Stuff Got Done

Precious – Photo: L. Weikel

Today was a day some stuff got done – inside. Wow, was it chilly and raw out. At one point, not only was it raining, I swear there was also some sleet in the mix as well.

I’m actually hoping to get a lot more stuff done this entire weekend. I figure I might as well make this ‘declaration’ here. Not that I have to ever admit whether or not I successfully make the type of headway I yearn to, but at least I’ll feel some responsibility to fulfilling my stated intention.

My zeal to clean out was at least somewhat assuaged by the arrival of the Vietnam Vets of America, who picked up the contents of our front porch, which had grown to a somewhat daunting size. I may have jumped the gun a little bit, though, and I feel bad about it.

VVA Protocol

When one schedules a pickup with this charity, you’re told to expect a pickup between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the appointed day. Well, the last time I scheduled with them was March 23^rd – and they never showed up.

Since then, I’ve noticed the side-eye we’ve been getting from the neighbors. I think the length of time those items have remained on our porch has encouraged a collective wondering if we’re moving out. So I was perhaps – only perhaps, mind you – a little trigger happy when we reached the magic hour of 5:00 p.m. this evening and there was still no sign of the VVA truck. Given the first missed appointment, I had no problem jumping on the assumption train that this appointment had been blown as well.

So, of course, I called. And after remaining on hold for a good long time, I finally spoke with a human. She was great to deal with and simply made sure she ‘registered a Complaint’ for both missed appointments. She also put in an expedited request for a third pickup next Tuesday.

Because we all know how this type of stuff unfolds, you can guess what happened after that. Not ten minutes later, didn’t the VVA truck pull up and the poor guy had to load it all onto his truck in the pouring rain? Of course it did.

Setting Things Straight

The feeling of liberation when I look outside and see a cleared front porch!

I’m going to call them back tomorrow (or Monday) and set the record straight. The last thing I want to do is punish the guy who has our route. He was doing it all himself, and it looked like his truck was pretty darn full when he opened up the back. There was no partner sharing the load of lugging all the stuff. So I want to make sure he doesn’t get dinged in his paycheck for two missed appointments. That could be grounds for losing his job, and if so, I don’t want to be responsible for that.

In the Meantime

In the meantime, we never did manage to get a walk in today. Neither of us relished the prospect of dodging raindrops and getting soaked. Instead, we took full advantage of sitting in front of the fire in our living room and allowing the warmth to soak into our bones.

Tigger was first in line to bask in the warmth, and Precious simply couldn’t keep her eyes open.

Sort of how I feel right now.