Friday, March 16, 2007

Puppy Dog Tails and other stuff

Yesterday was very interesting. I got to get into full Texan Woman mode and the electric company was the lucky party that got the full treatment. There is a power line that has been laying on the ground since it was installed - over 5 years ago - behind my house. It's outside of my fence except for a very small corner area, it runs from the next door neighbor's one one side to the next door neighbor's on the other side. We've called numerous times about it, finally yesterday they decided that yes, they really should have buried the line when they originally put it in. So they turned in the order and the technician called me to get the details. He called on my cell, so he has no excuse for his later failure to contact me. I gave him directions and very specific instructions regarding my yard, my dogs and the gates. I picked Otter up at school and we ran errands, then got home to an open front gate and no beagle. We immediately started looking outside for her, the neighbors across the street were about to take a walk and I asked them but they hadn't seen her. However, they said they would keep an eye out for her on their walk. I went the opposite direction from them, and since we live pretty close to a very busy street I told Otter that she needed to stay home. I was seriously afraid that I would find a run over dog and did not want her to see it. I asked a couple of people in the neighborhood, but nobody had seen the dog. I was about to the busy street when Bill called me because the neighbors from across the street found a sign on the next street: "Found Beagle". I called the phone number, and it was our Maggie. She was on the next street over from ours, the lady who lives there was not at home but she'd left the dog in her garage since her dogs don't like other dogs. When she got home, she called me and I don't think I've ever seen anyone run quite as fast as Otter did on her way over to get her dog.

After I called the phone number on the sign, I went in and called PSO - the local electric company. I politely said that I was wondering if the service guy had actually come out regarding my service call and when the customer service rep said that he had, I then told her that I wanted his name, his supervisor's name, and the reason. She couldn't give me his name, but she was almost as furious as I was. She emailed him and his supervisor. She asked me how I wanted this to be resolved - Bill and Otter both wanted the guy fired, but I didn't think that would be fair to his family if he's got one to feed, so I said I wanted his employee file to be noted, I wanted him counselled about following through and about doing his job correctly, and that I wanted an iron-clad guarantee that this would never happen again. Then we went to PetsMart for new name tags for them, since Maggie's fell off sometime prior to her adventure. We didn't know that they were missing or we would have already gotten her new ones. Now both dogs have 2 tags with their names & ours, our address & phone number. No sign of Magginator's old tags in the yard, so I will probably have to get a new city license tag and rabies tag for her.

I must have put the fear of Mom into PSO, because they called me about 4 times today just to make sure that I was aware that they had to send someone else out today to check the logistics of actually burying the line and that the work will actually be done Tuesday morning. The service guy (a different one, smart on their part), called me after he'd been out today to let me know that he did not have to get into the yard and gave me the name of the person who will be in charge on Tuesday. Bill will be home on Tuesday, and he and probably Otter as well will be out there watching them. I went to Wallyworld at 6:00 this morning for padlocks. My gates will not be opened anymore unless we do it! And PSO is well aware of that! I definitely put the Fear of Mom into them.

Oh, and the gate in question - there is absolutely no way it could have been opened accidentally. There are about 4 steps to open it, and it is extremely obvious to anyone at all - except yesterday's sorry excuse for a service tech - that there is no way AT ALL that it can be shut from the outside.

Otter's cell phone has been replaced. Same number as before.

Otter's doctor visit was today, she's extremely healthy and has grown 4 1/2" in a year. Which I already knew, because I am the one who buys her clothes! She's all leg. She got a tetnus shot since it's been several years and also the doctor gave her the menningitis shot she would eventually be required to have. Then Otter demanded ice cream, so we had to go to Braums and they had double dip cones on sale so I bought her a double vanilla cone. And a strawberry cheesecake ice cream pie for us!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm curious though. Why did what was originally a religous day turn into an excuse to drink yourself stupid? And not just Irish, either!

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