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Review of my chat with amazon customer service last night:

To summarize, I have had multiple items not delivered, then the replacements not delivered since amazon switched their shipping company in my area to the sketchiest carrier possible. Everyone I know has now had problems with this one.

Basically, I now have had my Prime membership fee refunded for the year and get to keep my subscription. They’ve also put a note on my account to still let me have 2 day shipping but with a different company. As a Canadian, we get absolutely slaughtered with shipping costs so this is a way better outcome than I ever could’ve hoped for!

I just thought you guys should know that it is an option with them to get an alternate delivery company. Sorry if you fell asleep reading this.

Scott wrote: "Arkadeb wrote: "Not entirely sure where to post this.

Is anyone up for doing a buddyread of Anathem by Neal Stephenson? I am planning to read it, and would love to do so in company. If people are ..."
Thanks for the tip!

Margret wrote: "Review of my chat with amazon customer service last night:

To summarize, I have had multiple items not delivered, then the replacements not delivered since amazon switched their shipping company i..."

I thought I was about to read an Amazon horror story... that's awesome... I mean, the lost products still suck and all...

I am certain that company has a warehouse full of acquired amazon goods now. They’re constantly “losing�� packages

I saw a guy on imgur a few weeks ago receive a laptop in the mail from Amazon, only to find an equivalent weight of clay inside, instead...

Based on google, that's about $25,000

I did some more googling and learned about something called PPP... Purchasing Power Parities... basically... 17 lakh = $25-$28k in USD... but India has a PPP of 3.3, so it would take $83-$93k to buy the same amount of stuff in the US that $25k buys in India (in 2014 anyway)...

Abhay wrote: "Which fantasy author you guys believe is the most difficult to read and appreciate?"

Hi Abhay, if you start your own thread under the Random Chatter folder you might get a lot of responses to your question. These great questions tend to get lost in a thread like this one.

Abhay wrote: "@Angela : Thanks for that suggestion :) Will do :)

Did you guys have a good day today? Majority of members are students or working? Was just curious.."

Do it. :)

Abham- I work, I’m a shift worker :) was done school at 21 years old

I'm working too until 6 PM. Stealing reading aside, I usually read at 9 or 10 PM until 00 or 1 AM nonstop. I always try to put 3 or 4 hours of reading a day before I fell asleep. :)

I'm at university currently finding a part time job haha and I'm studying film and hope to do something with it (make films and stuff.....hopefully)

I am currently at the University but I hope that I can finish this semester. I study biology and currently writing my master thesis in a research group of the clinical center. I would love to continue in the field of humanbiological / medical research afterwards :)

Stuck in a reading slump. This always happens to me after I finish a new Malazan book and Oathbringer did not help. Tried a couple of random reads from the library, finished both, did not enjoy them.

Here's hoping Riyria will do the trick.

I've been in a few slumps I was recently in one early this month and another in September I think it might be due to reading big fantasy book that cause it and I hope I don't fall into one when I finish way of kings 😔😔

A good break is probably what you need a week off or maybe clear you schedule or just do something else since that's what I normally do since I have other stuff to do if I'm not reading

Ahdam wrote: "A good break is probably what you need a week off or maybe clear you schedule or just do something else since that's what I normally do since I have other stuff to do if I'm not reading"

You maybe right. Maybe its time to play a game or watch a show. I never actually do these things as reading takes up everything.

I'm also finished with school several years ago and now am at a 9-5 job. Luckily I can listen to audiobooks and check ŷ������ while at it, but agreed - by the time I get come and take care of the fam I'm lucky if I can snag 10 minutes of reading time. I think we have a cool mix of students/workers here.

I work too. 9-10am to 6-7-8pm. It depends on the day and the customer; Time difference with the customer is the pain. I can't just leave the work undone because its family business.
On the other hand, I was a party animal at university. I would read for 2-3 days nonstop and not read for 2weeks. Now I arrange my time better. Have a healthier and better quality life :)

After this week, I'll be four weeks away from completing my degree online. I've been working a 9-6 job for the last four years though, as I've been doing school. Used to have a really hard time trying to balance full time work and full time school, but I've gotten into a groove with it now, and I make it work =].

People talk about budgeting money, which is obviously important, but I've found that learning how to budget your time effectively is one of the most useful life skills to have as well. Fitting in all of the important things. and also learning to fit in downtime to just relax, have helped me tremendously. I love being productive, but I've also had to learn how to slow down haha.

That's awesome, Liam. You're into the home stretch...light at the end of the tunnel...and all those other clichés. Congrats! It shows a lot of dedication and discipline on your part.

I'm a worker 😁 hours are 4pm to 1230am.

That's awesome Liam. Good luck! Also Anni, fingers crossed you can finish in the next year.

One of the great things about this group is how diverse we all are :-).

