ASHLEY Furniture=Un American MADE

     A few days ago I went to Ashley furniture in York Pa. Because of needing something quickly, I was ready to take a floor model of almost anything for company was coming, and soon. But like many other stores, things had to be ordered and would take weeks. Before Ashley I went to Boscovs where I found a sofa I loved, loved like crazy and it sat so comfortable without sinking down a foot or back a foot then try to get up kind of thing. So I asked how could I get that and could  I just have a friend pick it up. Nope. The very nice young lady told me they were stuck in customs! Huh? Where is it coming from? All she could say was, not AMERICA.
    So a last resort was Ashley. I say last because how many  things do you see there with true box cushions? How soft are they? Yup. Again I spoke to a salesman and when I asked, "can you tell me if anything in this store is made in AMERICA?" this very nice older guy said well let me put it this way...then he stopped and you just knew he was thinking of how to Phrase things. He continued with, okay so,  I can tell you the get assembled here. I shook my head and said so everything is made in China? He answered with a nod of his head, yes.
      Please save your money, look on line for furniture MADE FULLY IN AMERICA. Oh I ended up renting furniture. Hey! Its the same crap you buy at ASHLEYS and other orducts made in China and its just for  a few days. When I move and need to buy a new sofa, you can bet it will be AMERICAN MADE BY AN AMERICAN!

ARTBA Vs. MTA Treatment of Consumers

         About a month ago my friend and I who are both retired went to the Castleton bus terminal union office in Staten Island. Prior to my friends sons' death at the age of forty, this was the office/terminal he worked out of. Due to the death of her son and husband two days before her son died, her world spiraled out of financial control . She had not even had a chance to grieve.
    This trip to Staten Island from Brooklyn was to start that process almost three years later. I wrote a book which from the sales am donating two dollars to St. Judes and AML Leukemia which is what her son died from..
          We arrived during the midst of lunch time feeling we would catch someone to speak with. Her sons' picture is supposed to be in a hall on the second floor and she also wanted to see it. Here we stood in the hot August sun waiting, and waiting. At teh start there were three men standing outside smoking. The taller of the drivers' asked if he could help us. As I started to talk he suddenly turned his back and spoke to another guy. A second driver then asked what we wanted or needed. My friend Sandy explained as did I, mentioned her son Kevin griffin and this driver said he remembered him. He went on and said I'll get the union rep.
       Not only did the union Rep not show, but neither did the driver who said he'd get the rep, not even a decent courteous response to say, we're not interested, or he doesn't have time-or even a lie, like he isn't here !
        But we continued to wait and I look over and see a few tears from Sandy as she's tell me, I used to drop him off every day, even when he was so sick.  Now this is how we're treated! After twenty-two minutes a driver with black hair, a goatee stopped and in a kind manner asked if we needed help. Again we explained. Again we were told, I'll get him down.  AGAIN, NOT ONE  RESPONSE! Where is the decency ? This wasn't just about selling a book. This was a human kindness for a woman who lost her son and wanted a little bit of time. She also wanted the book to sell so in Kevin Griffins memory, donations would be made. Just in case you think that I would take this on any taxes-I don't as the donations don't come from me, they come from people who buy the book.

     Sandy and I drove home in her quiet rusty old car. Over and over she said, I can't believe this, I can't believe how they treated us, me! ( Meaning Sandy )  I felt helpless as a friend watching as she held the book close and tears slipping past her face when we stood on the ramp to the Bus terminal/ union office.
    Well after I returned home with Sandy to a home she was invited to live in after all of her losses, I left to come back to my home in Pennsylvania. See, sandy and I grew up in Brooklyn together which is why and how so much in the book has connections to Brooklyn, the people, men and women who work on ROAD CREWS and the human side of them.
      Recently I contacted ARTBA- and you won't believe this. They returned my e mails with a wonderful response. Kevin Griffn would be so proud of this group as a driver who drove so ften over roads that were built and repaired which is what ARTBA is all about. ARBTA acn teach a lesson in decency & respect to the MTA on Castleton in Staten Island NY. Thank you ARTBA Should anyone want to purchase a book, please send 13.99 to me at Doozybags through PAy PAl plus 1.25 for S&H

