I Bought A Washer & Dryer

This morning I went to the Sears store at Parkdale Mall. When I went
by the appliance department, I decided to try and get some more
information on the availability of the GE Profile refrigerator. The
sales person was rather young and did not seem to be too experienced.
She went over to the computer and tried to enter the refrigerator
model number. I told her if that is the same website that I use at
home you are not going to find anything. I told her the sales lady at
the Sears store in Frisco had been able to pull it up on a system that
required that she log in, and she had used 8109 as the Sears stock
number. Another salesperson told the woman who was helping me to try
the cash register. That pulled up the same information as I had seen
in Frisco, but now the availability date was August 5. I showed her
the email I received from GE that said the refrigerator would not go
into production until the end of August. She said some stores get
priority over others. The second sales person said I could go ahead
and place my order. I told them I absolutely had to have a
refrigerator when I move in, and I asked if I could cancel if the
delivery was delayed. They did not give me a direct answer, and I
thanked them for their help and told them I would check back.

As I was walking out of the appliance department, I stopped to admire
the Kenmore Elite Oasis washer and dryer. The same sales person came
up to me and told me they were on sale for twenty percent off today
and tomorrow. It seems like Sears runs a different sale every week. I
have been watching the sales for some time. A couple of months ago
they offered twenty percent off if you bought three appliances. All of
the sales since have had lesser reductions. I knew it was very
unlikely that I would get a better deal. I bought the pair in the
black diamond color. There are black glass windows in the doors.

I thought their computer would balk when my new Frisco address was
entered, but to my surprise it accepted the address. I gave directions
to my new house. The computer displayed a list of towns and counties
for the zip code. Frisco, Denton County was on the list. The delivery
is scheduled for Saturday, September 9. I have a 1-800 number to call
if I need to change the delivery date.

I am hoping that I will be able to get my first choice refrigerator. I
am going to keep checking. Maybe it will work out. Slowly I am getting
things resolved.

Thinking

I am mulling my moving options. The more I think about it the more I
am leaning toward selecting A-OK Moving & Storage. I have met the
owner, the estimator, the driver and part of the packing crew. All
these functions are handled by Mr. Olson, and I like him. With one of
the big name movers there is no way of knowing who will show up to
actually do my moving. Now I am trying to find someone here in
Beaumont who has had a recent move with A-OK, I would like to talk
with them and find out about an actual experience. I do not know many
people who have moved recently. I asked my hairdresser yesterday if
any of her customers have moved recently to ask them if they would be
willing to talk with me. There used to be an online discussion forum
for Southeast Texas; but if it still exists, I can't find it. Frisco
residents have a wonderful resource in the Frisco-Online forums.

The credit reference letter from Entergy Texas arrived yesterday. It
said I had been a customer since November 18, 1987. I was trying to
remember just when I closed on my present house. I knew it was before
Thanksgiving. I remember packing my crystal and china on the day after
Thanksgiving and taking it to Beaumont to the new house the next day.
I think the moving process started the Monday after Thanksgiving.

I went ahead and faxed the credit reference letter to CoServe. I am
worried that they will say they got the letter too far in advance and
might require me to get an up to date letter with my last two months
of payment history. A satisfactory credit reference letter allows them
to waive the requirements for deposits. I have not called the City of
Frisco water department yet. I think I will have to pay their deposit
irregardless of past history. Their deposit is considerably less than
Beaumont's. I will be getting both trash and water from the city.
CoServe handles both gas and electricity. I am assume there will be
separate bills. If I get AT&T's Triple Pak, it will consolidate TV,
phone and internet on one bill. Fewer monthly bills is a good thing.

I packed one more box of china yesterday. I had forgot just what some
of the pieces were. I packed all of the serving pieces except for the
open vegetable dishes. I found a brochure that listed all of the
pieces in the different patterns so I was able to figure out the
proper names to use on my inventory list. I now have three boxes
packed for the next trip to Frisco. I can safely carry six boxes in
the car. I think I can pack the remaining china into the last 3
cartons. That will leave me six more cartons. I think I will pack some
of my most valuable small items that I do not want the movers to
handle and take them to the storage unit when I go up for the final
walk through and closing. Then I will be able to load up the car for
the final move.

I Am Ashamed!

I follow the news rather closely and try to stay informed, but I feel terribly ignorant because I missed the information on legislation that was passed in late 2005 and signed by President Bush that gives home builders a $2,000 tax credit for an Energy Star qualified home. There are also tax credits for the manufacturers of Energy Star appliances. The consumer gets nothing. Does anyone believe that these savings will be passed along to the consumer? I am not going to discuss politics, but this is another example of who is benefiting from the current administration I vaguely remember this being in the news when it was passed, but it did not get much attention. It almost makes me think I should look at the cheaper appliances that do not have the Energy Star.

The Countdown

I am using September 8 as the date the movers will deliver my
household goods to Frisco, and I will spend the first night in my new
house. I have created a little formula in an Excel spreadsheet to
calculate the days. The count is at 71.

While searching for information on appliances I have found that many
government agencies and utilities are offering rebates on the purchase
of Energy Star qualified appliances. For example the City of Austin's
water department has a $100 rebate on the purchase of a washing
machine. It seems like this would be a good thing for Frisco since the
water shortage is so severe. With the Sears Elite Oasis or the
Whirlpool Cabrio the machine senses the amount of clothes and
automatically selects the correct amount of water. I am a little
nervous about this feature. I have always equated lots of water with
cleaner clothes. Anyway I posted a message on the Frisco-Online forum
inquiring about the availability of rebates. My house is Energy Star
qualified. I really would like to get a big rebate on it. O.K. I am
entitled to dream.

I did not do anything of consequence regarding the move yesterday. I
bought my fifth big box of bubble wrap at Sam's Club. I called my
realtor and asked her what she knew about A-OK Movers. She said she
had heard of them and only knew good things. I told her I would like
to talk to someone who has recently moved with them. She said she
would look in her file and call me back.

Yesterday

Yesterday the owner of A-OK Movers came to my house to do his survey. I was very impressed and feel confident if I select him the move to Frisco will be first class. The only bad thing about his estimate is that it is $600 more than the Beaumont Allied and almost $2,000 more than the Houston-based United Van Lines estimate. I am tempted to pay the premium for the sake of peace of mind. I would never have picked A-OK Movers out of the phone book. The contacts through MovingScam.com led me to A-OK. An investigator for the Texas Department of Transportation and Consumer Reports both recommend MovingScam.com as an excellent source of moving information. The Wald Mayflower agent is scheduled for July 7. I will not make my decision until after I receive the Mayflower bid.

