Love writing slices every Tuesday and reading so many over at Two Writing Teachers. Join us!
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!!!
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!!!
:-) glad your gas situation is cleared up! Nice that you were able to turn a series of frustrating calls into an amusing story :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lesson on real life for your students! Glad everything worked out well!
ReplyDeleteYou let us really feel your frustration. I love your self-talk. You got through it.
ReplyDeleteOh yes! Know this story. I think it's great your students see how real life goes and how to handle it.
ReplyDeleteThe joys of home ownership. Don't you just love dealing with schedulers? I think many of them take a course in how to aggravate the people who call them.
ReplyDeleteI am happy that it is finally done, but oh how some of the companies hold us hostage with their rules, etc. I'm glad you tried with another person. I've learned that it helps. If not satisfied, hang up and find another person. Funny to read, not so funny to experience, Michelle!
ReplyDeleteLove the way anticipation and frustration and relief were woven into this slice, Michelle. A happy ending!
ReplyDeleteWell-captured slice. Sorry for the stress it caused.I am glad for the positive final solution.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the most stressful aspects of teaching - inability to get things done outside of the school building. Yikes! Glad this worked out. And also glad that your students were there to hear and learn and support you with simple laughter.
ReplyDelete