I Didn't Even Get Kissed

This absolutely must be the week for me to get screwed. First, I find out that the $1,000 duckies I spent fixing my piece of shit auto should have only cost me about half that. Never use D&H Automotive, they will rip you off.

Second, my local phone company has had me cut off from the outside world for one solid week as they continue to tell me:

1) There is no problem with your phone line
2) the problem with your phone is from Frances and
3) the problem with your phone is in your house (even though we haven't actually been in your house to prove that).

Now, to get my phone repaired, I have to be home at noon - get this - every, fucking day at 12:00 until MONDAY to wait for the repairman. They said this morning -after a week of me calling them - that is the best they could do because they didn't know what was going to happen with Ivan. I had to explain that

1) my phone worked just fine for several days after Frances and
2) if they had come out a fucking week ago when I first called, Ivan wouldn't be an issue today. I mean, is it my fucking fault that a hurricane hit the goddamn coast?

Would you like to know the real kicker to this one?? When I was finishing the call with them this morning, the customer no-service lady said, "You know, when this gets repaired, you really should call back and ask for a credit adjustment to your account. You shouldn't have to pay for a service you aren't getting." Oh shit! I never thought to do that. Stupid ass has no idea who she was talking to this morning.

Oh yeah, I'll be calling.

Then, once I get the credit, I'm going straight back to Ma Bell. Never use AT&T for local service. I had Bell South for 10 years and never had a problem, but stupid me switched to get SkyMiles (for an airline that will probably file Chapter 11 soon). I guess that's what you get when you try to fix something that ain't broke.

Speaking of Ivan, folks here say it will be worse than Frances in terms of the wind and rain. We're actually supposed to have a tropical storm. I've been in a tropical storm in St. Thomas, but those houses are designed to withstand winds over 50 MPH. Old Southern homes are not. Besides, Frances probably knocked loose some branches that haven't fallen yet so a nice gust of about 50 MPH should bring them down. The rain is a problem also. I heard a statistic once that Atlanta has the second worst sewer system in the world (after Mexico City - and that's only because Mexico City was hit by a huge earthquake a few years ago). Needless to say, if we get 5-10" of rain like some folks are predicting, getting to and from the house will be tricky. Roomie and I plotted different ways to get home if the streets start flooding like they did during Frances. As I said, it will be tricky.

Well, it's time for a cup of coffee (just starting to drink coffee again after giving up the stoggies) and a read of the papers. Then head home to wait for the phone guy. I have to train my brain not to sit here and devise ways to abuse him when he finally gets to the house.

Hope everyone in LA is OK (in the South, LA stands for Lower Alabama).