The website for Frisco Lakes residents is up and running now. There is a directory of all the people who have bought houses in Frisco Lakes. This will be the place to check the community calendar. There are sections for news and classified ads. There is also a private email function on the website. The Lifestyle Director sent out a number of invitations. There is going to be a new activity called a movie and a dinner. On the first Sunday of every month a group will go to a matinee movie and dinner afterwards. I signed up to start in October. I am really looking forward to getting involved in the community activities. Since I retired I have become more and more isolated. That is going to change in Frisco Lakes.

Update

This morning I looked at the Home Depot website. I am still able to
pull up the old model GE refrigerator. I saw they had a 1-800 major
appliance help line. I called and got a hold of a woman who was very
helpful. I explained my moving situation and how GE has a new model
refrigerator that I want, but it is not coming up on the website. She
said it could be ordered 90 days in advance of delivery. She said she
would call GE and find out when it would be available. She called me
back after she talked to GE. She said they told her it would not go
into production until September, and it would be late October before
it was in the stores. That is worse than what GE told me in their
email. I then asked her if it would be possible to order the old
model. She said unfortunately it is no longer available. She said I
might be able to find a floor model in one of the Dallas area Home
Depot stores, but often they are scratched and dented.

I then went back to my PC and found a product inquiry number for
Sears. I called. This time I got an absolute dud. If it was not in her
computer, there was nothing more she could tell me.

I have come to a conclusion that I am going to have to make another
selection. There are several lower priced counter depth models. They
do not have all the bells and whistles of the model I want. There is
also a top of the line model in a slightly smaller size that I might
consider. I have decided to put the refrigerator decision on hold for
several weeks. I may consider another brand besides GE. I have never
owned anything but GE refrigerators, and they have been far from
problem free. It may be time to consider something else.

I had intended to pack one more box of crystal and china last week but
did not get it done. This morning I packed the last eight Waterford
stems. I packed my Lladro umbrella lady figurine. I used an incredible
amount of bubble wrap. I then added the demitasse cups, sugar bowl,
creamer, cake plate and five tea cups from my English bone china.
There is something about packing these things that makes me feel
terribly sad. I am making an inventory list of each box's contents and
keeping the list on my PC.

The nice man from A-OK Movers is coming out to give me an estimate
this afternoon. I am keeping an open mind until after I talk to him.

I posted a message on the Frisco-Online forum asking for comments on
the Dish Network satellite TV service in Frisco. Five people
responded, and their comments were surprisingly favorable. One man
said he had the Dish Network in the Woodlands (Houston suburb), and it
was terrible. He now has their service in Frisco, and it is very good.

Another Problem

I received an email from GE. They said the refrigerator I am
interested in is scheduled to go into production in late August and
probably will not be available in stores until late September. Can I
live without a refrigerator for three weeks? Can I depend on their
projection? I am going to put this matter on hold for a few weeks. On
my next trip to Frisco I will talk to Sears and Home Depot again. I
will also check other GE dealers to see if I can locate the
discontinued model. Now I am rather afraid of this refrigerator. They
may have run into production or design problems. In early May the
Beaumont Home Depot was already showing a price for it in their
computer. Now the pricing information is gone. As far as I can
determine, the new model is identical to the discontinued model except
for one new feature called Precise Fill which allows you to get a
measured amount of water from the dispenser in the door.

Utilities

I am feeling a little better about the utilities at Frisco Lakes. I
called CoServe which will supply electricity and natural gas. CoServe
is a co-op. I asked the representative why they were the sole supplier
of electricty and why the area was not deregulated. She said they had
an arrangement with Pulte to install the lines. Interesting! I got
information on the set up fees and deposits. She said the deposits
would be waived if I provided them with a credit reference letter from
my present utility. I called Entergy Texas as soon as I hung up, and
they are sending me the letter. I did not ask for what time period
CoServe would be the sole supplier.

I then called AT&T to find out about their Triple Pak which includes
phone, DSL and satellite TV for $84.93/month. First she looked up my
address. She said the reason that the website was saying that DSL was
not available was that they had never provided service in the area,
but from her maps it appeared that DSL would be available.

With Time Warner's RoadRunner I pay a monthly fee for the cable modem.
I do not own the modem. AT&T sells the modems. She told me it would be
$79.99 for the modem with a $12.95 shipping charge and then there is a
$40 rebate. She then told me that a WiFi router is built into the
modem. I said I already had a WiFi router that has a built-in print
server and told her how important the print server is. I have an old
Laserjet printer with a parallel connector that I attach to my WiFi
router. This allows me to move my notebook computer all around the
house and send things to the printer without the computer being
attached. She read the fine print and said printers could be networked
over ethernet. I explained to her I only have one computer on the
network and my printer is not ethernet enabled. Finally she told me
there was a standard DSL modem without the WiFi capability for $49.99.
That is what I need. I can plug that into my router and be back to
normal.

Then we discussed satellite TV which is from the Dish Network. She
said the satellite dish has to have a clear view of the southwest sky.
I told her Frisco Lakes is very restrictive, and I had read that the
little satellite dishes had to be installed on the back roof. My house
faces north so installing it on the south side should be O.K. You do
not have to buy the satellite receiver. They provide a receiver with
two tuners that allow two TV's to be simultaneously watching two
different channels. Their Triple Pak for $84.93/month includes 120
channels. She said a technician would come to the house to set up the
phone and TV service, but I would have to install the DSL myself.
There is a $49.95 activation on the TV and a $38.35 phone activation.
Then there is a $10/month rebate on the TV service for one year. Of
course taxes go on top of all of that. There is a 12 month contract on
the DSL service.

The Dish Network in the Triple Pak includes 120 channels. This does
not include any premium movie channels. After I got off the phone and
looked at the Dish Network website I realized that the 120 channels
does not include local channels. I found the section that discusses
local channels. Again I encountered the problem of the computer not
recognizing my new address. Finally I put in FM 423 and Lebanon Rd.
Then I got a list of the Dallas/Forth Worth Local Package. It costs an
additional $5.99 per month but looks like it would provide everything
I need.

These arrangements that Pulte has made with suppliers are beginning to
disturb me. They have Ranger American installing the alarm system. My
construction superintendent said I would void the warranty if I had a
company other than Ranger American provide the monitoring service.
There has been a discussion on this subject on the Frisco-Online
forum. Apparently Ranger American's fees are considerably higher than
other companies. My insurance company offers a discount with ADT. AAA
members get a discount with Brinks. The Frisco-Online forum people
seem to like a local company called Smith-Thompson that has the lowest
monthly charge of them all.

