I'm glad that this is all behind us.

I ran across this in my drafts. I'm not sure why I never posted it. I guess I ran out of time before we packed up the computer. It seemed a shame to waste it, though, just because it all happened a year ago. I did go through and make some changes. I was mad enough at the time I wrote it to put in the name of the company we were trying to work with. Times heals at least most wounds, though, so I will be kind and not specify them.

I still don't intend to ever work with them again, though.

Additional information: It turned out to be a good thing we had to go back the next day, because the truck's parking brake didn't work. We put wood in front of the wheels that night to keep it from rolling out of our driveway and into the street.

In rereading my first post after the move I see I wrote that we actually wound up going through four trucks. I don't remember the fourth truck. I'll have to ask the husband about that one.

Originally written 12:41 a.m., June 25, 2004

You know, life never gets any easier, it just changes the ways it's difficult every so often. Kind of like changing lanes on the freeway. You're still on the freeway; you're just behind a different color car now.

Fortunately, sometimes the car has a funny license plate.

We went to get our truck today. The plan is to load it tomorrow, then take off early Saturday morning. That's the plan at any rate.

I reserved our truck from [XYZ]. (Yes, I'm using their name. It's not libel if it's true. So there, [XYZ].) I did it online, which seemed like a good idea (a 10% discount for online reservations!) That's why I didn't realize they were at Pep Boys and not their own building until I looked up the address on Mapquest.

It took a few minutes, but we finally found the [XYZ] desk in a corner of the store. Not that it did us much good. No-one was there. Neither were we the only people waiting. A young family had reserved their truck for four o'clock. It was five.

We waited and waited and waited, until the husband said he was going to go in back (where their trucks were stored) and see if he could find anyone. Of course, as soon as he left they came back.

Yes, they. Two women walked in, holding soft drink cups from a local fast food chain. They'd gone to dinner together. How nice. It would have been nicer from our point of view, of course, if they had gone separately.

Oh, well, at least they were here. After we got someone's attention, we got our "what shape is the truck in?" form and the keys, and went out back to inspect our moving van. I saw the dark pool of liquid in the wheelwell before the husband, but I didn't realize what I was seeing. After all, it had been raining and that certainly was a very dirty axle. It wasn't until I heard the husband's gasp that I remembered. Trucks like that have sealed axles. That wasn't dirt, that was oil, which was very bad.

So, off we trotted, to explain the problem and get a new truck. Not as easy as it sounded. We had to get someone's attention again, always hard when people are chatting on the phone with friends and boyfriends. Additionally we need a car carrier, too, and they only had one, which was hooked up to the first van. The guy who was in charge of moving things like trailers and carriers around had gone home for the day, so if we wanted a carrier, it was up to us to move it ourselves.

Or, as the 40-something woman helping us said with a giggle, "I don't know anything about that sort of thing. I'm just a girl!"

I closed my mouth and we headed out back again, walking a little slower this time, because we were frustrated and tired and it was a bit of a walk. Inspect the van. Good shape. Got the mileage, got the fuel level. Everything is fine. Great, let's go move the carrier over them.

Maybe not. How do you unhook this thing? It seems fairly simple. Unhook here, lift here, why isn't this working? Let's pull together! Still nothing.

OK. Back around to the front of the building.

"Oh, I don't know anything about that! I'm just a girl!"

Seriously. She said it again.

We finally settled on taking the truck home for the night and returning it tomorrow to have the trailer hooked up by the aforementioned guy that does that for them. At least that way we could start loading up boxes as we'd planned.

Of course, you know about plans. We'd ordered a hand truck. Not there. So much for quick and speedy work loading boxes.

I wish I wasn't so tired from packing, so I could really polish up this entry and make it half as funny as the experience has been. I mean, these people have taken incompetence to higher planes. It's frustrating, but oh my, what an education in bad customer service! These two were right out of a sitcom, cast as the not too bright comic relief.

To top it all off, as we were signing the papers, a guy was standing next to us trying to get a new truck. It seems the wheel had fallen off his first. As we left the store, I asked the husband, "Do you want me to drive behind you on the way home in case anything breaks?"

He nodded vigorously. "Please!"

I am so sorry, sweet husband. I promise, I will never rent from [XYZ] again. Next time I will pay the extra hundred dollars and rent from [ABC].