Enjoy Ipanema, Mr. President.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
So, How's That Learning Curve Going, Mr. President?
Enjoy Ipanema, Mr. President.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
It Could Get Worse
With all the death and destruction and gruesome images we've been exposed to recently, over the next few days let us cling to one fervent hope:
That, during the Obamas' upcoming visit to Brazil, Michelle doesn't opt to go all native on us and trot around in a string bikini!
That, during the Obamas' upcoming visit to Brazil, Michelle doesn't opt to go all native on us and trot around in a string bikini!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Moogie's New Adventure with the Sewerage and Water Board
I was reading about his cable company travails over at Mean ol Meany's and thought I'd share with you my latest adventure with the Sewerage and Water Board (plus a little of the backstory).
We had a lovely weekend trip to Little Rock for impending wedding fun, but Pepper's sudden need to get back to the office Monday morning led to an unexpected premature departure. To avoid having to arise at an obscenely early hour on Monday, we instead drove halfway home late Sunday evening to Vicksburg, and checked into the pet-friendly La Quinta. Bouie was a little skeptical about the accommodations (which were actually very nice -- breakfast was included and they even offered Milk Bones at the desk!) and wound up sleeping on the bed with us! This makes me very nervous about the future, seeing as how he tried to crawl into bed with me again this morning, but, how could we have denied this adorable, anxious face?
After sharing a bit of our breakfast-included with Bouie back in the room, and hitting the road early so Pepper could take a 45-freakin'-minute conference call plugged into the cell phone charger in the car, we had a very pleasant drive back to New Orleans, even though there was quite a bit of road work going on (*DIGRESSION ALERT* why, exactly, do highway construction teams require so many multiple redundancies of equipment and personnel , and do people actually apply specifically to be the flagman guys who hold up the "Slow"/"Stop" signs? And, if so, why?). Pepper changed clothes and when I walked him out to his truck, we discovered this:
Yes, someone had stolen one -- not both, mind you -- one of the art deco water meter covers from whence once sprung a little spring. You remember how very painless and successful those conversations with the Sewerage and Water Board went, don't you?
So, it was with no little dread and trepidation that I dialed the "Customer Service" number at the S&WB. I didn't catch the lady's name who fielded my call after I'd been on hold, listening to all sorts of S&WB news tidbits for at least ten minutes, but I do hope that our conversation was one that was being "monitored for quality control."
I explained to Ms. Nameless that I was calling to report a stolen water meter cover. She asked, and I supplied name, address, and phone number. She assured me that she would report the missing cover and tried to disengage. Knowing how the S&WB functions, however, and not wanting S&WB meter cover minions wandering around, fruitlessly searching for a lidless meter, I quickly added that the meters are on Jena street, not Perrier Street, (which is the mailing address).
She struggled with this concept.
So, I patiently explained (several times) how our house is situated on a corner and, while the account mailing address is on Perrier, the meters are physically located on the side street, which is Jena. She repeatedly told me that the meters had to be on Perrier because that's the address on the account. And then she started using that tone of voice and I could just picture her waggling her head at me, holding up her palm so I could "talk to the hand." I impatiently assumed my lawyer/teacher voice and explained to her how I was just telling her where the meters are actually, literally, physically located, mailing address be damned, and that if somone fell into or tripped over that hole, it will be on the S&WB's dime, not Moogie's. She said, "yes, ma'am," and I hit the "end" button on the phone. Repeatedly.
Then I took my blood pressure meds.
As I commented over at Mean ol', I'm beginning to think that many employees of utilities are required to take a course in "Inane Thought Processes."
Or, maybe it's just that Ms. Nameless failed the exam to be one of the flagman guys and wound up in Customer Service.
I'm beginning to think I need to add a "Sewerage and Water Board" tag to the blog.
Egad.
We had a lovely weekend trip to Little Rock for impending wedding fun, but Pepper's sudden need to get back to the office Monday morning led to an unexpected premature departure. To avoid having to arise at an obscenely early hour on Monday, we instead drove halfway home late Sunday evening to Vicksburg, and checked into the pet-friendly La Quinta. Bouie was a little skeptical about the accommodations (which were actually very nice -- breakfast was included and they even offered Milk Bones at the desk!) and wound up sleeping on the bed with us! This makes me very nervous about the future, seeing as how he tried to crawl into bed with me again this morning, but, how could we have denied this adorable, anxious face?
