I promised pics...

Trish & I went downtown last week to get residential parking permits. The city of Denver has a 2-hour limit on residential street parking. The parking enforcement officers are absolute NAZIS, so you have to go out and move your car every two hours! My garage is too small, and I don't particularly want to park in a dark alley at night, so the street is my other option. You can get a street parking permit, which enables you to park indefinitely on your own street, and thereby thwarts the Parking NAZIS. However, we ran into a little problem with the woman in charge of residential parking permits. Here's my letter to the city of Denver:

May 15, 2009

Ms. Tina Scardina
Manager, Residential Parking Permit Office
201 W. Colfax Avenue, Suite 706
Denver, CO 80202

Dear Ms. Scardina:

My name is Karen Xxx, and I am a tax-paying homeowner in Denver. Please let me tell you about my less-than-pleasant interaction with and observations of one of your employees, Ms. Francine Garcia, at the Residential Parking Permit office at 201 W. Colfax Avenue. I would like you to consider this a formal complaint.

I visited the Residential Parking Permit office on May 15th with a friend who has just purchased a condo in Denver, to obtain parking permits for our vehicles. We were 4th in line. Ms Garcia had just finished with a customer. She was the only clerk visible at the office; no other windows were open. The next person in line was an older woman, and she approached Ms. Garcia’s window. Ms. Garcia began yelling—yes, YELLING—at the customer, saying “Did I call you up here? Can’t you read the sign? You don’t come up here until I’m finished with my transactions and I CALL you up here!”

Needless to say, the woman was humiliated and scurried back to the front of the line. I was furious. The rest of the people in line rolled their eyes and small talk was made about Ms. Garcia’s rude behaviour.

My friend’s turn arrived. Ms. Garcia was rude to her, speaking in a condescending tone, telling her that she didn’t have the “proper paperwork.” She told my friend to read the sign (posted to the side of the window) in a tone of voice that was snide, rather than informative. My friend had called the city and was told that she needed a utility bill or some other proof of residency, but was not informed that she needed her vehicle registration. Thus, I didn’t have my registration, either, although I had insurance cards with my vehicle license information for both of my vehicles. After a few other rude remarks, Ms. Garcia gave my friend an application, and I approached the window to hasten the process since I needed the same thing.

Ms. Garcia then raised her voice to me, saying “Don’t you approach this window when I’m helping someone.” I said, “I’m with her, and I need two applications.” My friend was trying to explain to her that no-one had told her about the registration requirement, and Ms. Garcia rudely cut her off mid-sentence.

I asked the volunteer at the Information desk whom the RPP supervisor might be. She didn’t know, but directed me to the 3-1-1 office. I told the 3-1-1 receptionist what I needed, and a 3-1-1 supervisor was standing nearby. He said, “Is it the woman with the dark hair? Francine?” I said yes, and the receptionist said, “That’s Francine. We get complaints about her all the time.” The supervisor went outside to ensure that the clerk in question was Ms. Garcia, and he verified her identity. They gave me the names of Jana Kellyova and Lucy Favors as Ms. Garcia’s supervisors, and recommended that I call them.

I went back to the RPP window and asked a clerk who had just arrived, an older woman, what the clerk’s name was, just so that I could be absolutely certain of her name. She verified that it was Francine. I went back to the Information desk to call Ms. Garcia’s supervisor. The woman volunteer at the Information desk told me that Francine is always rude and disrespectful to customers, and that she hoped I would complain to the Mayor’s office since everything falls under the City’s purview.

I reached Lucy Favors’ voice mail and left a message. Since Lucy wasn’t available to speak to me, I decided to contact the Mayor’s office. My friend and I walked across the street, and the Mayor’s staff gave us your name, title and address. The mayor’s secretary also said that, when she called to inquire, that there have been numerous problems and complaints about Ms. Garcia. The person with whom she spoke knew exactly who we were asking about, and why!

So, my question to you is: Why does this woman have job in customer service when she is apparently incapable of being respectful, polite, courteous or helpful? There are hundreds, if not thousands, of unemployed people who would love to have a good job, and who would professionally serve the public with a smile on their face.

