TRASH

One of the mundane aspects of being a grown-up is that we have to take the trash out to the kerb every week. This means, of course, that when the trash pickup is too fecking lazy to navigate the turns of a cul-de-sac*, and leaves a note on the car (IN THE DRIVEWAY) saying that they can't get around it, that I am obliged to call the service center.
Naturally, the service center has the exclusive contract with the city, so their priority isn't customer service. When I tried to explain, the woman on the other end of the line interrupted me several times and was really just inexcusably rude. When I finally managed to get my message across, she told me to move my can. I said I would, but where should it go? She wanted to know which side of the street I would put it on. I explained to her that we live. in. a. cul-de-sac. It has a large 'island' in the center, which only complicates the situation. If I say "the right side", that could be anywhere. Before I finished my explanation, I was cut off again. She said she'd call a supervisor, so I said fine, and hung up on her.
When I calmed down, I called back, and managed to get someone else (thank G-d). She was more reasonable. I explained that I hadn't had my trash picked up for what was now the fourth week in a row; I'd assumed it had been the ice, then Christmas, then New Year's Day. I told her that I needed a second city-approved can, at no charge, even though we did not need it - just in case this should happen again. She agreed to this, and promised a supervisor would call me.
Now we'll see. Between this and the crazy neighbor**, I'd guess this is not going to work out very well.

* sort of like a blind alley, but a circle, instead.
** the neighbour who thinks she can dictate where I park in the street (when I do), and how long, and whether I can stack my flowerpots beside the terrace in the winter, and whether my child can ride his bicycle in the road. She also seems to think that she can tell me that I have to rake my garden when she wants me to. Naturally, I don't have to rake it at all. :)