This tree saw the return of the GDC (RV camper) to Lot 73.
I had loaned the GDC to some neighbors-down-the-road. Brad is energetically building a house at 12 mile, and wanted a place for one of the workers he had to stay in. So in exchange for some much-needed maintenance work, I loaned him the RV.
It’s been a whole string of frustrations and disappointments, these last few days. I finally got Alaska Power & Telephone (the local utility) to come out and hook up the new meter-base for electricity for Lot 73. I learned there was an unexpected, quite high charge associated with this hook-up. Essentially, it’s a bureaucratic “reactivation fee” because I took so long in the time between when I first had the utility pole and power drop set up and when I got the meter base installed. It’s a kind of “procrastination fee.” I’m disappointed because I specifically asked, at the time the pole was put in 3 years ago, if there would be other charges if I delayed putting it in, and the people at that time said something to the effect of: “nothing major, a small fee.” $700 doesn’t seem small, to me.
Then today, I was planning to drive into town to JS Hardware (the one and only hardware store on the island), with the cargo trailer. I wanted to buy some more plywood and longer pieces of lumber, to best continue my treehouse project as well as to construct a small shed to replace the weather-destroyed storage tent.
I had the trailer all hooked up to the Blueberry (the Chevy Tahoe), and the brake lights were even working, and I realized the trailer’s registration was expired. Although evidence is thin on the ground, I suspect Arthur simply forgot – despite surely having received some kind of reminder in mail form and probably email form as well. And I blame myself, because at this point in things, it’s really my job to keep track of Arthur’s multitude of bureaucratic obligations. I simply didn’t think about it. But my luck being the way it is, I’m not going to drive to town with expired tags – that’s inviting a revenue-raising stop by the Craig Police.
So the trailer was re-parked, and we’ll have to sort out the expired trailer registration. Because the DMV in Craig is only open 4 hours a week, by appointment only, that is not something resolved promptly – it’s on “their schedule.”
These experiences just reinforce my feelings of general incompetence, lately.
[daily log: walking, 5km; c101062062084s]