New Cell Phone Numbers

After an emotional moment, T-Mobile and I parted ways. No reply on that angry letter yet, although Best Buy did send me a worthless reply (no gift card) saying that the Birmingham branch had been notified of my complaints. Thanks for everything, Best Buy, but I actually wanted free stuff.

So Friday evening I drove over to the closest Verizon store to get new cellular service. I did something I had never done before....I forgot to wear shoes. This doesn't speak well for my 'not being a hick' upbringing, but I went into the Verizon store anyway, figuring I had come all that way. Received a few weird looks but no direct comments. Hey, it is Alabama.

Anyway, Bob and I now have new cell phone numbers. I could have had my old number 'ported' over from T-Mobile, but that would have required talking to them again, so no way. Here they are:

Mel: 205.936.3715
Bob: 205.936.3712

Bob won't be available at that number for a few more days, but after that, call (almost) anytime for your chatting pleasure.

American Gothic

My dad recently remarked to me about the seeming painlessness of my transition home. I think the phenomenon can be attributed to the novelty of my situation. After going to so many weird and wild places, I can regard Birmingham as both mundane and a new adventure; exotic, yet familiar.

I appreciated the comments on the 'customer service' letter. The irony is that, while I complain about my problems in dealing with Best Buy, other countries don't even have customer service departments. Or Best Buy. You get the picture.

On Thursday (June 16) night Dad and I went to a minor league baseball game to celebrate Father's Day a few days early. It was Americana at its finest. It being 'Thirsty Thursday,' with all drinks (including beer) costing only a dollar, the Hoover Met stadium was full of the area's finest. The prevailing attitude seemed to be that of those who paid a $6 cover to get into a sports bar with cheap drinks. The baseball was mediocre and the Barons were trounced, but the best part of the night was when a gentleman sitting nearby told his daughter, 'You be polite, now, or I'll slap you upside the head.'

Def Leppard was here this weekend as part of Birmingham's annual three-day music festival, City Stages. We rocked pretty hard. Any band who's celebrating its twenty-five year anniversary AND has a one-armed drummer has got to be hard core. My friend Mike was on the receiving end of a verbal altercation with a woman (a bit of a 'neck, really) who wasn't taking any s*** (or, for that matter, anyone getting in front of her in the seething, trample-ripe crowd). When Mike tried to make nice, she accused him of hitting on her.

I have to go to bed now because I have work tomorrow, something I've had two weeks to grow accustomed to. I'm lucky that enjoy what I'm doing (oncology research in a UAB lab) and that my boss is cool.

Slowly, but surely, the reintegration process continues. The new adventure begins.

Some Flowers in Chicago

As embarassing as it is to receive corrections on my posts, I appreciate knowing that we have acquaintances who will call us on our blogging follies. San Francisco was completely awesome. As in New York, there wasn't too much sightseeing involved, but a fair amount of barhopping (and shopping for me). Did I mention that Ben Stein was on our plane from LA to San Francisco? I figured that the celebrity lovers (Jennifer Gibson) might enjoy that nugget. Anybody? Anybody?

Regretfully, there are few photos of our time in the 'surprisingly cold city' (I think this should be SF's nickname). Even worse, we don't have any record of our seeing Matt Kolsky, our attendance at the white trash party, or Matt Kolsky at the white trash party. We want to thank Matt, Doannie, Holly, Katie, Laura, Tiffany, Justin, and Amanda for taking the time to meet up with us while we were in town.

Diane and Bart Bartelt, in a true labor of love, schlepped all the way out to Midway late Tuesday night and welcomed us back with sunflowers (get it? ha ha). Since then, we've enjoyed the Chicago institutions of The Second City comedy club (current show "Red Scare" is a total trip) and the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder.

My triumphant return to the Ham is on Saturday. Be prepared, as I will then be reunited with my cell phone!