(Original photo by Jill Greenberg. From the “End Times” Exhibit. I’ve obviously added Apple Tears. WAH.)

Read Part I here:
http://alleyesonjenny.com/2010/01/27/bad-apple/

Read Part II here:
http://alleyesonjenny.com/2010/02/25/bad-apple-part-ii-alternatively-titled-im-going-crazy/

I’m sure having a Part III to this story already tips you off to the fact that things are not looking good. In fact, things look a lot like this:

They look like that but with a whole lot of freezing, and shutting down, and screens going black. But I couldn’t really find a photo to illustrate all that (as well as me in the background pulling out my hair.)

Yup. That’s my MacBook Pro. Back at the Genius Bar. AGAIN. And that jumpdrive looking thing? An nVidia test. Which my MacBook Pro – year and a half old MacBook Pro – FAILED. With flying fail-y colors!!

Sidenote: I made a joke to my boyfriend as we were standing at the Genius Bar watching my laptop go through this nVidia test that “How funny would it be if my computer just said “FAIL!” blinking on the screen in bright red? GUESS WHAT? IT DID. I am NOT kidding even a little. At the end of the test the word “FAILED” appeared in gigantic type across my screen. I may or may not have screamed and pointed at my laptop “I KNEW IT! YOU FAILED! I KNEW IT! SEE!! EVERYONE LOOK!!! IT FAILED!!! IT SAYS IT!! THERE’S PROOF!! SOMEONE TAKE A PICTURE!!!”

So no one took a picture, but the Genius did give me a print out that documented that not only had my laptop FAILED the nVidia test IN HIS PRESENCE, but also that he witnessed the keyboard and trackpad failure as well.

(Click for a larger, legible version)

I HAVE PHYSICAL, HARDCOPY PROOF. I HAVE A GENIUS BAR FULL OF WITNESSES. I AM NOT CRAZY. I may be GOING crazy dealing with this, but at least now it is in the system that my laptop that I paid over $2,000 for and loaded up with $1,000 in software is a big, fat, disgusting FAIL WHALE.

Just to recap my laptop drama, let’s take a look shall we?

(Again, click to see a larger version)

So at the end of my millionth (ok 9th or 10th) Genius Bar visit, the recommended course of action is to send the laptop out for part replacement. I’ve already had the entire top half of the machine replaced. I’ve already had other parts replaced. Now they want to replace my keyboard. They want to replace the entire top case. They want to install a new nVidia card which are well documented as PARTS THAT FAIL AND WILL FAIL.

I’m at a total loss for words (and patience) at this point. Everyone who works at Apple can easily log in to my profile and see all the trouble I’ve had with this machine. Since the day I purchased it. And they still want to keep replacing parts, and sending it in for repair, and observing the issues I’m having with it.

Haven’t I dealt with enough time lost? And lost enough work? And sunk enough time and money in this machine? It’s not like they don’t know that this is happening now. It is all on record. It has all been witnessed and documented.

I’ve always loved Apple and their products, but this customer service experience and this lemon of a MacBook Pro have put me at my wits end.

Now if you’ll excuse me I have more AppleCare phone calls to make and more Apple emails to write … now with FAIL REPORTS! Weeeeeeee….. ugh siiighhhhh.

So back at the end of November (November 24th to be exact) I posted a picture of my new makeup kit:

The Bare Escentuals Starter Kit from Sephora. (With the whole blog disclamer crap that everyone has to post now, NO I did not receive this kit for free. I had a gift card from Christmas. Yes the Christmas BEFORE. As in Christmas 2008. I’m really weird and have trouble parting with gift cards. Like I have to find THE PERFECT PURCHASE for them.)

*End gift card tangent*

So I bought the kit November 24th, but didn’t end up cracking it open to try it until almost a week later.

It was love at first circle, circle, circle, tap, tap, tap. (C’mon. Don’t tell me you’ve never been sucked into that infomercial.) The coverage was amazing. My skin was glowing!

I started using the kit regularly. As in, everyday. Coincidentally, the week I started using the kit was also the week I went on my first date with my now boyfriend. (Tangent 2: It’s still weird to say “boyfriend” since I haven’t had one in years. Anyway.)

