that works really well, and extra pairs of wool socks! You can do this!!!!! (That's a phrase I tell myself often! I also tell myself change is good!)
Don't let exciting opportunities pass you by! DISCOVER what's out there for YOU! I love each and every one of you and am so grateful for the support you have given me. Get ready...I'm on my way back! xxoo
Prayer requests -
My friend CH is on the same "sell my house" journey. Please pray for her.
My friends, husband and wife B & R J are BOTH undergoing chemo treatments. Please pray for them.
Continue to pray for our military and their families.
Pray for our country.
P.S. - Thanks for keeping me laughing with your photos of 3 inches of snow in Louisville!!!!! You all are a funny bunch!
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Dear Delta...
You don't know me nor do you care about me, but I just need to tell you a few things. I've waited two days to write this in my attempt to let my temper return to a manageable level. I'll start at the beginning, and I will try and be as brief as possible.
In case you don't know, you have a monopoly at my little local airport in Pellston, Michigan, PLN. You charge incredible amounts of money for any flight leaving there. You have two daily flights in and out of Pellston. The 6:30am one originates here. Explain to me how it can be delayed. And yes, we get a lot of snow in the winter, but it seems to me someone would be planning for any issues that might arise due to our winter weather. And also, keep in mind, when the pilot throws that throttle forward to speed down the runway for take-off, and the aircraft does not move because the wheels are spinning on the ice, the passengers do take note! FYI...the second try was successful!
I made it to Detroit. Now, explain to me why I always depart the aircraft at gate one and my connecting flight is always at gate 2000 on another concourse! I am aware your fares are based on mileage so I wonder if you get some sort of rebate based on the number of steps your travelers make inside the terminal. Do those restaurants and bookshops offer you a kick-back per face they see walking by? Just curious!
I made it to gate 2000 in another concourse and immediately notice the word "delayed" instead of my anticipated departure time. OK, I decide I'll not ask the question and simply sit down and wait (amazing for me). In a few minutes another passenger walks to the check-in desk and asks that age-old question...WHY? You ready for this answer Mr. Delta? Here it is..."They (who is they?) didn't schedule a crew for this flight". I just left a blank space because I wanted YOU, MR. DELTA to think about that for a moment. Are you dialing your HR person or how about your logistics person. If all else fails, how about the flight crew scheduler!!! Yes, that's the one! Do you have that position in your company? I bet you do and I bet you have several people performing this task. Are you paying them? Maybe you have tenure in your company. Is that it? The person who is answering questions at the desk now picks up the announcing microphone and tells every one the flight will be delayed while we wait for a crew to arrive. Where are they? Are they sitting in a bar just down the way, at home asleep on their only day off in a week, having an argument with their spouse, hungover from the night before????????? What do you think the passengers think? An HOUR later, the crew arrives and cannot open the door to the jetway because the person who was at the check-in desk has left! They finally find a person to open the jetway door! Finally we board and fly off into the gray sky!
*This next part is just a little personal observation regarding my travel experience. The lady across the aisle has a little boy maybe 2 years old. He screams the whole flight because he wants out of his seat to walk the aisle and play. To his mother's credit she refuses. However, she doesn't offer him an alternative like say a game to play, crayons and coloring book, a snack, READ TO HIM...I can think of lots of things to do with a two year old. Then there's the little girl, maybe five years old, sitting behind me. She tap danced on the back of my seat the entire trip. I gave her mother who was sitting across the aisle (??????) several "looks" and she would say "Honey don't do that". I finally stood up from my seat, turned to this child and told her if she didn't stop kicking the back of my seat, there was a possibility I would and could break her legs. She began to cry and her mother looked terror stricken! Good! Another instance of a mother not properly prepared for air travel. Mr. Delta - how about some children's books or coloring books and crayons on board? How much could that cost you?
I finally made it to Louisville. ONE HOUR AND TEN MINUTES LATE!!!!!!
I'm not done yet Mr. Delta. I want you to have a peek at my return flight!
