On today’s episode of More Computer Crap You Don’t Care About
FedEx delivered a nice shiny new computer Wednesday!
Unfortunately, they didn’t deliver it HERE.
FedEx has a photo and internal GPS records confirming delivery to the wrong address, and they went back to that house to collect it. Naturally the people where it was delivered denied receiving it. (And for the record, had it been addressed to them they’d be within their right to keep it. With my name and address on the label, they aren’t. In fact, if it had been sent through the USPS and they opened it, it would be a federal crime.)
I obviously talked to FedEx and talked to Dell. The tech manager at Dell quoted about a week to get everything squared away and a replacement sent. I told him this is one time it needs to go slightly longer than a week, since we’ll be out of town next week. Pretty sure he was just happy I wasn’t ripping his head off. This time around it was all on FedEx. I saw no point taking it out on the poor Dell guy.
My gut instincts told me this transaction was destined to crash and burn, even before Dell sent it out. Thank goodness the follow up feels more promising. If nothing else, I suspect FedEx will be strongly incentivized to get the delivery right this time.
Light Box
On a happier note, this is one of G’s photos from our late-night run a few days ago. I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen a dust storm backlit by the sun. The color isn’t edited.
After this snap, though, we did an about-face and headed home. There are mountains at the end of that road, and not far away. Dust thick enough to obscure them told us all we needed to know.
Dust storms (or the current loathsome affectation, “haboobs”) aren’t remotely dangerous if you’re indoors. If you’re walking outdoors, they’re merely annoying. You’ll experience grit everywhere: eyes, nose, mouth, clothes, blahty-blah.
When you’re driving, however, it’s a different story. The beige smear straight ahead in this photo is opaque. That’s fact. The worst dust storm where I’ve been driving, I couldn’t see the front end of my car from the driver’s seat, and it came up in a matter of seconds. It’s kind of like driving in the worst kind of blizzard, only the roads aren’t icy.
Now imagine being on the freeway when one of these babies overtakes you. If you stop, the car behind you can’t see your brake lights. If you have to cross lanes to pull over, you can’t tell if somebody’s coming up behind or alongside you. If you’re thinking chain-reaction wrecks: oh yes. They happen.
The irony is all the photos making the rounds show this huge, towering mountain-cloud of dust you can literally see from miles away. With those, you have plenty of time to pull over. The bad ones are small, but go from perfect visibility to blackout in under 15 seconds. No warning, just BOOM. If you’ve lived in Arizona long enough you know when and where to watch out. Windy day? Immediate red flag. Driving through an area with no homes/businesses/walls? Especially flat desert? Check and CHECK.
Yes, the above is an actual photo of the Phoenix area. No, neither G nor I took it. It illustrates the spectacular nature these things can occasionally take, though they’re more often a beigey-pink smear in the southern sky as they approach. Incidentally, dust storms can happen any time of year, day or night. They’re most common afternoons and evenings in hot weather.
Upward Plane
I took the crop duster photo up top a few weeks ago. Part of me is happy I caught it at all. Part of me frowns because the focus is iffy. But I managed to keep Photoshop (and the laptop) afloat long enough to do a li’l editing, so I’m running with it.
We didn’t do any photography this weekend, unless you count this stuff (and I don’t):
G wanted to take photos of the flower fields. I find them meh. The colors are pretty. The building in the background is the Lucent electric truck manufacturing plant.
The last image tells you most of why there were no photos. It rained this weekend.
Correction, it POURED this weekend.
I’m overjoyed to have more rain. Our lemon tree and jade plants are happy-dancing. However, it was coming down too hard to get out and take photos.
When I did this week’s grocery run, I was lucky enough to pull off the road just as the heavens opened. I parked under an awning, the driver’s-side window away from the winds. It was coming down so hard both I and the poor guy bringing my groceries were getting hit by wide streams of water, more like an opened faucet than rain.
I called G and asked him if I needed to bring home one or two arks. After the chuckle, I let him know I was fine, and to allow extra time for me to get back home. He gets panic attacks when I’m gone longer than expected. It isn’t a control thing – when it’s nice out and I just want to go somewhere, no big deal. If it’s super long and the weather’s nice, he might call to check on me and that’s all it takes. On a day like yesterday, he’d have freaked right out, because people here drive like idiots in the best of times. When it rains, you’d think it was the apocalypse.
The extreme rain came and went all weekend. We had fairly consistent rain otherwise, which was even better.
ROAD TRIP!
We’re leaving Tuesday for points northward, up in the mountains. We’re bringing sweaters because I checked the weather – daytime highs in the 60s (in other words, PERFECT) and nights in the 30s. The camera batteries (and backup batteries) are all fully charged, my power chair is fully charged, and so on.
I’m making fried chicken and some macaroni salad tomorrow for the cooler, earmarked for a picnic lunch Tuesday. G has a huge thing for picnics, even more if it includes cold chicken, which he loves.
I’m stoked!
All in all a very positive update!
We closed up the trailer today. I am happy/sad – only six months to camp again, but winter. Signs are pointing to a serious winter, as well. Dunno if I want lots of snow and cold temps or just the snow, heh.
I wasn’t a happy camper midweek, but I’m trying to be philosophical about it. Maybe the lappy they mis-delivered had another problem. Maybe they’ll give me an added bonus of some kind with the replacement. It’s what it is – and if I’ve waited this long, another week isn’t the end of the world. It also helps to know I have vacay ahead!
Global warming is a thing, but I know sometimes it’s a thing which pushes nastier winter weather. Here’s hoping for better. Stay warm and dry!
Getting closer to the new computer. Sometimes it just seems like nothing goes right for the longest time. I hope your vacation helps cheer up your life.
Thanks, Terri. I’m actually pretty calm about the whole thing now. I was swearing at FedEx on the day they sent me a delivery confirmation, but it’s what it is. Things will work out.
Love all the pics…but not as much as FRIED CHICKEN!! How come you never share THAT with me, huh? I just depictions of dust and old drain pipes. Make with the fried bird, sister! You know my address.
I know your email addy. Our main replicator should be able to materialize it for you, provided your current unit is at least version 963.28. However, I ended up not making it before we left, and we’re not home until sometime tomorrow.
If all goes well I’ll send over a plate of schnitzels and some macaroni salad Saturday, because I already know I won’t be able to move tomorrow. Your replicator should be programmed to receive around 6pm your time if all goes well.
I await it eagely. It better be at least 3 bites.
I never send “three bites”. My mama wasn’t a great cook but she was a SOUTHERN cook, and those rules were passed on to me. You’ll get enough to gorge and have leftovers for a week.