Lens & SurpriseTax & BYOB

Finally got my Sigma 30mm 1.4 lens on Thursday. I got home early to check out the lens and the pictures were fuzzy in most cases. What a major disappointment! After performing a more thorough focus tests, it turns out that the lens front-focuses (known problem) so I will either have to send it in to Sigma service for calibration or I will have to get a different lens. My decision is somewhat complicated by Dell's recent charges to my credit card.

Dell is starting to really piss me off. I used to favor Dell but I am no longer sure. More than one month after I placed orders for the lens and camera, Dell just charged my credit card for the purchase and additional $$ for state tax. This means I could have gotten the camera for cheaper and had shorter wait from another vendor instead. The annoying part is that my order confirmations clearly indicates there's no state tax and I only found out about the additional charge by checking my credit-card statements. When I contacted Dell about this surprising tax charge, the customer service rep was telling me that the Terms of Service says customer is responsible for paying taxes and that I can contact IVR department about this issue. Of course I am responsible for paying taxes but I don't see why I have to pay taxes whey the order confirmation clearly indicated no taxes are due. I am still debating whether I should continue to deal with Dell. I am thinking about just disputing these additional charges with credit card company and let them handle this mess instead... what a pain!

Tonight I went to a co-worker's unwarming party after dinner. It's a party to celebrate him moving out of rental house. Interesting enough, the party is not held at the new house he bought but it's held at another co-worker's place...

The invitation said BYOB so I brought my own baby.

RyanC was shy at first so he clung to me closely. He then warmed up to the place and started playing with XBOX controllers & plastic cups near the keg. RyanC also stuffed his mouth with little cheese crackers -- as if he's been starving at home!

Well, tomorrow we are supposed to go to Denver early so here is the end of today's dreck.