Thin Blue Line

 As I looked out the window there was one

I watched and wondered

    then another appeared

As my interest grew, I continued to wonder

    curiosity took hold and I went to investigate

 As I approached I did not want to startle

    how to make contact without fear, mine or theirs?

Finally, recognition

    at first a questioning look, then onto a smile

The window rolled down

    "good morning"

        garnering a like kind response

"Would you officers like a cuppa' coffee"?

    they glance at each other

        tilt their heads and smiled

Trust

The tension broken

    I could see they had started to relax and 

    contemplate my offer

They said no, with a kind genuine thank you

    I replied "anytime, our door is always open"

You are welcome here

    be safe my friend

W

Customer service

is the key to a successful company, in the long term. 

Of the companies we have owned/operated this was always a priority and most important goal of our business plans.

Today I was able to witness exceptional customer service from a company that I had never dealt with before.

Marg wanted to get a binocular for watching dolphins (hopefully) or maybe whales during her December beach vaca.

We purchased a Leupold binocular with a chest strap system, and carrying case. 

The strap system plastic locks she could not open or use and the whole chest strap system was cumbersome at best, I would have never even tried to use it...

Anyway, we also bought a tripod mount for the binocular, but I felt that she would also want to be able to carry the binocular easily around her neck when walking the beach.

After doing some internet research I could not find a Leupold neck strap that would work with the confounded harness/storage bag they packaged with the binocular.

I called their tech line hoping to find a strap that I could purchase to do what we wanted. Once I got through, the rep was polite and started to "take my order", after a few questions from him I asked how much the strap would cost, he said; "we will send it to you as a replacement (or free), I never asked for this and was expecting to pay for what I wanted.

Wow.

In the past couple of months I have been through the ringer with multi billion dollar companies that fell far short in their customer service. Fact is they sucked, then today I was provided with service above and beyond the norm in this day and age.

Leupold, God bless you for your honesty and integrity. Makes me realize there are still honorable companies out there providing exceptional service.

W

A friend invited me

to a car show last weekend and usually you will find something very unique. Sometimes it is hidden,  maybe hard to find, or it is in your face like this Pacer resto mod...

Seriously some guy went all out on an AMC Pacer, it had me smiling and remembering when I eye witnessed the demise of one of these cherished automobiles of historical significance...

I worked at a Volvo Saab dealer and one day there was a commotion in the shop of 8+ mechanics, not technicians as they are called today.

Mechanics could look at a problem and figure out how to repair the defect. Sometimes this included improvisation, welding, a big hammer and gut instincts.

Technicians look at their Flute meter, or diagnostic computer screen and see that the computer is telling them to replace a part. A sensor, a brain box or any other electrical or computer part that vehicles use today. 

Anyway, the hub bub in the garage came across as "FIRE", any fire associated with a vehicle is not good. I have been involved in a few and you have little time to decide what to do.

So, out the rear door of the shop we all run and there to the left is a small plume of smoke coming from a car parked behind the shop. An AMC Pacer no less, a light piss colored Pacer, classic color for the year and model. One of the mechanics had the foresight to call 911 and tell them that a car was on fire, the fire department was dispatched and arrived within a few minutes. This is when the story evolves into "The Pacer" legacy.

All of the mechanics and I were standing across the street already stating that it would be best to let it burn, just kidding?

As we watched the firemen doing their sworn duty, we all started to notice  something, possibly unusual? They (firemen) seemed to be moving in slow motion, yes really, not one of them was in a hurry to, to, to stop the flames that were engulfing this, this remarkable piece of automotive history. As the mechanics and I looked at each other we understood, this was something that was not worth saving, it was better off as a burnt out shell of a pimple on the ass of automotive history. 

Needless to say once it was completely engulfed and a total loss did the hoses start to put forth the life saving water needed to save a piece of?

True story...

W

Car show Nov 12, 2022 picture gallery (abstracts)

Just the facts (final chapter)

The fat lady actually sang this morning, it's over...

