Finally... Furniture!!!

I honestly try to look on the bright side of things.  I will genuinely try to see the other side of opinions and try to accept the excuses.  Really... I do try.

But Condor Moving Company exhausted any reservoir of good will in me.  We will start off with the packing job in Houston.  I had been told that they would be by to get my stuff out of the apartment in the morning.  The kids and I had planned the route to San Jose based on us getting out of town by early afternoon at the latest.  Condor showed up at 9 pm.  We could not get on the road until after 10 pm.  We had to change our route and planned stops (including changing hotel reservations).  Now, the guys that showed up were very nice and knew their jobs.  They made quick work of wrapping up my stuff in a very professional manner.

That was the pickup.  The delivery turned out to be an even worse situation.

The contract stated that delivery would be between July 2 - 13 (quite the breadth of time).  I arrived in San Jose on the 1st.  So on the 11th, I started to call to get a status update.  After no one returned my phone calls (5 of them) I finally got through to someone on the 13th.  I was then told that the trailer had broken down and that they would not be leaving Dallas until Wednesday the 15th and that the arrival would be on the 18th or 19th.

So I started calling again on the 18th (6 calls this time) with no one returning my phone calls.  On the 20th, I finally asked to speak to the owner or general manager  (Yes, I know I have a LOT of patience and can easily be taken advantage of...).  The sales manager that I talked to agreed with me that it was horrible that no one called me back and guaranteed me that I would have delivery on Wednesday the 22nd.

I got the call from the driver saying that deliver would be between 12 and 2 pm.  Now please note that I have just started a new job and taking time off is never a great idea.  Anyway, I left at lunch to be there.  Around 1:30, I started to call again to ask where they were.  The driver texted back "2-5".  At 4:30 I texted the driver asking for an update.  He texted back "today".  He and his crew showed up around 6:45.

Now, once again the gentlemen were very understanding and professional.  Admittedly, I also only had one wine glass and one chair that were broken which I seriously consider to be a very successful move.  The best part was when I explained my frustration, he simply nodded knowingly and told me that the truck never broke down.  Evidently, summer is the busiest time of the year and moving companies always overbook their schedule to make the most money.  It is easier to deal with an angry customer that usually will not be moving again (so no repeat business) than to lose out on big bucks.

This has been my fifth multi-state move and I have to say, it has been the worst.  I guess the bottom line is that I will not move again in the summer.

Thanks for letting me vent.  On a brighter note, my sister and my mother are going to visit next week.  This ought to be interesting....

Air mattress be damned...

Ok... the movers are now not scheduled to be here until next weekend (insert obligatory grumble and gripe here...)  I found a leak in my air mattress, so I am now sleeping on one of the kid's single mattress.  Oy!

But on to some good news, I spent my first full weekend here and on Saturday I drove to Monterey to see/join the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  All I can say is that I got to see some seals and otters!  I felt like my 12 year old daughter when I saw the seals sunning themselves on the rocks in the bay.  I really wanted someone with me so I could grab their arm and point and excitedly say "Look... look out there!  There are seals!"  Then I would repeat the process when I spotted the otters.

The aquarium was a real treat and then I took a stroll down Cannery Row (which is attached to the aquarium) and had a great lunch at The Cannery Row Brewing Co.  I had a delicious fish and chips plate partnered with a double chocolate stout.  It was simply fantastic.  So was the day.

One of the best things was actually the drive down there and back.  The road (Highway 1) is simply gorgeous and it was littered with fruits stands along the way.  Cherries, Strawberries, Avacadoes, and Artichokes (Castroville, CA claims to be "artichoke center of the world" - quite the claim) were all over the place so I stopped and loaded up on cherries and strawberries.  Once again, they were heavenly.

Life is certainly off to a great start here despite the lack of furniture.  Plus, I found out that my mother and sister will be coming to visit at the end of the month.

One week in...

The Web Guy next to his idol's star at the
Hollywood Walk of Fame

Okay, I know I should have posted during the drive our here.  The socially responsible thing would have been to keep this journal active throughout the trip.  I didn't do that.  I got lazy... no, actually the truth is I was absolutely exhausted and having too much fun with the rugrats.  We had a few stops along the way, including Hollywood, which was well worth the stop.

Anyway, the eagle has landed in San Jose and I am still without furniture after a week.  I am currently living in my bedroom.  My computer is propped up on my suitcase, my 19" television set is sitting on top of a cooler.  My bed/table/chair is currently being served by a four year old Coleman queen sized inflatable mattress that slowly loses pressure every evening.  My fifty year old back is starting to protest.

But I have arrived!  When the kids and I landed last Wednesday, we immediately made a bee line to San Francisco and Chinatown.  We had a ball perusing the shops in Chinatown and then had lunch at a fabulous Italian restaurant in North Beach.  Life was very good.

My one-bedroom apartment is wonderful and (to my kids delight) the swimming pool is right outside of my door.  I am on the first floor with a patio (plants to come) and I may even spring for a bar-b-que.  Life is certainly good right now.  The next decision is to whether to go to Monterey Bay or Yosemite this weekend.  I will let you know.

Salute!