So, I just had a client call up and ask for their money back. It was from something a couple months ago that we’d been trying to schedule time to set up. The $70 that they paid was directly for web hosting service and was money that I had already spent setting up the service. I understand their frustration with not being able to use it, but it’s not like it isn’t there for them to use.

My response was basically the truth, that the money was spent on the service they wanted. That wasn’t reasonable to them, they wanted their money back regardless. I offered to give them all the information I had and transfer ownership of the plan. No good.

I really don’t want to be out seventy bucks, but I have little recourse.

I’ve been playing with a software suite called OpenOffice at work a little bit. It’s surprisingly very similar to the Microsoft Office Suite, but with some different enhancements (and it’s free). You can create 3D shapes, export to PDF, there’s a decent drawing program, and everything will save to the common MS Office file types (and it’s free). Worthwhile to check out if you’re trying to figure out whether to pay $200 for Office (because OpenOffice is free).

You can download OpenOffice here. Use the USA-ISC site to download from if you actually want it.

I spent over 3 grand today. I have to buy two laptops tomorrow too.

(All this was of course not my money, which means WAY more research and processing to actually spend it. I think it’s helping me realize how I need to spend my personal money more carefully.)

Main Entry: ob·fus·cate
Pronunciation: ‘äb-f&-”skAt; äb-’f&s-”kAt, &b-
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -cat·ed; -cat·ing
Etymology: Late Latin obfuscatus, past participle of obfuscare, from Latin ob- in the way + fuscus dark brown — more at OB-, DUSK
1 a : DARKEN b : to make obscure
2 : CONFUSE
- ob·fus·ca·tion /”äb-(“)f&s-’kA-sh&n/ noun
- ob·fus·ca·to·ry /äb-’f&s-k&-”tOr-E, &b-, -”tor-/ adjective