I work full time 8.30am - 5.00pm - for six more days and then I've finishing up where I am. Next year, from mid January I'm going back to study full time for a year. I can seeing my reading time diminishing greatly for the year.

Niki Hawkes wrote: "I'm also finished with school several years ago and now am at a 9-5 job. Luckily I can listen to audiobooks and check ŷ������ while at it, but agreed - by the time I get come and take care of the..."

Pretty much me, though minus the family/kids thing.

Liam wrote: "After this week, I'll be four weeks away from completing my degree online. I've been working a 9-6 job for the last four years though, as I've been doing school. Used to have a really hard time try..."

Congrats, Liam! You in the final stretch!

You're almost there, Liam! We'll chear for you ;)

I work at a mental health hospital. I'm a receptionist and I work in shifts. I've been studying and working, but after a couple of years it was to hard to handle and I stopped studying. I have a household to run too, so stress got a hold of me...In January I'll start studying 'Applied psychology' while working, so I hope I'll have some of your skills, Liam.

I work from 7:30am to 4:30pm, Mondays through Fridays. Then I go home to my second, non-monetarily compensated job where I toil under the indifference of my four, diminutive overlords.

@Angela - you'll find your rhythm.

I hear you on those indifferent overlords. The best thing we did a year ago was start our now 12 and 13 year old having assigned nights to cook dinner. It's so nice to come home and not worry about what's happening for dinner two nights a week.

Thanks Veronica. I hope so. Haha it's been a long time since this brain actually did study for a course and I have heard the course is very intense.

I love learning more about everyone. Thanks for still finding time to have fun in our little book corner. :)

Manju wrote: "Abhay wrote: "@Angela : Thanks for that suggestion :) Will do :)

Did you guys have a good day today? Majority of members are students or working? Was just curious.."

Do it. :)"

I kind of work at the uni so I don't know if it counts. :D

Thanks everybody ^_^.

@Saar, wow that's really cool. I can definitely understand that it can be a bit much at times. I took a semester off last year because trying to work, finish school, and get married all at the same time was just not working haha. I'm just glad that I'll be done before our baby is here.

@Angela, what are you planning on studying/what course is it? That's a great idea having your kids cook btw haha. I almost wish my mom did that with me when I was younger. My wife works four 1:00pm-9pm shifts and one 10:00-6:00 shift every week, so I do most of the cooking in our house. It took me a few months before I was super comfortable with it. Pinterest isn't the most manly form of social media, but it was great for finding recipes and help haha.

Liam wrote: "Thanks everybody ^_^.

@Saar, wow that's really cool. I can definitely understand that it can be a bit much at times. I took a semester off last year because trying to work, finish school, and get..."

Pinterest to the rescue haha.

Congrats on your degree - are you doing any kind of fanfare when you graduate? (i.e. "walking" for your diploma, having a party, burning your homework?)

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Liam wrote: "Thanks everybody ^_^.

@Saar, wow that's really cool. I can definitely understand that it can be a bit much at times. I took a semester off last year because trying to work, finish sc..."

Nah, no parties ;]. I could walk if I really wanted to, but it would require a five hour drive to the university I did my classes through, and honestly I'm not into it haha. More than likely, I will take a nice deep breath, and just be thankful that I never need to buy another textbook again haha =].

Angela wrote: "I hear you on those indifferent overlords. The best thing we did a year ago was start our now 12 and 13 year old having assigned nights to cook dinner. It's so nice to come home and not worry about..."

Having the kids cook dinner a couple of nights a week is a great idea! I'm going to do that. I can just see the looks of horror on their faces now. Mwahahahaha!!!

@ Liam. Pinterest is great! Wonderful that you do most of the cooking in your house. I know it's slave labour in my house. It's actually part of their pocket money, so the boys have actually been great and they can cook a lot of different things now.

I'm study a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary) as I've decided to become a primary school teacher. It's Postgraduate and only takes a year if you already have a degree. I have a degree in History and Political Studies already.

I pin stuff on Pinterest all the time but then never look at it again. I think I'm doing it wrong.

Angela wrote: "@ Liam. Pinterest is great! Wonderful that you do most of the cooking in your house. I know it's slave labour in my house. It's actually part of their pocket money, so the boys have actually been g..."

That's awesome. My older sister has been a teacher for the last four years, and two of sisters in law are also teachers - it's a hard job, but also very rewarding if you have the passion for it. Good for you going back to school for it =]. I wish you all the best with that.

Veronica wrote: "I pin stuff on Pinterest all the time but then never look at it again. I think I'm doing it wrong."

I started that too but it just doesn't interest me anymore (same with twitter).

