So, I was asking the lady on the telephone, am I supposed to come into your store at some certain time of day to buy meat?
lol
I was talking to Fry's corporate yesterday about the situation with the general manager of the store I frequent.  That woman  - the general manager that is - is NOT customer friendly.  I have watched her for some time now dealing with people and it's pretty ugly.  She has the personality of a rock.

Anyway, I told them the entire store and then demanded a gift card be sent to my home.  Thank you.

I haven't gotten to Verizon yet.  That company is much like Direct TV in that you have to navigate through a bunch of computer junk to get to a real, live person.  It takes a while for me to get the motivation up to want to actually go through all of that - but once I do, I'm good for the rest of the game, however many calls has to be made, it gets done.

This month is looking pretty ugly on the financial front.  I've paid almost all the bills owing - a couple left to go - and it isn't leaving me much.  This is a 3 paycheck month, though, that will help.  Fortunately for me, tenants are paying up and that is extremely helpful.  No, that is the sink or float maker.  I don't really care that much if I'm broke, but if I AM broke, I do care that it's because I already paid all the bills and don't have to worry about it, not that I am broke and am facing a mountain of things I cannot pay.  Fortunately, that is not the case.  Next month will be better since I got completely caught up on the water bill this month and am very much watching water consumption. Plants and trees are getting watered, yes, but only as much as they need. I used to go out there and turn it all on and then forget about it.

Not anymore.

The truck.  Yesterday morning, I was faced with several deliveries.  The idea that the truck was not going to be taken into the shop was a non-happening event.  I called Penske, confirmed they had a truck available and then discussed with my manager when we are taking our truck in.  Yup, took it in yesterday, got a rental truck sitting in our yard.  And that thing pumps out ice cold air and that's EXACTLY what our truck better be doing when we get it back this time.  I had an "interesting" conversation with management at the International dealership. They have a 3 to 4 day lead time on fixing vehicles, they are that backed up.

They are ALWAYS that backed up.  I informed them that since we ALREADY had the truck in there for 3 days and paid almost 3 grand to have the AC fixed, that truck would NOT be sitting there for 3 days before you get to it.  Further, I continued, this time it better work correctly.  The guy disappears into the back to have a conversation with someone else about when the truck was going to be looked at.  The earliest they said they could do it was today, this morning.  Fine, I said, make that happen.

I was going to call them this morning, but I think I will wait until about afternoon and then call them and find out what's going on with it.

It's just the way it is with large corporations anymore.  They will stick it to you - all of them - if you let them.  The treatment of customers with many places is pretty abhorrent.  Most people will not go to the extent that I am willing to go when I am treated badly by some idiot who is in love with the sound of their own voice and worse, knows everything there is to know about everything on the planet.

So, San Diego trip. Lol.  Certainly nothing getting put aside for that THIS month. I probably have a hundred bucks worth of change in my tin can.  $250 for the tickets;  plus gas; hotel; food.  Yikes!  Well, when August gets here it either happens or it doesn't.  If I can come up with $350 or more, my son can pay the rest, we'll go.  If not, oh well.

My son informed me that when he gets back from the mountains, he "figures" that I don't really want him living here forever, so he's going to go get a job and see about moving out.  I replied, well, nothing wrong with that. If you want your own place I bid you well.  But, I am not forcing you out: as long you are either working or going to school or preferably both, you are welcome to stay as long as you need to.

Let's just put it this way: this kid working at minimum wage plus in an attempt to live on his own? In this economy?  It's up to him.  I just told him he is welcome here and he got a huge look of relief come flashing over his face.  Okay, I guess he's been hyping about that one for a while, but there is nothing I have said to him that even remotely qualifies as me getting tired of having him around.  I have 3 rooms full of tenants, lol, having a room with one of my own family members in it isn't any further aggravation to me.  But, if he does get a job, he can start paying rent.  Albeit a minimum amount, my $100, $150 per month, I think it's only fair that if he is going to stay here as an adult and if he does get a job that he at least pays something.

However, his mother has borrowed pretty much ALL of his money from him.  She apparently owes him quite a lot of money at this point.  Although I figured he was helping her, I had no idea that it had gone that far.

Well, this entry waxeth long and I need to leave for work.

G'day.

ben