Monday, August 13, 2007

RANTINGS...

I've spent the day in the delightful but expensive tourist trap of Durango, just hanging out, enjoying the stunning scenery in this part of the world, and one of the things I did was contact AT&T - the useless phone company I have hooked up with for "nationwide mobile coverage". I wanted to complain about the idiot in San Francisco who assured me I'd have coverage nationwide, who basically lied. The AT&T Manager I spoke to was unable to tell me why his staff are so ill-informed, why his "internationally recognised"company doesn't have cell-phone towers in most of the states I've ridden through, or what he could do to assist me or compensate me, other than to give me a $20 credit top-up on a phone I can't even use. He also told me I wouldn't be likely to get any AT&T mobile coverage until I was fairly well south on the west coast. Yeeha. This puts me in the continued position of feeling quite vulnerable on the road, in the vast areas of this country where there's lots of stunning scenery but few people, and no coverage, even to get hold of emergency services if necessary. That, to date, has been (aside from bloody frustrating) at times downright scary. The phone I was conned into purchasing in Arkansas when the OTHER AT&T moron told me it was my normal (kiwi) phone that was at fault, won't recognise another provider's sim card, so basically that was a waste of money (about US$110 including phone credit I paid for that is as useless as the phone that's meant to carry it), and the only way to feel safe while travelling through these wilderness areas is to go buy another phone hooked into another provider, pay for another sim card, and just hope that THAT company isn't lying as well, and, like;;; I'm made of money??? Erm... no...
AT&T, God bless their little cotton socks, also say they cannot put collect calls through to New Zealand. New Zealand have, apparently, blocked AT&T's access. I guess Telecom NZ know a thing or two. Eeee, by gum, ya live and learn...

SO DON'T TOUCH THESE PEOPLE WITH A FORTY FOOT BARGEPOLE!!!!!!!!!
THEY ARE INEFFICIENT, INCOMPETENT, AND TOTALLY BLOODY USELESS. BLOG-WATHCERS OUTSIDE OF THE USA, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. IF ANY OF YOU EVER FEEL BRAVE ENOUGH TO TACKLE AN EXTENDED HOLIDAY OVER HERE IN THE LAND WHERE NOTHING IS SIMPLE, AND YOU GO WITH AT&T,
YOU DESERVE EVERYTHING YOU GET!!!

And I'm not finished there...

I'm feeling a bit homesick, actually. That surprises me, really, as I was looking forward to getting away for a bit. Feeling lonesome has took me all unawares-like! But I miss my house, I even miss that goofy Kerry-person, I miss my mad-faced Dad, certain lovely friends who keep me sane and giggling a lot (hi Flipsy, R-man, Arnie, Chelle, Liz), I REALLY miss the dog, and I even miss the grumpy Coz-cat, and that murdering zebra finch that pretty much ate her boyfriend before our very eyes, before I left home back at the start of July. Maybe I've already been away for long enough...

hmmm... pondering, pondering, pondering the options.

Oh yeah... and poor Cherry Bomb wouldn't start this morning. Dead battery. No idea why. And, guess what? The bike shop is closed for the day! I'm getting a bit fed up, to put it more politely than I normally would. For the benefit of those with sensibilities that might be wobbled if I REALLY let fly, I'm being quite restrained...

Normal life beckons from the shadows of my consciousness. What to do... what to do...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Homesick is a good illness.

Ah, Max! Clarity and enlightenment. The real reason you took this trip at this time. You are learning the greatest thing in life, what Dorothy had to go over the rainbow for. You had it all the time, but just never knew it... There's no place like home.

I am so glad that you wandered out of your own backyard to find it.

Keep on trucking (*motorcycling*) along with the plan. Just think - to have "found" what was lost at this point in the trip, what else could lie ahead? Not that what you have done so far is just amazing in and of itself, but to stop now would be like leaving in the middle of a movie. A great, epic, fabulous piece of imagery.

We're pulling for you!!

Love you!
Candy

RedDog said...

You need some cheese with that wine ... US is a 3rd world country when it comes to cell phone coverage. I have explained before.

Enjoy your ride the time you are here. Rockies are awesome.

Arild

Anonymous said...

Nick from KY

Calls home? Have you checked at your local gas station or mini mart for calling cards? Lots of places around here have them and some advertise as low as 1.9 cents/min. Mostly advertising for those wanting to call home to Mexico, but they should work to NZ. Usually you contact an 800 (toll-free) number, then put in the digits from the card to proceed. Might get you those calls home you'd like.

Places for motorcycle batteries besides a bike shop? Wal-Mart and auto parts stores (like the Checkers in town) often carry them. They should be able to fill it and charge them for you, too.

I hope you can get both batteries topped up and in working order again soon.

Gwyn Johnson said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
tofeather said...

Hi Max, sorry to hear that your battery is dead. If you can find Radio Shack store, or even some hardware stores, they may have a small battery charger, 2 amps or less, you could take the battery out and bring it into you room, and let it charge for as long as possible. 1.5 amps won't hurt the battery. I wish I had known you didn't have a "Battery Tender" as that's almost a necessity for motorcycles.
We love the pictures and the stories you are writing. Gee, a Grizzly Bear, that's totally cool.
When you get to LA, bring that useless piece of equipment back to the a__hole that sold it to ya, and demand a 200% refund, OR a Lawsuit will be forthcoming for a thousand times that amount. Just my nickles' worth. Keep on, Keepin' on. tofeather & "Tweety"