Great work Liam and good luck with that degree of yours not sure how online degrees work but it sounds interesting haha

@Angela that's interesting how you have your kids cook I did a food technology course back in secondary school and I really enjoyed the cooking (even though I got a D in the exam but we'll skip that) and I cooked a few things like pizza, fish pie, fish cakes all that just by looking for recipes and I made some cupcakes which where probably the best things I ever made but sadly I don't do much but I do want to get back into it because I think I prefer baking than cooking but I can't imagine your kids weren't too happy about it when you proposed the idea haha

I have a pinterest and I should be using it to gain some inspiration for some projects but I haven't been good with my social media and other plans recently due to some frustrations with the uni work so I had to put them on hold but hopefully if I can get up of my arse I'll get back to it because I've got stuff that I wanna get around to do next year

@Ahdam If you get back at baking, I can get my mothers Spinach cake recipe for you (finding midways so that you don't die on over sugar intake:).

Thanks Liam.

@ Ahdam, I was actually surprised how well the boys took to the idea. (though it could partly be the cook in our house never has to clean up dishes after). They've done food tech as well (Intermediate which think is middle school? Year 7 and 8 or school). LOL, they do seem partial to frozen vegies. My eldest would have baby peas for dinner every night if he could. I think cooking is a really good skill to have (because it is a skill), so great to hear you enjoy it. Plus what can be better than baking, the yummy things you can make!

It is very unusual here in NZ that the kids cook dinner. None of my friends kids I know do so, at least not on very regular basis. I think parents of my generation forget that they were probably helping out Mum (very rare to have been a Dad cooking in the 80's) with dinner and such at a similar age or younger. Well at least in my household my brother and I always helped out with dinner. My brother is a really, great cook. My parents were always milking the cows when I was kid, so my brother and I had to get ourselves ready for catching the school bus. From around 9 we made a deal that one of us would cook (yes cook) breakfast while the other made the lunches. Haha though we did eat a lot of spaghetti (in tomato sauce), baked beans and eggs.

Beste wrote: "@Ahdam If you get back at baking, I can get my mothers Spinach cake recipe for you (finding midways so that you don't die on over sugar intake:)."

I've never heard of spinach cake so I typed it in and they look wonderful I'll put that as a maybe

I'm working 7am-11am and 5:30pm to 9:30pm right now, but as of December first I will be working from 7am to 4pm which I am super excited about.

I know I've said it before, but congrats on getting into school again, Angela! It is super exciting!

Ahdam wrote: "I've been in a few slumps I was recently in one early this month and another in September I think it might be due to reading big fantasy book that cause it and I hope I don't fall into one when I f..."

I hit a reading slump right after finishing Stone of Farewell, it lasted a month. Since then I've read about 4 books. So I agree with the big novel slump.

Veronica wrote: "I work from 7:30am to 4:30pm, Mondays through Fridays. Then I go home to my second, non-monetarily compensated job where I toil under the indifference of my four, diminutive overlords.

@Angela - ..."

the four overlords had me laughing xD I don't know how I'll juggle myself with reading once I have one of these overlord...

Angela wrote: "Thanks Liam.

@ Ahdam, I was actually surprised how well the boys took to the idea. (though it could partly be the cook in our house never has to clean up dishes after). They've done food tech as w..."

I actually prefer frozen veggies to fresh these days because they actually taste fresher with the quick freeze technology than what you buy fresh in the grocery store. Farmers markets are still the best though. When I became a stay at home Dad (aka househubby) about 6 years ago, allrecipes.com became my best friend until I learned the basics. Now I'm a Rockstar in the kitchen and can cook pretty much anything. I'd say my best dishes are Butter Chicken, stew/chilli, all pastas, and BBQ. Anne's better at stir fry, and baking, I can't bake for sh*t lol!

I think it's awesome that you taught your kids to cook! It's really important today with so many easier options for a diet than something homemade. People are more malnourished today than ever before due to quick meals and fast food that we use in our busy lives. People don't realize that you can make a healthy home cooked meal in less than a half hour. Or you can utilize the slow cooker while everyone is at work/school.

@Liam, congrats! :)

@Angela, that's awesome!

Veronica wrote: "I pin stuff on Pinterest all the time but then never look at it again. I think I'm doing it wrong."

Me too! lol

Veronica wrote: "I pin stuff on Pinterest all the time but then never look at it again. I think I'm doing it wrong."

Miche wrote: "Veronica wrote: "I pin stuff on Pinterest all the time but then never look at it again. I think I'm doing it wrong."

Me too! lol"

I pin fandom related stuff and random funny things mainly.

Though I do pin recipes and crafts and DIYs sometimes with the intention to try them. And then I don't. Or its an epic fail.

Chris wrote: "Angela wrote: "Thanks Liam.

@ Ahdam, I was actually surprised how well the boys took to the idea. (though it could partly be the cook in our house never has to clean up dishes after). They've done..."

So dinner at your place Chris?? You are right the technology for frozen veg is so much better these days.