Inappropriate Day to Propose

I don't know why I'm cut but I am. I know I shouldn't be but I can't help it. Maybe it's because I believe I should be happier than him after the way things ended between us.

Six years ago today I discovered my now ex, then current English boyfriend had been cheating on me. I was 10,000 miles away from home. My best friends and family were a 24 hour plane ride away. I had never felt so heartbroken and alone all at the same time. Let me start back at the start so the point of this story clicks into place.

Initially we were friends whilst completing training and working at Melbourne Airport but a relationship soon blossomed. We were inseparable. We pretty much spent every minute of every day together until his 12 month working holiday visa was to expire. He wanted to be back home in England to celebrate his 30th Birthday. Our temporary contracts at the airport had wound up so we made the most of what little time we had left together. 

The day had come that we had to say goodbye. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done. He had packed his things the night before and I drove him to the airport in the morning where it had all begun. He checked in and we hung out at the plane station until it was time for him to wander off through those big, grey doors. My heart sank. My eyes welled up and I ran back to my car bawling. I couldn't breathe let alone drive. I sat and smoked a few cigarettes in a vain attempt to compose myself.

My mobile beeped alerting me to a received text message from him. From what I can remember he just wanted to let me know how much he appreciated me being a good friend and telling me how much of an awesome chick I was. It was the last three tiny words that floored me. I LOVE YOU. Nobody besides my family and friends had ever verbalised that sentence to me before. I immediately called him and told him that I loved him too. It was soon time for him to board the plane and then he was gone.

 When he got back to the UK we spoke on the phone each day. During in one of our marathon phone calls he suggested that I move to England for a year. I looked into visas the next day and saw that I was eligible for an Ancestry visa. I got a passport and visa and got my ass on the plane as fast as I could!

After being on opposite sides of the world for four months we were reunited at Heathrow. I was drunk/hung over, wearing pyjamas and hadn't showered in a day. I must have looked a right mess but he still met me with open arms and a big kiss.

We drove back to his family home in a beautiful little village in the English countryside where I met his Mum and Dad. They were so sweet, loving and open to me from the moment I stepped foot into their house. 

 I got a job at a local pub and met some really lovely, life-long friends. He was working long strange 24/7 rotating shift hours. About a year into my stay in England I discovered that he had a profile on a dating website. I was horrified. I confronted him about it but somehow he managed to make me believe that it was an old profile that he had on there and that he just had just forgotten about it and promised to delete it - which he did that night after work.

Things went back to normal between us and we carried on with our busy lives. A few months later, I noticed his behaviour changing. His shift times remained the same but he was coming home later from work. I was a tad suspicious but I gave him the benefit of the doubt until one morning after seeing him out the door to work I went back to our room and noticed some torn up pieces of paper on the floor next to the bin. I picked them up to throw them away when I noticed some interesting and heart breaking words on the scraps of paper.

After I taped it back together, the handwritten note read: "What we did was wrong. I have somebody who loves me. She deserves better. I got greedy, I wanted someone as beautiful and as intelligent as you in my life. The last thing you need now is me, even if that's what I want. I'm going to break up with The Opinionated Little Miss. I will be going to Oz with her for her B'day, I owe it to her. But when I come home it will be over." I immediately texted his lying, cheating ass and told him that I knew he had cheated on and that he needed to get home ASAP.

He managed to get out of his shift a few hours later. He was white as a ghost and very sheepish when he walked in the door. I told him what a piece of shit I thought he was and that it would at his expense to change my flight back to Oz booked for April to be changed to the next available. I didn't want to be anywhere near him and I most certainly did not want to have to share a bed with the cunt that cheated on me for the next two months.

This all happened on the 10th of February 2007. Six years ago today. Today he is in Paris with his latest girlfriend.  He proposed to her. She is now his third fiancée. I wonder if she knows what kind of a dishonest, cheating douchebag he really is? Good luck lady. You'll need it! Just remember Sweetie, I got three diamonds, you only got one ;)

Apple Inc. Not so bad after all?

I hate Apple Inc. There I said it. Again. Though I don't know why I hate them as much as I do. It was pointed out to me a few weeks ago, that I had an unfounded hatred of the global corporation. I think I hate them because they are trying to monopolise the market. Just like Telstra do with the telecommunications industry. I guess I'm a fan of the under dog and I love it when the "Little Guy" wins big.

