WFMW: NOT!

Shannon has issued a new challenge this week. She wants us to share what has not worked for us.

I ask you, Shannon, how much time do you have?

Seriously, I'll try to narrow it down to one or two, maybe three things. Goodness knows that I could write a novel on goofs I've made.

1. Not emptying the lint filter on the dryer. When we first married, I told Hubs that the dryer just wasn't working as well as it used to. He asked if I had emptied the lint filter.

"Huh?" I said.

He checked and it was full of lint. As he tells it, it had a lint blanket.

When he questioned why I hadn't emptied it, I told him that the lint filter was not where it was on Mama's dryer and that I assumed it didn't have one. (You can laugh now.)

So, there ya go- Always empty the lint filter after each dryer use. Not doing so will result in damp clothes and a story that your husband will never, ever forget.

2. Adding water to the car radiator's coolant resevoir tank.

A car needs antifreeze (the right mix) and water for all the seasons. Not just winter. The right mixture is the coolant.

When my old car ran hot, I kept adding water only.

Water only in a hot radiator = Boiling water= Overheated engine and huge repair bill.

I'm no mechanic. My idea of checking the oil is dropping a pebble in there and listening for a "ping," so I am sure there is a more technical explanation than the one I'm offering here. Bottom line- adding water only did not work for me. Or my Toyota Paseo. Bless its sporty little heart.

So, leave it to the experts.

3. Refusing delivery on a package via the US Postal Service.

Y'all know how I feel about Newman.

I ordered something from a company with guaranteed delivery. The item was for a holiday and the holiday was fast approaching. I phoned the company and said that I had not received the item. They told me to "refuse delivery" on the original order when it arrived and then they shipped another order via FedEx Overnight with no additional shipping charge.

The overnight package arrived.

The original package arrived late. The mailman left it on the step because I was not a home. I did not open it and took it to the post office to "refuse delivery." All I did was hand the box over the counter and tell them that I was refusing delivery. No services were rendered. This is the same thing I would do if I had been home to recieve the package.

Weeks later, the company sent me a bill for the original order. Long story short, the post office "refused delivery" package was never returned to the company. I called the company and explained and they asked me to speak to the post office first.

When I asked the post office about it, they told me that I should have paid for "proof of delivery" back to the company which translates to me paying for a service that I was refusing. Yeah, that makes sense.

I called the company back and explained what the post office told me. Fortunately for me, the company forgave the bill.

By the way, the company was Oriental Trading and I continue to shop with them. Their customer service is exceptional.

Which is more than I can say for the post office.

;>)

See Shannon for tips on what tips do not work... er something like that.