Okay, so we both now have a working cell phones again, after 4+ weeks of bliss. At 7:30am this morning I started the "change over" to the new phones. I first had to get my new phone working so I could then finish getting Marg's working. My phone needed to be able to break through the idiocy of Apples "authorization code transfer" BS. By noon I had both phones up and working with 5 hours of tech help over both the phones. Worst part of this whole authorization code transfer is that the previous Apple tech support people did not tell me that you can get around this by first getting the phone working with your carrier, then going into Apple to send the code to your new phone. If only someone had said that you have to follow certain steps, yes you can start up a new phone without your old one, gee thanks Apple and Spectrum (I now call Spectrum, "Rectum"). Even the final Apple rep was apologetic and surprised no one had told me about this before.

The activation process was no easier, the reps had to dig deep to figure out why after a long wait the activation was not happening. On both phones they said it can take anywhere from a few minutes to 6+ hours, really?

Anyway after 5 1/2 hours of phone calls and work today, we now have fully functional phones and I have a headache... Worst part of this whole adventure is that I do not want the F'n phone in my life. I would rather not have one, though I find that living in our world today, I am strapped to technology and all the disgust it brings me. Technology like this is an anchor that is chained to you and it is dragging you to the bottom of the ocean. I long for the days of a rotary dial phone with a 10 foot cord, that was the best. If you did not hear it ring, oh well, they would call back if they wanted. No voicemail, no texting, just freedom, freedom from the insanity of our current instantaneous life being bombarded by tech.

Hypocrite that I am, sitting here using technology I dislike almost as much a cell phones, to complain about how much I hate tech. There you have it...

W

As I read

I'm sometimes awe struck, what is on the pages grasps me, holds me, and won't let go. Is it something you know, something you feel, or something you yearn for? I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that a book that can hold you tight, is one that will give you new life. 

Another prospective, another view, another feelling about life, maybe your life... 

    "It was odd to be thinking so lucidly that my mind was working even though I felt so disassociated. I finally sat there on the ridge, raptly looking to the east, but it was still like looking down from a great height. The smooth snow-covered ground glowed with a brilliance, the veins of creeks and rivers flowing like shining thread that stitched the land together.

    Oddly enough, alone there, I wasn't afraid. I felt a peace with whatever fate had in store for me.

    What was it Bidarte had said. That all haunting was regret.

    Nothing moved now, but the vaporous light was reassuring, along with something else in that far distance - the insistent ring of bells."

Craig Johnson, "Hell and Back"

This is the latest novel of the Walt Longmire series, one that I will read again as I devoured it in a few days, one of those you can not put down. I have read his complete series and it really helps to understand this book and his writing. If you only read this book you will not understand the significance of Hell and Back...

W

Just the facts (part 3)

Lessons in life are hardest when you do not understand why God is beating your head against a wall. You try and wait for Him to open a door, though all you can find is a brick wall, and they are starting to hurt...

My greatest stressor in life is technology, once it's claws are sunk in, they dig deep, rip you apart, never let go and have no mercy.

I was told by Apple tech support that I could take my non functioning brand new $425 Iphone to my service provider and they could help me get the fucking authorization code from the new phone to my old phone through a ghost phone. Okay, my understanding of tech is dismal at best and getting much worse lately, so off I go today. This trip is 40 minutes out of my way but my only choice, the genius of technology, one choice, screw you if it does not exactly fit you and your life.

You have to set up an appointment at the stores convenience to be able to talk to someone. I got that set up yesterday, go into the store today and confirm my appointment through more asshat technology (a tablet), and the POS tablet tells me I am too early, well fuck you very much. For this kind of tech bullshit I did plan ahead, I brought a real book along with me to fill my time if I was early, so piss off technology. A real book does not care if you are early or late. It loves you for just taking the time to hold it, finger the pages and well enjoy as you read from its depths. Enjoy what was a technological break through centuries ago, the printing press. I wonder if I would have been as pissed of with new tech if I lived back then, and was introduced to technology that would forever change the world?

