You're Kidding, Right?

Before we moved to India, the husband decided we needed to get a patio furniture set.  Since he was busy commuting between the midwest and India, the job fell to me.  I can safely say that I sat on every patio set chair available in the city we were living in, and finally found a set I liked at Sears--table for 6, 6 chairs that could recline completely, 2 foot stools that could turn reclined chairs into lounges, and a side table.  We hauled it to India and I think we used it once.  Terraces (as they are called there) are actually the rooftop of the house and while it's a lovely place to be when it's not too hot, sunny, rainy or mosquito-y, you don't want to leave things outside in case the monkeys come through.  (They don't alter their routes to food just because someone builds a house.  And if you're on their route, you better make sure they can't get inside the house!  Trust me--monkeys are NOT cute.) You especially don't want them peeing on cushions--once that happens, forget it. 

So we hauled the almost-new set back with us and have the table and 4 chairs in the gazebo/pergola/whatever it's called and 2 of the chairs, the foot stools and little table on the back patio under cover where the husband and I sit most days.  And all was going so well, until a squirrel decided that one of the cushions either smelled irresistable, or else hid something irresistable inside of it because I now have 5 almost-new cushions and one mass of shreds.  (One of the foot stool cushions is also torn but I can't say definitively whether it's from a squirrel or from the Christmas mayhem.)  This in less than a year in this house.

Believe it or not, I have my original sales receipt so I was able to track down the manufacturer, but to no avail--matching cushions are not available.  I have spent the afternoon on line looking at replacements and to get all new cushions (it would be nice if things went together) WOULD COST MORE THAN THE WHOLE SET, INCLUDING AN UMBRELLA AND UMBRELLA STAND, COST.  I really think it would look stupid to have 5 matching cushions and 1 different one, so I'm now considering 3 new ones in a solid color that goes with the existing ones.  But how boring is that?  And how even more boring when the old ones need replacing and all I have are solid ones???

This comes on the heels of my morning phone calls regarding air fares.  I am trying to fly into one city and out of another and since the return is based on when the grandbaby arrives, I want to be able to change dates--don't want to stay too long but if the baby is late I'd like to be there a couple of weeks to be of some help.  If I go into a discount site, I can book a ticket for about $450 with definite dates, and then would have to pay about $150 if I had to change my return date.  Or I could get an open return fare and book my return when the baby arrives--AND ONLY PAY $2700 TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.  Seriously?  (At least the airline person was kind enough to suggest buying a one way ticket to get there, and then when I know when I want to return, book a one way ticket back.  Since I'm coming and going from 2 different cities the fare is basically one way for each segment anyway.  That avoids the change fee completely.)

If the economy is truly as scary as it seems, how can companies realistically think that anyone is going to give them their hard earned money and get so little in return?  Or am I so out of touch that what are actually reasonable prices just seem incredible to me?

I may just haul out the (34 year old) sewing machine and for the price of fabric and cording, solve my own cushion problem...