KCL is down - well it's not really down, but I can't access it, everything is dragging. I have yet to be able to get to the 'new post' portion of my journal there since I started trying to several hours ago.

So I'll post here instead.

Yesterday evening - actually it was night time - it hit me. I have waited far more than long enough for my car insurance company to do something about getting my car fixed. Lke, what, a month and a half since the accident?

I started looking up the company's official's names online - this company has a site that has senior management names, phone numbers, email adresses and cell phone numbers. I was apalled. I would never put out my cell phone if I was a high ranking dude or dudette in a company. I called the number, of course, and yes, this man - the Chief Operations Officer of the company answered.

I detailed - detailed - the entire story, including the extreme rudeness of the woman that is in charge of my "case" and "investigation". He wanted off the phone - he was obviously not at work judging from the noises coming from the background and was also obviously annoyed at my intrusion into his personal life.

Tough. Don't like it, take your freakin' cellphone number off the WORLD WIDE WEB. After I made my point - excessively and on purpose since this company isn't doing it's job - he told me to send him an email with all of my info and he guaranteed that someone would call me back before noon today.

Sure enough, the manager that I had spoken with after I demanded a manager in the first round of calls - almost 2 months ago - was on the line. How can I help you, Mr. Ben B? Well, ma'am I have heard absolutely NOTHING from your company since I initially file the claim. No snail mail, no email, no phone call, nothing.

She's checking her information on her computer. She wanted to verify the address. I figured this one out before she gave me the address: they sent it to my old address, even though I have updated it, ON THE PHONE, WITH THEM, several times now. LONG before the accident occured as well. She claimed they has sent out a check on November 3rd. That's a while back. She sat on the phone, claimed she was cancelling the check and issuing a new one, yada yada yada.

She then questioned my letter to the Chief Ops Officer. I stated more info in there, including the part about the adjuster blaring at me on the phone that I was going to be charged with fault for the accident. The manager on the phone with me asked me how I had come to that conclusion? BECAUSE THAT"S WHAT THAT WOMAN TOLD ME. Oh, she replies. That's incorrect - the other party in the accident never called us, never filed a claim, we have closed the file and no-one has been charged with the accident.

I found a little gem on the computer online last night: I don't know if it's federal law or what, but there was a chart online showing people's complaints about this particular company and the law that was violated. You CANNOT be charged with fault for an accident unless the other party actually contacts the company and makes a statement. Well, you can if you call your insurance company and tell them you ran a red light, T-Boned another car, thanks for playing.

So, a new check is being sent out, and I'm sure it's low-ball. They already told me that if there is more that needs repaired that the check doesn't cover to have the insurance company call them and file a "supplemental claim". I'll bet a large proportion of accidents have such claims filed. They already told me that this check would not cover getting my AC fixed. Well, there's probably $500 right there at least.

Certainly this isn't behind me yet, but it's a step in the right direction. I forgot to ask whether I have rental car coverage or not - I will have to be able to get to work somehow during the repair process - which is usually at least a week in such cases as the damage to my car - not extensive but enough to make it worth several days. There is a good auto-body shop across the street from my work, since they are sending me the check, I am going to get an estimate from them and see what they come up with.

Changing gears. I'm toodling down I-17 today in the semi, singing to a song on the radio, enjoying the ride, watching extremely stupid drivers do extremely stupid things in traffic. The phone rings. I only recognize that it's one of the numbers for our main branch, I cheerily answer with my company's name and my name. It's the Ops manager. He NEVER calls me, I had no clue. He's calling me to tell me what to bring to the company party tomorrow.

I had responded to him last week about bringing something - everyone is supposed to bring some kind of dish - and that I didn't know what needed to be brought. He wrote back and said he would let me know. It's the day before the party and now I know, lol. A meat and cheese tray.

I stopped by Walmart on the way home - their trays looked pathetic, small, not much meat or cheese but a hefty price tag at $15. I then stopped at Fry's Food Stores - same thing, good sized price tag, but for $15 - the same price, I figured I could make my own tray and get 4 times the product at least for the same price or a little more.

I bought a half ham; pepperoni; a large summer sausage; 3 kinds of cheese and a box of crackers. Total cost $20. I won't be taking all of it. I'm simply going to cut all of it up tomorrow morning, put it on a couple of large trays and take it to the party. The other half - at least - that I keep will be for me : )

Today, I go to a contractor's yard to deliver a fire hydrant. An older gentlemen comes up - we start talking. He asks me to get into the loader and get the hydrant off the truck. Sorry, I am not allowed to operate another company's equipment - as much as I would have LOVED to, I love those machines, they're huge, powerful and fun looking. He got in - couldn't figure out how to start it. Then he couldn't figure out how to move the arms up and down. Then - he never did figure out how to get the thing to move. I figured there is a safety switch somewhere, but Iwasn't in the machine and I couldn't play with it.

Sure enough, there is a safety on one of the joysticks. Another guy showed up and - he took a while to figure it out, too, actually. Half an hour to unload one, single hydrant. No big deal.

I also dropped off 200 feet of schedule40 PVC pipe at my house today. Freebie. This pipe has been out of inventory, in our yard for years now. It is never going to sell. I am going to use it for a water outlet in the back where I figure to put an evap cooler out there when summer comes for the dogs. My neighbor - the car selling dude who has the used lot all over our street - was out there working on a boat he apparently acquired. I finally said hello to him. I have stayed away from him because of that felon next door to him - the ex-drug dealer. He's a cocky, mouthy, arrogant, heady SOB who is almost always over at my neighbor's house, I just totally ignore them for the most part. He said hi back - he was obviously still sick. He helped me unload the pipe.

The second newest tenant showed up several days late last week to pay the weekly rent. He was coming home - today actually on Fridays - to pay it. I haven't seen him and I can only suspect he is having trouble getting the money together. I offered to reduce the rent - not substantially but some - rather keep people as long as possible than have to continuously keep finding new people and having to lose rent in the interim of not having them in here.

Ummm - so - I'm trying to get my head into the "party mode" for the company party tomorrow afternoon. Dunno why I can't seem to be able to do it - yet anyway. I will spend a good hour just cutting all that cheese and meat I bought for the party tray. I dunno, but it's after 9:00pm, my bedtime and I'm outta here

G'nite.
ben