The streak is over at 10 days and all because I panicked. Had a doctor’s appointment this afternoon and he was wrapping up the visit I could hear the thunder outside. After redressing I hurried outside to put the top up, even before the nurse had finished my paperwork. Looked pretty bad in a couple of directions. After coming back form the office a second time, I headed home and didn’t encounter a single rain drop.
Started down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 206
Possibly the only real negative thing about living in a small town is the inability to get a slightly off-beat item on short notice. The stores are like 3/4 scale models of the ones elsewhere, so they don’t stock a real wide variety of merchandise. I had a idea (I know what you are thinking, keep it to yourself please) about a prize for a little contest I’m running for the Miata Club. Well, you get it in this town. Fortunately I have a couple weeks, allowing me to order it over the net and get it on time. If I needed by this Friday like I first thought I would have been shit out of luck.
My package from J.C. Whitney arrived today. I opened the box and dug down into the sea of foam peanuts and pulled out a small box with a window tinting strip. Huh!?! Must be a free gift or something, so I start digging again. I find nothing else. This sucks, I check the packing slip and it lists what I ordered, 7″ Round Chrome Headlight Protectors. I call “Customer Service” and after the usual 5 minute wait on hold the rep tells me to just fill out the RMA conveniently located right on the back of my invoice and send the part back. I guess this happens a lot. Now I’ve got probably another month before I get a 2nd try at getting what I ordered. The only marginally good thing out of all this is that they are really going to earn that $9.95 shipping & handling charge. They have to ship me my parts twice plus they are going to reimburse me to mail the incorrect part back.
Didn’t make the post office so the mix will get mailed on the deadline date of Monday, sigh. Speaking of post office, they delivered my J. C. Whitney package today, at work, it should be waiting for me on Monday.
The evening was spent on a drive to finalize the route for this coming Friday’s full moon rally with the Miata Club. Got it down to 47 from 60 making it a 10 minutes shorter ride. Hopefully it won’t rain. It hasn’t all this week, as you can tell from the top transition count being stuck at the same number.
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 205
Thursday evening while hooking up the new DVD player I thought I smelt a dead animal smell. Again on Friday when I passed thru the living room on the way out the front door to get the paper I caught another whiff. When I got to work I called the pest control folks and asked them to come out and check under the house for carcasses. We have had trouble with possums before and I thought maybe we had a dead one under there. The fellow came out and looked all under the house but could not find anything. He did say he could see where a possum or something was under there. He spotted some fleas so along with the smell killer he sprayed under the house for fleas. Friday I swear the smell was still there faintly. Saturday as well, but Donna nor her mom, who spend more time in the living room than I, have said anything, so I ain’t saying anything until they do.
The package was coming from the same area (midwest US), was lighter and they charged $10 vs. zero and it ain’t here. No wonder UPS is kicking the USPS’s butt. Actually got my CD Mix of the Month done today. I waited until the last day to sign up and thought I would end up mailing on the deadline date too, but it looks like I’ll send them out tomorrow, 2 days early. Can’t really gloat though, as I have yet to post the track listing from last month’s mix…
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 205
A couple of days ago I whined about J.C. Whitney charging $9.95 to ship a 1.25 pound package to me. They also gave me a tracking number. If you have ever followed a UPS package on line they let you know every step of the way where your shipment is, by contrast the USPS thing leaves a lot to be desired. They tell you that the status is updated every evening, but don’t say when in the evening and my status didn’t change from the 13th until the 15th. Not only that the last entry says my package arrived in Aiken at 12:00AM on the 15th, but I didn’t get it today. I guess I’ll have to wait until Monday. Contrast that to the UPS delivery (click on the detail button) of my new DVD player, which I got Thursday morning thank you very much.