Grump Central Archive: Week of 22 September 2019
Saturday, 28 September 2019
Access to my own domain has been inexplicably cut off as of 26 September; I'm unable to see my own websites online, and—far more troubling—I can't send or receive any email. However, rather strangely, I can still update my sites via direct file transfer. Still, I can only imagine what you're looking at right now, since I can't confirm what I've uploaded. My web host cannot explain why this has happened, let alone effect repairs. So, please bear with me; things may get worse before they get better.
Friday, 27 September 2019
If all goes well, I should be able to take a shower by the weekend. That's almost as exciting as having a flush toilet for the first time in four years...
Thursday, 26 September 2019
Health Department/septic engineer debacle notwithstanding, there are some occasions when things don't seem quite so dire. Yesterday morning, I did a load of laundry, washed my hands in the bathroom, and listened to the stereo—simultaneously. This may seem like a trivial bit of nonsense, but it reminded me that things can go right. Then, to think that I made it all happen with my own two hands helped restore my sense of accomplishment. And it renewed my perseverance: I simply cannot allow obstacles such as incompetent bureaucrats and clueless engineers get the better of me ("Don't let the bastards grind you down"). I've come too far to let them win doing their worst while I lose doing my best. After yesterday, I really needed this—although, to be honest, I do not yet have a clue how to deal with this mess...
Wednesday, 25 September 2019
I've really had it with the County Health Department. And the septic engineering firm. Every time I call the Health Department, they require something I've not provided, and they don't have the forethought to tell me in advance what all they need from me; instead, I get it piecemeal, after multiple calls over the course of months. When I asked the person at the Health Department why this is so, she had the nerve to assert that she'd never spoken to me before—which is a blatant lie; I've lost count how many times I've spoken with her. Now I've learned that the septic engineer's report needs to be a hardcopy with a raised seal on it, accompanied by an application for approval, also signed by him, for me to complete and submit. Meanwhile, the septic engineering firm is not only unaware of this standard procedure, but the engineer in question no longer works there. When I informed the Health Department of this, the reply was a polite version of, "Well, you're screwed." Now what? How is anything accomplished in this country when one is faced with such rampant incompetence?
Tuesday, 24 September 2019
The house continues to take shape in random fits and starts. But I can't really say it's helping my head much. Sometimes I feel as though I'm just killing time...
Monday, 23 September 2019
It's interesting to see what has transpired over the course of a day, because I rarely if ever envision the outcome. That anything happens at all is something of a relief: it means I haven't lost my mind entirely.
Sunday, 22 September 2019
Got some of my mobility back, although things are rather slow going. Meanwhile, the County Health Department still has not sent me a CO OK, and I'm not getting any straight answers from them. It looks increasingly as though I'll need to make a personal appearance, and they're not going to like that one bit—any more than I will...