One of those days...

It took about two and a half hours to set up an account with the cable folks down in Houston, and most of that time was spent in a "chat" session with someone who is clearly being kept in the dark about what potential customers have to go through and what they can see at the company's Web site.

For example, the Web site required me to enter my date of birth and SSN so that my identity could be verified. When I was asked for that information again, I asked why I was being asked the same questions now as before, and was told that my interlocutor didn't have access to the information I had entered at the Web site (this, despite the fact that the last step after wasting spending time on the Web site was this chat session).

I lost my temper twice, but not to any offensive extent; I was not abusive, but each time I did strongly suggest I needed to deal with my interlocutor's supervisor. In the end, however, the service was set up. I just hope the actual service is better than the process of setting it up.

* * *Last week, the motor vehicle window downtown that said the only one other thing I needed to register my late mother's car—in addition to the death certificates, letters testamentary, and so on and so forth that I had collected—was a VIN inspection.

I had that done yesterday.

Today, upon reexamining the same set of documents, the motor vehicle window determined that one more thing was required—one link in the chain was missing—and therefore, I was back to square one, with a car I can't use or even give away.

* * *The rest of the day was taken up with a 5,000 word translation. 'nuf said.

I need to find some time to pack.

Maybe now, instead of tapping this post?