you don't live there.....

Let me tell you that there are good things and bad things about being the first house on a street. Some of the good things are having the street to yourself, and the quiet that comes with it. Off of that, some of the bad is the noise when houses start going up near you (so far, that is not a problem). The other "bad", that I did not realize until this move is that nobody knows where you are, and unless you wave a flag telling services (post office, garbage service, UPS, FedEx, etc.) that you are occupying the house, you get completely skipped over.

After talking with the Apex Postmaster prior to the move, that we were the first ones moving to the street, and getting an "OK" from him that we were all set, I still had to go to the post office to get mail delivery started because the Postmaster failed to get the postman for the route my information.

After our town delivered our garbage and recycling cans, the drivers of those respective trucks skipped over us because they were not told anyone was living in the house. Ugh!

The worst of them all was UPS. Last week (Monday) I ordered some office supplies from two different vendors. The email with the tracking for one of the items had a scheduled delivery date of last Wednesday. I decided to "track" the package and see a notation about checking on address. OK, fair enough. Two hours later I recheck, and see that the package was delivered. I look all around the house, and I have no delivery. I call the vendor, and they contact UPS. Seems they delivered to wrong address. Really?

So I get the item the next day, and see our current address on a sticker, covering up other stickers. Seems that UPS was given our new address, but when they could not find address on a map, they decided to look up my business and use the old address (from 18 months ago!!!), and only when they were called and told tat we had indeed moved to our new address, did they finally use it to make the delivery.

All the while, a simple phone call to my office would have taken care of the situation.

Two days later, the same problem arose with our delivery of blinds by the freight company Roadway. They also decided the address we provided could not be correct, and decided to just hold our items.

Let me just state that I am can't wait for the day Mapquest and Google finally adds us to their mapping to clear up these hassles.

Work is going pretty well considering all the "new home" distractions Morgan and I have going on. Always seems like we have someone at the house for something, or we need to go out to take care of something for the house. Next week I need to get the cars inspected before NC will issue license plates, and after that, spend time at DMV.

January is a "bogged down" month for me. Between W-2 & 1099 preparations, firming up companies year-end numbers, getting corporate tax returns started, and just the questions that normally arrive because it is "tax season" (.... I know you are busy, but...), next to the two weeks in April, this is probably my busiest time. Always seems I go a step forward and backwards by the end of each day. A couple of good solid days in the office should help me get on top of the mess.

For my San Diego friends, yes, we have seen the heat wave you are going through this week. Here in NC, it will be a high of 25 degrees on Friday, and a low of 9 degrees Friday night.

Morgan, Cassie and I hung up some bird feeder houses and some bluebird houses (purchased through our bank, SECU)this afternoon. We've seen birds and squirrels around, but have not seen any rabbits, raccoons, opossum, or deer yet. I am sure they are around.

Last Saturday night, we attended Hope Community Church. It was nice, and had some of the same aspects about it as CRB, but we are/were spoiled by CRB, so it will need time and an open mind before we will say a "yes or no". It does have a Starbucks in the building, so you can tell that it is a large church.

Not even going to discuss my Hurricanes. Three game road losing skid says more then enough for me. Just not good hockey.

OK, time to relax a little.

Until the next time.....