Wowzers

I was just taking a gander at my archives and I have been doing this for over four years now. I believe I during this time I haven't gone more than three or four days without posting. You'd think by now I would have more than five readers. I guess you take what you can get.

Last night was the real last night of our move. I had called the county and arranged to have some furniture picked up and today was the pick up day so last night you had to get that damn couch with the hide-a-bed out near the dumpster. It wasn't too bad once we were able to get that bad boy outside. I thought the couch would be a lot heavier than it was. Maybe because I am getting fatter I am used to carrying around a lot of weight so the couch seemed lighter than it did when we moved it in.

When I called the county last week I was unable to get anyone on the phone who could tell me where to put the couch so it could be hauled away. I didn't know if I should put it out near the road, leave it outside the old apartment or leave it by the dumpster. I was leaning towards leaving it by the dumspter and that turned out to be where it needed to go. Dang, if I had to call various numbers over a five day period to get an answer. First the employee on the county's 311 line told me to talk to the manager of the property. I did that and the manager had no idea where I should deposit the unwanted furniture. He recommended I call Allied Waste, the waste management company that dumps our dumpsters. I did and the Allied operator said they didn't do that kind of pickup. She claimed the city did it. So, I call the county 311 line back and that operator gives me a different number for Allied Waste. I call that number figuring that maybe it's a different department and they can help me. Nope, that person tells me the same thing: the city does that type of pickup. I call the county back and get another operator and she can't tell me anything. I wait a few hours and and call back and get another county 311 operator and I lay it out for her politely. I tell her all the steps I've gone through and end my polite spew by suggesting that there has got to be someone somewhere that can tell me where to put this goddamn couch. She says simply, "Put it by the dumpster." I was shocked. I told her that she was the first person that could give me a straight answer and that she was the bomb. She seemed underwhelmed by my praise and just wished me a pleasant day. Each time, before you talk to an operator, you hear a message warning you that calls are recorded to ensure quality. I hope someone reviews that woman's call with me that day because she is the shit and deserves some praise from her supervisor.