As a tax-paying citizen, I resent being treated disrespectfully by people who are supposed to be there to help me. I resent seeing an older woman humiliated and yelled at by a clerk. I pay taxes and I am entitled to park my car on the street, and I am entitled to have respectful, polite assistance in obtaining a parking permit, yet Ms. Garcia acted as though we were all nuisances. If respectfully serving the citizens of Denver is so distasteful to Ms. Garcia, perhaps she should stay home, away from the public, and collect unemployment.

People like Ms. Garcia get away with this sort of abusive behaviour because so few people will actually take the time to complain. Well, she chose the wrong day to be nasty. I DO take the time to complain. Especially when we had to take time out of our day to drive downtown, find a parking space, and walk 6 blocks to the building…and because we weren’t given complete information, we’ll have to do it again on another day.

I expect a FULL apology from Ms. Garcia and from the RPP office. I expect Ms. Garcia to be disciplined—I can’t tell you how to run your office, but when EVERYONE in the building, from the information volunteer to the people in the 3-1-1 office to the people in the Mayor’s office, know her reputation, then something is seriously wrong and has been wrong long enough.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Karen Xxx

Cc: Jana Kellyova, Senior Financial Management Analyst
Lucy Favors, Supervisor
The Office of Mayor John Hickenlooper
Ms. Carla Madison, District 8 Council Person
Ms. Carol Boigon, City Council at Large
Mr. Doug Linkhart, City Council at Large
The Denver Post
KUSA 9NEWS
KCNC CBS4
KMGH The Denver Channel

As a PS—This is being sent May 22nd. As of today, I have not received a response from Ms. Favors regarding my telephone call to her and the message left on her voice mail. It seems that the lack of respect for citizens might roll downhill.

On our way over to the Mayor's Office, we spotted this sign:I just don't think I'd be really, really proud of that...

I promised pictures, didn't I? It's been a busy few weeks, trying to get the duplexes ready. Last week, I cut most of the grass. I'm saying "most" because I got DRENCHED by an enormous thunderstorm--in fact, the storm produced two funnel clouds just north of the duplex. I heard the tornado sirens, so I looked outside and saw the rotation in the cloud. Being the astute weather observer that I am, I thought "Hmmm, that doesn't look good. Think I'll go inside, away from the windows, and finish painting the bathroom." I emerged after the sirens stopped and discovered a LAKE on the newly refinished hardwood floor of the east unit! It didn't take long to figure out what had happened. I had installed thresholds, per a Home Depot expert's instructions.The original problem was the gap between the door and the floor, which allowed cold air and debris to blow in. "Put this up against the door, and cement it in really well with construction adhesive, and that will stop the problem," he said. It did...but when it rained, the rain ran down the door, behind the threshold, and onto my hardwood floors. Yes, it warped the floors. Really warped the floors. Apparently this type of threshold is designed to go UNDER the door--the bottom of the door should be on top of the wooden strip, covering it up.So, I ripped the thresholds out...or should I say pried, hammered, crowbarred, wedged and cursed until all of the pieces came off (not together, however). Still, Home Depot gave me a refund. Notice the construction adhesive on the board on the left. Notice the broken boards in the middle. Notice how all of those pieces were one...once.Yes, I'm going to complain, and they will probably have to come in and sand, then refinish the floor again. ARGH! Another millworks manager helped me with an excellent solution--a sweep with a rubber thing with about 5 "fingers" that keep everything out. It attaches to the bottom of the door. I'll be topping it off with a glass storm door for an added layer of protection.

Today saw the finishing touches at the duplex, just in time to show it Sunday morning--the washers & dryers were delivered, along with the new fridge. Remember the old decor? Here's the kitchen now!Much improved, with the new floor and appliances!Remember the shed, built against the kitchen window, and the lovely shelf paper pasted on the window? Trish tried removing it with Goof Off, which removes everything EXCEPT shelf paper! She sprayed until she was seeing double, and NOTHING came off! Nathanial, the neighbor's grandson, tried scraping with a putty knife and Goof Off.He got a little off, but really only suceeded in seperating the window pane from the window frame...bad idea. So, I decided to call the window guys and just replace the panes.

