Don't EVER Use Avis

This has been the worst trip ever.  It started out with my GPS getting swiped out of my luggage.  Thanks US Air.  Then ... AVIS took over and REALLY made things go down hill.  I called to make a reservation (to RESERVE a car) and also asked to RESERVE a GPS (cause someone else was enjoying mine).  When Now, I am an Avis Preferred member ... doesn't mean a whole lot, except that you don't have to talk to the monkey behind the counter.  They have the car ready with the keys in it when you arrive ... supposedly.  When i arrived at the Avis disaster zone, the screen where they usually display the names and assigned cars was empty.  Darn.  Now i have to go talk to the monkey.  Well, the old bag behind the counter was about as motivated as a rock.  You also need to understand it's 2 AM.  I'm THE ONLY ONE THERE.  She starts with "Can i help you?" ... uh ... yeah, i need a car (thought that would be somewhat obvious ... being at AVIS and all).  She gives me this blank stare ... like i just asked for the Space Shuttle.  "I'll need to look to see what we have available" ... uh ... i have a reservation.  I even have my handy AVIS account number handy.  You want that?  "Oh yes, that would be helpful."  She plugs away at the keyboard like she was re-writing Tale of Two Cities.  She then starts asking me for my name, address, phone, etc. ... uh ... don't you already have all that info on my reservation? "No sir, I sure don't" ... uh ... ok.  She then asks me how many days, what type of car, etc. ... WHY DID I MAKE A RESERVATION???  Then she has to go outside to see what cars are available!!  Are you kidding me???  I felt like i was being punked ... she comes back ... found a SUV.  Then tell her i also reserved a GPS.  "Oh, we don't have any.  They are all out" ... uh ... but I RESERVED one????  "Sorry sir."  Fine, give me the keys.

Thought i was done dealing with them, as all i needed to do now was drop off the piece of crap at the end of the week.  Wrong.  I go out to the junk box this morning ... won't start ... dead.  I check to see if i left a dome light on or something.  Nope.  Just dead.  I call the Avis "who cares" line.  I tell them their piece of chevy crap just died.  The monkey tells me help is on the way.  I make sure he knows I need to get to the airport.  "I understand sir, i'll make sure we rush to help you" ... uh ... yeah right.  They RUSHED right over 60 minutes later ... THANKS AVIS ... I missed my flight!!!  Now i'm stuck in Denver airport.  I hate you.

Vacation

climbing the ladder
Originally uploaded by dbageek

What a great week at Lake Winnipesaukee! My family has been vacationing at the lake since I was little and this year mom, dad, Donna, Kris, Sydney, Wendy and Brandon were all able to go. We had a perfect week. The weather was pretty decent, so we were able to ski quite a bit; we celebrated mom and dad's 40th wedding anniversary; and we even had time to do some shopping. It was so nice being able to spend the whole week together and see Sydney and Brandon playing together; they don't get that opportunity very often with Donna living in Florida.

Passing of Samuel

Owning a dog is one of the most enjoyable parts of my life. I had always wanted a dog growing up, but because of sports and school, i was never home long enough. When Wendy and I bought our house, looking for a dog became a priority. I had always wanted an Australian Shepherd. We found a rescue in Turner, Maine, that specialized in Aussies. It took almost a year to find Sir Samuel, but he was worth the wait. We adopted him right from the home that was giving him up. At the time, he was a five year old tri-color Aussie.

As i mentioned in a previous post, just a few weeks ago, I took Samuel to the vet to check on a lump. It tunred out to be cancer. Samuel's health deteriorated very quickly over the past few weeks. Yesterday, I had to make one of the toughtest decisions i've ever made. I knew he was suffering terribly, so I had him put to sleep. It's a horrible thing watching your beloved pet suffer. I will miss him terribly.

Touch Decision

Two weeks ago I took Samuel to the vet for a check up and to get a lump on his rib checked out. Unfortunately, after taking an x-ray of Samuel's ribs, the vet told me he has a cancerous tumor which had already eaten up an entire rib bone. There is nothing that can be done to stop the spread and i must now decide when to put him down. Since then, he has deteriorated quickly. His back legs are starting to give out on him now and i can tell he's really starting to suffer. He's been a great dog ... my first. Everything i ever wanted in a dog. This will be one of the toughest decisions i've ever had to make.

Mobile Blog

Chck out my new mobile blog ... it'll be even easier to post pics now from my Treo on the go!

My Mobile Blog

Bouncing Brandon

Brandon got a new toy this week!

Brando!

Baby Brandon

Well, Wendy and I finally parents :) Brandon Christopher Beane was born Saturday morning at 6:07 am, 8 lbs 6oz, 20 1/2 inches long.

More pictures here

Baby Shower Slideshow

I put together a slideshow of pictures I took at the Baby Shower and the baby's room. Some of the pictures are kind of dark - not my best work :( To view this slideshow, you will need Windows Media Player 10. Enjoy!

Overwhelming

The baby shower!