Car Repair Update

Okay...my car was "done" today. But it broke down when they were delivering it to me. Having had enough with this repair shop, I called Geico and told them I wanted my car towed to Honda East to be fixed properly, period. So the repair shop towed it to Honda East. The repair shop is paying for the repair as well as my rental. Geico is authorizing two hours for Honda to go over my car with a fine-tooth comb to identify any other areas where the repair shop might have cut corners. And Geico is investigating the repair facility once I get my car back to see how they could fuck this up so much.

I did visit my car Monday and it at least LOOKED okay, minus the missing trim pieces that they were waiting on.

Car Repair Update/Rant

Okay...I'm NOT happy. My car was supposed to be done on Wednesday. Then they call and say Thursday afternoon maybe, but definitely Friday. So I arrange to be off Friday afternoon, get a coworker to agree to drive me to the repair facility, and get excited because I'm going to get my car back. So today I called to confirm and left several messages with both the insurance adjuster and the repair facility. A little before the close of business, the repair facility calls me to tell me that a part they were waiting on didn't come in, so it will probably be Monday.

Un-fucking-acceptable.

My rental coverage is going to run out before long and I want MY CAR back.

If I don't get good news tomorrow, I'm filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, Geico's CEO Office complaint line, and will probably have to go a little Julia Sugarbaker on both Geico and Ohio Autobody Repair.

Weekend

This weekend felt like it went by SO fast.

Friday night after work, Dale and I met Liz and Eric at the Rusty Bucket for dinner. After that, we went home and chilled. Saturday Blythe and I went to Christy's house to cheer her up and keep her company while her husband took her mom back home. Then that night, Dale and I met Blythe, Justin, Andrew and Sherry at the Winking Lizard to watch the OSU game. Today we met Liz, Eric and his friend Cassandra who is in town from Texas at Creekside for breakfast, then it was napping, a haircut, Panera and TV tonight. And tomorrow is back to the grind. :-(

I need two more days off.

CR-V vs. Deer

I was driving home after work on Tuesday and hit a deer. It's always been a fear of mine, but I never really thought it would happen on an interstate in the city. I was not injured. My airbags did not deploy. But the preliminary estimate is at $6800 but they haven't even began tearing it down to see what mechanical repairs will need to be made. That number could climb substantially.

Here's the damage:

A Year Ago

If a year ago you had asked me what my plans were for the following Saturday, I would not have been able to tell you. As a rather impulsive, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of guy, I've always had a rather myopic view of life. Last year was even more so, as my entire world hinged on my mother's terminal illness and impending passage. I won't recount the experience now. In fact, I haven't even been reliving it as much in my mind as I had anticipated. While I don't believe that Time heals all wounds, it does make life sufferable in the wake of loss.

The last year has been an experience like nothing I've faced. A year of unimaginable sadness and profound grief, as well as realization, hope and love.

Losing a parent is one of those things that you don't understand until you've faced it yourself. It's like a lifetime membership in a club that no one wants to join, but whose members are a comfort to each other. And when a new member joins, the collective feels their pain all over again.

Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of my mother's passing. My sister and I wondered if we would get a sign. Hers was a hummingbird (mom loved them) flying into her garage while she and her boys were going into the house from the car. Mine was different. I haven't seen a monarch butterfly all summer, but...

I interpret phone calls into American Sign Language at my part-time job. I went all year without hearing my mom's name while on a call. Her name is fairly unique, and I would have remembered. But this week I heard it Tuesday night, Thursday night, and during an unexpected shift Saturday evening.

I miss you, Mom.













"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
~Dr. Seuss~

Noodles & Company = Epic Fail

I really want to like Noodles & Co. The food isn't bad; it's the service. I would say that six out of ten times that I've eaten there, they get my order wrong. This is at the Polaris location AND the location on 256. I've ordered Tuscan Linguine with sauteed spinach. They forgot the spinach and wanted to bring it to me on the side. I made them remake it. I've ordered Pad Thai TWICE and asked for it without sprouts. Twice they've given me sprouts. Today the manager came out and said it would be just a little while longer, they put sprouts in it and were remaking it. So they bring me the remade dish and guess what...there were sprouts in it. I picked what I could off and made the best of it.

The employees piddle around, trying to look busy. They move slowly. They don't hustle, or seem to be interested in getting things done.

Don't go. Save yourself the frustration.

Movie-Goer Etiquette

Dale and I went to Easton AMC to see "Hancock" last night. While the movie itself wasn't that bad, the experience was horrible. People do not know how to behave at the movie theater.

If you're going to go to a movie, please get there on time. And by on time, I mean at least 10 minutes early. There is nothing worse than watching a movie and knowing the inciting incident is unfolding on the screen, only to see a group of seven or so teenagers come strolling in giggling and looking for a good seat and discussing their options loudly.

You're probably thinking it could be worse and you're right...it got worse. People were taking calls during the movie. And probably about 10 people kept flipping their cell phone open to text during the movie, their screens lighting up the theater like giant rude fireflies.

I hate rude people.

Independence Day

It's turned out to be a good holiday weekend so far. I had to work Thursday evening doing video relay, but the call queue was pretty light. I didn't get to see Red, White and Boom, but maybe next year. Actually I did see a little of them. When I got off on Broad Street, I could see a little them in the distance. I did listen to the soundtrack on WNCI, and I teared up a little bit. Dale's brother Joe is a marine and did two tours in Iraq, but made it home safely. I am so grateful for that, and it pained me to think about all of the men and women who didn't make it home, and how the Fourth of July, which always was so celebratory, now has a very sad undertone.

Today we're going to Costco to get a few things for Dale's family, and then we'll stop by out there and drop it off. And I have GOT to clean my bathroom.

New Look

I updated the look of my blog. I thought maybe if it were more interesting, I might be more inclined to blog. Time will tell. This current theme might only be on here for a few days, since I"m not in love with it. But I will eventually come up with something I like.

Carpenter Ants

Don't let the cartoon fool you; carpenter ants are not cute or cuddly. We've had a little infestation. The occasional ant is not unusual, but when you walk into your bathroom and find five of them in toolbelts going over blueprints and planning a jihad, it's not a good thing.

Orkin came and the ants are now slowly dying of poison. Better living through chemicals (or a slow painful death through chemicals). Is the glass half empty or half full?

Happy New Year!

Dale and I had a low-key NYE. For the second year in a row, we've gone to his friends' house, Gary and Angi. They're what I call Dale's "camping friends." They don't hang out much except in the spring - fall, when they camp a few times. When not camping, they stay in touch via phone and email.

Their daughter Dena was there, and the five of us hung out and played Wii all night. Last year we played pool and darts and listened to music.

Santa visited our house a couple days after Christmas and brought us a 50" plasma HDTV. The picture is AMAZING. I also got Dale an iPhone for Christmas, because he kept hijacking mine and it was the only way to get mine back. Merry Christmas to me; I got my phone back.

Tomorrow is back to the daily grind and the Holidays are completely over. I'm a little bummed, but also a little relieved.