Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Whiteout and a surprise

For anyone who's been paying attention (or who lives in the affected areas), the weather conditions in the northeast will come as no surprise. Today's blizzard conditions in Lancaster made driving home from work a bit of a trial. I had to make two attempts, and only made it a mile from work on the first attempt before I got my wife's car stuck in a snowbank. After about two hours, some good Samaritans and a pair of Manheim Township police officers helped me dislodge the Rav4.



I returned to work and helped cover the shift since one of the staff was unable to make it in. The snow finally stopped flying around 6:30, so I left work again around 7:30. I needed a bit of help to get the Rav4 our of the parking lot, but after that, I was able to take a circuitous route home. It took a bit of work to park, but I finally was able to relax in the warmth and safety of my home.


The snow really was beautiful, despite making the roads treacherous. I spent a lot of time out in it, removing it from the walkways at work with the snowthrower.

With my wife's recent illness, money's been a bit tight, and we were having a bit of trouble with our Direct TV bill. I called them to explain the sitiuation and ask if there was anything they could do for me. The gentleman I spoke with at first said there was little he could do, as they are trained, but after explaining a little, he transfered me to their "retention" division. The woman I spoke with, she gave the name "Olivia," was pleasant and conversational. She gave me a $75.00 credit toward my bill and helped me change my plan to something more affordable. I'm sure that, on the one hand, she was glad to speak to someone who was simply presenting the scenario of "Satelite TV, or mortgage..." as opposed to an irate caller.

I always like to give a plug for folks who do me a good turn. I like Direct TV. They have decent channel choices and cost a lot less than Comcast. Now there's another bonus; they have great customer service, at least from what I've experienced.

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