Over the past 3 months I started breaking out. A lot. And let me just say, not to brag or anything, but between my mom and dad, they passed some some insane super skin. I never break out. I never did. Not even in awkward teenage, the time for terrible skin years. Sure I get an annoying zit now and then, but who doesn’t? That being said, these break outs were different. They were all over my face, and they weren’t going away.

I tried to figure out what the hell was going on, and my first trail of thought was “OMG. This started happening when I started dating E.” Was it him? His dog? His laundry detergent? His water? (He lives in a different part of Boston than I do – hey I was getting desperate here.)

I kept my face clean and washed it with my regular aloe sensitive skin line from the Body Shop (it has never done me wrong!). No change. I took to cleaning my make up brushes twice a week. No change. I washed a few of his shirts at my place in my laundry detergent. I brought my own pillow in a pillowcase also washed in my detergent from home on nights I stayed at his place. No change. I made sure to wash my hands after every time I pet his dog. No change. I showered at home or at the gym (my regular shower spots). No change.

WHAT. THE. HECK. Right?

So about a week ago it finally hit me “Um maybe it’s not E. Maybe it’s the stuff I smear all over my face everyday.”

DUH, right? But WHY WOULD IT BE? The stuff is ALL MINERALS. Supposedly PERFECT for sensitive skin.

It’s in their marketing for christ’s sake:
“It’s makeup so pure you can sleep in it.”

So I googled. And. Oh. HAI:

Yeah. So I started doing some research. I found girl after girl after girl who had NEVER had a problem with acne until they started using this makeup. The culprit? The bismuth oxychloride in the product. It was wreaking havoc on my face. Also? The brushes. Too harsh for my face.

I stopped using the make up this weekend. And it’s only Thursday and my face has totally cleared up for the first time since December.

Coincidence? I think not.

The verdict?

I tossed the whole kit.*

So in conclusion — if you’re thinking about throwing down the big bucks for Bare Minerals makeup? Go to a Sephora or other retailer of the stuff and grab some free samples and try it for a few days before you buy. See how your skin reacts (it only took about a week for it to full on destroy my face). I know plenty of people who love this stuff. I’m just not one of them.

(*Oddly enough my sister got me the Get Started Eye Kit for my birthday this year, and I haven’t had ONE problem with that. So the eye makeup gets to stay. The rest? TRASH.)

If you look directly above this post, you’ll see a button begging for donations. Classy, no?

I just registered for a 9k – Run to Home Base – a road race that loops through Boston, ending at Fenway Park to raise funds for local veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

From the Home Base main page:

“The Home Base Program is a new philanthropic partnership between the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital dedicated to improving the lives of New England servicemen and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with combat stress disorders and/or traumatic brain injury through clinical care, innovative research, education, family support and community outreach.”

As the granddaughter and daughter of United States Marines, I thought this would be a nice way to honor them and help out local veterans. I have pledged to raise at least $1,000 and need your help. I would greatly appreciate if you could support me and support our service men and women!

You can donate directly here: http://www.runtohomebase.org/runtohomebase/JennyFrazier

For more information on the race and the Home Base program, please visit: http://www.runtohomebase.org/

Thanks a bunch! :)

PS. If you can’t donate, but know of someone who can, please consider passing on the link to my fundraising page!

PPS. I’ve worked out a training schedule to build up to the race, starting TODAY! If you’re curious what my training program will be or want to use it to get a jump start on your spring training, feel free to download the PDF I drew up here. (That’s worth a small donation … right?? Heh.)

On a whim I dyed my hair dark brown yesterday. I sort of had been considering it for a couple of weeks for a few reasons:

1) It’s my natural hair color. Yet I’ve probably been a blonde (except for a brief stint with brown about 2 years ago) for the past 12 years.

2) Because of this, my hair is …. sort of damaged. Split ends. Dry. Etc. That’s what happens when you strip your hair with peroxide regularly I guess.

3) I’m trying to grow my hair out. But. I get bored. EASILY. So instead of going at my tresses with a pair of scissors, I went at it with a single color process (bye bye highlights, lowlights. And the price tag that comes with that!)

I took a pic last weekend of the blonde while wearing a similarly colored shirt as I’m wearing today for comparison.

Bye bye blondie. Hello brunette. I love it already. :)