Well, when I removed the threshold, I also had to remove the remaining construction adhesive. Ever tried to do that? DON'T!!!! Construction adhesive is almost as permanent as shelf paper on window panes. Or a tattoo. (NO, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT!)

Fortunately for me, a fellow named Keith was installing carpet next door. He saw me trying to shave the cement off with a box cutter and putty knife, and came to my rescue with a razor scraper. WHAT A GREAT INVENTION!!!! It took the cement, and a good portion of my thumb, off with one swipe (seriously, I thought I was going to need stitches and a transfusion. I didn't know I contained that much blood.) So, I bought my own scraper, since it was only $2.97, and it took the shelf paper completely off--glue and all--in about 2 minutes. WOW!!! I'm SOLD! And I kept all of my fingers, toes and thumbs intact! What an adaptable creature I am!

Other home improvement projects included a new light fixture for the vanity. I really liked the old one, but somehow the mounting plate got lost during the demolition. I tried several replacements, but apparently the screws that hold the light up are at an odd distance apart.

So, I bought a new fixture today...and got a date out of it! More on that after the fact! :-)

I also installed my ceiling fan. It was easier than it looked, and believe it or not, it was balanced on the first try!Don't know if you can see these well enough, but these are the fleet of OSPREYS at ABQ. They are super-cool--they can rotate their propellers in order to take off vertically like a helicopter, then fly like an airplane.

I'm judging a benefit horse show tomorrow in Larkspur. It's a Breast Cancer benefit. There will be over 75 horses competing--and we would have been there, too, but I couldn't ride enough in the past two months to get Ranger ready. We'll do the next one, I guess!

Have a good weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Am I SURE it's not a TRAIN?

Things still haven’t slowed down, and I’m beginning to wonder if they ever will! The duplex still isn’t rented, although I’m starting to get a lot of interest.

Here’s what I’ve learned about that area of town and that income level: For the most part, the people looking for a place to live need to move in 1-5 days. They don’t plan ahead. You & I know several months in advance that we're moving--we look for a place, put down a deposit, give 30 days notice at our current residence, notify the utilities and phone companies, change our addresses, tell our friends...not the people who live in this part of town, with one exception--an Hispanic immigrant family that I met yesterday. Daniel, the father, said that their lease is up June 30th, so he's looking now. I really liked him, and told him that if he wants to rent from me, I'll hold the unit for a month with a deposit. He's the EXCEPTION out of 30 or 40 people who have called or come by.

In this area, people also don't really call to inquire. They drive by. If you are there, they stop. If not, they keep going. If they do call, they rarely leave messages.

They won’t call if you put too much information on the For Rent sign, such as the price of the rent, how many bedrooms, washer/dryer, etc…99% of the time, if they’ve made an appointment to see the place, they don’t show up. They don’t call you to tell you that they aren’t going to show up. If you do happen to call them, they say that they are running late and will be there in a half-hour, then never show up.

They run the other way if they even THINK you’re going to do a credit check. At this income level, credit scores are terrible anyway, and people are afraid of having their credit checked. So, I've learned to simply check for eviction and criminal history. Jose, my plumber, has 5 rentals, and he told me that a credit score isn't going to keep someone from screwing him, no matter how high or low it is. He chooses his renters based on conversations and gut instinct--hence my offer to Daniel and his family.

So, being an adaptable creature, I’ve learned…the For Rent sign only has my phone number and the fact that it’s a 2 BR. All of a sudden I’m getting dozens of calls. If I can, I go right over and show it, and they’ll wait for me if they are already there. I don’t mention credit check, and if they ask, I ask them how their credit score fares. They’ll tell me it’s terrible due to credit cards and other problems, but generally they’ve paid their rent, don’t have evictions, and aren’t criminals. Good enough for me.

I’m headed out to Home Depot right now to get a vanity for the duplex. I don’t think I’m going to be able to make the bigger (free!) vanity work, having it moved over away from the door. I can't figure out how to attach the P-trap at an angle. Jose the plumber is coming out tonight to see what we can do.

I have to make the Home Depot stop QUICK, because between 7:30-9:30 am, the appliance company is delivering the washer, washer & dryer, and fridge that I bought for the units. All that’s left is figuring out how to get the replacement window cranks installed, and the units are done.