I arrive at the airport (SDF) for a 5:30pm departure. This is the airport where hundreds of UPS planes take off at all hours of the day and night! It's called World Port and SDF is responsible for keeping all activities there running on schedule. Exactly what part to you play in this? All the way through the security check the monitor still reads "on time". Five minutes later when I arrive at the gate check-in, the board reads delayed till 6pm. I'm not going to panic. I've had a great but very short family visit. I take deep breaths and tell myself, it's only 30 minutes. I figure if the flight departs at 6pm, we'll begin to board around 5:30. Well Mr. Delta, 5:30 comes and goes. I have a connecting flight in Detroit with a fairly short layover and I'm now thinking about that gate 2000 thing! I walk to the check-in desk and ask how much longer I can expect to wait. They look at me and tell me they just don't know. I explain to them about my connecting flight and if I miss it, there's not another flight to Pellston until the next afternoon. And I certainly DO NOT want to spend the night in the Detroit airport. I go back to my seat, take out my book and hope I can block this airport experience out of my mind. About 20 minutes later a woman approaches me and calls me by name. "Ms. Baker, could I talk to you?" She begins by telling me she wants to discuss "worse case scenario". First of all Mr. Delta, her name is Kelly and she is the first Delta person I have met who is actually concerned about your customers. She tells me there is a chance I will make my connection as she has looked at the situation, and it's very likely my flight to Pellston will also be delayed. If I decide to change my flight (at no cost to me), she has already put my name on the passenger list for the next two flights to Detroit the next day. I did thank her and tell her I appreciated her efforts but I "booked" this flight because I wanted and needed to be back home on this day, not tomorrow. I wait it out and finally we board the plane. At boarding, Kelly is there and tells me my connecting flight is delayed and it looks like I will make the connection. Thank you Kelly.
OK, I'm on this plane and it's 7pm - 90 minutes later than expected. Once seated and buckled in, I notice the flight attendant. She's wearing an unpleasant expression. Maybe she didn't get what she wanted for Christmas or had a rough New Year's Eve! When it's time for "beverage service" she rolls her cart to my seat and asks if I'd like anything. I can't resist and tell her I'd like to make my connection. She replies that's not her responsibility! I declined a beverage!
I made it to Detroit and once again had to change concourses for my connection and made that too! There were finishing boarding and I ran down the jetway to the plane. The flight attendant was very pleasant, smiling and looked happy! I find my seat, buckle up and realize I'm gonna' make it home. Deep breath! Wait! What's that sound? Really, what's that sound? It sounds like a dog barking. What? Seated behind me is a woman with a tiny dog in one of those purses with the little screen door. And the dog is what my family has always called a snack! (We've always had big dogs!) We are finally in the air and the dogs is still unhappy. I hear her talking to this dog. The next thing I know, the dog is quiet. Wonderful! Well, in actuality, she has removed the dog from its' screened purse and is holding it. And then the flight attendant passes by and politely tells this lady "Delta rules" state the dog must remain in its' carrier. Geeze Louise! Back in goes the dog and it resumes its' lamenting until landing in Pellston.
We are ONE HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTES LATE!!!
I thought any problems with my trip were now over. I was home! However, my luggage was not. Mr. Delta, in addition to paying way too much for my ticket, I paid you an extra $25 to check my baggage for the trip to Louisville and another $25 for the trip back, and you can't even keep it on the plane with me! I will tell you Pellston was very kind about my non-arriving luggage. I completed the paperwork and went home. Within 24 hours they had sent me an e-mail telling me they found my luggage and it would be arriving around 3pm and they would then deliver it to my home by 5pm. Thank you. And yes, my luggage made it home...with a huge crack. I've taken a photo of the damage and have e-mailed it to the address on my baggage claim check. Wonder how that's gonna' workout?
