A Day At Bradenton Beach

When we first got there the skies looked menacing, thought we might have to leave, but it cleared up. Look at the color of that water..it was wonderful.

This day was my sister's birthday, and she's sitting in her favorite chair, in her favorite place. The Beach, any beach!

These little guys are the "beggars", if you feed one, the all come.

They are experts in catching the food, some of them will fly right in front of you to catch your throws.

Florida

Well, tomorrow will be two weeks since we arrived in Florida. The villa was supposed to be painted and fixed before we got here.


Not only was it painted the same dull, flat color throughout, but it was also painted over dirt, and what my sister thought was "gray" corking around the baseboards, was nothing but pure dirt in bedded on the corking. The back porch was missing a screen and almost all of the others have holes in them. My screen was infested with ants, and although, I didn't think metal screen frames could rot, the one on my bedroom window was not only bent out of shape, but was infested with ants.


Along with that, I got eaten up by the "no see'em" bugs. My sister got an exterminator to come out first thing. I got something for my itching.


We have been working non stop, cleaning, painting, re-screening two and half doors, the landlady took mine to be replaced.


We took two days off to go to the beach. One day we went to Venice Beach and yesterday to Bradenton beach. I loved the latter. The water was so clear you can see the bottom as far as you can walk out there. The best part of it all, is you can park right up to it and don't have to drag your stuff too far.

Slight Change

Isn't it strange how addictive the Internet has become in our lives? It seems to be part of it like brushing your teeth. It also becomes as habit forming as a drug. Once your on it, communicating through email, playing games or just surfing the web, one tends to get withdrawal symptom when we are unable to utilize it.


I was planning on turning in the equipment this morning, but my sister absolutely cant live with out it. So, while she is getting the truck in the morning, I will have to run to HTC to turn everything in. I hate last minute crap, but more than that, I would hate to hear her complain about not having access to the computer.


Personally I like to get "all my ducks in a row", early. It unnerves me to wait to the last minute. I have always been that way. But, that's just me.

Two More Days

It is Sunday night and I have done a lot more packing today. Tomorrow was the last day we have to get everything packed. We pick up the truck Tuesday morning, get it loaded and off we go.
Tuffy has been watching me like a hawk. Every room I went into, he was there. It's like he's saying, "Hey, don't forget me." He has done this through the years we have been together. Last time I moved he stayed by the boxes.
Tomorrow I will be off line until I get settled in Florida. That will be at least four to five days. Am sure going to miss it. Love playing Slingo and I Won Fish Games. At the end of the day, when I have finished everything I need to do, I play those games to relax and not think of anything other than whats on the screen.
So, all I have to say to Myrtle Beach SC is this: Adios, I'm outa here, and hasta la vista baby!

Moving Frustrations-3

I'm on line with Verizon, answer their questions, then once again proceed to explain my plight. "Let me connect you to someone who can handle this", OK, now maybe we're getting somewhere. (Not in this life time!) "No, we can't email you anything, but we will be sending you conformation in the mail."

"To which address?"
"The one in Florida."
"That won't do me any good, I need it here in SC" (What the hell, am I asking for a million dollars? I'm going to need an "anger management intervention real soon!)

I try calling "Moving Utilities" again, still unable to get a person, and try online, "live chat", guess who answers..that's right, it's Samantha again! I got nowhere fast!

I could have saved myself a headache, (believe me, I had a bad one) if I stopped chasing my tail and looked over the situation calmly. I get the phone book and look up the head office of HTC here, and finally got someone in charge! Yes, indeed! I explain the most of my dilemma, and asked her if I could forward the email of conformation to her while I wait on line with her to receive it. I would even give her my password to get into the site if she wanted further proof.

How great was that? It worked, I got her first and last name, her word that I wouldn't be charged for early disconnect and the last bill will be sent to me rather than drafted from my account.

Although I was on the phone with the head office, I didn't report what that person did to me about the Internet, I'm not the type to get someone fired. Not for her, but for her family to go without in the state of the job market, they shouldn't suffer because she is a vengeful person. No, I'm leaving it to myself to let her know "face to face" what I think of how she misused her position. Believe me when I say, this will happen when I go to turn in their equipment on Monday.

Moving Frustrations-2

Sometimes when we are pushed into a frustrating situation, logic goes out the door. It tends to make us think irrationally, instead of a calm calculating manner. It's like a dog chasing it's tail, until the dog realizes it's getting no where, some dogs do, and some don't.

OK, now I needed to get service for Internet and phone, set up in Florida. This was going to be a one, two, three step program. Yeah, right!

I get on the Internet, try to locate the local phone company in the area we are moving to. Too many choices, like too many cloths in a closet. Which company to pick? Which one works in which area? Which one offers the best start up deal? Which one has a location close to you?

Finally find a site, "Moving Utilities" which allows me to enter my new zip code to find out which one offers the best deal. Not only that, but you can chat with a live operator for help. Wow, this is great.

I found Vonage was the one with the cheapest way to go. "Could I get a conformation to print out? I will need that as proof that I'm moving out of town, so I don't get charged for early disconnect here in SC. I will need that no later than Monday."
"It takes one to three business days to get approved, then we will email you the conformation."
Hmm, lets see, It's Tuesday, that should be enough time. "I'll take the Vonage start up Internet and local phone service."
"Just fill out the form on the next page and I will be here if you need assistance."
"Thank you, I'll be right back." I fill out the forms, one page at a time, asking questions along the way. She was very helpful, and explained that once you apply you can come back and check the status on your order by logging in.