What a project! What a learning experience!

Then, tomorrow I’m going to judge a horse show—finally, some KAREN TIME!

Something to think about...

I'll get some photos up soon--the duplexes are pretty much done...now just waiting for renters.

In the meantime, my FO forwarded this email to me. I did not write it, but thought I'd share it. This guy says it like it really is...:


Read this off APC and it came from someone commenting on the Colgan 3407 crash. It was well written and hit the nail on the head.

"I'm a pilot for another regional carrier (not Colgan, or any company owned by Pinnacle Holdings...the company that owns Colgan). So many people don't understand the life of a regional airline pilot, I almost feel obligated to give some insight here.

To become an airline pilot it's almost impossible to gain all the licenses and experience necessary to get hired without racking up at least $50,000+ in student loans for training, including all your books, equipment, other materials, fuel, instructor fees, renter's insurance, ect. You could easily get a bachelors and masters degree at most state schools for less.

My first year in the regional airlines I made $28,000 before taxes, and that's at the top end of the scale. And I spent about $2000 of that (7% of my paycheck, about 10% after taxes) on uniforms, luggage, and other equipment just to be able to do my job. I got lucky in that when I got hired we were in the middle of a hiring boom, and I never had to sit on reserve duty (where you only make a minimum monthly guarantee pay most of the time). Had I not been hired when I was, I would have probably made $20,000 per year or less. Most of the captains I'm flying with now made less than $15,000 their first year in the industry.

The passengers obviously provide our paychecks, just like customers in any other industry. But, the flying public wants their $69 one way tickets. In my opinion, flying should never be less than at least two or three times the cost of driving the same distance. Let's say I flew you 1000 miles (a pretty common distance, even for a regional carrier). If you drove it, at $2.20 per gallon and 25 MPG in an average car/suv, it would cost you about $90 in gas, $100 for a hotel (because the average person doesn't drive 1000 miles in one day). The trip would take you about 17 hours by car averaging 60 MPH. Double all those figures for the return trip, and you would have paid close to $400 not including food or other incidentals, and taken four days of your time. But, the flying public demands that we provide travel for that same distance for about $300 or less for a round trip. And, we can get you there in about two hours (as opposed to two days...one way). You can avoid the milage and wear and tear on your car, fly your 1000 miles, for 25% less money, and 90% faster time. Then you could do your business, turn around and come back in time for dinner.

Yet, the public goes into uproar if ticket prices go up.So, "thank you", Mr. and Mrs. U.S. flying public, for demanding the lowest airfare in the world, and for my minimum wage paycheck. I would buy you a beer for your caring and compassion, but you can't buy that with food stamps.

Oh, and while I have your entire familys' lives in my hands, flying through thunderstorms, ice, rain, and snow in some of the most congested and complicated airspace in the country on less than three hours of sleep, please feel free to keep sending up your complains about how hot or cold it is, how the seats are uncomfortable, my bag won't fit in the overhead, why is the seatbelt sign still on, there isn't enough leg room, it's too bumpy, this is taking too long, blah blah blah.

It takes a special kind of person to work in this industry. These days being a pilot is viewed by the public as being not much more than a glorified bus driver. So, until ticket prices go up, wages increase, work/rest rules are improved, and the industry regains some of its exclusivity, it will never attract the caliber of individual the public expects to see at the controls. Until that happens, the flying public has made the airline industry about the almightly dollar rather than actually serving the customer.

The same is true in crew training. I can can tell you from experience that safety is always our number one concern, but not far behind in the list of priorities is completing the flight on time. We fly with substandard and/or broken equipment on a daily basis because you, as the flying public, want your free meals, hotel stays, and free travel vouchers if the flight is delayed or cancelled. The maintenance guys could delay a flight by 45 minutes to change a tire, because it's so worn that one more landing would make the thing explode. And, all we get from the passengers are arms thrown up in frustration and comments about how "rediculous" this is. Yet, you still want to pay peanuts for your ticket.

So, yes pilot training in some places might be considered substandard compared to the ideal level of proficiency the public demands. The airline industry likes to boast about how well pilots are trained and how safe it is. What they really mean is that the pilots are trained well and safety is held at the highest standard given the available financial resources and associated costs.