In addition Del Webb is installing something called Tubes in the Wall
in my house. This will allow their chosen exterminator to come to the
house and pump insecticides into the tubes without coming into the
house and spreading chemicals. This sounds like a good thing but again
I am concerned about how their charges will compare to traditional
exterminators.

The man from the landscaping company that Del Webb is using said they
would be offering 3 different lawn care packages but had not set the
pricing. From what I am reading on the Frisco-Online forum, there are
an abundance of people doing grass mowing in Frisco. Del Webb's chosen
company is going to be under pressure to provide affordable service.

Relief

I have been exchanging emails with a couple of ladies who will be my
new Frisco Lakes neighbors. Both of them are buying larger estate
series homes. My house is in the mid-range classic series. During my
last trip to Frisco Lakes I took my tape measure and measured many of
the rooms in the Walden model home. Del Webb/Pulte has a company
policy against giving out drawings with detailed dimensions of their
homes to the buyers. This is my fourth house that I have had built,
and in the past I was always given a set of drawings. Lack of the
dimensions has made planning the placement of my furniture much more
difficult.

Both of the ladies who have been emailing me have commented on the
refrigerators for their new homes. One is getting a big Sub Zero
model. The other said that the model home had a GE Monarch series
refrigerator that cost approximately $7,000. She said the space for
the refrigerator was so large that a standard size refrigerator will
leave large unfilled gaps on either side. I began to worry because I
did not measure the refrigerator space in the Walden. The refrigerator
looked like a standard sized refrigerator. I did write down the model
number of the GE refrigerator in the Walden model. This morning I did
a search on this refrigerator and found its detailed dimensions. I
then found the dimensions on the refrigerator I have selected. It was
a great relief when I found the dimensions on my future refrigerator
are identical to the dimensions of the refrigerator in the Walden
model. I would really hate to have to sort through all the
refrigerator models again.

Now I am waiting for GE to answer my email to tell me when the model I
have selected will be available. Sears' computer showed August 18. I
hope that date is firm.

Frisco Maps

Since I became interested in Frisco Lakes every few weeks I check Mapquest, Google Maps and Yahoo Maps to see if they have been updated to show any of the new streets that are being created in Frisco Lakes. The area west of FM 423 between Lebanon Rd. and Hackberry has been consistently been blank. This morning I was surprised to see that Yahoo Maps now shows the westward extension of Stonebrook Parkway from FM 423. The other two services do not show it. It will be interesting to see if Yahoo maintains its lead in adding the new streets.

I purchased the big 2006 Mapsco Dallas Street Guide. This book seems to be the standard that Dallas residents use to navigate their city. I wonder when the 2007 book will be available. I hope the next edition will show some of Frisco Lakes. The 2007 edition is not yet showing on Amazon.com. I am addicted to internet shopping. I dread the delivery of the first few packages when UPS and FedEx have trouble finding my address. Even modern GPS technology is of no use until the maps they display have been updated.

More on Internet Service for Frisco Lakes

I sent an email to Comcast regarding their timing for providing cable
service to my new home. I absolutely begged them to do a little
research and not give me a canned answer. I got back a double-talk
reply that said internet service may not be available and to rest
assured they are hard at work to provide complete coverage to the
area, and it is a labor intensive process, and they can not project
when it will be available.

I then went to the AT&T Yahoo high speed internet website. Surprise!
Surprise!. It recognized my new address as a legitimate address. This
is a first. The post office does not recognize it. Then the search
said high speed internet service was not available at that address.
Now I am wonder if the reason is that I do not yet have a telephone;
or if DSL service is not available in the area. Tomorrow I will call
them for a clarification. AT&T also has $12.95 per month for the first
year. It probably requires a two year contract to get the promotional
rate. I bet I end up with dialup for a while

Internet Service Provider

Last week when I went to Frisco I learned that Comcast cable service
will not be available at Frisco Lakes when the Phase 1 residents move
in. I was not given any information on how long it will be before
Comcast offers service. My efforts to contact Comcast have been
futile. The sheet of frequently asked questions said DSL service would
be available. I listen to Leo LaPorte's KFI radio show out of Los
Angeles. He recommends an ISP called DSL Extreme. They have good
reviews for customer service and a low monthly rate of $12.95 for the
first year. I called to see if they will have service available. No
computer system is recognizing the address of my new house. I have
checked the U.S. Postal Service, Mapquest, etc. etc. None recognizes
the address. DSL Extreme said they need a telephone number or a street
address in order to tell for sure if they can offer service. DSL
service is dependent on the distance you are located from the
telephone equipment. I will really feel handicapped if I am forced to
go back to dialup. I use iTunes to download podcasts for my iPod. I
believe that you have to have a broadband connection to use iTunes. I
hope I am wrong. It might take all day to download the podcasts with
dialup.

I have never had satellite TV and do not want to buy the expensive
equipment that is required to use it. I think I may go to Radio Shack
and buy some rabbit ears to get local broadcast channels until cable
becomes available. I will miss CNN, but I think I can get by quite
well without the rest of the cable offerings for a while.

Doing Northing

I have managed to get myself worked up over the move for the past few
days. Today I am taking time out. Yesterday I placed the order for
plantation shutters with Janet Pool Blinds & Shutters. I talked to one
more lady. This one said she bought the shutters seven years ago. Then
recently bought a new house and had Janet install the shutters in the
new house. She said she is renting the first house, and the shutters
are doing well with the careless treatment the renters give them. I
decided it was time to go ahead and place the order. I have checked
out Janet Pool in every way I can think of, and she passed all of my
hurdles.

I called the man the realtor recommended to do the repairs on my house
and told him I wanted him to do the work. He sounded genuinely pleased
to get my business.

I got the bid from Armstrong Relocation, the United Van Lines agent
from Houston. It was considerably lower than the Beaumont Allied bid.
I am still very concerned about getting a driver that will want to
deliver the next day in Dallas. I emailed the Armstrong estimator and
told him I want it guaranteed in writing that I would get second day
delivery.

There is a company in Beaumont called A-OK Movers. They had the North
American Van Lines franchise in Beaumont for many years. The man who
owns it was recommended to me by a man on the MovingScam.com forum.
The forum moderator sent me a private message and told me the man who
recommended A-OK Movers had her utmost respect. I called A-OK Movers
several weeks ago just to ask for advice. The owner is very helpful.
After I encountered this next-day delivery problem at the
recommendation of the forum moderator, I called him again. I asked him
how I could protect myself. He told me he could move me. He said he is
62 years old and is the driver. He said there is no way he would load
his truck in Beaumont and attempt to drive to Dallas the same day. He
asked me if I would like for him to come out and give me an estimate.
I said yes. It won't hurt to talk to him. I am concerned about how he
would handle the packing. The Better Business Bureau says he has only
four employees. The forum moderator is telling me that sometimes the
small companies give the best service. With the big-name van lines it
comes down to the luck of the draw depending on the driver you get.