Any who, way back on the 16th of November 2011, my seven year old, First Generation iPod Nano showed the sad/dead iPod icon. I was distraught. I don't know all that much about technology or how to fix dead electronic devices. Hell, I don't even have iTunes on my laptop! I use a friend's iTunes, mainly because he has a better music collection than me!

I Googled searched - Sad iPod Nano. A long list of devastatingly complicated fixes came up. I couldn't make heads nor tails of what to do to fix my iPod. Until I stumbled across a news article from theprevious day stating that Apple had initiated a world-wide recall of First Generation iPod Nanos. The recall was due to faulty batteries, that had been installed in the devices that overheat and can, on occasion catch fire.

I did the right thing and contacted the Apple support department via telephone. I gave the foreign dude on the other end of the line the serial number of my dead Pod. Yep, sure enough I had one of the effected devices. BINGO! I was advised that Apple would replace my defective Nano by sending me a replacement device and I was told to return my faulty device once the new one had arrived. I was rapt! I was advised that it would take between four to six weeks for the new iPod to arrive, so I eagerly watched the mailbox and waited for my new iPod.

Six weeks went by and nothing. No new iPod had been delivered. I got angry. I called the service department again. The second foreign fellow that I spoke to advised me that my order was still being processed and as there had been a huge response to the recall that it may take a further four to six weeks for the replacement device to arrive. I was frustrated but satisfied with the response I was given. So back to waiting it was!

I do not have a very patient demeanour. It's a Gen Y trait that I'm not proud of. I want it and I want it NOW! After a further five weeks of waiting, making it a total of 11 weeks, I called the service department once more and yet again, I spoke to a third foreign fellow. I gave him the serial number of my dead iPod and low and behold he could not find it in the system! Something inside me snapped. The fella politely asked me if I would mind being placed on hold and took my contact number in case the call was accidentally terminated whilst he was looking into my query. I obliged and was happy to sit on hold and wait for this situation to be fixed. I mean, I don't have a job right now,so what else have I got to do besides sit by idly and listen to crappy hold music.

39 minutes later the fellow came to back to me. He informed me that the information I was given on both of my previous calls was incorrect and that I would have to start the whole process again! I reiterated that I had called twice, waited 11 weeks and now I had to go back to square one? I was told yes. Lucky for me, whilst I was on hold I had a feeling that I was going to have to start all over again, so I went onto the Apple website and created an Apple ID and logged the serial number of my faulty device. I was then given a postage paid label to print out and use to send my shitPod back to Appple. I bid farewell to the fella on the phone and commended him for such great service.

I printed my label and went to the post office to send back my piece of shit, fucked iPod. The lady behind the counter gave me a box and bubble wrap. I wrapped up the iPod, slammed it into the box, taped it shut and stuck the label on the front. I kissed the package and whispered "God's speed little iPod. God's speed". I handed back to the post office lady and left.

Two weeks later I received a confirmation email stating that my iPod had made it's way to Apple and would be sent off for diagnosis. It sounded serious. But I was just pleased that the ball was finally rolling.

Which brings us to today...17th February 2012. One hundred and three days after my initial contact I opened my inbox to an email from Apple. It read:

" Dear Kelly,

Your service request has been completed and your IPOD NANO shipped on 16.02.2012.

Shipping address:

XX XXXX STREET

ALTONA, VICTORIA 3018

AUSTRALIA

Your product shipped via Australia Post with tracking number xxxxxxxxx, which should be active within 24 hours at www.auspost.com.au/track. Please allow two to three business days for delivery. Note that shipments to remote regions may take up to five business days for delivery.

Serial Number of Original Product: xxxxxxxxxxx

Serial Number of Replacement Product: xxxxxxxxxxxx

Please retain this email as a record that your product's serial number has changed as a result of this service request.

Repair ID: xxxxxxxxx"

Woo hoo! Today I'm not hating on Apple as much as I use to! They are replacing my 7 year old, 2GB, fucked, first generation iPod nano with a brand spanking new, 6th Generation, 8GB, touch screen nano. That will teach them for using faulty batteries from Japan that cause the first gens to overheat and burst into flames in people's pockets!

Though, the proof will be in the pudding. Let's see what happens in two to three business days. The cynic inside me tells me that something else will go wrong!