You can't have your cake and eat it too. If you want airfares cheaper than dirt, that lack of cash flow trickles up to all levels of the individual company, including training for pilots and maintenance personnel, as well as making the industry as a whole unattractive to the most qualified and capable people.

The pilots of Colgan 3407 might have made some bad decisions, and it cost many people their lives. I prayed for their families and hope it never happens again. But, those pilots' level of training and arguably lack of experience is a direct result of the demands of the flying public. While I go to work every day, trying to make the best decisions possible and keep my passengers as safe and comfortable as I can, I know Colgan 3407 will not be the last or the worst accident we'll have, maybe even just this year.

And, what I cannot tollerate is the public's constant complaining, insistance on perfect performance and better safety, while also demanding cheaper fares. Do you go to a BMW dealership and demand quality parts, power, and German engineering for the price of a Kia? Probably not. So, which one do you want? Quality or economy?"
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-05-12-buffalo-crash-ntsb_N.html

Getting Stuff Done

No photos today. I'm just too tired to take any or upload any.

I bought a new washer & dryer yesterday--well, new for me. It's a year old Maytag commercial set, used at a "spa" that has gone out of business. The guys in the pawn shop next door loaned us their dolly, and when I returned it, the manager recommended that I run bleach through it before I use it. He said that the business was a "special kind of spa." Hmmmm....lots of bleach...lots of hot water...and I think it's sterilized now. Thank goodness bleach is cheap!

Thank you Trish and Peter for helping me get the w/d into the house and installed!

Today's projects included buying and installing a 4-prong plug on the dryer. It had a 3-prong plug. Fortunately, those are easy to install. Trish came over and helped me install the new towel bar in the bathroom and the swan-neck extension in the shower. That solves the problem of the shower caddy falling down the old short neck.

I also got downspout extensions installed. I really needed to rout the water away from the foundation. All of the downspouts are right up against the house, and the sidewalk slopes into the foundation, so a lot of water has been going into the crawl space. One of the projects on the agenda is to pour new concrete in those spots, and slope them away from the house.

I also planted some purple wave petunias and dianthus in the cement planter with the little girl figure on the porch. I bought that planter at some estate sale in WA and have hauled it all over the country!

Well, that's it for today. Back to unpacking...and off to work tomorrow for a little rest.

Moved in and Messy!

Next time I have the bright idea to move--tell me not to! The moving company, All My Sons Moving, showed up Saturday morning, April 25th. I chose them because they had the most professional sales pitch of the five companies I called.

Rick, the "lead," reeked of marijuana...great, off to a good start. I thought about calling the company, but really, how flexible is moving day? Once you commit to moving, you pretty much HAVE to move on that day--your phone has been turned off, your life is packed up and ready to go, and you don't really have the time or luxury of seeking out another moving company at that moment. So I was pretty much stuck.

They got started pretty quickly and things went fairly smoothly until they got to my armoire. Now, as many of you know, I spent years looking for the right armoire. I didn't want a box on bun feet. I wanted something beautiful, and I found it 4 years ago at a high-end (read: expensive) furniture store. The armoire was the first piece of furniture that was nice and new--I do have some nice antiques, but this was MINE. It had legs with an Asian sweep, a low shelf, and the cabinet was raised about 18" off the ground. The wood was some sort of burl, with copper accents. It was truly the most beautiful piece of furniture I've ever owned.

Of course, they dropped it.

Stoned boy was going up the ramp too quickly, and the second guy couldn't maintain his balance. He fell off the ramp, taking the armoire with him, ripping the legs and bottom off. Then, they dragged it on its side up the ramp and into the van.

Yes, I cried.

