So, I was emailing Arden Ranger and my darling wife Juliana this morning, minding my own business. Chaos, (aka Rick, my almost 3 toddler), wasn’t quite awake yet, and sitting by the desk, possibly contemplating later disasters he could work. His sister, Destruction, was asleep. Doubtless recharging her batteries for another day of terror and mayhem.
Suddenly, it went dark. Computer went out, lights off, ceiling fan still, heater off. Quiet invaded as I suddenly wondered what happened. Rick said “uh-oh” helpfully. I went to the front door, and saw the dreaded Entergy truck out front. I recalled the check I’d written to cover that bill well, so I strolled around the corner, and asked the Contractor shutting my box back with those special seals what happened. He and I went back to his truck, where the computer there revealed that the check I’d written (with plenty of funds in the bank) had taken to imitating a basketball, and bounced high.
Depressed, and angry that fate had seen fit to endanger my lunchtime installation of Road Runner service, I sprang into action. My wife and I descended on the Bank, several stores, and everything else our cell phones would allow. A picture emerged of, well, stupidity. One store had cashed a check late, gotten the NSF message, and then waited until the next day to get verified funds. The next day being wife’s payday (by chance) they got it, and left.
No one saw fit to inform us of this little happening. Point of fact, it showed up on this mornings statement from the bank when we checked. Dawn, the helpful lady at the bank, confirmed the transaction had finally got through and helped us there. Nice lady.
Which left raising the cash to get the lights on, returning some things to get said money, and traisping over Hell’s Acre and a Half to get the bill paid. We did this with plenty of time to get the Power back on.
Whereupon Fate rolled snake eyes for us again. The Cable guy came at 1:30pm. The Power guy was nowhere to be seen. Luck had sneered at us, and our cable guy was clearly related the the missing link, if not him in the flesh. I shuddered to think someone assumed this Neanderthal was possessing enough Cerebral Capacity to work on my two year old, homebuilt system. Fortunately, he opened his mouth and revealed less intelligence than I first assumed. He left, unable to do anything to my darling Computer. I called the Cable company, and the gentleman at the other end apologized and gave us another appointment and promised someone different. I thanked him, and returned my wife to work, so she could finish out her day.
Fate, however had the last laugh. The Fellow from the Power company didn’t arrive until nearly 5pm, Central time. Five hours after payment, and way too late for the Neanderthal from Time Warner Cable.
So I’m stuck with dial-up for one more day. Hopefully Tuesday will be more forgiving.
