I don't know about world peace but I'm pretty sure the national debt problem would be solved if we could just get slower drivers to MOVE TO THE RIGHT.
It happens. Eight different projects are all hitting their respective crossroads at the same time and (in the spirit of thoroughly mixed metaphors) I don't know how I'm going to keep all these balls in the air.
I talked to Pat this morning and he did indeed paint the car last Thursday, just didn't call me. That's OK! I'm just glad to finally have it ready. Well, almost ready. The paint has to cure and then he buffs it out, which he'll do later this week. The plan is that I go pick it up Sunday afternoon. He won't have the fenders done but assures me they'll follow soon thereafter. (right)
I'll bring the body home on a flatbed trailer Lyle let's me use, and once at the house Steve & Josh will help me get it off and set on the dolly I've built for the purpose. Then I will install the new wiring harness, the engine compartment seals and the headliner. Then, with the promise of fresh baked cookies I'll have the guys come back and help me set it on the chassis.
The teardrop is built on a trailer frame I got at Harbor Freight. They specialize in cheap tools and the like, which means the wheel bearings in this Chinese manufactured trailer are not to be trusted. Today I took them out and down to a local bearing supplier, who doesn't have them in stock but can get them by tomorrow. After they're installed the trailer can be put in storage until our camping trip this summer. And I need that space in the garage for the VW body a'la cart. So one will be out just before the other goes in.
The desert sun is hard on exterior surfaces and the storm that rolled through this weekend took its toll on the back patio cover. When I built it four years ago all the wood got primed and two coats of exterior paint, but the west side now has bare wood showing. Get out the paint brush before the wood is damaged. But tomorrow we'll be back to warm, sunny weather so it will wait until then.
There's more, but I'm saving that for next week when it all comes to fruition.
Yikes.
Here's a pic of the new, restyled Dodge charger due out this fall:
Just for fun, go here and type in your address very, very slowly, one digit or letter at a time, at watch it work.
Because of all the things going on I talked to six or eight businesses today. Most of the people on the other end of the phone were cheerful and helpful, and everything was handled in short order.
Then there was my experience with Allstate Insurance. I needed to get a policy for the trailer, and because they already have our cars and homeowners policies it should have been straightforward.
It was not.
I spent the first 30 minutes punching everything but my childhood home address into the phone. The computer voice wanted my policy number (which one??), my address, my phone number, and my birthdate. Then I punched in a series of numbers indicating I wanted to add a vehicle to my policy (is a trailer a vehicle?). Then I waited. And waited.
Finally a real person came on the line, although her voice sounded enough like the computer's that it took me some time to be certain. Fortunately, I used a more charitable tone of voice with her than I had by the end of my 15 minute conversation with Ms. Bytes.
You know what the real lady did.
She asked me for the same information I'd already given to the computer.
She said they had to verify my identity.
Then she asked me questions like, "What deductible do you want?"
Uhm...shouldn't you give me some idea what the options are and how each will affect the premium?
It went on like that for way too long. After it was all worked out she spent another three minutes tempting me to do evil by asking a set of questions such as, "Have all your questions been answered satisfactorily? Are there any other insurance issues I can help you with?" and the like.
I behaved myself. Pam was in the next room.
I think Allstate should hire the duck. It couldn't be any worse.
2 comments:
Cool map link. I'm waiting to see how long it takes for the satellite pics to update and show the baren entry to the driveway since the weeping willow tree came down in the recent storm. 2 years from now??
I had that same problem with Geico, but switched to Allstate. However, my local agent handles everything with perfection. I made the decision after dealing with Geico that I would always use an agent from now on!
Mike H.
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