The Wald Mayflower estimator agreed to move our appointment up ten
days. He will come to Beaumont on July 7. I will not make a decision
until I get his bid. I am going to be adamant on my requirement for
second day delivery in Frisco.

I went in the Lowes store this morning. I talked to a nice,
well-informed salesman (a rarity) about the Whirlpool Cabrio washer
and dryer. They are supposed to be available in late June or early
July. He said they had received no information yet but took my name
and phone number and said as soon as he hears something he will call
me. He said even if they are not carried in the store, since they are
from Whirlpool, Lowes will be able to do a special order. He also said
he expected the price would be a little lower than the Sears Elite
Oasis pair.

I emailed GE for information on when the new model refrigerator that I
want will be available. They discontinued the old model before the new
model was released. I don't understand what they are doing.

A neighbor across the street from me had a big garage sale this
morning. I hope they are not getting ready to move. I don't want any
for sale signs besides mine on the street. There were several new
listings in the condo/townhome/patio home category on the MLS listings
this morning. I think the additions are new construction. I was not
familiar with the addresses, and they are more expensive than my
house. I do not want too much competition.

Too Much Worry

It is time for me to find something to distract my thoughts from the move. If everything stays on the schedule that I have created I still have 74 days before the packers arrive. Today I am going to make a couple of phone calls and pack the last box of my Waterford stemware. Then I will be starting on the bone china. I want to have six boxes packed to take to Frisco on July 20.

The estimator from Armstrong Relocation said he would email me the estimate yesterday afternoon. A painting contractor came to my house to give me an estimate on doing some minor repairs to my house to get it ready for sale over two weeks ago. He sat in my living room, did his calculations and gave me a ballpark figure, but he has not managed to write those numbers down on a piece of paper. I am getting very aggravated with people who say they will do something and then I never hear from them again. Life in Beaumont has been like that ever since the hurricane.

The realtor from Coldwell Banker called me yesterday. She recommended someone that her firm uses for such repair jobs when I first met her. I have a written bid from him. I only got it because the realtor put some pressure on him. I have decided to let him have the job. My realtor has a little hold on him. I hope I am a good judge of character. I met with several realtors before I made my final decision. The one I have chosen is probably in her mid-thirties. She has ten years of experience. She is not pushy but strikes me as a person who knows her business.

I am going to wait a few more days before I authorize the plantation shutters. A second lady from the Frisco-Online forum gave me her phone number so I could call and ask questions about the shutters. This lady said her grandmother and aunt had recently moved to Frisco from Beaumont. The first lady that I talked to said she had family in Port Arthur. The landscape architect's parents come from Southeast Texas. I might run into some people I know in Frisco. One of the local TV stations said Beaumont is on the list of cities with the fastest declining populations. It is sad, but it is certainly understandable. Every morning I am checking the National Hurricane Center's website to see if there is any activity. I looked at the timeline for the 2005 named storms. There was just one in June but in July the endless parade started. Surely the pattern won't repeat, but in June last year the first storm was Arlene. This year we have had Alberto in June.

I have noticed that the condominium/townhome category of houses here in Beaumont are really selling well. Every morning. I check the websites of a couple of realtors and have found a Frisco realtor who gives access to the MLS listings. I was able to change the city to Beaumont so I see all the MLS listings for Beaumont. When I came back from Frisco on Sunday, I saw one townhouse that had no for sale sign when I left on Thursday. On Sunday there was a for sale sign with the sold attachment already on it.

What I have written this morning is not very well organized, but this is the way my brain is behaving. It is jumping from one subject to the next.

Frustrated with Moving Companies

The United Van Lines estimator from Houston came out this morning. He
was also a very nice man, but now I am completely frustrated after I
have talked to him and called the Wald Mayflower agent. The following
is what I posted in the MovingScam.com forum. It summarizes my
problem.

The estimator from Brodrick-Texas, the Beaumont, TX, Allied Van Lines
Agent came to my house yesterday and did the survey. All went smoothly
except for the timing. I am looking at beginning the move on September
5 with one day for packing, load on September 6 and deliver in Frisco
on September 8. The estimator said they would drive to Dallas after
loading and unload on September 7. He said it would take 6-7 hours to
load on the 6th. I said look I am a 65 year old woman, all by myself,
and it is a six hour drive to Dallas. Under the best of conditions
when I start the drive to Dallas early in a morning I am still
exhausted just from the six hour drive. There is no way I could drive
from Beaumont after following the loading and drive the Dallas
freeways late at night. It is a 330 mile drive from my house in
Beaumont to the new house in Frisco.

The estimator finally conceded that he could understood how difficult
it would be for me. He then said they could add a charge for holding
on the truck for one day. Then he said they would give me a senior
citizen discount which brought the charge down to $375.

Armstrong Relocation, the United Van Lines agent from, Houston came
out this morning. When I asked him about the timing, he said they
would travel to Dallas the day after loading and unload on the 8th. I
told him about the one day hold on truck charge. He said that was
ludicrous. Furthermore he said it was illegal. The Armstrong
estimator is supposed to email his estimate to me this afternoon.

The Wald Mayflower estimator wanted to delay making the estimate until
four weeks before the move. The earliest I could persuade him to come
to Beaumont was July 17. I told the Armstrong estimator that I would
like to wait until after I had the estimate from Wald before I made a
decision. He said that was a mistake. In order to guarantee my dates I
should be making my decision shortly. He implied that Wald does not
want to come to Beaumont, and they are trying to discourage me. He
said I should call Wald and tell them you snooze you lose.

I then called the Wald estimator and flat out asked him if he wanted
my business or not. He said he most definitely did want my business;
but if he makes an estimate now it will not be valid for more than 60
days and he cannot guarantee his bid for a September move. He said the
other company could sign me up now and then demand a price increase
when the moving date arrived, or I might have a very unhappy driver on
my hands and might suffer the consequences.

I asked the Wald estimator about the hold on truck charge. He said it
was not illegal; but it was very bad customer service; and they would
not do that.

The Wald agent is supposed to call me back this afternoon to move our
appointment up to the first week of July.

The Allied agent said they do not accept credit cards on moves within
the state of Texas. The Armstrong agent said they accept all major
credit cards including American Express.

I have a headache.

