June 9, 2010

I'm just bitchin', thank you

A reader emailed suggesting I am remiss in not bloggin from Ohio yet. So here goes. I'm just saying what's been going on and aside from the weather, I'm just bitchin', as in "that's a bitchin' set of wheels, dude!"
You see, since I got here Saturday, the weather has been by my definition crummy. Today, for example, it is 66 degrees, rainy and windy. I ran two burners on the "ghetto heater" while I took my shower this morning. I put fake heat patches on achy spots on my body. I ate. It's cold and I know I'm just bitching, but gee, somehow that makes me feel warmer.
Having been on native soil for some 100 hours, allow me to opine.
I think the recession has worn people down. Folks would just as soon sit in that seat than offer you one. Only the service people who work for tips seem to have any hustle left. Mind you, I am a stranger here, so it could pass with time. But, it is not very pleasant to receive poor service or no response to service requests.
We were expecting Kate and Bryan to have my computer when I arrived. So far, FedEx has been to the apartment three times and Bryan has talked to them twice.
They cannot arrange a 4p or later delivery because the depot closes at 4pm. Tell me they don't have trucks on the road after 4! Well, maybe in this zip code, a first ring suburb of a major dying city???
I had some time to kill after my Monday appointments and went on Coventry looking for a friend I left a voice mail for during the weekend. I was late and the place was closed. New hours, the sign said. What are they? Do you care to share them?
So I went looking for a haircut. I stopped at a place where the Steppford Wives were all getting the same highlighted, shoulder length cut I had in high school. $50. Oh, that's too much, I said. $40, the cashier replied. Nope, sorry, still too much.
I moved on to my original intention, the Crazy Mullet. Yep, sport fisher-persons were brain storming and came up with this name for three salons.
Since they love Bryan and Kate there, I got great service. Then I went to an upscale sub sandwich shop and ordered the veggie sub, extra onions. "They don't come with onions." OK, add onion!
After a long morning at the Women's Center of the Cleveland Clinic, I decided to plant myself in the food court/cafeteria. It really is both and I recalled fondly their sushi. It was good. $5.99 for spicy tuna rolls. An iced tea and I was happy.
Then getting out of there, all I was to do was ask for a manager to call a Red Coat and they'd be right over. One tried. She called again.
Then another tried, and he called again. I had been told that if a Red Coat did not arrive, the manager would wheel me. That didn't happen.
So I finally got out the door and on the right campus bus, to my afternoon appointment and called for a cab as we were wrapping up. "In front in 10 minutes." We don't take advance appointments. Click.
Called back in 10 minutes from outside the building and waited 15 minutes. Called again. 15 minutes, called again.
The only nice thing was the driver was a former cook from Becky's. Remember Tim Shaw, the cabbie who used to hang at Becky's? he asked.
Yeah, I used to call him Dead Man Walking. Skinny alcoholic and addict who got a DUI, lost his cab license for life. Then he got a bicylce DUI.
"He died. They found him after three days. Said it was natural causes."
Yep, I'm just bitchin'!
That's it. FedEx might be here any moment and I don't want them to leave because it took too long to get to the buzzer or something stoopid. Hope you're not upset at my bitching.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think all the bitchin comes from being freezing ass cold!! You need to get back to that nice warm tropical weather and FAST!!!

IslaZina said...

Jen, that's bitching. Today it will be 87 and I'll bitchin' with my rented Focus!