Fun new Holiday gifts and the treadmill fiasco

Hey all! Thanks for the input in the comments of my last post. Good stuff, and I was excited to discover that I have more that one reader. :-)
Feel free to add your comments on what my weekly Boston Training recap topics should be here.

Moving on,
The Holiday season is upon us. This means it is time for FUN NEW THINGS!!!
(and the magic of the season. and togetherness. and stuff.)
But who are we kidding? It's the season for fun new shit.

First off, my fabulous Christmas gift!
Eric came through (again) as the best Husband ever (he has a great record if we are being honest here!)
I noticed on Instagram that some of our East Coast friends were signing up for the California International Marathon. I was definitely envious and hinted, with no actual expectations, that an trip to this race would be an amazing gift.
Much to my surprise, it happened.

Well isn't this nice!

I was. Literally. Speechless.
This has been a race that I've been interested in for a long time. As much as I'd love to run Big Sur, the timing is very poor and it is hard to get into (but someday, it will happen.)
A December marathon is excellent. The course sounds like it will play to my strengths. While I have been to the West coast it was long ago, and it was not California!

The list of things that I want to do while there is long... My excitement level is VERY high! In addition to this it will be wonderful to have an "east coasters on the west coast" runners party while we are all there.
SO. EXCITED.

Stop reading now if you don't want to hear more about our never ending treadmill fiasco.

Eric and I have been mourning the swift demise of our treadmill. Since this winter has come on with vengeance, reducing us to either road running in deadly conditions or staying on the bike, we have been especially sad. (I have, anyway.)
On cyber Monday, we found a good Holiday deal on a treadmill that is a significant upgrade. Good Holiday deal or not, it was still more than we wanted to pay out.
The good news is, this is the Holiday season. My parents wanted to give us a nice Christmas gift so they chipped in for the new beast and BOOM, done.
Sort of.

Quality pic. But it's the best I can do since we are NEVER EVER gonna get this thing.

There has been a pretty significant fiasco in its delivery.
 I can not say enough bad things about MDX Group shipping... The treadmill was out for delivery on the 22nd of December, the truck had issues (which can happen) and the driver said he would see us first thing the next day.
That day came, and almost went. I called up MDX and was told that the treadmill was back in the warehouse (where it had been since the FIFTH of December) and would not be delivered for three more weeks.

NOPE.

Long, long story short. On the 23rd I spent over 2 hours on the phone with MDX (whose business motto is "fuck off") and then with Nordictrack directly to get the issue resolved. I felt that a promise of delivery prior to the New Year was a reasonable request.
If it had been my business I also would have offered me a shipping upgrade beyond curbside delivery... Well, that did not happen.
Honestly, at this point we are still playing the wait and see game.
The Nordictrack people were exceptionally helpful.
MDX shipping, for the most part a complete failure in the customer service department.

Days later, with no news I called back.
"Hi Ethan" I said "I'm SURE you aren't happy to hear from ME again!!"
He probably wasn't. But he tried. 
Nordictrack went as far as to upgrade the treadmill to a better model (great!) And to upgrade my shipping to get the treadmill where I want it (super!) But we don't have it and have no idea when we will. (BAD.) 

(and the fiasco continues....)
Right after I hung up with Nordictrack, MDX called me to tell me that Treadmill #1 would not be delivered until between the 16th-20th "most likely the 20th" due to issues that are not of any interest to me. I was like "NOPE, there is a change of plans, kid." And then I listed off my many, many complaints. Which were met with radio silence because they are clearly accustomed to having very disappointed customers. Good work guys. Quality. So impressed. NOT.
(and they have NO IDEA what is going on. Like, zero clues. HEAD DESK)

I am THIS CLOSE to saying, screw it. And cancelling the whole damn order.

FIRST WORLD ISSUE. I know this. Regardless, I'm annoyed.
Let's assume that I'll have the beast in the basement next week and the story will be over.
HAH. HAH. 

Want to take bets? Will it? Or will I be live tweeting another 2 hour phone conversation with Nordictrack/MDX group next week? Will I ever actually get this treadmill? (I'm not sure at this point.)