Rev. Joe and The Road Crew- MTA- Donations

      This book was recently finished and two dollars from each sale goes to AML Leukemia and St. Judes children research hospital. It takes place in Brooklyn, Long ISland and some in Staten ISland. Some parts are fiction mixed with non-fiction. Aunt Sandy is a riot here as she tells it like it is and one of the Crew  is a guy named Kevin, after her late son who died from AML. I think he just turned 40 when he passed away. Sandy husband, Kevins dad died two days before Kevin. That part is true.
      I took this book to the MTA in Staten Island this past Monday the 22nd of August 2016. Sandy and I were told the union rep would come down to see us. Not only did he not come down, but neither did the guy who told us that. We were completely dismissed/ignored by the MTA in Staten Island on Castleton ave.
   Not looking t make a million, just some to give to AML- This type of Leukemia affects more people in Kevins age group more than any other group, so did the MTA forget what RESPECT means? Kevins mom has not even had a chance to properly grieve as she lost everything when she lost her husband and son. She lost her home, her car and became homeless, now living in an awful situation whee she does at least have a jail cell size room. This is a lady past 70 years old.
    Please buy one book or two. You can purchase it through paypal. Simply go to PAYPAL, look up my PAYPAL name, Doozybags and pay 13.99 plus 1.25 s&h Your address comes through and I will mail it out within three days.

Thank You
Nancy Costa

MTA Disses late Drivers Mom Staten ISland NY

     

 Please bear with me. I am a friend of the family for many years. The late Kevin Griffin an MTA bus driver in Staten Island who died three years ago of AML Leukemia left behind a grieving mother, a young daughter and many MTA friends, or so it was thought. Kevin's mom Sandy told me which office he worked out of and so we took a little ride while I was back In NY visiting.
        I wrote  a book donating two dollars from each sale to AML and St. Judes children's hospital. More people Kevin's age die from this. i'm not looking for fortune or have my name plastered as a writer. I enjoy writing and mainly to make people happy. This book had a purpose and that purpose gave hope to mom to finally start the grieving process.
             You see, her husband was killed two days before her son died. He was in  a hurry, ran across the street,  and thrown by a jeep who only had liability insurance.
      Sandy and I decided to go to the MTA and as we were closer to teh office she started to cry and talk, and talk. Sandy never fully grieved in three years. She lost her residence, her car and was homeless due to losing both her husband and son. Money was mismanaged by people she thought were helping. Yeah, helping themselves. Because they ere close to her, she couldn't bring herself to do anything. Still lost in the process of going back to work, paying bills, losing so much time from work she found herself without a place to live and was evicted. Everything, or almost everything is still in storage. Her now living situation is with an ex, his wife, her sister and now another son who I won't talk about.
     So when I go back to where I grew up Brooklyn, Sandy is the first person I see. She tells me she feels old, worn and useless, not cared about or cared for. Her mom lives in Brooklyn but in a senior home. Sandy feels to remain until her moms passing so she can keep an eye on mom. yet she also doesn't have any resources to move.
     Giving her hope, I let her know about the BOOK, Rev. Joe and the Construction Crew. sandy is in it, plays a big funny part through out and so is her son Kevin. They don'y play mom and son.
    Now we arrive at the MTA office/terminal on Castleton ave. in Staten Island yesterday Monday August22 nd, 2016  . There were four men outside and I said they with little respect at this time. One tall man who is bald asked what we needed if we had a complaint and when sandy and I tried to explain, he turned his back and started talking to another guy and at the same time, another man asked what we wanted. and both Sandy and I explain and about the donations from the book. He said, oh okay, you need the union rep. He's upstairs, I'll get him to come down.   This man said he knew Kevin Griffin.
                                          No one ever came down ! We arrived during the lunch hour which we hoped someone would take ten minutes and just listen, just listen and respond. Well we got a response alright. It was to ignore us!  twenty-two minutes later another driver walks up the ramp, asks if we need help. I explained we've been ignored and were told the union rep would be down. He said I'll get him to see you. Again, The same thing. What kind of men are these that not one would at the very least let us know the following: Sorry ladies, we're not interested, sorry ladies, he doesn't have time, sorry ladies, can you come back some other time, sorry ladies...something, but all we did get was a closed door.
    The book is 13.99 and I have 46 to sell. I can order more If anyone decides you would like one or two, just pay at pay pal to doozybags. Thats my pay pal name and I make bags, write on my blog and am an honest person trying to just do a little bit of good and would never, ever do what the MTA IN STATEN ISLAND at the CASTLETON office did to us-ignore.
    Some of these same men were flirty to other female drivers but they couldn't take five minutes out of flirting to just say, we're not interested. Sandy was hoping to see and take a picture of her late son's photo which was hung in the upstairs office. But she was ignored. Her son Kevin went in so many days when he was sick, dying because he didn't want to leave anyone down. Yesterday they let him and his mom down. Men?