Too Busy For Fandom Today

[kevin_standlee]

I had meant to write about ConVersation (the San Jose CVB's outreach to Bay Area conrunners I mentioned yesterday) today, but domestic concerns have interfered. I got my flu shot at work today, and was able to get home early, which is good because we had furniture delivery and other home work to do. And the repair guy came by to replace the power supply in cherylmorgan's computer. Oh, and the condo complex's plumbers came by and shut off the hot water for a while on short notice, although we hardly would have noticed that.

The delivery and repair people are hopeless. We're in a gated complex where you have to call us on the call box at the gate and we open the gate by pressing a button on our phone. You must use that box. Calling us on your mobile phone doesn't do any good, because the gate-opening mechanism is in the call box. We tell them to come to Gate 2 of our complex because it's the gate that actually leads to our building. If you use online maps, you'll end up at Gate 5, which is wrong and a fair distance away from our building -- and besides, you'd end up back at Gate 2 anyway if you try to traverse the internal roadways. (In case you're wondering, Gates 1/3/4 are residents only and can't be opened remotely.)

The computer repair guy called on his mobile phone. I told him he needed to get out and use the call box, but as this happened, another resident showed up and opened the gate, so the repairman tailgated him in. This sort of thing is pretty common, actually. He replaced the power supply, and Cheryl's new desktop is working again.

Gate 2 is actually two gates, one on the left of the entrance plaza and one on the right. The IKEA subcontractor's delivery truck at least went to Gate 2, but then they lined the truck up on the right gate (we're on the left gate) and seemed surprised when the left gate opened. I trotted out to the gate when they didn't arrive, opened the gate again with the clicker from my van, and waved at them.

"You said to come to Gate 2," they said.

"This is Gate 2," I said, pointing at the sign.

"It points the other way," they told me.

I looked at the sign. There is an arrow at it pointing at the call-box phone. I suppose one could interpret it as meaning only the right side gate is Gate 2. Sigh. Rather than turn the truck around, they slowly backed in. I had to keep hitting the clicker until they got backed over the road sensors. After they made the delivery, I watched them leave. They ran up to the gate, past the limit line (there is a big sign warning you not to pull past the limit line because the gate opens inward), and had to hastily back up lest the opening gate whack the front end of their truck. Sigh again.

Anyway, all of the IKEA stuff is now delivered. Fortunately, we'd assembled the bookshelves and nightstands earlier in the week, so there was room for the new arrivals, which are piled up in the living room. We've been relentlessly cleaning. We've already taken a couple of bags of clothes and stuff to the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, and I think we'll take more tomorrow. (I'm finally getting rid of the too-large slacks I wore before dropping weight after the diabetes diagnosis.)

I also went and bought some wood screws to use with the bookshelf brackets. Aside from the hassle of locating the wall studs, it went okay. Two of the new shelves are now attached to the wall, so cherylmorgan was able to start filling them up (with books and food, depending on which set of shelves). However, we can't find the bracket that should have come with one of the shelves. I don't remember whether or not it was there when we opened the box. I wonder if IKEA will give me another one if I go by and tell them it was missing from the box?

This weekend, we get to disassemble the office, haul all of the computers and other equipment out of the room, and then build two new desks in the office and put the network and computers back together again. We also have a chest of drawers to assemble and and old one with a broken drawer that needs disposing. We can't give it to SVDP -- they won't take furniture. The broken drawer is actually just a broken runner that someone sufficiently motivated could repair. I'll give it to anyone willing to haul it away, but I don't think it would fit in the back of my van unless I remove all but the front seats.

If I had a power saw, I'd be tempted to saw the thing up into scrap wood so I could put it in the trash.

dinogrl, I haven't forgotten that you'd like the surplus shelves for your school. Let me know how we can get them to where you want them. We'll probably have them clear of the office muck sometime on Sunday.

Comments

[buddykat.livejournal.com]

I wonder if IKEA will give me another one if I go by and tell them it was missing from the box?

They probably will. My local Ikea also has several parts bins in their customer service area, so you can easily get things like missing brackets, allen keys, etc.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

The East Palo Alto store has those same bins, but there is nothing in them. But I can ask at the parts desk.

[howeird]

delivery people
Yeah, my UPS guy has a habit of being too lazy to drop packages off at the apartment office, which is two blocks from my unit, and will instead go around the back, and throw them over the 5-foot-high patio wall aiming for the stuffed armchair which is all the way across the patio from the wall.

Thursday he did this with a package containing a 400GB hard drive, but instead of hitting the chair it landed on the cement floor.

I'm not even going to open the package, I've filed a claim with UPS.

[dinogrl.livejournal.com]

We're still in SoCal, as the funeral was yesterday, but I did clear it with the office, and they know you're coming. We probably could use the desks too, if they aren't toooooo raggidy. If you wish to drop the lot by, just explain the circumstances. Janet knows you're coming! If you come after four, the office will be closed. And THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

The "desk" we're retiring is actually a six-foot folding table, rather than an old desk.

I don't know where your school is, I'm afraid.

[(Anonymous)]

We're home now, and we'll be going to school today, however, I do not have keys to any place for storage.
Call Dave for directions, if you want to drop off before school/work, the custodian may be available (albeit grumpy). He knows you are going to call!
Thanks!

[dinogrl.livejournal.com]

Well, I thought I posted something, it didn't post-Call Dave for directions on how to get there. He knows you are going to call.
If you would like to drop things before work, that is possible too.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Your comment posted -- eventually, because anonymous comments are screened in my journals. I've seen what you've written. But we haven't cleared the shelves out yet, and probably won't until late today. The office is the last piece of the puzzle, and we're going to have to go over to IKEA first to make good on missing parts.