First Estimate for Moving

A very nice young man from the local Allied Van Lines franchise came out to give me an estimate for the move to Dallas. He seemed to know his business. He told me if I did use another Allied agent it was very likely that the Beaumont agent would be handling the packing. I showed him the contents of my house that are to be included in the move. He measured my grandfather clock for a crate. He said if they arranged to have the clock serviced for the move they would be using the same company that I had already contacted. I told him the price I had been quoted, and he said if they handled it the price would be more.

We discussed replacement value insurance, how many packers, how many movers etc. etc. Everything went smoothly until he told me they would pack one day, load the next day and unload the following day. That is when I had to protest. There is no way I could drive to Dallas the same day after the van was loaded in Beaumont. I told him I am a 65 year old woman and when I drove to Dallas under the best of conditions I was shaky and exhausted after six hours on the road. He asked if there was someone that could follow the loading here in Beaumont and allow me to leave earlier. I said no. Finally he said he would add a charge for a day's delay between pickup and delivery. He then gave me a senior citizen discount on the charge which brought it down to $375. This was the only unexpected item that came up.

I had made out a list of questions and went over them with him. He gave me the estimate and assured me it would be good into September and that I could wait until after I had an estimate from Wald Mayflower on July 15 before making my decision. The estimator from Armstrong Relocation, the United Van Lines agent is coming out tomorrow. He rescheduled his visit after having car trouble last week,

Why I Do Not Want Faux Wood Shutters

On Saturday I met with a lady who wants to sell me plantation shutters for my new house. I was dismayed when she handed me an estimate for faux wood shutters for my new house and included windows that I was not considering covering with shutters. She told me that 30 of my neighbor ladies had got together and decided they wanted faux wood shutters and that real wood shutters were outrageously expensive. The more I listened the more irritated I became. Number one--Sally is not a sheep. I try to think for myself. If 30 of my neighbors want faux wood, that is their choice. Sally will not fall in line.

This woman said to me that faux wood was polyvinyl chloride. She asked me if I knew what polyvinyl chloride was. I said yes I am a chemical engineer and PVC is plastic crap. She said that wood warps in the hot Dallas sun. Well let a chemical engineer tell you what PVC will do in the hot Dallas sun. The heat will accelerate the decomposition of the PVC. PVC is a chlorinated hydrocarbon. When the PVC molecules break now very carcinogenic byproducts such as dioxins are formed. I am not going to hang PVC shutters throughout my house and have them off gassing noxious chemicals into my breathing environment. This is a link to an article that gives information on PVC building materials: Environmental Impacts of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Building Materials

On Friday I met with another lady who provides shutters. This one uses real wood. Her bid came in lower than the one for the PVC shutters. I really liked this lady. I checked her Better Business Bureau report. She has been in business since 2002 and has zero complaints on her record. I went back to the Frisco-Online forum and sent private messages to five people who strongly recommended this lady and asked if they would be willing to give me their telephone numbers so I could call and discuss this lady's work. So far one woman has responded. I called her, and she had nothing but good things to say. She invited me to come to her home and see her shutters on my next visit to Frisco.

Where to Begin?

On Thursday I drove to Frisco. I had requested an early check in at
the hotel. My room was ready when I got there close to 1 PM. It took
six hours to drive from Beaumont. There were several areas of road
construction and one bad wreck that slowed traffic. I had driven
straight through from Beaumont without stopping. This is a dumb thing
to do. It was very hot and windy when I arrived in Frisco, but it was
not nearly as humid as is typical of Beaumont. After I left my bag at
the hotel, I rushed to the storage facility in Frisco where I had
reserved a unit. The lady who is in charge of the place told me she
moved back to Texas after losing her house to Andrew in Florida so she
fully understood my desire to leave the Gulf Coast. After I was all
signed up so they can bill my credit card each month without me being
there, I moved my six boxes of crystal and figurines into the storage
unit. I locked the door and left.

By then I was feeling rather faint from the lack of food. I rushed to
the Ikea store which has a cafeteria type restaurant and got my lunch.
I called my construction superintendent to let him know my next stop
was Frisco Lakes. He told me he had a 3:30 meeting. We needed to have
our pre-construction meeting and pre-drywall walk through. I hurriedly
finished my lunch and rushed out to Frisco Lakes. This is the first
time I had seen the place since March. A tremendous amount of
development has taken place. I did not know how to find my house.
Chuck came to the sales office and picked me up and took me to my
house. He said he had read his email wrong and his meeting was not
until the next day so we were not so pressed for time. Everything
seemed to be in order in the house. We checked the location of phone
and cable wiring. We could not find the cable in the front bedroom,
but Chuck said he would look into it. We then went back to the sales
office. I was getting light-headed and seeing spots in front of my
eyes. The heat and going so long without food were not a good
combination. When we got back to the sales office, my sales associate
offered me some lemonade. That really helped revive me. Chuck and I
went into the conference room and went over the presentation that is
normally given at the pre-construction meeting. I had missed out
because my pre-construction meeting was done over the phone.

I got two pieces of information. Chuck said my house is scheduled for
completion on August 28 with closing on August 31. He also had a sheet
of frequently asked questions. It said that Comcast would not be able
to provide service when the first homes are completed. I am paniced. I
can't live without my high-speed internet acess and TV. I do not want
to sign a contract that most DSL providers require. I want to be able
to get Comcast as soon as it is available. Chuck also said I would
have to get my electric service from Coserve. Parts of Frisco are not
yet deregulated. All my planning to get Gexa and Aadvantage miles was
for naught.

After the meeting. I drove back to my house. I had the maze of streets
figured out and was able to find my way home. I then went back to the
hotel. Every evening the hotel has a manager's reception. There is
enough food served that I am able to skip dinner. I then went to my
room and collapsed.

The next morning I headed back out to Frisco Lakes. I took more pictures
of my house. I have a nice little access out to the sidewalk that
leads to the amenity center. They are putting in very attractive
street lamps, and there is one at the edge of my yard. Frisco is under
very severe watering restrictions. Del Webb has dug wells and is
watering the golf course and several of the common areas with the well
water. They have signs all around that states it is well water and
approved by the City of Frisco.

I then met with one of the ladies that supplies blinds and shutters. I
was very impressed with her and her presentation. She is the one that
was recommended on the Frisco-Online forum. On Saturday I met with
another woman that claims to have supplied shutters when they were
part of the contract to Pulte home buyers. This woman was completely
different than the first. I do not want to do business with her.

