Filed under: Mousetraps | Tags: arts and crafts, crafts, Etsy, IndieSpotting, Mousesnaps, Mousetraps, Twitter
I bet you were just thinking, “Man, I wish Nova spent even more time on the Internet telling us about what she’s doing - preferably in 140 characters or less.”
Well that’s great because I just signed Mousesnaps up for a Twitter account. Feel free to follow us here: http://twitter.com/mousesnaps
I actually don’t really like Twitter that much. Ok, at all. But I do like Mousesnaps and I figured it’s 2009 and I should kind of get with the times already.
And speaking of things I like: IndieSpotting. How cute is that? Where else can you find a really adorable Paper Quilled KERMIT Character CUPCAKE Greeting Card or a neck tie for your dog?
And I thought designer mousetraps were kicky…
Filed under: Personal | Tags: customer service, FedEx, Hewlett-Packard, HP, ipod, laptop
Technology is failing all around me.
On Saturday, the wireless assistant on my laptop broke and after spending a half hour on the phone with Federico, the customer service associate from HP, it seemed that the most logical course of action was for HP to FedEx me an empty box so that I could ship my computer back to them to be fixed. Federico seemed to be hyperventilating when he told me this and I assumed it was because he thought the situation was just as ridiculous as I did, but it turns out he was just out of breath from “running across the room to get a manual.”
This morning, my iPod mysteriously deleted all of my music. And my cell phone is presently on its last leg – but that’s only because I forgot to charge it last night and let’s face it, I don’t really use it anyway.
All I know is that the only thing left in my room that requires electricity is a lamp – which technically doesn’t even belong to me, is currently missing a shade and isn’t actually hooked up to my light switch. And so help me God if that fails too.
Filed under: Mousetraps | Tags: arts and crafts, crafts, Etsy, from patent to profit, marketing, Mousesnaps, Mousetraps, patenting, patents, product development, sales, Slanket, Snuggie
Today my mother told me that while she was at Snuggie-themed Quizzo at a Chinese restaurant in Philadelphia, someone told her that I should patent Mousesnaps.
This is roughly the hundredth time I’ve heard that suggestion. And while it’s a valid point and I’m sure the person means well - patenting falls into the category of ”Things I’d Do If I Had More Money and an Even Greater Amount of Free Time.”
And let me tell you, there are a lot of things higher on the list than filing a design patent for Mousesnaps. Like building a proper Web site. And traveling. Or shopping for a lamp because my room is currently being lit by a single 25 watt bulb.
After all that, maybe I would consider the patent. Although the 300 page text book I read on the subject makes it seem like anyone with more money and more free time will find a way around my patent and most certainly make their own designer mousetraps. The traps probably won’t be as cute, and they won’t have a kicky little story to go with them, but they’ll have a means to market them and thus sell a million more than me.
My mother said, “It’s like the Snuggie and the Slanket. The guy who created the Slanket had the idea first. And it’s a better product. But the guy who made the Snuggie has all the money because he knew how to make a good commercial.”
True. But like patenting, marketing takes money. And even though someone in the Midwest ordered a set of Skully Girl Mousesnaps today, I don’t think the sale is going to help pay for the filming of our first infomercial. Or the official launch of www.mousesnaps.com.
But it’s still awesome.
After an intense online scavenger hunt failed to reveal a general eHarmony customer service email address, I settled for sending my request to remove my profile to their “Success Stories” account. I realize that writing to an obviously incorrect address is somewhat idiotic – but on some level, I really enjoyed doing it because I want eHarmony employees to know how it feels to get a completely off-base e-mail from a total moron making unreasonable demands. Its frustrating, and thanks to your site, I lived it for the better part of three months.
I was prepared for an auto-response. I was prepared for them to say something about the user agreement allowing them to post my profile in 37 different languages if they so decided. I was even prepared for them to offer me 3 months of free service.
But I was not prepared for them to actually grant my request – even if by pure accident.
“Dear Nova,
We are sopleased to hear that you have met someone special and would like to congratulate you on your wonderful news. eHarmony was created to help people find a special lifelong relationship, and we have a tremendous sense of joy when we hear from another successful couple. Each and every story is meaningful to us. Whether you are dating, engaged or married we would love to hear your success story!
