Wine & Rumours

For years I’ve meant to stop in this little wine and art bar not far from my office. Today I visited the website for Rumours Wine & Art Bar and found that they happen to have a wine tasting every other Wednesday night. Now wouldn’t you just know that tonight happened to be one of those tastings! J So of course I took that as a sign that I had to go…

The wine tasting was from 5-8 and I arrived about 5:30pm. Tonight they had a selection of four of their favorite winter red wines. Red just happens to be my favorite for wine.

I was greeted by no less than three of their employees almost immediately upon entering the building. I was also welcomed by the wine distributor who was there to serve the wine and talk about the different vintages in detail.

I have to say, I loved the atmosphere and the welcome. Everyone was so friendly and warm, both employees and customers. It’s the kind of place where no one really feels like a complete stranger. The building is tiny from the outside, but inside it simply feels intimate. Very nice.

For such a small place, they boast a very nice, extensive wine selection. I’m definitely going to have to go back with a friend soon so I can try some of the interesting selections that are only offered by the bottle. I love wine, but drinking a whole bottle by myself isn’t really an option… They have a lot of wines by the glass, though, so a customer like me isn’t out of luck. And of course if you go on the evening of a wine tasting, even better. The tastings run approximately $20 and you get about a third of a glass of four different wines to taste. Once you’ve completed the fleet of wines offered in the tasting, you get a full glass of your favorite from the offerings.

I met some really nice people there, both customer and employees and can’t wait to go back soon! Even if it weren’t for the company, I would go back just for the food and the wine. They have a small but interesting menu, and have daily specials. Although the regular menu had several intriguing items, I opted for the pork dish on the specials menu today. It was tender, with just the right hint of spice, and was served atop a square of potato gratin (thinly sliced potatoes baked with parmesan cheese, I think), asparagus, and a green salad made with mesclun mix – my favorite salad green. The foog tasted amazing.

The service was fabulous and attentive long after the warm welcome and I could have stayed all night, except I had to drive home and I have an early morning staff meeting at work tomorrow. Dangit. I will definitely be back for another wine tasting at Rumours Wine & Art Bar soon, though!

Rumours Wine & Art Bar has two locations in the Nashville area – the one I visited on 12th Avenue this evening and another in East Nashville on Woodland Street. Check their website for hours of operation and complete addresses. Oh, and don’t forget to sign up for their newsletter! Website: http://www.rumourswinebar.com/

Blown Tires & Good Samaritans at Christmas

I was fortunate enough to be able to spend Christmas with my Mom and the rest of my family again this year, although they live two states away from me. Traveling home to Nashville last Sunday night (December 28, 2008), my right rear tire blew out.

If this hasn’t happened to you yet, then you are really lucky. If it has happened to you, then you understand just how scary it is. I had no doubt in my mind what had occurred, even though it had never happened to me before. The car was hard to control and I could feel that end riding the rim.

I did what you aren’t supposed to do – I drove just a little bit further on it. I know, I know… But it was already dark and I thought I would prefer to buy a new rim than to be stuck in the dark on the side of I-65. It might not have been the right decision, but it’s what worked for me in the moment.

The other deciding factor in driving just a little further was that I was already at the Fieldstown Road exit in Birmingham, an exit I have used numerous times for travel breaks, meals, etc. I knew there was a gas station right off the exit, so I pulled into the Chevron and went inside to see if they could recommend a place to get a new tire.

They reminded me that there was a Wal-Mart just around the corner and suggested I drive there. Having already driven further than I should have, I decided it best to get a tow there. I was already someplace I felt relatively safe, so there was no need to chance further damage to the rim or face the hazard of driving a car that is hard to control.

I phoned Wal-Mart’s Auto Service department and asked if they could dispatch someone or if they had a tow service. The fellow who answered the phone said they had actually closed at 5 PM that evening (by now it was almost 6 PM) and I asked if he could recommend someone else that could do it. He put me on hold and Steve came back on the line to tell me they were going to reopen just to put a tire on for me and he also gave me the number to a tow service they liked.

I called the tow service, Hurst Towing & Recovery, and they dispatched someone pretty quickly. Chief showed up and took charge immediately, hooking my little Honda Civic up on the back of his truck and toting both it and me off to Wal-Mart. When I tried to tip him, he flatly refused, wishing me a Merry Christmas and telling me he was glad I was safe. I thanked him profusely before he left.

Then I met with Steve, the Auto Service manager at Wal-Mart who had been kind enough to reopen and wait for me. I made sure he had what he needed from me to get started and then begged to be pointed to their restroom (I hadn’t been in 250 miles by then).