At 5 PM the first Frisco Lakes town meeting was held. For the first
time I began to meet my new neighbors. The Frisco Lakes lifestyle
director told about plans for a temporary park and wanted to know what
the homeowners would like to see in the park. A lively discussion that
ranged beyond the park followed. I felt good about the discussion. I
think I am going to have some very astute neighbors who will look
after our interests.

After the meeting we killed time until the wine and cheese social. I
met several very interesting people. There was one lady who also was
originally from the Kansas City area. Most of the people who are
buying into Frisco Lakes are from the Dallas area but some are coming
from other areas of the country. My sales associate told me about a
lady who lived near Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans who lost her
house to Katrina. She is buying into Frisco Lakes,

I told a few people about my blog, and they promised to take a look.

Saturday morning I explored more of the area. On Friday I saw Main
Street. It looks like a typical Texas small town. Not all of Frisco is
the fine new homes and shopping centers that I had seen on my previous
visits. I was unable to get signed up for a safe deposit box at either
of the branches of my bank that I visited. The banking center manager
at one location said its seems that people hold the 5X10 boxes for
life. I thought back about how I got my box in Beaumont. I got it when
the branch opened and have held it ever since.

I went to the Ethan Allen store to see if they could recommend someone
to set up my clock after the move. The receptionist was very
efficient. She pulled out a notebook that listed their services and
gave me the name of their clock man. She said if any of my furniture
is damaged in the move, they have a very good refinisher. I then
talked with a decorator about my window coverings. The Ethan Allen
store handles Hunter Douglas window coverings. After talking with some
of my neighbors I began to wonder if the plantation shutters will fall
within my budget and decided I should explore some alternatives. The
Ethan Allen design consultant is going to go out to Frisco Lakes and
come up with a proposal. I was very impressed with her, too.

I ran around to Home Depot, Target, Lowes, Sears and J. C. Penney's.
The parking lot at Stonebriar Mall was very full on Saturday
afternoon, but the streets around the mall were not clogged with
traffic. I stay away from Parkdale Mall on Saturdays because of the
congestion. It appears that things have been well planned in Frisco.

I left Frisco at 6:45 AM Sunday morning. I did it again. I drove
straight through without stopping. I got in a few patches of light
rain, but there were no major problems. The road workers take the day
off on Sunday so the traffic was not hindered. I was back home a
little after noon. It rained through the night and Beaumont is now
under a flash flood watch. I wish I could send some of the rain to
Frisco. It does not seem possible that 300 miles makes such a big
difference.

Progress

Just wanted to let everyone know that I had a safe trip back to Beaumont from Frisco. I left Frisco at 6:45 AM this morning and arrived at my Beaumont home shortly after noon. Now I am too tired to write any more. Tomorrow I will post a few things about the trip.

Update

I scurried around this morning to get my chores done early because the estimator from Houston for United Van Lines was supposed to be here at 8 AM. He called at 7:45 and said he was having car trouble. If he can get his car repaired, he will be here this afternoon. If not, we will reschedule for next week. Finally I have made an appointment with Wald Mayflower's estimator to make a survey on July 17. He says their bid is good for only 60 days and has been telling me it was too soon to do the survey. The United Van Lines estimator said their bid is also good for 60 days, but he has no problem with making the survey now. On June 21 the estimator from the Beaumont Allied company will be out. At last I will have some figures to study. I got a call from the estimator for the moving company recommended by Home Express last night. I told him after I had read the complaints about the company, I was no longer interested.

 

Yesterday I talked to a clock company here in Beaumont. I found out their charge for preparing my grandfather clock for the move. The Mayflower estimator told me it would be much better if I can arrange for the service here in Beaumont because they would have to charge me for someone to travel from Houston. The lady I talked to at the clock company was unable to recommend someone to set up the clock in Frisco. I purchased the clock from Ethan Allen. There is a large Ethan Allen store in Frisco. I will call them to see if they can make a recommendation. If that fails there are always the yellow pages and the Frisco-Online forum.

 

I was reading about what is involved in preparing a washer and drier for moving. Considering I would have to pay for servicing on both ends and the cost of moving, I am certain I have made the right decision to buy new machines.

 

Tomorrow I am driving to Frisco. I was able to load four of the boxes with figurines and crystal in the trunk of my car. I loaded two onto the back seat of the car. I will go straight to the storage unit when I reach Frisco. I am really excited about seeing my house for the first time.

 

I read about an alarm company on the Frisco-Online forum. They are a local Dallas outfit. Their monthly charge for alarm monitoring is much cheaper than ADT. My insurance company has an arrangement for a discount with ADT, but they are still more expensive than the local Dallas company that five or six people jumped in and recommended on the Frisco-Online forum. That forum is a wonderful source of information about Frisco. I am reading the posts and am already growling about the watering restrictions and the road construction on FM 121.

 

 

Things Are Looking UP - A Little

Last week I had become quite discouraged over getting one of the large national moving companies out of Houston to handle my move to Frisco. I have made an appointment with the Beaumont Allied agent to get an estimate. They may be perfectly adequate, but I have friends who were not pleased with their move. I called one additional company in Beaumont this morning and was looking up the number for a third when the phone rang. It was the estimator for Armstrong, the United Van Lines agent from Houston. He is going to be here at 8 AM on Wednesday morning. This particular company is a member of the Pinnacle Movers program set up by the Southwest Movers Association. They have received very favorable comments on MovingScam.com. The Pinnacle Mover designation sets high standards. I questioned the estimator about what time he would have to leave Houston to be in Beaumont at 8 AM. He said he lives only 40 miles west of Beaumont so will not have to drive through the Houston traffic. He has the same last name as a man I worked with for many years. I asked him if he was related. It turns out they are cousins.I really think I have had a guardian angel looking after me ever since Hurricane Rita forced me to evacuate last year. Every time I have been facing a difficult situation there seems to be a break through that solves my problem.

My Brain Shifted to Overdrive

Yesterday I went shopping. My daily life must go on in spite of the move. I did buy a padlock for the storage unit in Frisco. I also bought a stenographer's notebook to start taking notes and making lists. I have been doing all of my previous lists and notes with the computer and PDA, but I suddenly felt compelled to revert to old-fashioned handwriting.

 

Last night one of the ladies I contacted regarding plantation shutters called from Dallas. This was the lady who was highly recommended by several people on the Frisco-Online forum. She had been out to Frisco Lakes and measured every window in the Walden model home. Of course, she will have to get exact measurements on my house when it reaches a stage when it can be measured. I was quite impressed with her thoroughness. She told me a few things about the windows that I had not noticed. I am meeting with a second lady who was recommended by Del Webb/Pulte. She has worked for Pulte for many years when the window treatments were included in the contracts.

