Surprised

It is way, way, way too soon to call it a win. However, the way today has gone in the basement, the move should have been done a while ago. Not only is the set up working as it should, with the internet connection strong and fast, but it has been incredibly quiet. Lisa is working from home today, her office now set up in the second floor loft where I was previously set up. Instead of parked on the couch, Hallmark blazing as much as Hallmark can blaze, Lisa has spent her time upstairs. She remarked earlier that she can’t hear me at all, so quiet that she wonders if I have been on the phone at all. I have a tendency to express my distress verbally when my phone rings too often, so that can be a distraction to her.

There is another reason to be happy, one that made me feel comfortable enough to have an extra cup of coffee this morning. Any man in his sixties can probably guess why I say that. Let’s just say that having a bathroom next to my desk is a plus for a guy my age. With a wireless headset, there is even the option to simply put myself on mute should nature call.

My afternoon break was a power nap on the couch.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

My “New” Office Space

Tags

diy, family, Home, life, marriage, personal, relationships, writing

Not bad, eh?

Our home has a finished basement. Prior to the last few days, Lisa’s craft space was in the finished basement. My home office was in our second story loft, overlooking the back yard and pond. I loved that office space, a terrific stress buster when on a tough phone call. All that was necessary was to look out the large back window and observe the beauty. But Lisa is retiring in a few months, so that loft office will become a nuisance. It’s outside our bedroom. I start work at 7 AM each day, and work from home days will be a noisy distraction to someone trying to sleep in. Lisa is very sensitive to noise, so it will very much be a distraction to her (it is now on those days when we both work from home). Also, I will be in the way when she is up and roaming the house, trying not to disturb me. It only makes sense to switch spaces.

So, we did.

Sunday evening, I moved our desks, monitors, etc. from each space. Now, I occupy the basement. I don’t need to say how many relationship points that earned me, but in truth it already looks like a win for me. Take a look at my new office space! Our basement is finished very nicely, and it’s a large space. Window wells at each end provide plenty of natural light. There is a full bath just steps away from my desk, so potty breaks can be taken without interruption, can even be accomplished while on a work call thanks to a wireless headset (that I had best learn to mute).

I have a little refrigerator on order. There is a large screen TV, soon to have MLB streaming added to it. We have an electric fireplace installed. Couches are ready for break time naps. My trumpet is at my side for a quick toot in between phone calls. The guitar is ready for practice — my fingers finally limbering up enough to play a few chords.

The basement door locks from the outside. I had best keep on Lisa’s good side.

Arghhhhhhh

Tags

car issues, cars, family, hyundai, Kunes, lessons learned, life, personal, writing

Lord, how can I be what you want me to be when I need to send a message to someone?

Dear Hyundai dealer and your service department,

You stink. How is it possible that you screwed up an oil change? It was so important to you to try to sell me that replacement cabin air filter and engine air filter. You removed each, showed them to me. I refused because I know how simple it is to replace each filter, and how much less it costs me to buy them myself. So you shoved them back in, didn’t care if you did it properly, parked my vehicle outside the door and didn’t care that it now was making a loud noise inside the cabin. You took 90 minutes to perform the work, so I had to rush away to a knee therapy evaluation appointment. When I turned the car on, the noise was immediately noticed. 30 minutes later I called you to let you know of the issue. You let me know that there were no more techs available, that it was probably debris from when the cabin air filter was removed, and the dash would have to be removed if the debris couldn’t be removed. Did you volunteer to fix it when I called? No. I would have to bring it back the next day. I have to drive to work tomorrow, a long commute. Can you do it Thursday after my work day is over? Yes. How nice of you.

I am

fed

up

The amount of garbage I have had to deal with since I bought my 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid from Kunes Hyundai of Sycamore, Illinois has been incredible. What a loser of a car dealership. Broken AC when I bought the car, which was dismissed as ‘you can wait since it’s not hot weather (WRONG)’. Broken rear lift gate panel, fixed right away. Malfunctioning rear view camera. Hybrid system failure..three times in two days — not repeatable, so they apparently can’t identify the problem. Subpar gas mileage, an apparent common issue with hybrid cars in cold weather. All in a period of roughly three months. Unbelievable.

So far I have held my tongue, have demonstrated patience. That is still my intent. The dealer will fix their screw up, I know. By now, I have earned a bit more than just having the car fixed, however. I will not push for special treatment, will avoid expressing anger. I am a Christian, want to demonstrate that I am.

Good thing is..the car is a nice car. Lord, please give me the patience to see this through. And so I write my frustration here.

By the way, my wife thinks I an absolute moron for having the dealer change the oil. I am pretty sure she was correct.