I know you shouldn't cry over material things, but I cried. I had waited and saved for this armoire. Its only history was with me. It is truly an heirloom piece of furniture, and they wrecked it. The owner said that they'd take it to a furniture restorer to get it fixed, but once furniture is damaged, its value is gone forever. And for me, it will always be damaged--it was perfect, and now it will always be "repaired." Is that a silly way to feel about a piece of furniture? Maybe, but it's a valid feeling, because it's the way I feel.I still haven't finished finding all of the things they lost or damaged--there are other gouges on my dressers, a missing shelving unit, boxes clearly marked "FRAGILE" placed upside down...bottom line, don't ever hire All My Sons Moving Company. I'll be filing a BBB complaint after everything is compensated, and I've disputed the charge on my VISA card, since they did such a shoddy moving job.One of my next projects will be to get rid of "stuff." I saw the end of an Oprah episode on which the subject was de-cluttering your life. The guest said, "Get rid of the junk so that your gems can shine!" What a great thought! I've known for several years that I have too much stuff packed away in boxes...I've got a lot of my mom's stuff, Grandma's stuff, Grandpa's stuff...but really, how much does it mean to me if it's been in a box for the past 10-15 years?

So, I've been rethinking the things I need, and the things I can live without. Do I really have to have a guest bedroom (hence the bed against the wall, which is leaving via Craigslist)? Nope, the second room is going to be my office/craft room. The couch or an aerobed will have to suffice if you come to visit me!

My cousin Jenn and I were discussing this a year or so ago...she said that she kept a lot of stuff out of duty and guilt, but finally realized that only a few things really brought pleasure and good memories. She kept those, and got rid of everything else, and hasn't regretted it at all.

So, I plan to unpack each box, set aside the treasures that mean something to me, and get rid of almost everything that I don't want to have out on display. What good is stuff in a box? There will be a couple of boxes of mementos, of course--things like my police stuff, and things from my childhood that I want to keep, but I don't see any reason to have more than 3 or 4 boxes of mementos. Have you had to deal with this? How did you?

Do you think I have a large enough jungle? I keep expecting to lions and tigers and bears any day now!On to better news: the kitchen is almost done! I just need the countertops!OK, and a little more paint above the cabinets...and a backsplash...I met with Curt to choose granite. I really liked a colour called Butterfly Verde or something like that--it was green, but the sample seemed to suck the light out of the kitchen, so I went back to my first choice (see one of the previous blogs). I opted for the same colours, but a different pattern--lots of lines would have been too busy in my small kitchen, but this pattern of dots and spotches is just about perfect! It has a lot of gold and red in it, which will pick up the colours in the cabinets. It also has black and silver flecks for the stainless steel appliances. Finally, I'll be living in something other than a "low-bid" kitchen!

As for my work life: I was in LA last week and got to see Melissa for dinner! It was great to catch up with her. I wish Greg and Mark could have joined us, but they were busy creating work budgets. I hope that things have settled down for them; I know that they were really stressed out from all of the pressure to get things done on a tight deadline.

In the morning, this guy walked into the hotel--don't you LOVE his hair? Seriously, I do like dreadlocks, as long as they are clean and well-groomed, as this guys' were.

We were in Wichita next, and Vijaya (my First Officer) and I walked down to a wonderful Italian cafe/coffee shop, where I had one of the best lattes I've had in years. Wichita's downtown is filled with delightful art, including these bronzes.How often do you think people trip over this little guy? Vijaya thought they must have cast this one in my honour-It was a little weird, because their downtown has almost been abandoned--every other doorway and window is boarded up, businesses have relocated or gone bankrupt, and what should have been a bustling spring morning was eerily quiet.

I'll bet there will be an amazing revitalization, though--the architecture is wonderful, there are lots of buildings that would make incredible lofts, and there is a lot to do and see downtown, such as the art, the river, museums and their cute little urban shopping center.

On to the province of Manitoba--can you see the river under the floodwaters? Yes, that's a house and barn (sorry that it's blurry)...This scene is being repeated in so many communities throughout North America this spring.

We were in Lincoln last night, so my crew and I went to the historic Haystack Market to have dinner. It was Hog Night--there were probably 100+ motorcycles of every brand lining the streets. Then, this guy drove up in his cherry red Ford whatever-it-is, and boy, did the guys all drool! Look at them, like moths to a flame! With a car like that, I suspect that that there is some "compensating" going on...what do you think? :-)I came home early today with the flu; too early to decide if it's bad enough to go to the doctor. I don't think its swine flu, but you never know. Thought I'd leave you with this wonderful thought from my cousin John, just in case.... Hope you stay healthy! Be sure to leave a comment--I love knowing that you've been here!