Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Happy Birthday Momma!!


I love you so much and I miss you more and more. I know that I should be smiling and happy as mom would want me to be but it's so hard. It's hard to not be able to call her and wish her a happy birthday. The first time I gave mom a birthday party, was back in 1994 at Kim's apt. I ordered a cake in the shape of a torso and hired a dancer for her. We videotaped it. This was before she was bound to a walker and wheelchair. Miranda was big and pregnant with Mario and I barely showed my pregnancy with Vica.

I know that mom had alot of fun that day. Since then I made sure that if I could afford it I gave her a party of some sort, even if it meant dinner only.

I love you!

Monday, April 27, 2009

ME, Kroger & Corporate - Part One

Kroger Store
1014 Vine Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-1100


Re: Kroger #
East Regional
3600 Gus Thomasson
Mesquite, TX 75150


To whom it may concern:

I visited your above-mentioned store location on Saturday 4/25/2009 shortly after 7pm. I was accompanied by my sister and cousins. We each did some shopping together, however proceeded to the checkout with each our own items to purchase. As I waited in line to reach the cashier, there were still two customers in front of me, I noticed that three managers came over to the cashier and just stood there as if they were observing her, which I assumed they were.

A bit of information before I proceed to explain my complaint. I use coupons and have been shopping at this store for the most part of 20 years if not longer. I am a regular shopper and so is my entire family. I have been using coupons for a good part of those 20 years. I made it a point a few years ago to ask about the coupon policy for this store, seeing as each store can pretty much make up their rules from what I have seen. I have been abiding by these rules since. I was instructed that I could complete up to three transactions in one visit to your store, I could only double or triple up to three coupons of a like item per transaction.

As I approached the cashier, I was attacked by the three managers, no let me correct myself by two of your managers. The main one was a Michael, Mr. Edward, who is usually there when I usually shop late at night, didn’t say more than two words. The other one didn’t get his name however name tag had Co-Store manager, decided to take over after Michael yelled at me and was ugly about me taking my items.

As Diane, your cashier who knows your coupon policy and has always followed it and has always corrected me when I do happen to have a wrong coupon, was accused of not abiding by the coupon rule, proceeded to scan my items, Michael is yelling at me stating “You can’t take all that!” I said “excuse me”, “you can’t have all that, there is a limit of one item per coupon” I said “yes I know that and I have one coupon for each one.” Then he took my coupon and stated that on the coupon it says “one per purchase”. I said “Yes, and I’m purchasing three of them and have three coupons”. Your co-store manager goes to state “Yes purchase and transaction means the same thing”, I explained to him, “No, one item is a purchase and everything on the same receipt is a transaction.” He says “well, we can’t allow you to make three transactions” Diane looks at him and says; well that’s how we were told that they could allow them up to three transactions.

I explained to the Co-Store mgr. well, then if you’d like I can take my things and put them in the car and then come back for my second transaction, once I step out that door, I’m making a new visit. He allowed the cashier to proceed with my transaction. Michael, from what I could see apparently just came over to yell at me and then he went back to a register and began to check customers out.

I wish I could say this was the end, however, at about 10 or 10:30pm that same night I had to return to purchase 10 boxes of the Capri Sun drink pouches. As soon as I get to the cashier, there is Michael ready to pounce on me again. Your Capri Suns are on sale for $1.79 and I have a manufacturer coupon for $1.00 off of one making them only .79, what a deal. Michael comes over and yells at me again “We can’t let you take all those, you’ve already been here today” “You can only use coupons once a day and we know what you’ve been doing! You’re abusing coupons!” Now mind you, this is being yelled at me in front of several other customers in your store, AGAIN. Now another manager, Paul, comes over and mentions to me, “ok you can only use coupons on one transaction in one day.” I’m like WHAT!?! “Yes, mam’am, you are only allowed to make a purchase with coupons on one transaction in one day.” “Are you serious?”

I said, “you know apparently neither of you know what you’re talking about and I will contact corp. to get this straighten out.”

Now, I go home, I’m in tears from being
1. Yelled at
2. Embarrassed along with your cashier being embarrassed
3. Accused of abusing coupons – I don’t use printable coupons off the internet and all my coupons say manufacture coupons on them with exp dates, redemption addresses
4. Pretty much not welcomed in your store after shopping there for more than twenty years.

