And you thought the Star Wars saga was long and overdrawn

Schmassion wonders why I haven't been blogging more during my LOA. I'll tell you why. Because I've spent pretty much the whole 3 months buying a new mattress.

Let's see if I can recreate the timeline:

Nov 13 - first look at mattresses at the Bay Fairview
Nov 15 - first look at mattresses at Sleep Country
Nov 19 - final look at Bay Fairview mattresses, purchased Stearns & Foster
Nov 25 - Stearns & Foster delivery - between 12:00 - 6:00 pm
Nov 26 - realized S&F mattress like a big sinkhole that takes my teenage weight and practially drops me through the boxspring
Dec 5 - speak to Bay Fairview salesguy. Start looking at new mattresses.
Dec 6 - spent FOUR hours at Bay Fairview trying other mattresses with no decision.
Dec 10 - first look at mattresses at Bay Queen St. New sales guy tells me they've had customer problems with S&F mattresses before because they have too much memory foam and they sink. Spend 1.5 hours trying new mattresses and decide on Simmons Beautyrest.
Dec 11 - "mattress technician" arrives to tell me 3/4" depression in S&F mattress after 2 weeks is perfectly normal, and that memory foam is supposed to conform to my body to "cradle" it for a better sleep. But, I should buy a new bed frame that better supports the mattress.
Dec 12 - order new mattress and bed frame (Simmons Beautyrest) from Queen St. store by phone. Now mattress that costs $100 less than original mattress is giving me only a $17 refund.
Dec 16 - get HBC card statement. Notice Fairview sales guy put me on instalment pymts instead of 6 month deferral as agreed. HBC card customer service says I have to talk to sales guy.
Dec 17 - speak to Queen St. sales guy - tells me will have it corrected.
Dec 18 - take delivery of Simmons mattress (12:00 - 6:00 pm). Realize box spring is not low profile as agreed. Find black marks and ripped fabric on mattress. Call sales guy who apologizes and agrees to send new box spring. Sleep on new mattress and realize getting firm instead of plush a big mistake because it's like sleeping on a plank, despite comfort top.
Dec 19 - big back ache from sleeping on plank. Call customer service to complain about black marks. Get mattress exchange including plush instead of firm. Now awaiting delivery of 2 separate items - new box spring and new mattress.

I'm still waiting for Queen St. sales guy to call me back and tell me how he's going to "compensate" me for my inconvenience resulting from his mistake. Since this will be my THIRD delivery, that will be 18 hours I'll have had to spend waiting for the mattress. Actually more, b/c really, I spend the entire day at home waiting for it. Plus the 8-10 hours in the store trying to find the right mattress. Plus the time I spend moving everything out of my bedroom, and then back into the bedroom, plus booking the moving elevator, each time delivery happens.

Lessons learned?

1. New mattress is always firmer than the store model that you tried out.
2. Stearns & Foster's mattresses are too soft and they sag. This has been confirmed by another friend who told me she and her husband bought one and it became a hammock.
3. Learn to laugh at this stuff. Otherwise you'll cry. And looking back...it's slightly amusing.

Even though two separate Bay sales guys screwed up inputting my order...at least they were nice and customer-friendly. I guess everyone makes these mistakes. All you can do is hope for a nice person to deal with after they make the mistake.

Sigh...I really hope I can get a mattress I like before I go back to work. Cause now I need to spend time working to pay off this thing. I almost wish I never bought a new mattress to begin with.

S-M-R-T

MSN conversation today (actually, this was a one-sided conversation - all without needing to respond)

what are you doing on friday?
besides shopping for turkeys.
maybe you should by that tomorrow...
buy.
omg. i can't spell!
aliens have invaded my brian!
um... brain.

:) Classic. Makes me smile.

Oasis

Visited Unionville Oasis today - AKT and KHo's church.

Had a good reminder about God's power and living by faith.

I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

-Psalm 121