You know those days? The dreaded ones? The type that you just can't believe is actually happening?
I'm having one.
Right now.
Really.
I was supposed to go walking this morning. It didn't happen. My husband had a bad night, and so, mine wasn't too great either.
I woke up, got the kids up, made healthy waffles, made a great healthy kale/cranberry/red pepper smoothie to give me a little pep and energy for my exciting day of new biking trails with a new biking friend, with a promise of a dedicated mountain bike trail - complete with jumps and dips etc.
Got the kids off to school, and took my daughter to Target before school because she needed 'close toed shoes' for her science project today (??). She wore me down and she got Uggs. As if furry boots were EVER needed in Florida. Whatever. At least they were on their way out, and only cost $10.56, and she pledged to pay for half.
Then, the fun began. I dropped her off at school and got home, texted my friend that I needed 10 minutes to get ready. As I was rummaging around for my biking shorts, I heard a truck, then a cling/clang outside my bedroom wall, and the electricity shut off. I quickly assessed my options. "Should I go to the kitchen for a knife? Where's the bat? Where did my husband say his gun was?"
I opened the garage door, and saw that the big door was open which was strange. And then.
I saw him.
Evil man.
Sitting in the utilities company truck. DUKE ENERGY. Avoid them like the plague - I very very strongly dislike them, and have ever since we moved to FLORIDA. Can you say monopoly?
I yelled "HEY" just as he started up the truck to drive away. "I don't have any power", he replied "I know, that's my job". WHAT??
"You have to call them to get it back on", "Um...my phone isn't working and I don't have internet to get the number, what number do I call?" He handed me a business card and said, "don't call the 1800 number, who knows where they are. I'll be around as to turn it back on as soon as you work it out."
I headed inside. Dialed the number. After unsuccessfully trying to find a human, I was disconnected since I didn't have my account number memorized and handy, and couldn't find it without the power. (So much for paperless filing).
I rummaged around the house and found a letter that I'd received 3 days ago, dated Dec. 30, 2013. It said if I didn't pay my by the 8th, my electricity would be shut off.
By then, my husband had turned on his hotspot for his laptop and I was able to verify that I indeed had paid all of my bills to the utility company for the entire past year, 9 out of ten times even a week before the due date. Come on - we are pretty responsible people. Most of the time.
I called again and must have pushed the right button because I finally got someone on the line. Ricardo. Poor Ricardo. I wouldn't like his job. Not one bit, because I was angry at this ridiculousness. He and I chatted about my payment. Yes, he could see my payments had been received. Yes, but there must be a 'missing payment'.
APPARENTLY, sometime in September, I was notified that the payment due date was changing from the 10th of the month, to the 30th of the month (as in, 10 days earlier).
Unfortunately, in September, my husband had an appendectomy, then a prostate infection, many tests and Xrays, and then ended up in the hospital for several days, and is still not better. Add two weeks of house guests, and the holiday season, and that pretty much sums up how I somehow missed the alert that the monthly payment date was being changed and accelerated.
It isn't their fault, it was mine. Ignorance isn't an excuse. I know. But REALLY? How about a phone call, a second notice? Something? No sir - this monopoly doesn't mess around. They just turn off your power. I guess they got the results they wanted.
So, Ricardo explained that my meter is now read on the 6th of each month and payment is due by the 30th. Pretty short billing cycle I'd say. At least I guess I know now.
So I paid the bill. That was apparently 2 weeks late, unbeknownst to me. I'd figured when I saw the previous notice that the bill and payment had crossed in the mail since we've never ever been delinquent on a payment.
Moving along.
I found my clothes, then headed out to prep my bike. I decided to use my daughter's since my wrists have had a lot of pain with my bike. Her tire was flat.
I had a spare tube, and changed the tire.
We started along our way.
We got 6.14 miles when I went around a curve in the path and felt a 'swoosh' and felt like my back tire was sliding out from under me. My friend looked at my back tire and told me it was flat.
What are the odds? Sheesh.
We walked back to a nearby park, sat down and waited, and called my husband to put the bike rack onto the car, and come and pick me up.
I'm thinking about spending the rest of the day in bed!
I saw a post on FB that said, THINK POSITIVE, like if you are falling down the stairs, think about how quickly you got to the bottom. :) I think that post was meant for me.