I patiently wait my 1/2 hour, reading my real book. When he calls my name I know I made it to "The Show", someone is going to help me turn on my $420 Iphone so I can rejoin society. Like you know, you tell people that they can not call you, they look at you like you are a complete idiot, well I am a tech idiot and am proud of it. How many of these tech gurus remember how to check out a real book, read it by turning pages and then return it before they get fined? Ever look at how many pages are in a book you are reading, then look at your check out slip, the due date, and do the math? That's the only kind of stress I need, 30 pages a day, maybe 40, I'm good.

It is obvious the employee is not excited about being at work, I tell him my sad story and he obviously doesn't give a crap. All he says is that he can not help me or do what I am asking. He tells me that I need to take the phones to an Apple store, well there is not an Apple store anywhere close to me. Yeah I screwed up again, buying a phone from a company that does not provide support, does not provide a charger cord adapter for a $425 phone and basically does not give a crap overall.

Apple tech support told me that Spectrum could get my phone working, Spectrum tells me that Apple has to fix the problem. Classic tech nightmare, no one will take responsibility and all they teach their tech support people is to pass the buck and say the worst word any paying customer wants to hear; "can't"... I do not believe in the word can't, all the word "can't" means is that management has not trained their employees properly, or the multi billion dollar company does not give a crap about the paying customer because they are too big for one pissed off customer to make a difference. Did you ever notice how you can not leave rated reviews for the top of the pile of dung (multi billion dollar companies)? Consumers are forced to try and climb this sad pile of manure. What review would you leave for Microsuck, Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook and so on...

Only review I can leave, is taking my very small monetary investment and move it into another worthless, uncaring multi billion dollar corporation.

Need another laugh? I had to spend an hour scheduling a return pick up of my worthless $425 Apple Iphone. Trying to navigate both Apples return advice and Fedex's return advice was just another one of those brick walls. Fedex keep asking me for a specific number on the label (that Apple sent me), that was not on the label. Then Fedex repeatedly did not recognize their own tracking number, I had to enter it 6 times in their "tech savvy chat system". Yep another bit of worthless tech, the almighty tech chat system, what a waste of energy and emotions.

So now I'm waiting for Fedex to pick up my worthless brand new $425 Apple Iphone to send back so I can get credit on my Apple Pay credit card that I can not use because I can not get my worthless Apple phone to work and thus "activate" my Apple Card. The only way to activate an Apple card is via the wallet feature on your Iphone, think about that for a minute, my old phone is broken, I can not turn on my new Iphone, so what the F' Apple? how stupid can a multi billion dollar company actually be??? Pretty stupid if you ask me...

Now the next brick wall. As I'm DONE with technology, I contact my old phone provider Redpocket about getting a flip phone. I had one before I was stupid enough to come over to the dark side of "smartphones", it still makes me laugh that they are called smart phones... Anyway I had a great flip phone that cost me $10 a month for service, I think I paid $50 for the actual phone and it worked fine, up and until I dropped it in the toilet. Oops. 

Then the oncoming light, the train hit me head on, I took over Marg's old "smart phone" when she wanted a new one. Wow what a mistake I had made. If I had stayed with a stupid phone, I would not have the blood pressure problems that I have now, at least this is part of the problem.

Red Pocket, after talking to 3 different, poorly speaking English support people, they tell me that I can not order the phone I want (their only flip phone) with their $10 a month plan? I have to order a $300 fricking smart phone to get the $10 a month plan, really? So I order the only flip phone they offer, for $50 with a $20 a month plan and then get, WAIT FOR IT!, "this phone is currently not available". Yep there is that oncoming train, or is it just the brick wall? Was I stupid enough to think that I could actually get an inexpensive phone to replace my "smart phone" that has been dead for over 4 weeks now, stupid me...

Fedex just picked up my unusable brand new $425 Iphone for return. 

So, in my upcoming part 4 post, do you think that I will be writing about doing battle with the asshats at Apple Credit about charging me for an Iphone that does not work and does not have a charging cable adapter, or will I be enjoying life with my new stupid phone?

W