June 29, 2009

Still waiting

I took the afternoon off to meet the phone repair/install/technician (I don't know what they call themselves) and of course, they're still not here. Granted, they still have 19 minutes before the window is up, but it's hard to be patient when I don't know what's going on.

I switched over to AT&T's Uverse service this spring and got the internet and digital phone service. $30 per month for phone (including unlimited long distance) is not a bad deal, but when I finally switched to my cell phone for all of my long distance, it just seemed silly to being paying extra for that. I called to cancel my home phone entirely, but I allowed them to talk me into going back to the non-frills analog service. I don't really need two telephones (home and mobile), but I guess I haven't gotten quite used to the idea of not having a landline at all. After all, if I can't find my portable phone, I can just use another extension, but if I can't find my cell phone, I'm out of luck.

Anyway, in order to go from the Uverse digital phone to the landline, they have to port the number back and do some rewiring--everything runs through the modem right now. I don't have a dial tone, so they must have done something, but until they rewire at the telephone interface outside they're not finished.

5:00 p.m.: Still waiting. But, hey, they said there's a technician assigned! And they gave me a number to call if I don't hear something by 6:00.

6:00 p.m.: Still no technician and the local number they gave answers with a recording stating that the office is closed. Wow, I'm so glad I took the afternoon off to be here for this. The customer service representative tells me that "they're running late" and I'm "next on the list." Whatever. He got a bit sarcastic when I suggested that contacting customers to tell them the tech is running late might be a good thing.

6:30 p.m.: The technician called and said he couldn't be here until after dark, but could I meet him here in the morning? Uh, no. Geez, what a production. I think he finally figured out what work he's supposed to be doing for me now and he's going to try again tomorrow evening because I refused to miss any more work.

At least I brought work home with me, because otherwise I'd be steaming by now instead of just irritated.

7:20 p.m.: Hooray! It's working now.  I have a dial tone without knocking out my internet connection. The technician asked someone else to do this job for him and he was finished about 10 minutes later. And he gave me advice about how to fix my sliding glass door so it actually slides again.

June 25, 2009

Leave it for Mom

unwashed

It doesn't seem to matter how often you remind them that their mother does not work here--some people will always leave their dishes in the sink for others to wash.

It makes me glad I don't have to see their apartments.

June 21, 2009

After mowing

JaneMow

I came in to cool off after mowing and I felt something on my foot. I looked down and saw Jane trying to lift my foot up to get to the bottom of my shoe. Apparently those yard smells are pretty exciting.

June 16, 2009

You probably can't see the "Park Here" sign on the fire hydrant

RedTruck

This guy visits the neighbors pretty often and always insists on parking in front of my house. Yeah, I know the street is public property, but why not park by the people you're visiting? And that's ignoring the part about how he's parking by the one and only fire hydrant within sight.

Who does that?

June 15, 2009

Bookbag

Inspired by Alexa at Flotsam, these are the contents of my bookbag.

Contents

  1. pocket journal
  2. Splenda minis
  3. pocket knife
  4. eye drops, Target brand
  5. eye drops, Optive
  6. reading glasses
  7. generic Sudafed PE
  8. flyer from Valupak with the location of the Oroweat Bakery Outlet. I still haven't been there.
  9. Amazon receipt for The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes
  10. $1.55 in loose change
  11. Altoids Smalls, peppermint
  12. 2 pens
  13. mechanical pencil
  14. 2 Crest Glide dental floss (samples from the dentist)
  15. Neutrogena Hand Cream
  16. iPod nano
  17. business cards
  18. inhaler
  19. tissue
  20. 3 empty resealable sandwich bags. I always feel like I should save them if they're not icky, but then I forget they're stuffed in the bottom of my bag and pull out a new one.
  21. ear plugs
  22. generic Mucinex
  23. Target brand Tylenol
  24. 5 pony tail holders
  25. Kodak EasyShare DX7630 (old, but still useful)
  26. wallet
  27. brochure from the Wisconsin School of Business. The picture on the front is a great example of a bad Photoshop composite.
  28. a flyer from Photoshop User that I've been using for a bookmark
  29. Receipts and claim form for flexible spending
  30. list of photographs I'm supposed to be taking for a project at work

Normally I wouldn't empty it out just to take inventory, but this morning I discovered some wear on the strap and I'm afraid it's going to break soon. The bag is about 20 years old, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I'm not ready to stop retire it.

I'll have to go shopping in my closet tonight, but I think don't have any backup bags left. I may have to resort to a backpack.

Does anyone know a good place for leather repair south of the river?

Strap