Friday, June 08, 2007
Being There
Should've blogged on this yesterday, but better late than never.
The day after Memorial Day my in-laws in California gave Dina and me their very nice Toyota Camry. (Thank You!) And I spent a few days driving it back to Texas. (Thanks Jenny and family for the stop along the way!)
With summer school activity beginning today, I had a short window of opportunity to get the title and registration changed. Well, a week, but that turned out to be barely enough.
On Tuesday this week I went to the shop to get the state inspection done. Turns out I needed more specific proof of insurance before they could help me.
Got that faxed to me from our State Farm agent in Oregon.
On Wednesday I got the state inspection sticker.
On Thursday I went down to the Tax Assessors office downtown (the only place I could find online) to handle the doc changes. Got there a little after they opened at 7am. Was the only one in line. Found out I needed some additional paperwork from California.
A meltdown threatened--this was the last day to take care of the paperwork before the upcoming five weeks were swallowed from 7a-5p, and I had to wait a couple hours before calling the west coast (because that's the kind of courteous and aware of time-zone differences son-in-law I am), and as far as I knew I was looking at another trip downtown, $5 more in parking, and the distinct possibility of discovering I'd need yet more paperwork)--but I persevered. (Thanks God!)
Went back home. Waited. Had a talk with Dina. Called the coast. Got things set. Realized that maybe I should eat something. Went for a walk. Passed by a State Farm office. Remembered Oregon agent said I should stop in a local office if I needed help with registration.
So I went into Ron Sunstrom's office and talked with Kathy. Found out a) she'd be glad to let Dina's folks fax the documents there (my primary fax receiving site was closed and the alternative was Staples or the assessors office), and b) there was a tax assessors office about 5 miles away (with free parking).
So. Docs come. I go. Everything sails through.
A big thanks to Kathy at the Sunstrom office! THANKS! It's not every company (or every State Farm agent) that lives up to the corporate jingle. But like a good neighbor you were there. (Maybe I'll come over and borrow some power tools sometime.)
I'd post a link for the office, but I don't see anything online. They're located at 1332 S. Plano Rd., Ste. 110 in Richardson (near Buckingham). Phone: 972-699-8588. Email: Ron.Sunstrom.b5db -at- statefarm.com.
Thanks, again.
The day after Memorial Day my in-laws in California gave Dina and me their very nice Toyota Camry. (Thank You!) And I spent a few days driving it back to Texas. (Thanks Jenny and family for the stop along the way!)
With summer school activity beginning today, I had a short window of opportunity to get the title and registration changed. Well, a week, but that turned out to be barely enough.
On Tuesday this week I went to the shop to get the state inspection done. Turns out I needed more specific proof of insurance before they could help me.
Got that faxed to me from our State Farm agent in Oregon.
On Wednesday I got the state inspection sticker.
On Thursday I went down to the Tax Assessors office downtown (the only place I could find online) to handle the doc changes. Got there a little after they opened at 7am. Was the only one in line. Found out I needed some additional paperwork from California.
A meltdown threatened--this was the last day to take care of the paperwork before the upcoming five weeks were swallowed from 7a-5p, and I had to wait a couple hours before calling the west coast (because that's the kind of courteous and aware of time-zone differences son-in-law I am), and as far as I knew I was looking at another trip downtown, $5 more in parking, and the distinct possibility of discovering I'd need yet more paperwork)--but I persevered. (Thanks God!)
Went back home. Waited. Had a talk with Dina. Called the coast. Got things set. Realized that maybe I should eat something. Went for a walk. Passed by a State Farm office. Remembered Oregon agent said I should stop in a local office if I needed help with registration.
So I went into Ron Sunstrom's office and talked with Kathy. Found out a) she'd be glad to let Dina's folks fax the documents there (my primary fax receiving site was closed and the alternative was Staples or the assessors office), and b) there was a tax assessors office about 5 miles away (with free parking).
So. Docs come. I go. Everything sails through.
A big thanks to Kathy at the Sunstrom office! THANKS! It's not every company (or every State Farm agent) that lives up to the corporate jingle. But like a good neighbor you were there. (Maybe I'll come over and borrow some power tools sometime.)
I'd post a link for the office, but I don't see anything online. They're located at 1332 S. Plano Rd., Ste. 110 in Richardson (near Buckingham). Phone: 972-699-8588. Email: Ron.Sunstrom.b5db -at- statefarm.com.
Thanks, again.
Labels: ALSW, Shout Outs
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Shout Out: Courtyard Marriott
Dina headed down to Austin, Texas, yesterday afternoon. (Well, first she headed up to Portland, then down to Phoenix, and then over and down to Austin.) She got in 10:30ish and set about finding her hotel.
She had reservations with a Courtyard Marriott hotel via Priceline, but unfortunately the chain doesn't have a private airport-hotel shuttle service in Austin. So she bought a ticket for a third-party shuttle (name omitted because I can't remember it, not to protect their anonymity), gave them the name of the hotel, and headed downtown. When she arrived at the Courtyard, she discovered the Hilton Austin (site of the 2007 ACA Conference and today's destination) right next door. She also discovered that she had given the shuttle driver the wrong address: her Courtyard was back the way she'd come, much closer to the airport.
But the guy at the front desk [name will be updated in the near future, I hope] went ahead and comped her the night's stay (the Priceline fare is nonrefundable/already paid and the shuttle had long since driven off). Didn't have to. Could've charged her the going rate. Or called a cab or recalled the shuttle. Or laughed and laughed and laughed. But he didn't do any of that (at least he didn't laugh while she was around).
So thanks, Courtyard Austin Downtown/Convention Center. You've made friends.
She had reservations with a Courtyard Marriott hotel via Priceline, but unfortunately the chain doesn't have a private airport-hotel shuttle service in Austin. So she bought a ticket for a third-party shuttle (name omitted because I can't remember it, not to protect their anonymity), gave them the name of the hotel, and headed downtown. When she arrived at the Courtyard, she discovered the Hilton Austin (site of the 2007 ACA Conference and today's destination) right next door. She also discovered that she had given the shuttle driver the wrong address: her Courtyard was back the way she'd come, much closer to the airport.
But the guy at the front desk [name will be updated in the near future, I hope] went ahead and comped her the night's stay (the Priceline fare is nonrefundable/already paid and the shuttle had long since driven off). Didn't have to. Could've charged her the going rate. Or called a cab or recalled the shuttle. Or laughed and laughed and laughed. But he didn't do any of that (at least he didn't laugh while she was around).
So thanks, Courtyard Austin Downtown/Convention Center. You've made friends.
Labels: Shout Outs
