I am really getting sick of service businesses.

Don’t get me wrong. My ex and I ran a service business for 30 years. But we didn’t ever treat people the way I’ve been treated since I moved down here, by people performing a job for me.

Take Home Depot and my windows. A 3 day job turned into 2 ½ months. 5 visits from the installer. 4 from the building inspector. It culminated in a very messy caulking job, done to cover up the mess they made pulling caulking off of the windows, caulking that shouldn’t have been applied until after the in-progress inspection was done. When I asked for credit, they offered me a $250 gift card. The windows cost over $8000.  I told him that was an insult. Then he said 10%. I told him I was expecting a couple thousand dollars for all the inconvenience. It’s still not settled. Going on 3 months later. I had to call him again this morning. They never call me. I had to call them to get the inspections done, to get the installers back, yada yada yada. Never again, Home Depot.

Take the marine service yard working on our boat’s engine and generator. Originally told it would be a 4 or 5 day job, we are now going on 3 weeks. Since they are a block and a half from my house, Dan walks over almost every day to find out the status. He started doing that about 2 weeks into it. Last Thursday they promised us on Friday. When it didn’t happen they promised us “absolutely” on Monday. “For sure” Well, guess what. We still don’t have the boat. We are assuming today but that’s a broad assumption based on past performance.

The office manager there is an idiot. He’s the one who keeps making promises, and not communicating when he can’t keep his promises. We waited all afternoon yesterday for them to bring the boat over. We were so excited. Now we are so aggravated.

On top of it, when he promised it would be delivered yesterday, Dan told him he’d heard that before, adding that 4 or 5 days had now turned into 3 weeks. Then Dan asked when and how we settle up the bill. Office manager said, “We do that here, she (his assistant) is working on the bill now. “ Dan replied “Hey, not like I’m in a hurry to give you my money…” Which was obviously a joke, since he was inquiring about paying them. Office manager said, “Oh you’ll make a good boat owner. In a hurry to get the boat, but not to pay the bill.” Dan repeated that the boat had been there 3 weeks. The office manager said, “Oh we can put liens on boats now. “

What? He had just tried to make arrangements to pay the bill. What an ass. We gave them a $500 deposit already. He’s gonna talk to us as though we were gonna try to skip out on the bill? Why would he insult a good customer like that?

Let me add that the service manager has delivered on what he’s agreed to. He’s been quite professional. But the office manager is an idiot. Flaming.

Geezus.

Hopefully today, we will get the boat, and be done with these people. Hopefully not need them again.

So my little rant is over.

In other news, life is just good. It’s a beautiful day down here. The windows are open, and cool fresh breezes are blowing through the house. It’s been quite windy lately. But sunny and warm. My new (really old) diabetes meds are working well. The CBD’s have so reduced my arthritis pain that I forget I have it at times. I’m sleeping like a baby. Last night as I went to bed, I thought, “how lucky am I?” To end up here, in this cute little house, with a man I adore, and good friends. And now a boat, just to round out my life. Damn. So far from where I was for so many years. It’s amazing to me how I gave away my power to the men in my life. Clarity is such a good thing to have, finally.

As ever, love and light to all.