 

I still have a little more work to do in the garage. The hot humid Southeast Texas weather has arrived in full force. I cannot stand to work in the garage more than ten minutes at a time. I moved a few things around. I am thinking I will call the Salvation Army again after I return from Frisco and have them remove the remaining big items that I want to donate. Inside the house I have a big console TV and the upright frostless freezer. Both are in good working order but are getting to be quite old. It would not be worth the cost to move them. I originally thought I would just have the movers place the big items in the garage and leave a key with a neighbor so they could let the Salvation Army in, but now I want to have the things removed before I leave.

 

I had tested how many boxes I can put in my car trunk. I can easily fit four in the trunk. I placed one on the backseat and now know that two boxes will fit on the back seat. I am going to take all six of the boxes with my crystal and figurines that I have packed so far up to Frisco. Last year during Hurricane Rita I was so worried about my crystal and china. I just left it behind. There was nothing else to do. Fortunately nothing was harmed. This year if another hurricane comes to Beaumont my crystal and china will be safe in Frisco, and I will have eliminated one worry. I plan to make another trip to Frisco in 3 or 4 weeks. The house will have reached a stage where I want to closely check it.

 

Tomorrow I am going to contact two more of the Beaumont movers and make appointments for them to make their estimates. Sometimes I feel like I am going in circles. I keep thinking and re-thinking the decisions I have made. The one thing that I have not had second thoughts about is my decision to move to Frisco Lakes. When I signed the sales contract, I felt a great sense of relief that I had finally taken the action to move. I have remained firm in the belief that it is the proper time to leave Beaumont.

Test

After submitting my last post when I try to view the blog, all I see is a blue page. I hope this is no relation to Microsoft's infamous blue screen of death.

Followup: Four hours after I published the prior post, the blog was still solid blue. I republished the article entitled "Better" since the blue page appeared just after I originally published it. Fortunately everything was back to normal after I did that.

Better

I woke up this morning, and my shoulder and arm felt much better. I had hardly slept the previous two nights because of the pain. It felt like a miracle to be able to turn over and look at the clock without the pain. I have learned my lesson. I am going to be very careful from now on.

 

The new trash hauler came as promised yesterday. They had a nice clean truck.

 

I have been getting good advise from the moderator of the MovingScam.com forum. A man who calls himself East Coast Mover recommended a moving company here in Beaumont. He is a friend of the family that owns it. I called and had a long talk with the owner. I was unaware of this company. He said they had been the North American Van Lines agent. He dropped North American and now operates independently. It turns out that this is the same company that I used way back in 1972 when I moved into my first house. I also called the local Allied agent. They are going to come out and give me an estimate after I return from Frisco. I have just about given up on getting one of the large national agents to come over from Houston.

 

I talked to the man who has been assigned to my case from Cendant Mobility's Miles From Home Program. I had sent him copies of the complaints I found on the "pre-screened" mover Home Express had picked for me. He was very apologetic. He said this was not the first time he had heard of this. He said his management requires them to give the name of Home Express, but he does not care for the operation. One woman at Cendant Mobility is trying to assist me with a company out of Houston, but I think I am better off trying to find the best company that operates here in Beaumont.

 

I called up to the storage facility in Frisco that I had visited last March. I reserved a storage unit for next week. I have decided to go ahead and take as many of the boxes of fragile items as I can with me on each trip I make up there.

Agony

That is the best description I can give of my mental and physical state today. Some months ago I hurt my arm when I foolishly moved my old heavy computer monitor. I had a terrible bruise. At the time it felt like something in my shoulder tore. I have had pains from my neck to my arm ever since. Earlier this week I must have done additional damage when I attempted to stretch the new belt in my vacuum cleaner. I have a hard time realizing that the years are taking a toll on my physical condition. I really want to get involved in a sensible exercise program when I am settled in my new home.

 

I spent a good deal of time calling moving companies in Houston yesterday. I was given several promises that they would have their estimators call me, but so far I have received no calls. I called Home Express the moving company locator that is affiliated with American Airlines AAdvantage miles. They were supposed to have a pre-screened mover call me two weeks ago. This time they got into action and I received a call from an independently owned moving line that has a facility in the Dallas area. They have made arrangement with an estimator from a Lake Charles Mayflower agent to do an on site survey. This is a little progress, but I found two very negative comments about this company on complaints.com, complaints.com. What is particularly disturbing is one of the complaints is from Frisco.

 

My house here in Beaumont is on a private street. The City of Beaumont will not sent their trash trucks to a private street. On Monday there was a story on the local news that law enforcement officials had impounded the equipment of our trash hauler because of a dire financial situation. Trash has been sitting at the curb since Tuesday. It is very hot. I will say no more. A repair contractor came to my house on Tuesday. He saw the trash containers with the failed company name on them. He told me about a trash hauler that he uses in his neighborhood. I immediately emailed our homes association president with this information. This company is not listed in the yellow pages. Yesterday the homes association president posted a notice that this company would be out today to pick up the trash. They are going to pick up twice a week for only $1 more per quarter than the old company was charging. There are very few private trash haulers in this area. The choices are very limited. We are lucky to get this one. I hope it works out, but in less than three months I will be out of here.

 

My Frisco Lakes construction superintendent called on Wednesday and wanted to schedule the pre-drywall inspection meeting with me. I asked them if we could do that next week since I already have a trip to Frisco in the works. He checked the schedule and said it would work. My sales associate told me I would get a more definitive estimate of the completion date at the pre-drywall inspection meeting.

Update

This morning as I was driving over to the Post Office I spotted a Daryl Flood Allied moving van. They are one of the moving companies located in Houston that I have called, and they had not returned my call. I thought I would stop on the way back and ask the owner of the house if theirs was a corporate move; and if not how they managed to get Daryl Flood to come to Beaumont. On the way back I saw that the moving van was not parked on the residential street but was in the parking lot of a strip shopping center adjacent to the residential area. So I did not stop and ask any questions.

 

When I got back home, I called Daryl Flood and asked to speak to an estimator. I was surprised when the operator put me through to him. I asked him if they would come over to Beaumont to make an on site estimate and if they would send their packers over from Houston. He said perhaps they could do a driver pack on the day of the move. I told him when I had moved in the past on corporate moves, it had taken three packers all day to do my packing. He said they might have the local Beaumont affiliate make the inspection, and they could bid out the packing to them. I have a friend who was not pleased with the local agent. She did not use their packing service. The problem was that some of her furniture was scratched. I am still hoping the Houston Mayflower agent will come through for me. Daryl Flood did say they will do a binding bid and take credit cards for payment. I have to get my frequent flier miles.

