Aug
23
We’re renewing our lease at our Apartment, and we have to get Renter’s insurance. So, I go online this morning around 7:30am, just before I wake up Eleanor for school, to get some quotes. I enter my info into one of those quote sites and I immediately get a couple auto-response emails from insurance companies. It’s time for me to get Eleanor up for school, so I get up from the computer to do that when my phone starts ringing. I look at it and don’t recognize the number so I let it go to voicemail. Except, they don’t leave a message. Instead, less than a minute later it starts ringing again. Again, no message, and again, moments after the ringing stops, it begins ringing again. Again, no message. Then I get a text, “This is Joe Insurance Agent from Big Name Insurance Company. I need to speak with you to get some more information for your quote. Please call me at [the number that had just been calling] when you have a chance.”
Ahhh, so that’s whose been calling. Well, now I know what he wants and have a number to reach him at my convenience. That should stop the calls right. Nope! Less than a minute later I get yet another call from the same number. This time I answer: Him: “Hi Maggie, this is Joe Insurance Agent.” Me: I’m busy, which is why I didn’t answer the last three times you called. DO NOT CALL AGAIN.”
Then I get a form email from him about needing more info for a quote. And about an hour later I get another text apologizing for disturbing me and asking what a good time to call would be. And that is the first and only message I should have received this morning. “When would be a good time to call?” Instead, I got call after call, after text, after email. All in less than a ten minute period. I wouldn’t buy insurance from that guy if he was offering it to me for free.
Such an annoying way to start my morning!
Aug
17
For Brian’s last day in town we let him choose his own adventure, and much to Eleanor’s delight, he chose the beach! So we took a little drive up to Ventura for a morning with the sand and the waves.
It was foggy but warm and lovely.
Brian swam out to battle the ocean, while Eleanor and Josh ran from the waves.
After everyone had enough fun in the water we sat to warm up, dry off, snack and read.
I ended up with lovely burnt shins, just the shins, from having my sunblock washed off my legs by the ocean and then sitting and reading with my legs in the sun.
It was a lovely morning followed by some tasty Mexican food for lunch down the street from the beach.
Brian left that night after a little dinner party with my good friend and frequent Cranky commenter, Megan. Unfortunately, when I’ve got my hostess hat on, I forget my photographer duties, so I didn’t get any photos from dinner.
Brian’s visit was far too short and we, especially Eleanor, loved every minute of it. Brian was amazing with Eleanor, he actually sat and played with her, even when we told him he didn’t have to. He played along with all her games and was so patient with her. She adores him! She keeps asking when Brian is coming home, and Josh and I feel the same way. We love you Brian! Come home soon!
Aug
17
Continuing Brian’s visit…after he arrived back from the wedding in San Francisco we went to visit Josh and work and give Brian a little tour of UCLA, where Josh and I went to undergrad while Brian was at school in San Diego. For some reason, he had never seen the campus and was under the impression that UCLA did not have an attractive campus. On the contrary, the UCLA campus is gorgeous! Here’s just a few shots, but you can look forward to more soon! We are planning on having new family portraits done at UCLA sometime in September.
After UCLA we had dinner with a friend of Brian and Josh’s from high school and her husband. After dinner we grabbed some cookies at Diddy Riese of course! I’m pretty sure that Diddy Riese cookies are a requirement when you visit Westwood.
The rest of Brian’s visit up later today!