I'm having one.
Right now.
Really.
I was supposed to go walking this morning. It didn't happen. My husband had a bad night, and so, mine wasn't too great either.
I woke up, got the kids up, made healthy waffles, made a great healthy kale/cranberry/red pepper smoothie to give me a little pep and energy for my exciting day of new biking trails with a new biking friend, with a promise of a dedicated mountain bike trail - complete with jumps and dips etc.
Got the kids off to school, and took my daughter to Target before school because she needed 'close toed shoes' for her science project today (??). She wore me down and she got Uggs. As if furry boots were EVER needed in Florida. Whatever. At least they were on their way out, and only cost $10.56, and she pledged to pay for half.
Then, the fun began. I dropped her off at school and got home, texted my friend that I needed 10 minutes to get ready. As I was rummaging around for my biking shorts, I heard a truck, then a cling/clang outside my bedroom wall, and the electricity shut off. I quickly assessed my options. "Should I go to the kitchen for a knife? Where's the bat? Where did my husband say his gun was?"
I opened the garage door, and saw that the big door was open which was strange. And then.
I saw him.
Evil man.
Sitting in the utilities company truck. DUKE ENERGY. Avoid them like the plague - I very very strongly dislike them, and have ever since we moved to FLORIDA. Can you say monopoly?
I yelled "HEY" just as he started up the truck to drive away. "I don't have any power", he replied "I know, that's my job". WHAT??
"You have to call them to get it back on", "Um...my phone isn't working and I don't have internet to get the number, what number do I call?" He handed me a business card and said, "don't call the 1800 number, who knows where they are. I'll be around as to turn it back on as soon as you work it out."
I headed inside. Dialed the number. After unsuccessfully trying to find a human, I was disconnected since I didn't have my account number memorized and handy, and couldn't find it without the power. (So much for paperless filing).
I rummaged around the house and found a letter that I'd received 3 days ago, dated Dec. 30, 2013. It said if I didn't pay my by the 8th, my electricity would be shut off.
By then, my husband had turned on his hotspot for his laptop and I was able to verify that I indeed had paid all of my bills to the utility company for the entire past year, 9 out of ten times even a week before the due date. Come on - we are pretty responsible people. Most of the time.
I called again and must have pushed the right button because I finally got someone on the line. Ricardo. Poor Ricardo. I wouldn't like his job. Not one bit, because I was angry at this ridiculousness. He and I chatted about my payment. Yes, he could see my payments had been received. Yes, but there must be a 'missing payment'.
APPARENTLY, sometime in September, I was notified that the payment due date was changing from the 10th of the month, to the 30th of the month (as in, 10 days earlier).
Unfortunately, in September, my husband had an appendectomy, then a prostate infection, many tests and Xrays, and then ended up in the hospital for several days, and is still not better. Add two weeks of house guests, and the holiday season, and that pretty much sums up how I somehow missed the alert that the monthly payment date was being changed and accelerated.
It isn't their fault, it was mine. Ignorance isn't an excuse. I know. But REALLY? How about a phone call, a second notice? Something? No sir - this monopoly doesn't mess around. They just turn off your power. I guess they got the results they wanted.
So, Ricardo explained that my meter is now read on the 6th of each month and payment is due by the 30th. Pretty short billing cycle I'd say. At least I guess I know now.
So I paid the bill. That was apparently 2 weeks late, unbeknownst to me. I'd figured when I saw the previous notice that the bill and payment had crossed in the mail since we've never ever been delinquent on a payment.
Moving along.
I found my clothes, then headed out to prep my bike. I decided to use my daughter's since my wrists have had a lot of pain with my bike. Her tire was flat.
I had a spare tube, and changed the tire.
We started along our way.
We got 6.14 miles when I went around a curve in the path and felt a 'swoosh' and felt like my back tire was sliding out from under me. My friend looked at my back tire and told me it was flat.
What are the odds? Sheesh.
We walked back to a nearby park, sat down and waited, and called my husband to put the bike rack onto the car, and come and pick me up.
I'm thinking about spending the rest of the day in bed!
I saw a post on FB that said, THINK POSITIVE, like if you are falling down the stairs, think about how quickly you got to the bottom. :) I think that post was meant for me.
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