I Hate Charter

Since the day we moved in I have been in a running battle with Charter cable. Each time I think I have won the war I realize that they have simply run another guerrilla action and have out-manuvered me again. Waived installation fees that are charged to our account. Installers who won't get in the attic because it's too hot (this in October), giving up on trying to get cable into the guest rooms and still being charged fortheir installation. Thinking I have it straightened out and never getting the updated statement that I requested. Not to mention the three technicians that come out and replace one bad modem with another. Finally, this morning no cable after getting the still incorrect statement the day before, warning me that they might suspend service. AARRRGGGHHH! Not a good way to start the day. What had they done? Debited an adjustment instead of crediting it and thus increasing the bill (in their favor) by $100. I Hate Charter.
Then there are the call centers. Have the corporate honchos considered how insulting it is to the call center employees and to the customers to require someone in New Delhi to identify himself as "Jerry"? Puhleez, give some respect to your employees by not hiding their culture behind "American" names and don't insult our intelligence by thinking we fall for it.

Coach Smith

J.J. just sent me an e-mail with a link to the Millard North Girls Basketball Team. You can see her in action at www.millardnorth.org It's kind of wild to see her on the other end of the coach/player exchange. Her team is doing great so far. Go Mavs! er. . . MUSTANGS!

"It's usually not like this here!"

When we moved to Nebraska in the midst of a heat wave (August 1988, 110 deg. at 11 a.m.) the refrain was, "It's usually not like this here!" After 18 years I can tell you, "Yes it is!" As we have made the transition to St. Louis we have been told repeatedly that the weather here is much milder than Lincoln and that there might be two or three days in the winter where there is a skiff of snow that melts away by midafternoon.

This morning we are hearing the old refrain, "It's usually not like this here!" The equivalent of 30" of snow comprised of rain, sleet, ice, and snow (leaving a 4-5" layer of tundra) fell in the last 36 hours. It has left 500,000 people in the metro area without power. Luckily, we hicks out in Eureka are fine; and in fact, despite the dire warnings it was the best commute I've had. Hardly anyone was on the road and I-44 was mostly clear of ice and slush. This morning I fired up my trusty Husqvarna snow blower (I actually thought about getting rid of it given the reports of MILD weather) and cleared snow until I ran out of gas. I'll have to finish up when I get home and hopefully help the neighbors because I did not see another snow blower on our entire street.

Being a dedicated employee, model department chair, and most importantly, the new guy that needs points I'm here in the office with lots to do and no interruptions from students, faculty, or the Dean (makes it hard to score those points so I'll probably sneak out early). So, this old Rocky Mountain-bred, Great Plains-acclimated, Mississippi Valley transplant will forge ahead and retain a polite but disbeliving perspective on, "It's usually not like this here!"