Steve and his employee, Randy, worked hard to get a new tire on the car for me as quick as possible, without complaint. They went above and beyond to help a stranded traveler and I really appreciated the effort they went to in order to make sure I was taken care of. I would totally have understood if they had not reopened, but this group of people showed me that the spirit of Christmas is alive and well in Birmingham. Although I have to believe that Chief, Steve, and Randy probably exhibit that spirit year round, not just at the holidays.

I would happily do business with any of these wonderful people again, and highly recommend them to anyone in their area looking for services they provide.

Wal-Mart
Store #1201
890 Odum Road
Gardendale, AL 35071
(205) 631-8110

Hurst Towing & Recovery
Birmingham, AL
(205) 631-8697

Like twisted, politically incorrect, and dang funny?

I've loved the Mik Wright line of gifts and cards for years, but the store I used to buy them at in Nashville closed some time back and I couldn't remember the name so I could find them online.


Imagine my utter delight when I stumbled across the Mik Wright coasters in Books-a-Million!!! I bought a bunch, of course, and they never fail to crack me up.

I've posted some of my favorites here, but you can browse all of their line at their website, or of course you can Google the term "Mik Wright" to find other online retailers that carry their product.























Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/

Gorgeous Hand-crafted Jewelry!

Diane, a friend of mine, has opened a fabulous online jewelry store in partnership with her mother, Betty. Every piece is hand-made by them and you can tell by the workmanship that they love what they do. This was a hobby for them that they've now been able to turn into a business, and I applaud them soundly for following their dreams and doing what they love!

Each piece of jewelry is a little work of art, and they lovingly name them something special and descriptive. I have seen their work up close and personal and can avow to the fact that it looks just as good, if not better, in real life as it does in the photos on their site!

You can visit their store, All Jewelry Great and Small to purchase their jewelry. Don't forget to stop by their blog, where they look for feedback, interaction, and inspiration.

I've posted some of my favorite pieces below, and I can tell you I will be ordering some new jewelry very soon... :-) The pictures below are linked to that item's page at All Jewelry Great and Small, so just click that picture if you want to learn more about that piece.


I fell for this darling little bracelet the moment I saw it! They call it Peacock Feathers. Perfect, don't you think?










Royal Red I is just gorgeous. And red works year-round!










Of course, since turquoise is a favorite of mine, this necklace and earring set calls to me irresistibly! They call this one Chip Off the Old Block.






I love Russian Jade - it goes with many of my winter clothes!












This bracelet and earring set is called Funny Girl. I love the color and the whimsy of this one!

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/

Sexual Wellness - Who Knew?

How did I miss the 'Dildo' category at Amazon.com???? I never ever knew that they had a 'Sexual Wellness' section complete with condoms, lubricants, toys and more!

So with my Amazon Prime account, I can get free 2-day shipping on BOBs. Very cool.

How interesting, though, that they removed the word 'whore' from a review I posted there, yet they have the word 'Dildo' as a menu choice. Not only that, but they have pictures of women wearing crotchless panties and sheer bodystockings in their 'Exotic Apparel' section. But the word 'whore,' when used in a very appropriate context in a review, cannot be allowed.

I like Amazon.com, and I enjoy shopping there - I just don't understand them... lol

Jennifer <-- off to shop at Amazon some more... ;)

Um, I reckon the 'Trojan Gift Pack, Overnight Bag, Assorted Condoms and Vibrating Rings' is inappropriate for the gift exchange at work? ROFLMAO!

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/

Great Amazon feature!

OK, you guys may not be as happy as I am about this, but it is a feature I have longed wished for at Amazon.com. Maybe it was there and I've missed it, but I know I've looked for it before, so I think it may be fairly new - at least in the last year.

What's that? You want me to get to the point? LOL Alright, then...

See, I have a lot of pre-orders at Amazon.com and I often order items as I notice them. Many of those pre-ordered items end up releasing on the same date, and so I've had a bunch of different orders shipped separately but arriving the same day. Well, that wastes money on shipping, packing material, and is tedious to keep track of.

You don't want to delete and re-order items, because then you might end up paying a higher price due to Amazon's pre-order pricing policy which affords you the lowest price the item was ever priced at between the time you placed the order and the date it actually shipped.

They now have a function to Combine Orders! Not only does this save on shipping and reduce the number of boxes that have to be signed for on the receiving end, it makes it much easier for me to see my pre-ordered items at a glance, since it organizes items shipping on the same date by that date. Now I can easily see if I've accidentally ordered two copies of Lora Leigh's upcoming book Dawn's Awakening, or just the one. I can also see at a glance how many items to expect a charge for at once.

How do you do it? Very easily. Just log into Amazon.com, go to the Your Account area, and look in the top section titled Where's My Stuff for the link to Combine Orders. Then you are moved to an area where you can check the option box next to all of the orders you wish to combine.