 

For many years I had a charge account at Sears. When they started accepting Visa, MasterCard and Amex, I stopped using the Sears card. I have noted in their ads that their appliance sale prices are often linked to the use of their own Sears card. As I a result, I applied for their card over the internet. There was a section where they offered some kind of account protection if you lost your job or were hospitalized. There is a fee added to the account every time you make a charge. I carefully read the instructions and am sure I did the proper things to decline the coverage. I got the Sears card last week, but yesterday I received a letter saying I was enrolled in AccountCare. I was furious. I called their toll free number and demanded they cancel the enrollment. The woman would not take no for an answer. She kept expounding on the virtues of their coverage. Finally she said my enrollment was canceled, and there would be no fees. I asked her to send me a letter stating that. She would not do it. All she did was give me her employee number. This morning I sent a letter to them confirming my call to cancel the enrollment. I told them it was my consideration that they were employing deceptive business practices; and if I ever saw a charge from them on my account, I would report them to every federal and state consumer protection agency. I then spent $4.64 to send the letter certified mail, return receipt requested. I thought I might as well nip this one in the bud before I have further problems.

 

After I went through that exercise, I thought I might go back to my regular Amex or MasterCard to buy my appliances. Not only would I get my frequent flier miles, I would also double the manufacturer's warranties up to one additional year. The warranty protection is something that the Sears card does not provide. They will start their harassment to purchase their extended service policies.

 

After I calmed down, I packed the sixth box of crystal. I packed nineteen Waterford stems. There are twenty-one more to pack. I hope I can get the remaining twenty-one packed in one box. I am packing one box a week. I will finish the job well in advance of the actual move. I am on my third large box of Scotch bubble wrap. I added one more box to my Sam's Club shopping list.

 

As I read through what I have written, I realized this blog entry sounds like a rant, and it is. Sears' account protection policy really irritated me.

 

My Vacuum Cleaner

Several years ago I bought a Hoover Wind Tunnel vacuum cleaner. It has all the bells and whistles such as being self propelled and having an electronic dirt finder. When It was a couple of years old, the self-propelled feature stopped working, and it began to smell like the motor was over heating. There was no Hoover authorized service center in Beaumont. I took it to Sears service center. They said they could repair all brands. They sent the vacuum cleaner over to Houston. It was gone approximately two weeks. When it came back, they charged me $55. When I read what they did to it, I was surprised to find that all they did was replace a worn belt. The same problem recurred a few days ago. I bought a new belt for the machine and attempted to replace the belt myself. I tried and tried, but I am not strong enough to stretch the belt over the pulleys. I pulled out the yellow pages and found a vacuum repair shop in the west end of Beaumont. They are not a Hoover dealer, but I thought they ought to be able to replace the belt. I called and was told they could do it. I loaded the vacuum in the trunk of my car and took it to them. The man took it back in the shop and returned it to me in less than ten minutes. I plugged the machine in to make sure it was working. The self-propelled feature was functioning properly again. I asked the man how much I owed him. He said nothing since I already had the new belt. I am going to stock up on the belts and hope that I can find a shop in Frisco that is as accommodating. I imagine the carpet in the new house will have lots of new carpet loom nap. I better stock up on the vacuum bags, too.

Now I Have Seen Everything

I have been reading messages about washing machines and dryers in an online forum that I found. I am interested in the new Sears Elite Oasis washer or the Whirlpool Cabrio that will be available in July. This is a top loading machine with no agitator and a window in the lid. Someone posted a video of their new Oasis machine doing the first load of clothes after it was delivered. Here is a link: Sears Elite Oasis Washer. This machine really spins fast. I thought at one point it was going to break the sound barrier.

Update

I don't have much to add to the blog this morning. I am killing time until Sam's Club opens. I need to buy more bubble wrap. I packed one more box of crystal yesterday. I have finished packing the figurines, vases, etc. that I have around the house with one exception. I have a Lladro figurine that is so delicate that it almost scares me to touch it. I have packed it twice before so I guess I can do it a third time. I have packed 16 of the 56 pieces of Waterford stemware. After I finish that I will do my bone china dinnerware. I fitted a couple of the boxes into the trunk of my car. I estimate I can take six boxes in one trip to Frisco. I have packed five boxes. I am hoping to keep the total to 12 or under. It is going to be close. What has been surprising to me is how heavy the boxes with the Waterford crystal are. I have to keep reminding myself there is really lead in lead crystal.

 

It is Saturday so I backed up my computer to the Seagate external drive. All went very smoothly. The remove hardware icon was in the task tray, and I was able to dismount the hard drive after the backup was completed without problem.

 

I am reading Robert Ludlum's, The Bourne Identity. I saw both the TV mini series in the 80's and the movie. The book is better than both of them. The Bourne Identity was Ludlum's eighth novel. As I go through his books, I can now say that they are definitely getting better.

 

When I was in Wal-Mart this week, I saw something that is new at least to me. I saw padded shelf liner. It has no adhesive. You just roll out the length you need and cut it. I think that might be good to use in the kitchen. It would give the dinnerware and glasses a little protection. I did not buy any. I am not going to buy anything for the new house until I am in Frisco. It will save me the expense of moving them. There is one other thing that I have been looking at for the new kitchen. I have seen stainless steel trash cans with a lid that opens automatically when you approach them. They have an infrared beam that senses nearby movement that causes the lid to open.

New Pictures of My House

My Frisco Lakes sales associate just sent me more pictures of My New House that she took yesterday afternoon. I see that the roof now has its shingles. I notice the street and stop signs are already in place. My house is on a cul-de-sac. This is the first time I have seen a picture of the surrounding houses.

I printed the pictures with my little Epson PictureMate photo printer. I remembered to close the BounceBack Launcher before using the printer. I had no problems. This was the first time I had used the printer since I had all the problems two weeks ago.

A Little Icing on the Cake

Where I live now there are cluster mailboxes. The boxes are located 0.2 mile from my house. Over the past eighteen years I have walked many miles going to pick up my mail in all kinds of weather. We have a very good mailman on our route. He normally delivers the mail a little after 2 PM. Thursday is his day off. I have noticed that the last few Thursdays the mail has been very late. Today I did not get my mail until after 5 PM. I walked down to the mailbox and back four times looking for my mail. That means I walked 1.6 miles today just to get my mail.

 

I talked to my Frisco Lakes sales associate this afternoon. I had a list of questions for her. One of the questions was: Will we have cluster or individual mailboxes? She emailed me that I will have an individual mailbox in front of my house made out of the same brick as my house. That sounds like a little bit of heaven to me.