Catching up
I got a message from mikeinbama today, which reminded me that I have not updated in forever. So . . . here's a synopsis of the past three months.
June -- I left Norfolk the first week in June. I was supposed to leave on June 4, but my movers failed to show up that day. They called to reschedule to the following day. On June 5 they brought the wrong truck; it would not fit in the neighborhood (it was too big for the streets). They finally showed up on June 6, which meant I did not leave until June 7 -- three days later than planned. The trip south was hell; Giz cried incessantly unless she was out of her carrier and in my lap, which kept her quiet for maybe ten minutes. I tried to stop regularly for her, meaning the trip took five days. We arrived in Baton Rouge on June 10 -- to discover that the apartment I had rented and was supposed to occupy on June 6 was not ready. A great start in a new place! They put me up in a hotel for another night so they could clean the apartment. I came back to the apartment on June 11 to discover that the carpets were wet and no one could walk on them until June 12 ... another night in a hotel. On June 12 I came back and saw the apartment -- and the lovely large pink stain in the middle of the living room carpet; I refused to take the apartment. they gave me a different apartment -- but it had not been cleaned so it was another night in the hotel. Finally, on June 13 I got in the apartment. My furniture was supposed to arrive no later than June 14 -- a date confirmed by the movers on June 9. It did not arrive. I was scheduled to start my new job on June 16, so I called for a new delivery date to ensure I would be home. My furniture was still in Virginia; it was in a warehouse despite the fact I had been guaranteed that it would be sent straight through. The mover could not even tell me when it would be leaving Virginia. I called back on June 20 to see if they had any more information; the delivery manager I had been talking to was "not in" but would return my call when he got back. I got the same message on June 23, 24, 25, and 26, when I was told they would call me and give me at least three days notice before delivery and that I should not "bother them" with more calls. On June 28 I bought an air mattress and a new tv.
July -- On July 1 I got a phone call from a customer service rep at the movers who told me I should contact their corporate headquarters to complain, that by their policy I was now due for rebates of $100 a day due to their failure to deliver my furniture. I contacted the people in corporate I was told to contact, giving them the details of my lack of satisfaction. I flew to Dallas on July 3 to spend the holiday there. Staying in an empty apartment (except for an air mattress and a tv) was too depressing. I returned to Baton Rouge on Sunday, July 6. that evening I received a phone call that my furniture would be delivered on Monday, July 7 -- so much for three days notice. I took off from work and waited. I got another phone call that evening apologizing for the delay and assuring me that my things would be delivered first thing the following morning. I took another day off. The movers showed up at noon. They emptied the truck by 6:00 PM and discovered that three boxes were missing. I was told to file a claim with the corporate office. I have no idea what was in the three missing boxes since they were packed by the movers; I cannot figure out what I am missing. I did discover that a table was broken in the move. The moving company sent me a check for $75 since I could not identify what was missing -- the payment was based on the average weight of my boxes. Moving is hell.
I do like the people with whom I am working -- a few of them are openly gay which makes adapting here a little easier. They have taken me out for drinks a few times.
Giz continues to be a demanding little bitch. She wakes me up every morning between 4:30 and 5:00; she refuses to accept that we are in a different time zone. She paws at me and cries until I get up to feed her. I try to go back to bed once her bowl is full but she continues to cry and paw at me until I get up. Her cries continue while I shower. She stops crying when I go to the kitchen to fix breakfast; she is content to eat while I am fixing breakfast and then wants in my lap while I eat breakfast. She repeats this routine when I come home from work, crying until her bowl is filled and then crying until I start fixing dinner, when she decides she can eat. I am definitely her human.
I will try to update more regularly. I realize I miss LJ -- even mikeinbama's crazy football pick 'em.
June -- I left Norfolk the first week in June. I was supposed to leave on June 4, but my movers failed to show up that day. They called to reschedule to the following day. On June 5 they brought the wrong truck; it would not fit in the neighborhood (it was too big for the streets). They finally showed up on June 6, which meant I did not leave until June 7 -- three days later than planned. The trip south was hell; Giz cried incessantly unless she was out of her carrier and in my lap, which kept her quiet for maybe ten minutes. I tried to stop regularly for her, meaning the trip took five days. We arrived in Baton Rouge on June 10 -- to discover that the apartment I had rented and was supposed to occupy on June 6 was not ready. A great start in a new place! They put me up in a hotel for another night so they could clean the apartment. I came back to the apartment on June 11 to discover that the carpets were wet and no one could walk on them until June 12 ... another night in a hotel. On June 12 I came back and saw the apartment -- and the lovely large pink stain in the middle of the living room carpet; I refused to take the apartment. they gave me a different apartment -- but it had not been cleaned so it was another night in the hotel. Finally, on June 13 I got in the apartment. My furniture was supposed to arrive no later than June 14 -- a date confirmed by the movers on June 9. It did not arrive. I was scheduled to start my new job on June 16, so I called for a new delivery date to ensure I would be home. My furniture was still in Virginia; it was in a warehouse despite the fact I had been guaranteed that it would be sent straight through. The mover could not even tell me when it would be leaving Virginia. I called back on June 20 to see if they had any more information; the delivery manager I had been talking to was "not in" but would return my call when he got back. I got the same message on June 23, 24, 25, and 26, when I was told they would call me and give me at least three days notice before delivery and that I should not "bother them" with more calls. On June 28 I bought an air mattress and a new tv.
July -- On July 1 I got a phone call from a customer service rep at the movers who told me I should contact their corporate headquarters to complain, that by their policy I was now due for rebates of $100 a day due to their failure to deliver my furniture. I contacted the people in corporate I was told to contact, giving them the details of my lack of satisfaction. I flew to Dallas on July 3 to spend the holiday there. Staying in an empty apartment (except for an air mattress and a tv) was too depressing. I returned to Baton Rouge on Sunday, July 6. that evening I received a phone call that my furniture would be delivered on Monday, July 7 -- so much for three days notice. I took off from work and waited. I got another phone call that evening apologizing for the delay and assuring me that my things would be delivered first thing the following morning. I took another day off. The movers showed up at noon. They emptied the truck by 6:00 PM and discovered that three boxes were missing. I was told to file a claim with the corporate office. I have no idea what was in the three missing boxes since they were packed by the movers; I cannot figure out what I am missing. I did discover that a table was broken in the move. The moving company sent me a check for $75 since I could not identify what was missing -- the payment was based on the average weight of my boxes. Moving is hell.
I do like the people with whom I am working -- a few of them are openly gay which makes adapting here a little easier. They have taken me out for drinks a few times.
Giz continues to be a demanding little bitch. She wakes me up every morning between 4:30 and 5:00; she refuses to accept that we are in a different time zone. She paws at me and cries until I get up to feed her. I try to go back to bed once her bowl is full but she continues to cry and paw at me until I get up. Her cries continue while I shower. She stops crying when I go to the kitchen to fix breakfast; she is content to eat while I am fixing breakfast and then wants in my lap while I eat breakfast. She repeats this routine when I come home from work, crying until her bowl is filled and then crying until I start fixing dinner, when she decides she can eat. I am definitely her human.
I will try to update more regularly. I realize I miss LJ -- even mikeinbama's crazy football pick 'em.