Monday morning blah

E-to-the-n-ETA: I cancelled part of my office hours and went down there. Was told, "Oh, you're about the 20th person with this problem today" (mailed in payment, they never received it). Um, maybe you could:

1. Check with the post office to see why a whole batch of your mail went missing?
2. Call your bulldog service and tell them NOT to send the "HEY YOU DEADBEAT" letters for this month?

And okay, I get now why she was rude to me over the phone. But you know? It led to me being kind of rude back because I wasn't getting anywhere. An eye for an eye makes the world blind, and kicking the dog is a really bad idea.

I'm still not doing any future trash-offs because I'm still just angry about this. (I still have no assurance that if my check DOES show up, that they won't cash it. If they do, I darn well hope it's applied to my account). 

I'm just really sad and upset and tired and have too much to do and it's really hot and miserable out and I'm just DONE. Driving back up here I drove past my house and the trash collectors had been, and left my polycart tipped out in the street and the lid is slightly cracked. While I'm sure that they didn't get told "Give hers the 'special' treatment because of the 'unpaid' bill thing," still, it rankles, to have to lift that big heavy polycart up all the way off the ground. (I wonder what disabled or really tiny elderly people do. I'm not a weakling by any stretch and I find it heavy and hard to lift if it's been thrown down on the ground)


ETA: I called the city. Wow, were they rude: "Ma'am, we use an outside company. It's not our fault that these letters get sent." And "Well, if your check shows up, it might wind up getting cashed, there's nothing we can do."

I'm FURIOUS. This is of course a monopoly so there's nothing I can do - I can't take my business elsewhere if I want water. But it's just rude and nasty and rude to people who are trying to be responsible and do the right thing. I'm so sick of getting screwed over even though I make an effort to be responsible just because there are some deadbeats out there.

I guess being super grumpy wouldn't cut it as a medical excuse? I have way too much to do today to feel this bad.


E-ETA: You know what? I'm now DONE with the city trash-offs. The same department runs them as runs the water billing. They used to get free labor out of me a couple times a year but if that's how they treat a city customer, forget it. Screw them. I'll pick up trash outside of my house and on my block, but I'm not going to go pick up J. Random Street so it looks nice until the jerks trash it again.

I'm just really furious over this. I feel very disrespected. And yeah, yeah, I shouldn't take it personally, but you know? This is IT. I am just tired of smiling and swallowing the feces sandwiches handed to me by the various Powers That Be.

So I drove into work this morning. Sirius Pops was playing the last movement of Beethoven's 9th symphony - arguably, I would say, one of the greatest artistic achievements of Western culture. I waited in the car for a few moments after I parked for the "best" part (the part that, in versions with a chorus - this was a purely instrumental version, I guess - have Schiller's words about brotherhood).

And then I went into my office.

Sort of a let-down. My messy office, which I really need to clean this week lest I get another Safety write-up. And e-mails from students pleading why they can't take today's exam or proposing other troubles that I need to remedy. And people needing into the computer lab to "finish" the papers that are due at 8 this morning. And the letter from the City, which I have to call about today - they apparently didn't receive my water and trash payment after I sent it in on time, so two days after it was due, they mailed me a VERY STERN LETTER informing me that my water was going to be cut off next week and that not only that, but because I am apparently such a terrible deadbeat that I cannot be trusted to pay in a check, so I have to go down there with cash and pay (my father suggested going to the bank and getting the fifty-some dollars in pennies, but I think then they really WOULD cut off my water, and probably would leave my trash rollcart in the middle of the street every week from now on).

So, instead of the Schiller translation for today being something like, "joy is drunk by every creature/ From Nature's fair and charming breast;/ Every being, good or evil, Follows in her rosy steps./ Kisses she gave to us, and vines,/ And one good friend, tried in death;/ The serpent she endowed with base desire/ And the cherub stands before God." I think "Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain" is more appropriate.

I'm getting too old for this kind of stuff. I guess the purpose of adulthood is to beat the idealism out of you, but some days I think adulthood goes a little far.