I know this has been a long letter, and you'll probably file it in the round file, but I could not let my experience go by without letting you know the problems I faced. I'm sorry for anyone working for you as I would not want to be a team member of a company who holds customer service in such low regard. I even said that to one Delta employee. I suggested they find another job. I do not belong to your preferred customer club as I do not want you to think I like you! I don't! And if you treat your preferred customers better than you treat me, SHAME ON YOU!!!! Yes, I'll definitely fly Delta again I'm sorry to say but there's that monopoly thing again! I have my fingers crossed you or someone will heed my words. Customer service is the most important thing you can do to insure success. You have lost track of that concept.
Good Luck in 2014. You're gonna' need it!
In case you don't know, you have a monopoly at my little local airport in Pellston, Michigan, PLN. You charge incredible amounts of money for any flight leaving there. You have two daily flights in and out of Pellston. The 6:30am one originates here. Explain to me how it can be delayed. And yes, we get a lot of snow in the winter, but it seems to me someone would be planning for any issues that might arise due to our winter weather. And also, keep in mind, when the pilot throws that throttle forward to speed down the runway for take-off, and the aircraft does not move because the wheels are spinning on the ice, the passengers do take note! FYI...the second try was successful!
I made it to Detroit. Now, explain to me why I always depart the aircraft at gate one and my connecting flight is always at gate 2000 on another concourse! I am aware your fares are based on mileage so I wonder if you get some sort of rebate based on the number of steps your travelers make inside the terminal. Do those restaurants and bookshops offer you a kick-back per face they see walking by? Just curious!
I made it to gate 2000 in another concourse and immediately notice the word "delayed" instead of my anticipated departure time. OK, I decide I'll not ask the question and simply sit down and wait (amazing for me). In a few minutes another passenger walks to the check-in desk and asks that age-old question...WHY? You ready for this answer Mr. Delta? Here it is..."They (who is they?) didn't schedule a crew for this flight". I just left a blank space because I wanted YOU, MR. DELTA to think about that for a moment. Are you dialing your HR person or how about your logistics person. If all else fails, how about the flight crew scheduler!!! Yes, that's the one! Do you have that position in your company? I bet you do and I bet you have several people performing this task. Are you paying them? Maybe you have tenure in your company. Is that it? The person who is answering questions at the desk now picks up the announcing microphone and tells every one the flight will be delayed while we wait for a crew to arrive. Where are they? Are they sitting in a bar just down the way, at home asleep on their only day off in a week, having an argument with their spouse, hungover from the night before????????? What do you think the passengers think? An HOUR later, the crew arrives and cannot open the door to the jetway because the person who was at the check-in desk has left! They finally find a person to open the jetway door! Finally we board and fly off into the gray sky!
*This next part is just a little personal observation regarding my travel experience. The lady across the aisle has a little boy maybe 2 years old. He screams the whole flight because he wants out of his seat to walk the aisle and play. To his mother's credit she refuses. However, she doesn't offer him an alternative like say a game to play, crayons and coloring book, a snack, READ TO HIM...I can think of lots of things to do with a two year old. Then there's the little girl, maybe five years old, sitting behind me. She tap danced on the back of my seat the entire trip. I gave her mother who was sitting across the aisle (??????) several "looks" and she would say "Honey don't do that". I finally stood up from my seat, turned to this child and told her if she didn't stop kicking the back of my seat, there was a possibility I would and could break her legs. She began to cry and her mother looked terror stricken! Good! Another instance of a mother not properly prepared for air travel. Mr. Delta - how about some children's books or coloring books and crayons on board? How much could that cost you?
I finally made it to Louisville. ONE HOUR AND TEN MINUTES LATE!!!!!!
I'm not done yet Mr. Delta. I want you to have a peek at my return flight!