On Sunday 4/26/2009, I decided to make a call to the store and talk to the Store mgr, Mr. Docktrie. I asked if I could come and talk to him about what happen in his store the day before and he says “Well, can’t you tell me over the phone?” I said well yes but ok here’s what happen. So I explained the whole situation to him and told him I had decided to talk to him first before reporting to Corporate Office and he said ok. Well, I feel that his apology was not sincere in the least bit and he said he would talk to Michael to see if there was something wrong.

I’m not looking for anything in return except an apology from the entire management team. I feel that I was singled out, my cousin was using coupons and had some of the same things I was purchasing and not once did they go over and mention anything to them.

I expect a response to my letter along with an apology. I would also like your coupon policy in writing on your letterhead. I requested this from the managers who took it upon themselves to yell at me and all of them denied my request. So I feel if I were in the wrong then why was my request denied? And seeing as you accept coupons the coupon policy is open record of policy, therefore making it available to the public upon request.

Sincerely,

The Hernandez Family

Well, my oldest sister is now a homeowner as well. congrats to her and her family. We went over Sunday and had our first meal there together. I thought it would be a good idea for everyone to have a prayer so that we could ask for the blessing of their new home.

While I said the prayer, I could feel that Mom was right there with us. So now both my older and younger sister are homeowner and now I'm the only one left to jump into that boat. I'm not quite ready.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Roses


This beautiful rose bush happen to bloom in my backyard. Just gorgeous!!

>

Monday, April 20, 2009

I met HIM!

I finally got to meet my grandson, Phoenix. He is so so so so so so cute! Not just because he is my grandson but he really is cute. He has chunky cheeks, a look to die for. He looks at people with a look that seems to say "and you are?" LOL He's a very good baby, doesn't hardly cry. Doesn't mind being held by strangers. I just did not want to come home.





Since Al went with us this time, I again hiked up Black Rock to show him this beautiful view.



Also, when me and Vica went last year in July we took a pic together on the way there and did the same this year. Have we changed in a year's time?
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Al made it to the summit point of Black Rock Mountain, I did too again, however, I promised I won't be doing it again unless my sisters go for a visit and that will be the last time. And only if they go together. LOL

Gabriel hasn't changed any and Jane has filled out and matured since I last saw her. They are so good to Phoenix and Diane mentioned to me that Jane has brought up her grades and is trying harder than ever to graduate this year. I'm so proud of her and she finally got her license too.






Thursday, April 16, 2009

Please pray for Nate

He is very weak and sick with fever and infection. Please be in prayer for Nate. He is not doing well. The Dr's did not release him to go back home because of his condition. Wes just called and said that Nate's fever is high and he has not eaten at all and they will likely need to put him back on the feeding tube. Wes, Jackie,Jake and Luke have gone down to Children's to be with him. Because of Nate's condition, he is susceptible to sickness now. Psalm 34:4 "I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Wes just sent this update and wanted to forward it out, please continue our prayers on Nate's behalf.

"Nate will most likely be up at Children's the rest of the month. His immune system is down to nothing and he caught some sort of infection with a fever. What we can get over in a day or two takes him weeks while on chemo. They will monitor him closely and procede forward with the necessary measures to get his weight back up and help him fight off infections which will take awhile. He will continue on the same path as far as the chemo is concerned because they want to keep fighting the cancer. It is a double edged sword chemo makes it to where you have no immune system and sick but cancer kills you so you need the chemo. Please continue to pray for his MRI on April 27th that the results show no trace of any cancer. He will still continue chemo through the rest of the year, but the four month MRI being cancer free prevents any medical need for radiation which is terrible for his age and causes lots of learning problems. May God bless you all."

Monday, April 13, 2009

PHOENIX

My oldest son and his soon to be wife, gave birth to a beautiful son on September 17, 2008. His name is Phoenix Sinclair. I have yet to meet him as of this posting, however, we are hoping to make the trip to Georgia this weekend to visit my new grandson.



