For some long road that goes nowhere

[austin_dern]

One nagging drawback of living with my parents is timely mail delivery. My parents have some theory that as long as they don't throw out my mail, I will someday see it, and that's true to a point. For example, last night I ran across a packet from my car insurance company. They wanted me to fill out a survey for my renewal, with the note that I was subject to cancellation if I didn't return the survey by the 19th of January.

Initially I supposed I'd just call Tuesday, since what were the chances they'd have administrative staff on hand on a holiday? But my anxieties about leaving an overdue bit of business undone grew, and I realized: they're a car insurance company. They have to have somebody answering the phones even on a holiday. So it could be worth calling after all. They're a really nice company and I'd rather stick with them as long as I can.

I did get a real person and explained the circumstances, and she said they'd renewed my policy and sent the bill for it out on Friday, so I should receive it soon. Well, good. I did have a little chance in policy from selling off the dead Sable; she said that while the first insurance installment would be unchanged they'd send out a new bill reflecting the change of car status. Also, she apologized, but she wouldn't be able to issue a refund for the six months in 2009 that I didn't own the car until I sent them evidence of my selling the car. I hadn't asked about refunds and didn't suppose they'd be offered. You can see why I don't want to lose a company which actually apologizes for having a harsh rule like that about refunds in place.

Trivia: The contests in Chamonix 1924 were officially declared to be the First Olympic Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee during their meeting in Prague in 1925. Before then the games were officially called an International Winter Sports Week, although much coverage described them as Olympic Games. Source: Encyclopedia of the Modern Olympic Movement, Editors John E Findling, Kimberly D Pelle.

Currently Reading: Big Blues: The Unmaking Of IBM, Paul Carroll. (Well, what else could I read next?)

Comments

[bunny-hugger.livejournal.com]

I suggest getting an in-box or tray that your mail can go in when your parents receive it. I know I couldn't tolerate not knowing that I was getting my mail.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

That is almost surely what I have to do. I just have to find a good spot for it that won't need itself to be moved around.

[skylerbunny.livejournal.com]

Wait, you did have the Scion insured, right? I suddenly realize that one interpretation of this is that you had the (sold) Sable insured for the last several months, but not your new car.

Unlikely, of course, and I do suppose that you had it right, but...ack. I know California is really strict about insuring new cars and it's in peoples' interest to have new cars insured, so most probably they had you put it in before you even drove off the lot.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, I had the Scion insured before leaving the lot (they faxed a temporary letter of coverage, and the new card arrived within a week or two). It's just that since June I'd had both cars on my insurance policy, so I was paying for coverage for a car that I was no longer driving (and was no longer drivable) is all.

[lexomatic.livejournal.com]

::: The contests in Chamonix 1924 were officially declared to be the First Olympic Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee :::

Referred to in this week's ep of The Simpsons, when Homer and Marge join the U.S. curling team, and Lisa becomes addicted to enamel pin collecting. I knew those things existed in Florida theme parks, but didn't realize the Olympics were on the bandwagon.

(Two Homer-Marge romantic episodes in a row? What is this, February?)

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Oh, neat. Well, I'm sorry I missed the Simpsons in that case. Although I guess given its retroactive-but-everybody-knew-going-in-it-would-be Olympic status the 1924 games would be an irresistible reference. It's practically a trivia test just on its existence alone.

The 1900, 1904, and 1906 Olympics were also kind of only retroactively recognized (or de-recognized) as Olympic Games too, which is an interesting and weird state of being.