8/26/2018

Weekly Update 8/26/2018

THE DRESS

I’ve started to look for a dress to wear to Sarah and Jack’s wedding. I found something online that I thought would be nice. It was available in many sizes, in many colors, and at several stores. The more I thought about it, the more perfect it seemed. So on Monday, I went to the mall – gasp. It was supposed to be at Macy’s, Penney’s and Belks (a Savannah answer to McCurdy’s), but I couldn’t find it, or anything like it. And you know what? It’s been so long since I’ve been shopping at the mall, I was really horrified. Shoppers knock clothes off the hangers, and just leave them on the floor under the racks, and there are no sales associates (or they’re as lazy as the shoppers and don’t want to bother to put them back) to keep things neat. It’s in all departments; its in all stores; it’s disgusting. It’s sloppy and easily fixed if people weren’t so careless and lazy. I was depressed, not only because I couldn’t find what I was looking for, but also by the clutter. Dillards also was supposed to have the dress, but that store is at a different mall, and I just didn’t feel like driving to be disappointed yet again. So I went home. Wednesday, however, I attended a lecture at TLC, and since I was half way to Savannah Mall, I decided to take a chance. And there it was: the dress I’ve been obsessing about. It’s not exactly perfect – it’s black, and I really don’t want to wear black to Sarah’s wedding (but it will be easier to find shoes and a purse in black than trying to match a blue), and it’s a size too small. It fits me now, but I can’t gain even one ounce, and it would be better if I lost some weight. (The wedding is just after Christmas, what are the chances that I’ll lose weight through the holidays?) But – this is the best part – it was marked down from $100 to $35. If I do find the perfect dress, I can still get it and I won’t be out much money.

THE A/C

Not much luck here. I’m really pissed off. As I reported last week, the company that installed to unit eight years ago came out to check the unit. Guess what? Just to have him look at it cost me $288. He found a leak, but suggested I don’t fix it, but rather just add more refrigerant. No, I want it fixed and I want it fixed right. They called the next day, and told me that the part I needed was under warranty, but labor was not. Apparently concerned that I was too warm, they again suggested that they come out, add freon for me, and make the repair when the part is available. What? Another $100 for you to walk through my front door, $94/hour for labor, and still not fix it? I don’t think so. They called Thursday to say the part was available, and that it would cost over $1,000 in labor to install it. I called another company to see if they could order the part and install it for less than this, but I need to have the original installer do the update in order for the warranty to be valid. How surprised I am! So, I’m back to the original installers, and I’ll have to pay them for the labor, but they said the part costs $1,300, so if I want to save that money - and I do – I’m over a barrel. So, more than a week later, I’m finally scheduled to get this done on Monday. In Savannah, I really can’t get by without air. Another example of the 21^st Century idea of “customer service”.

Onward to what I did this week:

I went to two great lectures this week. The first was at City Hall and was given by a City Councilperson who is a retired photojournalist. He had some old photos of Savannah, and what it looks like today. The lecture ended with a typical politician’s spiel of how the City is working toward making Savannah better in the future. I also went to a very informative lecture by the collections curator at the Telfair museums about the updates to the Owens-Thomas house involving the stories of the enslaved people there. This was what I had hoped to learn when I visited the house on Sunday, and I really enjoyed it.

The Talmadge Bridge - then and now

I was also out to the Tybee Post Theater twice. On Thursday, Barbara, June and I went to the Ladies Night Out showing of the movie Book Club. I’d seen it before, but it was still good. The place was packed, all (old) women with a few exceptions where husbands were dragged along. The price of the ticket included a glass of wine. It was great and everyone enjoyed it. On Saturday, I went back to see a local theater group present A funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. That was also well attended and very funny. I am constantly in awe of the talent of regular people.

Saturday, I was able to check one more thing off my summer bucket list. I drove down to fort Frederica which is near Brunswick. It is now a national monument, but admission is free. I’ve been meaning to do this since I moved to Georgia. It was a fort and town that was begun in 1736 by James Oglethorpe as a defense of Savannah from the Spanish in Florida. There was a fort built here, and homes and business for 44 men and 72 women and children. The plan for the town was similar to Savannah with city lots measuring 60 by 90 feet and each lot was assigned a 50 acre lot outside of the town for cultivating crops. Settlers in Florida viewed Frederica as a threat to their claim, and in 1742 they tried to take the town, but were turned back in the Battle of Bloody Marsh. It was not a particularity bloody battle, and didn’t last long, but it did end the Spanish claim on Georgia. When Georgia lost it’s trusteeship and became a royal colony, Frederica was no longer needed as a military fort, and thetown was abandoned. Today, there are tabby ruins of the fort, the military barracks, and some homes. Since I’ve never met a gift shop I didn’t like, I needed to buy a James Oglethorpe doll for my collection of stuffed “things”. It was a nice day for drive, the weather cooperated, and I enjoyed being there. I made it home on time to watch the Travers Cup, but couldn’t pick Allen out of the crowd.  

an outline of an original house

The remains of the Fort

a connon overlooking bloody marsh

the Union Jack still flies here

Jimmy with my other "things"