Fun With Phone Solicitors, A New Beginning

12.09.2003

Since the Do Not Call act has gone into effect, I've been enjoying what few solicitor calls I've been getting. So far they've all fallen within the charity or someone I've done business with fields. Last night, I had a good one from a septic tank cleaner company. Way back when (1999, according to what I heard the guy say), I bought some septic tank cleaner. They now have a new and improved version that they want to sale me.

Now, I won't tell just anybody this, but I never really bought the spetic tank cleaner. When they originally called, they were pushy and way to talkative and wouldn't take no for an answer. I tend to put these people into a special category called "If you want to just give your stuff away,then go ahead". I made up some information to give them, and they shipped their box full of septic tank cleaner to me, which promptly found its way to a shelf in the garage because it smelled really bad.

A couple of months later, they called me up wanting their payment. Now, when they first talked to me, they had a money back, satisfaction guaranteed clause to make sure I would try it. I told them that I would return what they had sent, but the person told me that the moneyback guarantee was only good for the first 30 days, which had already gone past, and that I now owed them smoething like $150 for the cleaner, plus $30 in late charges.

At this point, I decided that I would keep their septic tank cleaner on my stinky shelf in the garage, especially if they're going to try and charge my made up information for it! I got many phone calls and letters over the course of the next year or two about their stinky bag f cleaner, but I always dutifully ignored it. And then some guy from the same company calls last night wanting to sell me more of the stuff. Do these people not keep better records? Can they not tell they never got paid the first time?

Not really wanting to go through thewhole thing again, I knew how to cut the guy off. "They finally ran the sewer lines out here about 2 years ago, so we're all switched over now." That worked, except now he wants to sell me their pipe cleaner crap to keep the water lines flowing. I make up a quick one about my Mom selling some all-natural cleaner that I use, and he hops up with "Like Amway or Shacklee?" Mom, god bless her, has been under about every other pyramid program out there, so I pawned it off on Shacklee - makers of some of the most awful diet shake mix known. With this, the guy finally gave up.

The last thing I need are TWO shelves of stinky stuff in the garage.

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New Printer Fun

12.08.2003

Over the weekend, I decided it was finally time to get myself a photo-quality printer. I'm not really sure why I decided this, except that the last couple of pictures I tried to print out didn't look all that good. Being that I'm trying to move to more of a quality instead of how-cheap-can-I-get-it kind of guy, I asked my good close personal friend Jer to suggest a printer. About 15 seconds later he had pointed me to the HPPhotosmart 7960.

After reading the reviews, it looked like it would fill my needs, so I set out Saturday to my local Best Buy, armed with my 10% off coupon, ready to bring home a new toy. But it's Christmas time. That time of year when salespeople think they need to be helpful and friendly, instead of staying out of the damn way like they do the other 11 months of the year.

I made my way to the printer aisle where Helpful Best Buy Printer Guy was helping someone, while 2 pairs of people were browsing the various printers. I go to the HP section, find the model number, then see the display model. My first thing to wonder about is where to the printer cartidges go? About this time, Helpful Best Buy Printer Guy comes up to me.

Helpful Best Buy Printer Guy: So is there anything I can help you with?
Me: No, I've pretty much got my mind made up.
Helpful Best Buy Printer Guy: Are you sure? I've got another model that can save you $100...
Me, cutting him off: No, I've been reading some reviews (well, ok, I only really read one) and am pretty much sold on this one.
Helpful Best Buy Printer Guy: Really. Well, ink for this one is pretty expensive. Are you prepared to pay $100 to replace the ink?
Me: Yep.
Helpful Best Buy Printer Guy: Ok. Well, if there's anything I can help you with, just let me know.

Ok, do I not know anything about printers? Do I look like I can't afford anything more than $100? I'm 200lbs overweight. Glasses. Single. I'm the poster child for people that hang out at Best Buy. I managed to get the printer (carried it up to the checkout without smacking anyone over the head with it), and now have it at home, sitting in the floor, waiting for me to figue out where to put it.

Maybe they should ask that when you're looking at printers. " So you're interested in a printer? Have you got some place to put it?"

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Heat Pump Reloaded... or Revolutions

12.04.2003

Today was finally the day! Roy came back to fix the heating unit. He brought the $30 controller board. I don't know why it took 2 hours, but he got it installed and I once again have normal heat pump heat like real people, although I still liveout in the boonies.

The timing for this is good, because the weather conglomerate is predicting coldness for the weekend. Damp, dank, dreary coldness, perfect for Christmas shopping.

The upside of this (hey, I'm trying here)is that I haven't paid for the heat Pump Repair of '03 yet. Roy said they would send me a bill later, but to wait a week or so to make sure everything's working ok and I don't have to call them back out on another repair call.

That Roy. He's a sharp one. I'll have to learn his real name one day.

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Heat Pump Redux

12.03.2003

Today, a second guy from the Heating Unit Repair Place came by to check on the heating unit. I'll call him Roy, not because that was his name, but he looked like a Roy. Roy climbed up in the attic and fiddled with the unit up there. I fiddled with the thermostat. Sometimes it would work, sometimes it wouldn't.

After an hour and a half, Roy said he would be back tomorrow with a control panel for the unit to see if that would fix it. Oddly enough, I thought that's what Roy had been doing since Guy #1 from yesterday suggested that a new controller might fix it, and that the controllers were in stock both in Athens and Decatur.

So I think Roy did exactly what Guy #1 did the day before. It took about the same amount of time, so it's a pretty good guess. Although I like the xcuse to do some work from home, I think I would much more enjoy to have a properly functioning @#%%ing heating (and come March, cooling) unit!

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Heat Pump Fever

12.02.2003

I managed to get the heating unit looked at today. It seems there's a problem somewhere between the thermostat, unit controller, and heat pump. When the heat pump comes on, a fuse in the heating unit goes poof. As it is, I can use the "emergency" setting for heat which bypasses the heat pump for now.

With luck, it will only take replacing a controller board in the heating unit to fix things (which will be tried tomorrow after getting said part). I'm just glad this is all happening now instead of when it's 90 degrees outside. Cold I can handle, thanks to my naturally exothermic state. I'm the guy that starts to sweat once it hits 75.

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