Friday, August 21, 2009

Award deja vu







I've been gone two days, which I will describe in most hideous detail, but for now I get to say "Thank you, guys, for making my homecoming bright!" Yes, more awards have been bestowed upon this fledgling blog. They are oddly familiar since I received both previously. However, this time they came in a virtual shower!
I must thank Michelle McLean, Rick Daley and Abby Annis for each nominating me for the Kreativ Blogger. And Robyn Campbell honors me with the Humane Award. Whew!
All these people are awesome bloggers, so check 'em out.

I'm supposed to tell stuff about me, and I've decided to tell you about my two days in an alternate universe. I went to my mother's and noticed her message phone was dead, her lights were flickering, her TV was snapping off every few moments and the refrigerator was gasping. After I took her for a doctor's appointment, I called the property management people responsible for things like faulty electricity. They said someone would come around but I could call Edison, too, if I pleased. I called Edison. A little later Lovely Mr. Edison Man appeared. (No Lovely Property Management Man was seen at all).

Me: So glad to see you. The problem is happening in three other condos in this building, too.
Lovely Mr. Edison Man: I will check it out. *checks it out*
Lovely Mr. Edison Man: I have found the problem. I need a maintenance person from property management to meet me so we can fix it. Can you call?
Me: *dials* Hello? The Edison man has found the problem. We need you to send someone out.
Property Management Phone Answering Person: We can't do that. It's after 4 p.m.
Me: Huh?
Property Management Phone Answering Person: We don't have personnel after 4 p.m. We can send someone between 7:30 and noon tomorrow.
Me: But the Edison man has found the problem and nobody has electricity and the lady upstairs can't cook and is almost crying and the food will spoil and it's only a few minutes after 4.
Property Management Phone Answering Person: That's how it is. Edison can meet with someone in the morning.
Me: But he's here now. This is ridiculous. It's absurd. I can't believe you do business this way. (I may have said some other words)

Property Management Phone Answering Person: Someone will come in the morning.

Lovely Mr. Edison Man: We have a swing shift. How can they not have one? *shows me the broken bolt that needs to be fixed and leaves*

(I take my mother to dinner. We can't cook, watch TV or read. Next morning I prowl around until Property Management Maintenance Man arrives)

Property Management Maintenance Man: *opens the box* This is Edison's problem, not ours.

Me: The man from Edison tried to get one of you out yesterday. Someone has to fix this. All the food is spoiling. This is ridiculous.

Maintenance Man: I have to go on another job. Call when Edison comes back.

Me: *more choice words*

(Later, all parties meet and fix the problem. I empty five bags of ruined food from the freezer and show them to Maintenance Man.)

Maintenance Man: Want me to throw them away for you?

Me: No, thanks. I'm going to take them to the management office.

(I load my car with soggy frozen dinners and leaking ice cream containers)

Me: *carry bags into the spiffy lobby and up to receptionist desk* I'd like to see a manager, please. (poor lady looks at my bags) Yes, I know it is odd to bring ruined groceries in your lobby but I'm here to make a point.
Receptionist: No one is answering. I can give you a phone number, if you'd like to call later.
Me: No, I think I'll wait.
Receptionist: I'll try someone else. Okay, someone will be out.
The manager gawks at my leaking grocery bags, listens to my tale, says she'll take it up with staff. She even writes my name and phone number down. I leave her with the groceries.

You probably didn't want to know all that, but now you know I'm dang tenacious. And next, I write The Letter to the Board.

Now we come to the part of awards where I'm supposed to nominate a certain number of people and tell them the rules. I'm funny about rules, so my solution is to name some cool blogs here and invite you to read them if you haven't. The named bloggers may accept the award and put it on their site and play by the rules or not. Everyone gets to be creative.
Andrea Cremer at A Blurred History
PJ Hoover at Roots in Myth
That's all, folks. Thanks, and good-night.

14 comments:

Donna said...

Congrats on awards. Shame on Property Management Maintenance Man. Good blogs. Good night.

Anna C. Morrison said...

Oh, I hope you took pictures of the groceries, too! Go get 'em!

Andrea Cremer said...

You are awesome! I love that story and tenacity is an excellent trait; good for you.

Thanks so much for the award :)

storyqueen said...

*I may have said some other words.* Hahaha! I know I would have!! (and not the kind you can repeat on a tasteful blog such as this!)

What a pain......but, you know, your mom is sure lucky to have you looking out for her and all.

Shelley

BJW said...

Why thank you Tricia. But especially for you story about how you STUCK IT TO THE MAN! Good for you. Tiny people in their tiny spheres of influence grasping on to their ounce of power like grim death. I call it, The School Bus Driver syndrome.

In their world they are king. I suppose we're all like that sometimes. Maybe. I hope not. Oh the humanity.

I deeply sympathize and was cheering you as you exited that property management office, head high, hands smelling slightly like soggy food. Proud day indeed Tricia. Well done.

Unknown said...

WOW.

Yep, same universe. The moon? Let's hope for a better week.

S

Tess said...

Girl, were you really up posting and commenting at midnight?!?! Man, that's a true blogging friend :) hahaha

Hopefully, you were able to sleep in this morning. I was planning on it, but my 84 year old neighbor called at 7am to ask me if I wanted corn. Seriously!!!! I picked up the phone and heard his voice saying, "do you want corn?". Too funny.

Okay, I'm digressing here....

thanks for the link and shout out! such a fun surprise :D

MG Higgins said...

Yowza, Tricia, not bad for an INFP! What an appropriate reaction to a ridiculous situation. I bet your mom was glad you were there to help out.

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Hi all! *waves and smiles and gets teary* I'm making this a group hug. Thank you so much for the encouraging comments. I really was exhausted today and found it hard to accomplish anything much. But it means a lot to see y'all here.
(Tess: I hope you at least got some corn out of that early wake-up call!)

Tabitha Bird said...

Man, some people hey! Makes me want to march in there with you and dump spoiled food all over that lobby!

Glad you got the problem fixed eventually. I bet your mother was glad to have you there.

Congrats on the awards.

PJ Hoover said...

Thank you so much for the nomination, Tricia! I totally appreciate it! And you definitely deserve your nominations!

Hope all is going great!

Unknown said...

Thanks so much for the nomination! It's been a crazy week for me--school just started up again--and it's nice to be recognized in the midst of running around like crazy! :)

kah said...

As an employee of a property management company, I must say, I'm so sorry. :( But yay for the awards!

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Tabitha: Hey, I might just take you up on that offer! Of course, I just watched "Iron Jawed Angels" on DVD and that got me more riled up. Oh, the injustice.

PJ and Beth: You guys are the greatest.

Karen: Oops. I can tell from your blog how thoughtful you are, so you are nothing like what I was up against. I need to write a letter to the board of directors that they've got to put some emergency system in place. Hopefully, they'll hear me.