Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Things we do have; and things we don't

We're adjusting to our new community. Some things are familiar while others are requiring a little re-calibration. Juneau does have Safeway, Fred Meyer and even a Costco. Juneau also has PetSmart and Office Max; even Les Schwab Tires. Juneau is already a Walmart town. Sadly, Juneau does not have Trader Joe's. On the plus side, Juneau does not have noticeable traffic. Juneau does have snow-covered mountains in every direction. Juneau also has bald eagles and apparently certain neighborhoods (like the one we're looking to move into) have the occasional "bear problem."

Juneau does not yet have Verizon Wireless, so we're roaming in a new digital (read: expensive) way ."Internet Speed" is an oxymoron. Apparently Deb and I can both be online from our hotel room; just not at the same time.

Juneau does not have Bank of America. I've been a BofA customer since 1983, and it appears they don't want us to leave. One voice on the other end of an 800 number told me, "Sir, we don't want you to close your accounts with us." I replied, "Is that why you make it so difficult to do so?" And he said, "Sorry about that. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Deb and I are now new members of Alaska USA Federal Credit Union. They are a friendly and civil lot who pride themselves on customer service. We will not be former BofA customers until I find my way into a branch the next time we're in the Lower 48, this summer Lord willing. There are some things missing here in Juneau for which I will never be nostalgic.

2 comments:

  1. So glad to hear you found a friendly bank! Poor (??) BofA...people are flying out the back doors, even those who didn't move to Juneau.
    Keep us posted. We miss your funny faces. :)

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  2. I know exactly what you mean about the roaming charges. Becky's brother moved to Kupreanof Island (across the water from Petersburg) a couple years back. Our cell phones also took a vacation the week we visited him. He found a cell plan that costs him $2 to use his cell phone unlimited minutes on Thursday's. It's hard to beat a mos. cell phone bill of $10 if you can get all your talk time in one day a week. Let me know if you're interested in knowing more about the plan.

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