So, after I'm done, I proceed to the Vonage site. While reading it, I noticed it had Vonage through Verizon. My mind starts working, if this is true, there is a Verizon store not far from me here, I can have them pull up my order and get a conformation printout. I will call them in the morning. With that in mind, I'm thinking, all is in line.

The next morning I call Verizon here, "Is Vonage phone and cable service through Verizon?" I ask the man that answered. "No, it's not." "OK, thank you." Now I'm thinking maybe I misread the whole thing. After getting off the phone, I proceed on line to their site. That alone was enough to make me turn to my on line games. You have to register, and fill out forms again.


On Thursday, I recieve my notice of acceptance in an email, and low and behold, my service provider is...Verizon! At this point, I really don't care who it's through as long as I get my proof!

In order to get the conformation of service I had to log back into the "Moving Utilities" site, which I did, and everything was in order. BUT, no matter what I did or tried to do, I could not print it out! I even ran a printing test to make sure all was in order with my system. No problems here. So, I call their 1-800 number, but couldn't get through to a person!

I get back on line, and try the "live Chat", where I get this person, Samantha, who must be eating her lunch or something because it took forever for her to answer me. At one point I asked if she was the only one there because she's not responding to my questions.


"Oh god, this person hates her job, it must be, because she's not doing it very well!" So, I ask if she can send me what I needed directly to my email without me having to log onto this site, I should be able to print it out. No, I have to go through the site, "check your settings to make sure everything is working correctly." Dah, I have done that, I'm not an total idiot. "Excuse me, but there is nothing wrong with my computer or printer, I have checked and double checked, yours is an unprintable page!" Her response,(after another five minute wait) "there's nothing I can do about that", is there anything else I can help you with?" (Yes, you can shove your site and your attitude up your ass!) "No, I will try something else." (This was after she wouldn't put a surperviser on with me, and informed me that if I called the company service request line direct, I wouldn't get the same deal.)


I tried to cut and paste, copy and paste the info. into a different file on my computer, but nothing I did worked! OK, OK, don't panic, I'll call Verizon through the service number that's with my conformation. When I get them on the phone, I had to give my new phone number assigned to me, then I proceed to let her know what my problem was.

Moving Frustrations-1

Went to HTC (our local phone/cable) Co. a few days ago to give them a shut off date, due to moving out of state. So, I'm explaining to the woman that I'm moving to Florida with my sister, and have to discontinue svc. The service was in my name and I had no intentions of getting any until I find my own place. After she explains to me about returning the wireless box etc, I give her my shut off date, the address to send the last bill, after going over the same words several times, the conversation ends like this:

"Are you getting service in Florida?" she asks.
"No, my sister found her a place, I'll find my own when I get there."
"You will be charged one hundred dollars for early disconnect."
"Why?, I was told if I was moving out of state, there would be no problems, is there's gotta be another way, I can do this without a penalty?"
"If you have a lease."
"I told you, I'm moving with my sister, it's her place, I'm not on her lease, and I'M NOT PAYING A HUNDRED DOLLARS, THIS IS A BUNCH OF CRAP!" By this time, my voice is several octaves higher with frustration. "I can't afford that, I'm on a limited income and I'm not paying the damn penalty, listen, this isn't directed at you, it's directed at the whole situation."
As I'm walking out the door, my voice is echoing back at her, "I'm not paying that damn thing."


When I got home, I told my sister, that I will have to have the cable and phone turned on in her new place to keep from being charged the early disconnect fee, which was something I really didn't want to do. But I need paper proof of moving so not to be charged that extra hundred dollars.

A few hours later, my sister nor myself were able to get on line. She called the technician's help line, they get her to do several things, but nothing works. This went on for four hours. Nothing worked. Finally I get on the phone and ask to speak with a supervisor.

"I want to speak with a supervisor."
"What seems to be the problem?" she asks.
"It seems strange, that I have a confrontation with someone at HTC, and no one can get my Internet working when nothing has changed here. The phone is working with a lot of static in it and according to your techs, no one else is having that problem. This has been going on for over five hours, now I just want it fixed!
"I can see where you think this was done, but no one is allowed to do that, they could lose their job", was her response to me.
"Well, that may be, but it has been done."
"I'll connect you to a tech".
"That hasn't helped all afternoon, but go ahead."

She puts the tech on and he starts the same crap about getting on the computer and I interrupt him, "We have done the same thing all afternoon, nothing works, so it's on your end".
"Let me take a look", is his reply. Within less then five minutes, our Internet is working, and he comes out with some lame excuse about the pass word not being correct! What bull crap!

"If it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck," it's a duck!

I'm hoping that Biatch is there when I return their equipment, because I have a few, calm, departing choice words for her!

It's Break Time

It's packing break time. Got a lot done today, but had to get some more boxes and tape.
The traffic was thick with people that have come down to the beach for the fourth of July weekend.

This condo reminds me of "Octa-mom", the more I pack, the more this condo gives birth to new things.

The rest will have to wait until tomorrow.