…
Please also note that I do see that your account was expired and your matching is turned off. Many of our happy couples choose to leave their accounts in an expired status so that they can review their partner’s profile for their memories or to show the process to family and friends. However, when your account is expired, it will still be possible for previous matches to try and contact you. Therefore, please rest assured that I have completely closed your expired account and you will no longer receive these messages.”
I don’t care if they count me as a success story. And I don’t care if they missed the point of my message. I’m just happy to be cleared from their web.
And since former users have told me that it’s next to impossible to truly delete your account – let this be a lesson to you.
When you can’t make it, fake it.
Filed under: dating | Tags: eHarmony, entrepreneur, INTP, misspelling, online dating
eHarmony just won’t quit. Despite my membership expiring earlier this month, people are still attempting to send me really asinine multiple choice questions in an apparent effort to get to know me.
So I logged in today to write to their customer service team and complain. And while I was doing that, I realized I could still see the profiles of those people who are contacting me – and they are true gems!
Like Arnold, 31 from Flushing. It’s no surprise to me that he lists his occupation as ”executive, entrepreneur and inventor.” And I’m not too concerned that he claims to be most passionate about “The welfare and education of children and the advancement of human knowledge.” I’m just a little shocked that he spelled it all correctly.
Just when I was about to give Arnold credit for at least appearing to have his shit a little bit together, he had to share the following information as a supplement to the standard profile: “I’m an INTP (Google it =] )”
Oh, I did.
And coincidentally I just remembered why I quit eHarmony before my membership expired.
Anyway. We’ll see what the customer service team has to say. At the very least, I hope they answer my question about what the heck they have against spell check.
Filed under: Fitness | Tags: bad days, Coco Crispies, Fitness, New York City, New York Sports Club, running, Upper East Side
Last Wednesday, when the weather was cooperating, I ran seven miles all over the Upper East Side. I might have even gone an extra mile or two, but thought better of it only because it was getting late.
Today, I ran nearly a half mile on the treadmill at New York Sports Club before announcing that I had a headache and going home. I have since eaten two bowls of Coco Crispies and given myself a manicure.
There are good days and there are bad days.
I guess today was just a bad day. And something tells me the cereal overload isn’t going to help make tomorrow that much better.
Filed under: Mousetraps | Tags: Mousesnaps, Mousetraps, painting, Splenda, sublet, The Home Depot, yellow
About a week ago, I told the person I’m subletting from that she shouldn’t bother painting the room back to white before she left.
“I like yellow,” I told her.
I don’t know who I was kidding, but I was absolutely serious – until yesterday when I arrived and to no one’s surprise announced, “I don’t like yellow.”
It’s just so cheerful.
So the long and the short of it is that I didn’t even make it a full 24 hours before I was busy repainting – some color The Home Depot cooked up called “Jamaica Blue.” I did a horrible job on the edging, everything’s in serious need of a second coat and the color kind of reminds me of toothpaste, but I’m just thankful that I don’t feel like I’m living in a giant Splenda packet any more.
Anyway, in between the painting – I painted some more. I figured the place was already full of toxic fumes, so why the heck not?
Sweet, right?
Filed under: Uncategorized
Someone told me today that if I can’t find a fling in New York, I’m just not trying hard enough.
I’d have to disagree – I don’t think I could try any harder.
And that, I suspect, is precisely the problem.
It’s the first day of Spring. Let’s get flung.
Filed under: Mousetraps | Tags: eHarmony, Mousesnaps, new product development, online dating, Real Housewives of New York, sales
Did anyone else catch the Real Housewives of New York last night? If so, I’d like to discuss how that creep Alex said she met her creep husband on the creep Internet.
And then I’d like to discuss how every single person I met while dabbling in online dating made those two look like the most fantastic shit-together couple New York has ever seen.
And speaking of fantastic, shit-together things:
Filed under: Mousetraps | Tags: arts and crafts, crafts, Mousesnaps, Mousetraps, new product development, paint, painting, perfectionist, running a business
I kind of wish I wasn’t such a perfectionist.
Maybe then I wouldn’t be awake at 1 a.m. and making regular trips to my rooftop to check on the latest batch of Mousesnaps that I’m making only because the first two tries didn’t come out exactly exact – or even good enough so that when I hold them an inch in front of my face I can’t see any smudges.
People always talk about how “running a business” (using that phrase very loosely here) entails a lot of working overtime and a fair share of sleepless nights. Somehow, I don’t think this is what they meant.
But here we are.
And here we go. To the roof.
