Criticisms and Compliments?

I don't like to complain, especially if it's something I can't/won't try to change. I have this blog to vent, and a parenting group online, but I try to keep it to a minimum. I also don't like criticism--giving it. I am very good at being able to 'see the other side' and try to stick up for the underdog. Rob hates this, LOL, as often he will complain about something at work, and I'll offer a perfectly logical possibility to explain the other person's behaviour. I try to be impartial and patient. Sometimes he calls me naive and lazy, but there is a difference.

I have been wanting a subscription to Interweave Knits for a long time (although I'm not too keen on the new layout, or the more fashion-oriented projects; leave those to Vogue Knitting!). They advertised a back issue sale, but I didn't want to just buy any old four to get one free. I regretted not buying the spring and summer issues, so I selected those. Then I thought I'd do the subscription thing at the same time. I noticed that the subscription would start with the summer issue. Great, I changed my back issue order to just the spring one, and hit send. Then I realized that the shipping amount had stayed the same, at $9! That's US dollars! I sent them a little email saying how shocked I was that it was costing that much. I never heard back. It came quite quickly, in a flat rate envelope. So, they charged me what they get charged for the flat rate envelop and why should they care that it's rediculous to pay $9 to ship ONE magazine. I should have just searched the internet hoping someone (like, maybe Camilla Valley Farm, a local place!) would have one.

So, now I'm waiting for my subscription to arrive. And waiting. After a couple weeks, I look at the confirmation email. I ordered it on July 26. " The current issue is Summer 2007 and it will be mailed August 15." is what the confirmation says. How can it take them twenty days to mail a current magazine? And it's taken twenty more days and it's still NOT HERE! The fall issue will be on stands (if it's not already) before I get the summer issue! I should have ordered it as a back issue and waited on the subscription!

Of course, I do have enough patterns collected that if I never see another new pattern I can still knit for the rest of my life....