Update, a Review, and a Rant

I stitched a bit on this at stitching on Monday and more today. There was a counting error with one of the motifs (I won't say which one) but rather than pick it all out, I am carrying on as is.

I'm pleased the border is correct so I can fill in the bits around it at stitching again on Monday. I may even do more on it this weekend.

Last night I finished the first black and blue helix sock. The light-coloured yarn is where I'll insert the afterthought heel.

Generally I prefer a ribbed cuff as it hugs my leg and ankle better than a stocking stitch cuff. I also cast on over both needles for extra stretch to the top of the sock.

This is a closeup shot of where I started the second (blue) yarn after knitting the black cuff. That's the only jog that appears since the rest of the sock has the one yarn chasing another (described in the previous post).

I've been subscribing to food kits on and off for the past couple of years. When I was cooking for two, we liked the Hello Fresh offerings. However the minimum order is three 2-serving kits per week. With leftovers, that's 6 meals per week for me on my own. A friend recommended ChefsPlate which has a minimum order of two 2-serving meals per week - a much more manageable quantity. I used ChefsPlate a lot last summer and fall. Before Christmas, I discontinued my subscription to ChefsPlate as I wanted to eat down the food in my freezer - lots of leftover bits of this and that. 

A couple of weeks ago I tried GoodFood. They also have a 2 meal minimum. I received two boxes and have cooked three of the 4 meals so far. I am not impressed. 

Pros: 

• excellent packaging
• sturdy boxes
• reusable clear bags with handles containing the produce
• well-packaged meats

Cons:

• frozen blocks contain a gel which I don't want to just pour down the sink
• the inserts are foil-lined so I had to peel it off before recycling the cardboard
• the food was just not that flavourful
• entrees not that impressive. For example the salad last night was a head of leaf lettuce and radishes. The chicken dish with pesto was OK but there was no vegetable, or starch. 

So I have cancelled my GoodFood subscription and re-subscribed to ChefsPlate. The first box arrives on Monday.

And now for my rant. I cancelled my spot at a retreat I was going to attend last fall at a stitchery shop in upstate NY. Because it was past the cancellation date and I had already paid in full, I did not receive a refund. However, the proprietor last September offered to send me the materials I would have received had I attended. In the past, they shipped an item that I had won as a door prize via UPS. When it arrived here, I got a card asking me to pay $20 in fees to pick it up from their depot. (This was before any tariff silliness). Basically couriers charge an arbitrary customs brokerage fee to their international customers. I was not amused at having to pay $20 for something I won. CanadaPost on the other hand only charges a flat rate of $5 for customs brokerage fees - if they levy the fee at all.

I explained this brokerage fee anomaly to the shop's proprietor and requested that he send the materials from September's retreat via US Postal Service instead of using a courier.

Then I waited. Every month or so, I would email requesting an update on the status of this parcel and requested USPS rather than a courier.

Then Poppy and I decided to not attend another retreat there we had planned for this June. All but $100US was refundable and Poppy got her refund a few weeks ago. I still have not received my refund. So I emailed the proprietor again asking about this. I also requested a tracking number for the materials from the September retreat and again requested shipping via USPS. 

Earlier this week I received an email that a label had been created for my package, a tracking number,  and it would be shopped via UPS!!!! What the heck?!?!? A bit of bad language ensued.

Finally today, the package has been picked up by the courier, and is schedule for delivery tomorrow late afternoon. The notice doesn't mention any fees but I'm not holding my breath.

All that being said. I am not impressed with the customer service of this shop. I'm annoyed it took 6 emails over 6 months to get this parcel sent. And I still have not received the refund I requested at the end of last November. 

Grrrr.  (Rant over)

One bit of good news, though. Kristi Noem has been removed from her position with US Dept. of Homeland Security. She really took a (well-deserved) drubbing for her lies. I don't expect her replacement to have any moral integrity either but I'm glad to see Noem gone.