After I rolled my little car back into the driveway (remind me to remind the 'slaves' that clearing the driveway of snow means actually clearing the driveway, and not just a foot path for the tires), I put the trash out - AGAIN - per my phone conversation with the WM customer service person's instructions on Friday.
See, our small but affordable - and efficient -trash service was gobbled up by a much larger trash conglomerate while I was away. Of course, care was taken to warn (er, that is to say....'announce') the change to those who used the little garbage haulers...sort of. A letter came saying that we shouldn't worry; no needless changes to pick-up dates or times would be made, no large jumps in rates or limitations would occur; that the changeover would be seamless.
Rrr-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ght.
A secondary postcard was also waiting in my stack of mail when I arrived home, stating that our usual pick-up day of Thursday would now take place on Friday. Ahem....our usual pick-up day for trash collection was already on Friday, so what does it all mean?
Well, when I called the customer service number Friday afternoon, around 4:50PM, to inquire after the languishing pile of trash at the end of the driveway, and to find out approximately when the truck might get there, I was surprised to learn that our pick-up day had been moved to Thursday. (You could see that coming, couldn't you?)
"OK," I said, "but the post card quite clearly states that our day is on Friday and not Thursday, and for the past several weeks my sons have been putting out the trash per your instructions (with much the same result)."
"Yeah," said the very un-enthusiastic voice at the other end of the phone, "those were kind of wrong. Those cards were sent to the wrong customers."
Hmmm, what about sending out a corrected piece of mail? I'm sure hundreds of phone calls weren't any easier to field.
"So what do I do with my bags of lonely garbage between now and next Thursday?" I asked.
"Well, I could schedule you for an exta pick-up some time on Monday, if that will help," said the bored representative.
Hmmm....an "extra" pick-up would imply that there had already been a first pick-up, but I wasn't going to argue symantics with someone who obviously wouldn't get the difference, much less care.
I agreed to the Monday pick-up, donned my boots and a jacket, gathered the trash and placed it once more into the garage. Now (of course) I am curiously watching and listening for signs of garbage gathering on a much larger scale. I miss my little garbage company, I really do.
Ugh and argh!
Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer, somewhere in the mid- (probably low) 30*F range. If that happens, there will undoubtedly be some melting going on, and a whole lotta shoveling for my sons and myself. Yesterday, I saw a few of my icepickles dripping in the afternoon sun, but not all of them...just a couple here and there. When there is selective melting I am horrified to think what the reason might be (because I know it must also mean water damage somewhere in a wall).
I have a load of things I want to do, and a smaller load of things I need to do, but I don't know which to tackle first. The better thing would be to start with the needful before touching the 'want-to's,' but I am so wanting to quilt and move my furniture around, and do the fun stuff. Maybe if I begin in the middle of each pile and work my way out. ??
Began working on Karl's last assignment for animation class yesterday afternoon. He never went to the last class, and didn't turn in what he had done!!!!!! Argh! I guess my sharper stick is better than his older brother's, and my methods of keeping him incentivized work better, too. We cut and edited the video so that it lasted a bit longer than the eight seconds he had scanned/animated. Karl was happy with those changes, and then we began adding end credits. Now, he needs to add his bit of silliness (a graphic that will fly in from the right) and we will record sound and add it for the final touch.
He doesn't see the point, since the class ended a couple of weeks ago, but his instructor was so very kind and offered to let Karl come in when the new term starts to use the lab to finish and turn in his last assignment for a grade! How often does that happen? I had thoughts of sending an email and asking for that favor, but here the instructor has offered it up...so I am making Karl finish his task - yes, this long after the fact. This is a lesson he needs pounded into his brain. FINISH WHAT YOU START!
OK, I feel a little better for having ranted a tad. Thanks for letting me kvetch.
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