I arrive at the airport (SDF) for a 5:30pm departure. This is the airport where hundreds of UPS planes take off at all hours of the day and night! It's called World Port and SDF is responsible for keeping all activities there running on schedule. Exactly what part to you play in this? All the way through the security check the monitor still reads "on time". Five minutes later when I arrive at the gate check-in, the board reads delayed till 6pm. I'm not going to panic. I've had a great but very short family visit. I take deep breaths and tell myself, it's only 30 minutes. I figure if the flight departs at 6pm, we'll begin to board around 5:30. Well Mr. Delta, 5:30 comes and goes. I have a connecting flight in Detroit with a fairly short layover and I'm now thinking about that gate 2000 thing! I walk to the check-in desk and ask how much longer I can expect to wait. They look at me and tell me they just don't know. I explain to them about my connecting flight and if I miss it, there's not another flight to Pellston until the next afternoon. And I certainly DO NOT want to spend the night in the Detroit airport. I go back to my seat, take out my book and hope I can block this airport experience out of my mind. About 20 minutes later a woman approaches me and calls me by name. "Ms. Baker, could I talk to you?" She begins by telling me she wants to discuss "worse case scenario". First of all Mr. Delta, her name is Kelly and she is the first Delta person I have met who is actually concerned about your customers. She tells me there is a chance I will make my connection as she has looked at the situation, and it's very likely my flight to Pellston will also be delayed. If I decide to change my flight (at no cost to me), she has already put my name on the passenger list for the next two flights to Detroit the next day. I did thank her and tell her I appreciated her efforts but I "booked" this flight because I wanted and needed to be back home on this day, not tomorrow. I wait it out and finally we board the plane. At boarding, Kelly is there and tells me my connecting flight is delayed and it looks like I will make the connection. Thank you Kelly.
OK, I'm on this plane and it's 7pm - 90 minutes later than expected. Once seated and buckled in, I notice the flight attendant. She's wearing an unpleasant expression. Maybe she didn't get what she wanted for Christmas or had a rough New Year's Eve! When it's time for "beverage service" she rolls her cart to my seat and asks if I'd like anything. I can't resist and tell her I'd like to make my connection. She replies that's not her responsibility! I declined a beverage!
I made it to Detroit and once again had to change concourses for my connection and made that too! There were finishing boarding and I ran down the jetway to the plane. The flight attendant was very pleasant, smiling and looked happy! I find my seat, buckle up and realize I'm gonna' make it home. Deep breath! Wait! What's that sound? Really, what's that sound? It sounds like a dog barking. What? Seated behind me is a woman with a tiny dog in one of those purses with the little screen door. And the dog is what my family has always called a snack! (We've always had big dogs!) We are finally in the air and the dogs is still unhappy. I hear her talking to this dog. The next thing I know, the dog is quiet. Wonderful! Well, in actuality, she has removed the dog from its' screened purse and is holding it. And then the flight attendant passes by and politely tells this lady "Delta rules" state the dog must remain in its' carrier. Geeze Louise! Back in goes the dog and it resumes its' lamenting until landing in Pellston.
We are ONE HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTES LATE!!!
I thought any problems with my trip were now over. I was home! However, my luggage was not. Mr. Delta, in addition to paying way too much for my ticket, I paid you an extra $25 to check my baggage for the trip to Louisville and another $25 for the trip back, and you can't even keep it on the plane with me! I will tell you Pellston was very kind about my non-arriving luggage. I completed the paperwork and went home. Within 24 hours they had sent me an e-mail telling me they found my luggage and it would be arriving around 3pm and they would then deliver it to my home by 5pm. Thank you. And yes, my luggage made it home...with a huge crack. I've taken a photo of the damage and have e-mailed it to the address on my baggage claim check. Wonder how that's gonna' workout?
I know this has been a long letter, and you'll probably file it in the round file, but I could not let my experience go by without letting you know the problems I faced. I'm sorry for anyone working for you as I would not want to be a team member of a company who holds customer service in such low regard. I even said that to one Delta employee. I suggested they find another job. I do not belong to your preferred customer club as I do not want you to think I like you! I don't! And if you treat your preferred customers better than you treat me, SHAME ON YOU!!!! Yes, I'll definitely fly Delta again I'm sorry to say but there's that monopoly thing again! I have my fingers crossed you or someone will heed my words. Customer service is the most important thing you can do to insure success. You have lost track of that concept.
Good Luck in 2014. You're gonna' need it!
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