So, it was with no little dread and trepidation that I dialed the "Customer Service" number at the S&WB. I didn't catch the lady's name who fielded my call after I'd been on hold, listening to all sorts of S&WB news tidbits for at least ten minutes, but I do hope that our conversation was one that was being "monitored for quality control."
I explained to Ms. Nameless that I was calling to report a stolen water meter cover. She asked, and I supplied name, address, and phone number. She assured me that she would report the missing cover and tried to disengage. Knowing how the S&WB functions, however, and not wanting S&WB meter cover minions wandering around, fruitlessly searching for a lidless meter, I quickly added that the meters are on Jena street, not Perrier Street, (which is the mailing address).
She struggled with this concept.
So, I patiently explained (several times) how our house is situated on a corner and, while the account mailing address is on Perrier, the meters are physically located on the side street, which is Jena. She repeatedly told me that the meters had to be on Perrier because that's the address on the account. And then she started using that tone of voice and I could just picture her waggling her head at me, holding up her palm so I could "talk to the hand." I impatiently assumed my lawyer/teacher voice and explained to her how I was just telling her where the meters are actually, literally, physically located, mailing address be damned, and that if somone fell into or tripped over that hole, it will be on the S&WB's dime, not Moogie's. She said, "yes, ma'am," and I hit the "end" button on the phone. Repeatedly.
Then I took my blood pressure meds.
As I commented over at Mean ol', I'm beginning to think that many employees of utilities are required to take a course in "Inane Thought Processes."
Or, maybe it's just that Ms. Nameless failed the exam to be one of the flagman guys and wound up in Customer Service.
I'm beginning to think I need to add a "Sewerage and Water Board" tag to the blog.
Egad.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Checking In
I'm still alive, working on wedding stuff and getting ready for tonight's engagement party for Younger Daughter and SIL2B#2. The Son is going to surprise them by coming in for the party from Ft. Sill! He had to study extra hard this week so he could be sure to get the weekend off.
Elder Daughter and SIL#1 are at Moogie's Mansion for the Irish Channel St. Patrick's Parade while Pepper, Bouie, and I are staying at their house to take care of their dogs. It's a wild and crazy Trading Spaces, Family Edition kind of weekend!
Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected by the quake and tsunami. Such a tragedy on so many levels, especially our president's response.
Just a thought -- isn't this how we got Godzilla?
Sorry. Someone had to say it.
Elder Daughter and SIL#1 are at Moogie's Mansion for the Irish Channel St. Patrick's Parade while Pepper, Bouie, and I are staying at their house to take care of their dogs. It's a wild and crazy Trading Spaces, Family Edition kind of weekend!
Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected by the quake and tsunami. Such a tragedy on so many levels, especially our president's response.
Just a thought -- isn't this how we got Godzilla?
Sorry. Someone had to say it.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Lent Comes in Like a Lion
It's Ash Wednesday and the neighborhood is almost back to normal. I survived all the revelry and actually got a little wedding stuff accomplished during Younger Daughter's visit.
We had huge thunderstorms overnight and during the early morning -- Bouie awoke us at 5:30 to let us know that the wind was blowing really hard. So thoughtful of him.
Details and pics to come, after a brief period of R & R and an engagement party.
We had huge thunderstorms overnight and during the early morning -- Bouie awoke us at 5:30 to let us know that the wind was blowing really hard. So thoughtful of him.
Details and pics to come, after a brief period of R & R and an engagement party.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Musings on Union Activity Up North
The war between Public Service unions and normal people seems to be coming to a head -- it appears that some of the fugitive Wisconsin Democrat lawmakers are cracking. Maybe that pregnant Senator on the lam will go into labor and the ambulance that brings her back to her hospital in Wisconsin will stop by the State House in Madison for a little voting action before she has to start pushing. It would be nice for those folks to be able to get back to some semblance of a normal life.
Before the final vote, though, I think they should tack on one more little amendment to the Public Union bill. Since they're always mouthing about "protecting the public welfare," the amendment should require the posting of a warning wherever the union gathers together in its name. It could look a little like this sign I found somewhere:
I wonder if the Employee Free Choice Act will raise its ugly head any time soon?
And those clever unionized teachers have come up with a plan to save their benefits!
Sounds like the same tune we've been hearing for quite some time now. Sheesh.
Before the final vote, though, I think they should tack on one more little amendment to the Public Union bill. Since they're always mouthing about "protecting the public welfare," the amendment should require the posting of a warning wherever the union gathers together in its name. It could look a little like this sign I found somewhere:
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