I hope some of you find this as useful as I do!

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/

P.S. You will want to have your shipping set to ship items as soon as they come available in these orders, of course, else all of your items in that order will be held up until the last pre-ordered item is released.

Batteries Plus - TERRIBLE service

Between 11 AM and 12 noon on Saturday, June 2, 2007, I visited Batteries Plus at 3733 Nolensville Pike with the intention of purchasing a battery for my notebook PC. I had already called the day before to ensure the store carried the battery I was looking for.

When I called June 1, I spoke with Jason and told him I wanted the HP brand battery for my nx9600 notebook. He assured me there were several in stock. When I arrived, I had my old battery in hand, to compare with the new battery, and told the gentleman working that morning what I was there for. He grabbed the battery off the shelf and brought it to the counter. I noticed immediately that the battery was NOT the HP brand, even though I had specifically said that is what I wanted when I phoned ahead.

Still, I was willing to settle. However, the packaging for this battery did not say it was certified with my notebook model, although it listed several other models. I expressed my concern over the compatibility and the employee took the battery out of the box so that we could compare them. While the battery did seem to be the same, I was understandably nervous about placing an unsupported battery in my notebook, worried that it may damage the pc. The male employee (he didn't have a nametag) assured me it WOULD work and stated that Batteries Plus would cover it if the battery did damage my PC. I told him that was a relief, since I really didn't want to damage a $2700 laptop this way, but if Batteries Plus was willing to cover it, then I would try it.

At this point, the employee seemed to change his mind, as he started trying to convince me not to buy it. He said he would put it in his computer without a second thought, but that if I was nervous I should buy it elsewhere. I replied that I really needed the battery ASAP and if they were willing to guarantee the battery's compatibility to the point of fixing or replacing the laptop if the battery damaged it, then I was going to buy it.

I then asked him to hold the battery at the counter while I shopped through the store for some other things. I was interested in a AAA battery charger and a Power Inverter and wanted to see what their offerings were. I gathered some information about both, and then returned to the counter to purchase the $150 battery. There was now another customer in line, and I waited patiently for my turn, even though the gentleman who had previously waited on me was taking what seemed to be an inordinate amount of time to replace a watch battery. Still, I waited in line almost 10 minutes.

Then a 3rd customer entered the store. The gentleman who had previously waited on me IMMEDIATELY called a female employee from where she was working on something and asked her to wait on the 3rd customer. Since they had not offered to have her ring me up in the 10 minutes I'd been waiting in line behind the other customer, I assumed she was simply going to help the 3rd customer find what he needed and he would wait in line behind me to check out. Imagine my frustrated surprise when she found his battery and then took him to the register to ring him up!!! At that point, I was veritably insulted.

These two had now made it plain that my $150 purchase was not wanted and my business was not important to them. I pointed out that I had been waiting in line for some time, and that if she could ring up sales, she should have already rung mine up. The gentleman said he thought I wasn't going to buy anything. I answered that I had already told him I was going to buy the battery and asked him why did he think I'd been waiting in line for the last 10 minutes if I wasn't buying something or didn't need something???

He again seemed intent on trying to talk me out of the purchase, and I repeated that I needed the battery ASAP. I also told him that I was very insulted by the treatment I'd suffered at their hands and I would have walked out already had I not needed the battery immediately. At that point, he gave me a look of smug spite, cancelled the sale in the register, and refused to sell me the battery.

I am amazed at the way this employee treats customers, and while the woman that was working was not actively rude to me, she should have rung me up sooner if she had the ability to do so. She could clearly see me waiting in line from where she was working, and I hold her as responsible as him for the lack of attention to my sale. It is astounding that these two let a $150 sale walk in favor of two inexpensive watch battery sales. I can only surmise that the gentleman was lying when he assured me that the battery was certified and that Batteries Plus would cover any damage it caused to my laptop if it didn't work, since he changed his tune as soon as he heard the value of my notebook PC.

I could understand refusing the sale if I had been yelling or cursing, but I was not. I was extremely frustrated and insulted, and did not let them off the hook. I told them in no uncertain terms where they had failed in the customer service department on my sale.

Store information:
Phone: (615) 331-1551
Fax: (615) 331-1858
Address: 3733 Nolensville Pike, 37211-3301, Nashville
Manager: Rusty Cowart

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/

Now I AM impressed!

A friend at work told me about Schwan's Chicken Tortilla Soup and I finally bought some. This stuff now has a permanent place in my freezer, I tell ya.

The Schwan's van comes to our office every payday. Convenient, or Diabolical? You can buy it online too...

http://www.schwans.com/product/productDetails.aspx?tb=2&c1=4775&c2=4784&c3=4785&prd=61326

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/