Here are some pictures from the last year's adventures.

Skiing at Mamoth CA with Nick and Jenn Feranec. Great time, great snow, great weather.

Hero explorer pose. We had to walk to the sign all the way from the lift.

Delivery of the new car. It is a nice addition and drives a lot smoother than the montero. Jenn is still not totally comfortable in it so I get to drive it. For now.

Sexy as a soccer mom.

Jazz Festival in New Orleans.

Jenn and Trish are onstage with Kermit Ruffins.

The gang before.

The gang during.

Is somebody sleepy going home?

Long time no BLOG

I am having the following conversation with my XM customer service department.

On May 9, 2009 at 5:55 PM, dtm_cowan@yahoo.com wrote:>

I bought a Cadillac with XM and was not told by the dealer that I had a 3 month trial period in order to experience your service. I received a notice from your company letting me know the period was about to expire, which, essentially, was my notification that I was entitled to a trial period. I called one of your service professionals asking if your company could extend the trial period so I could see what XM and was all about. I was told "no" but told how to tune the radio to receive the signal for the remainder of the trial period. I think is is a sad situation that I won't be able to experience your excellent service since my experience was not exactly confidence building and less than satisfying.

>>--- On Sun, 5/10/09, listenercare@xmradio.com wrote:

Dear Mr. Cowan, Thank you for contacting XM. We have received your correspondence and we are more than happy to assist you with your query. Please accept our sincerest apologies for the experience that you have encountered with our Listener Care Representatives. We place great effort in projecting world class customer service to our customers. We will ensure that your displeasure is investigated thoroughly.

Please note that your trial ends on (6/3/2009). Please call the number listed below prior to the trial ending if you wish to continue. Thank you for being a loyal listener and we look forward to many more years of providing you with our service.If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to send an additional email or you may contact a Listener Care Representative directly at 1-800-XM RADIO ( 800-967-2346 ). Our Listener Care Center's hours of operation are as follows: Monday - Saturday: 8 AM - 11 PM ET Sunday: 8AM - 8PM ET Thank you,

-- On Thu, 5/14/09, dan the man wrote:

Dear Dwayne,

My displeasure was not on your "Listener Care Representative" , but on the inability or unwillingness to provide the trial period promised me, but not conveyed to me at the time of purchase, and thus, not enjoyed by me becase I didn't know anything about it. Below, Dwayne, you gave me the same response and service as the person on the phone. To paraphrase it - No we will not extend your trial period - - buy our service.

I am sure you believe that I am a huckster, a schemer, a flim-flam man, a grifter, a matchstick man, a con-artist extraodinaire, living on the edge of one dirty rotten scoundrel to the other, and have been enjoying your "world class service" for free due to the trial period after the purchase of my new Cadillac. I affirm that I have not received one second of your oh so valuable service. I am sure that you don't care and will continue to believe that I am a liar, a bum, a sycophant, a pariah on the very values that make America the greatest country in the world. Because of your belief, you will not help me at all and leave me to suffer the fate of listening to the free radio and CDs that I have already purchased. The horror!!

For the record, Dwayne, I did not know about the trial period. Honest Abe.

Because I did not know about the trial period, I did not start service when it was first available. Also, because I did not have instructions for turning on the service, I did not start service when it was first available. This weekend I followed the instructions to start receiving XM, but for some reason it didn't work. I know what you are thinking Dwayne, and you are right. If I am not smart enough to turn on XM, I don't deserve it. XM should be reserved for the movers, the shakers, the people in this world that count. Not the people that can afford to buy Cadillacs in the worst economy the world has ever seen. What am I, austentatious?

It is now mid May and the trial period ends in June. This I know for sure - the CD player works great and there are no commercials - just like XM!!! Except for the part about the CD player working, because XM does not work.

I feel it is way too much trouble to turn on the service now, and at this point I seriously doubt I will follow your below instructions to "call the number listed" so that I can pay for service in order to continue recieving the service I have enjoyed so far. Thanks for reminding me when the service ends, however, that is very useful to know since nothing will change in my new Cadillac since the service never started. Service, by the way, which has been short of adequate and has encouraged me to not receive your service.

For the record, Dwayne, you should not have thanked me for being a loyal customer. I was never a loyal customer. I was, and remain, a potential new customer that is not impressed with XM service. I thank you, Dwayne, for not extending my trial period and tempting me with your "world class service". In an economy as bad as this one, I really need to watch those monthly subscriptions.

Dan