more with the olympics

( this is a women's gymnastics all-around spoiler. )

In other news, Bob Costas has a picture in his attic y/n?  (possibly a picture of Dick Clark, but that's a separate question entirely.)

[eta:  HAR, I love the medal presenters telling the girls not to cry.]

in which Fox's patience is exhausted

( First, a little background. )

( Fast forward two weeks. )

( I go to the DMV first thing this morning )

( A couple of hours later, I get an e-mail )

Which is kind of when I'd bloody well had it, and sent the following response, cc'd to the sales manager:

Fine. Thank you. But how hard would it have been to check the "Saturday delivery" box, when I'd asked for this no fewer than three times? I'm sorry to be harsh, but this has been an incredibly frustrating 48 hours dealing with this, which is especially disappointing after everything else to do with buying the car went smoothly and hitch-free. I mean, what if I hadn't asked about the tags and title this week? When would I have found out that you guys had been mistaken about sending them to me even though I didn't have the MD license yet? At the end of September, when the temporary registration expired? Today I had at least three estimates of when the tags would be ready -- same day, Monday, oh, they're on their way. I shouldn't have had to ask twice if the title would be included and twice for the title number. I'm sure that because the things are already packed up and sent out there's no way you can tell me the license number and sticker number, which I also asked for one of those times. Do you see how any one of these things would be no big deal but when it's one after another after another (including the out-of-date fax number on the website, which I know isn't your department, but if it's been since "the switchover", that's a while, isn't it?) it just makes a person think maybe the dealership isn't quite as on top of things as they'd like you to believe? Seriously.

Looking forward to receiving the tags and the title and being through with this whole process.

Look, one mistake is a mistake. I imagine it must not be very often that they have people try to register a car in one state but come to them with a driver's license from another state, so not knowing the policy w/r/t titling a car in that situation makes sense. I'd have liked someone to be on the ball with letting me know about the mix-up, but the mix-up itself was a good-faith error and I can overlook it. But everything since the good-faith mix-up has been ADD buck-passing, and if the dude was hoping that failing to answer the question (look, if the Saturday-delivery is not an option because you're not allowed, say so and that'll be better; I'll demand that the manager explain why not, since it was your [plural] screw-up in the first place, but at least you won't be ignoring my question) until it was too late would cause me to shrug and say Oh well, too late now, well, too bad, buddy, because I've been quite patient and reasonable and now it's time to bring in your boss.

At least in the time it took me to vent about this to my college roommate, the sales guy did respond with the tag and sticker numbers. Finally. So that's something.

MORE FUN

Mail call:

Dear Current Resident:

According to our records, electricity is being used at the above address although neither the owner nor a legal occupant has come forward to establish an account and assume responsibility for the monthly service bills.  Pepco will not continue to provide service to this address without a responsible party.  ...

[etc.]

Fortunately, the office gave me a heads up when I signed the lease that Pepco are a bunch of paperwork-losing fuckups.  I'll call them all in the morning, and with any luck, it'll be sorted out.  FEH.

so, to sum up:

1. getting license plates (or even information) out of my dealership unexpectedly like pulling teeth
   
2. combination of shiny new car and new zip code results in insurance being twice as expensive as before (and due today, of course)
   
3. electric company's shit is sufficiently asunder that they believe they were never told I live here, and would like to disconnect me on 22 August

Who'd have ever thought that any day with the DMV in it, the DMV would be the best thing that happened?  I would really sort of like Friday to be done now, thanks.  Except there's Olympics on, so I'll watch some boys throwing themselves around in the sand.  That's okay.  (And Bob's interview with Nastia and Shawn -- that Johnson kid is solid class, that's what.)

Also, I got a wee wire pantry rack and set up the microwave on top of it, so the kitchen is coming together all right.

no, i'm really talking about volleyball. (and, erm, also swimming.)

( olympic spoilers. )