Oh, what a night!

I have no delusions this evening for me is anywhere near what lovely wife went through last week. I don't expect the same level of sympathy or even any sympathy really. I just need to vent.

Last night and today, we had a snow/ice storm. Not that bad really, just a few inches of snow and a nice little coating of ice on top of that. The local/state governments did a pretty good job clearing the roads.

This morning, I had to clear the driveway. The snow was heavy enough and I was late enough that I used the snow blower. The gas tank was dry and I only had a little bit of gas left in the gas can but it was enough to get me through. After removing the snow, I put down some salt to keep the ice at bay. Again, I had just enough to get me through and that was about it.

Tonight, I decided to get some more salt and some more gas. I also decided to get new windshield wipers for my car since the driver's side wiper leaves a nice streak right at my eye level.

I go to Lowe's for the salt. I pick up the bag and go to the cash register. There's one register open except for the inappropriately named customer service desk register. The woman at the CS desk is on the phone. (Heaven forbid they give people that are actually in the store better service than those on the phone but that's another rant.) So I proceed to be the third one in line at the one useful register.

A minute or so later, a family of four walks up behind me and begins the wait too. I have no idea what the people at the register are doing but whatever. About 30 seconds after the family shows up, a new woman walks over to the CS desk and opens the other register there. She then proceeds to ask to help "someone". That ticks me off to begin with. She should be asking to help the next person in line or, better yet, telling us which person she wants to help. Needless to say, the family of four walks over there.

They actually get done before the people at this register. I tell the woman in front of me to go over to the other register because she was here first. Surprised, she says thank you and walks over. The people at my register get done at the same time she does so I pay and leave.

Autozone is the next stop. I walk in and see...nobody. I actually walked past all of the aisles looking for the wipers (I walked right past them the first time) and still saw no one. I did hear someone on the phone behind the first shelf of parts in the back. He wasn't talking about work either.

So, I pick out the wiper blades and go to the counter. I stand there for a few seconds and someone else walks in the store. There's is an audible beep when he walked in the door. So I wait another couple seconds then, very loudly, say hello. I was considering saying I was walking out with what I wanted unless someone came out but I didn't.

The guy on the phone hangs up (again, not talking about work) and comes out. He glances around. looks at me and says, "Huh. I have a guy around here somewhere." Not, "Sorry for the wait" or "Do you need help finding anything" or even a "Hello, how are you?" Nope, just some lame excuse about how his "guy" should have been out there helping me while he was busy chatting up his wife or buddy. Thanks.

Last stop is the gas station. Pull up to the pump, turn off the car, take the gas can out of the car, take the cap off the car, turn around and see a nice little white piece of paper on the low grade saying it's out of order. Sigh. Put the gas cap back on, climb into the car, put the can in the front seat, start it up, back up to the pump behind that one. I guess my luck was turning because I didn't have to drive to another gas station.

I come home and I'm getting a drink (only soda, it's probably a good thing we don't have any beer because I'd be on the 3rd one by now) and lovely wife says, "Man! It's 9 o'clock." What's wrong with 9 0'clock you ask? Well, at 9 every night, our DirecTV receiver sends the blue screen of death to our TV for about 2 minutes. It's been happening for a few weeks now but I've been too lazy/forgetful to call. So I call. Their computer answers it and makes me TALK to it. I don't care if the computer answers but let me enter the damn numbers on the keypad. I don't want to talk to a f**king machine unless I'm calling it a f**king POS.

When I get to a CSR, I have to give her my phone number just like I did for the computer. I tell her the problem and she says she can transfer me to the technical department and they can help me trouble shoot the problem or she can order me a new receiver. If she orders it for me, I have to agree to a 24 month contract. Uhhh...no. So I go to technical service.

I tell that woman my phone number again, and she says that's not what they have. So either the last woman didn't give a rat's ass the phone number I gave her was wrong or they have two databases where they keep this information. Anyway, this woman changes the number. When I tell her the problem, she tells me she's never heard of that before. Ok. She puts me on hold to go ask someone else what to do. She comes back and asks if it's both receivers or just the one. I tell her just one. Then she says she's going to just order me a new one and credit me the normal $19.95 charge for it. So, for about 10 minutes of my time, I get a new receiver and I don't have to sign up for an additional 24 month contract. I don't know if the first woman would have charged me the 20 bucks for the receiver or not.

Now, I'm on hold with TurboTax because they're stinking website won't process my credit card. I tried their online chat last night which took about 20 minutes of waiting before the first guy told me that he couldn't help me and the second CSR gave me the phone number I needed to call. Of course, when I called that number, the guy that answered my call had to transfer me to the technical department. I've been on hold now for about 35 minutes. They did warn me it may be 40 minutes until I get someone. Yay.