He will be 7 mths this Friday as we begin our trip at about 6pm. We are hoping to make this a monthly trip once a month. We found that it's only about 13 hours so it's like taking a weekend trip to Monterrey. We'll leave Friday about 6pm and be there in time for breakfast, spend all day Saturday, leave Sunday about lunch time.

Can't wait to see him!!

Sunday Dinner

LOL - Well, this month was suppose to be my month to host our Sunday dinner and it was Easter also. One sister already had plans and we cancelled our trip to Bridgeport thinking it was going to rain.

Friday my sister, Mira, calls me, "can you change the time for Sunday dinner?" I said "Why?", well, I just won two tickets to the Joan Sebastian concert and it starts at 6pm. I said "I'll see" I love Joan Sebastian and the other group that was opening for him, Conjunto Primavera.



Friday, Vica was off school and a friend of hers invited her to stay the night on Thursday so that on Friday they could go to her family's huge egg hunt. Saturday, I put up my sale at a friends house and then did someone's tax return, then headed home and cooked some chicken fajita tacos, some rice and homemade tortillas. Sunday morning I had planned on sleeping late, which i did but my sister called me at about 10am, hey you wanna go to the concert with me, I said hell yea, why what happen. Well, her boyfriend doesn't like that kind of music. So we went, and remember I mention from time to time she works for Mary Kay Corp office? Well, yes we got to sit in the Mary Kay Suite. We had a pretty good view.

Joan has such pretty horses and they are all trained to dance.



He was diagnosed with throat cancer a few years ago and today is singing strong. He still has a great voice and still just as gorgeous. What a show!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Witnessing


One of the things about having an office on the service road is being a witness to accidents. Well, I happen to be looking out when BAM, this Ford Escape rearended another vehicle who was at a stand still in traffic. The little 5 year old boy was sitting directly behind the driver and was 'smushed' as he put it. I got to talk the young couple who were in this vehicle and helped them out. It's a miracle all three of them walked away with a minor scrape on her knee.

1st of many 1st



This Easter will be the first Easter without my mother. Every year we tried to drive to Bridgeport to lay flowers on my grandmother's gravesite, on Easter and on Mother's Day. There were some years we couldn't make the trip or just didn't make the trip due to weather. But each year that we did make it, we would clean her gravesite and lay flowers, then move on to clean up the other gravesites for her mother and so forth.

Afterwards, we would gather at a local park and have a nice picnic by eithering having sandwiches or cooking burgers and hotdogs on thr grill. Last year was the first year that I actually had a significant other join me. We all had a great time. We played volleyball, listen to music and ate some good burgers.


My mother told me afterwards that she was so proud of us and that she was happy that we all had someone in our lives to love us and take care of us (well somewhat take care of us, we are very independent women, LOL).

We don't have any pics of us with our mother because when we were growing up, she didn't like her picture being taken and even before she passed she didn't like it. Well, as grown women, we took her picture everytime we could and I'm glad we did, otherwise, we wouldn't have any to reflect back on. Well, this weekend will be the first of many first for me and my sisters. I know that thru the years, it will not get any easier. Even though mom didn't have many traditions that we did as a family, what tradtions we did have, we always enjoy getting together, laughing, arguing as families do, crying, and playing some good ole Texas Hold'em. I know that I for one will try to keep those traditions for as long as I can.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

100!




I love free but it's different when you don't expect it. I love Chick-fil-A, I could eat Chick-fil-A everyday and never get tired of it. Once a week I treat myself to a really good breakfast or lunch and usually I pick lunch. Today I decided to treat myself to breakfast and remembered there is one close to where I now work.

I drive up to order and my total was $9.00. Get to the window and the girl repeats my order and asked if I would like anything else to which I respond 'no thank you'. Then she proceeds to ring this 'cow bell', I'm looking at her like ok something new they must have started. Then she yells out for everyone to hear her, 'we have our 100th customer of the day everyone!' She looks over at me and says you're our 100th customer and you get your order FREE!

OMGatos! I get it FREE! How awesome is that. The cows have just made my day!!!! I'm really stuck on Chick-fil-A for life.

So now I can treat myself to my lunch as well and yes it will be Chick-fil-A. :)