when fates feel playful

The fates in charge of my laser repair saga are just getting creative in the delays they devise now:

• The problem was discovered 10 Dec, while I was in Seattle, but they didn't tell me till I was back in the office on 14 Dec. I
• at which point I consulted with the manufacturer; the technician said that since he wouldn't have a chance to come before January I should try replacing a part that was a likely component myself, and they shipped it.
• It arrived 28 Dec, so I came in and and did the replacement, but it didn't help, so I sent in the formal request for a technician to come and fix it.
• of course, with the holidays, they didn't even see the request till early this year, at which point they scheduled Huw to come on 15 January
• last week Mike emailed to say that Huw has been in a car accident and can't come, he would come instead, but not till the 17th.
• today he emails to say that he is in town, but the airlines lost his luggage, with tools and spare parts, last night on his (delayed) flight. He will try to get the bag from them on the way in this morning, but...

More than a month to get help, for a (very expensive) service contract that promises someone here within two business days if something goes wrong...