I love writing slices every Tuesday!

Did the title grab you? Repulse you? Either way, I’m glad you’re here.

I woke up so refreshed on a sunny Saturday morning. It was one of those sleeps that was deep and good. I slept until 8:00AM. As I hook Bella up to go out for a walk, I’m feeling joy-filled…until I see the bright red notice from the gas company.

Sigh..not again, I think. There’s another gas leak in my outside line. The second leak in less than six months…ah, the joys of home ownership. I call the plumber to make an appointment to fix it. Sunday’s appointment brings a LARGE price, but it’s fixed. And it’s fixed good!

Monday I called the gas company. Let me preface the rest of this with…I don’t have a great track record with the gas company. I called at 8:09 in the morning. I had fifteen minutes until the students started to arrive. The woman tried to tell me that I have to make an all day appointment. ALL DAY! The technician will be inside my house for TWO minutes. I explain that I can’t take a  day off for two minutes. She refuses to budge. I ask her if she has children. She says, “No.” I ask her what I should say to the parents of the children I teach…I had to take an entire day away from my students so someone could come into my home for TWO minutes to make sure the gas was working again. I tell her I want to speak to someone else. She puts me on hold for 12 minutes and never comes back. Finally, I hang up because my students were arriving.

I called again at lunch. This woman was much more helpful. “Yes, we have an appointment today. Sure they can come after 2:30. No problem!” Ahhh….

Twenty minutes later I got a message from the technician telling me that he’s on his way to my house. ARRRGGHHHH!!! Breathe. In. Out. In. Out. I apologized to my students and called the gas company again…right in front of them!!! I explained what happened and asked the woman on the phone what to do. “No worries. No worries.” She repeated this phrase at least a dozen times during the phone call. She told me to call back later and they would send another technician out. I told her that he’s on his way to my home now. “No worries. No worries. Just call back and make another appointment.” (This part of the conversation is repeated at least three more times.) 

I explain again, “That’s what I’m doing right now. I’m trying to make another appointment!” My students couldn’t help but start giggling. Finally she explained that he needed to change it in the computer before she could reschedule it and that’s why I needed to call back. 

After I hung up, there’s another message from the technician. He noticed that the computer said I wouldn’t be home till 2:30, so he’s not coming until later. Ahhh!

He arrived around 4pm and declared everything fixed. Stove & heat working again! WooHoo!  Finally, I have gas!!!