Some weeks ago we had a brief spot of cold weather which provided our gas fire with a challenge to which it was not equal.
A period of muttering and mumbling ensued, followed by Grant dismantling the wretched thing.
.
After a morning of sighs punctuated with occasional expletives, the cussed appliance was reassembled and given a chance to redeem itself.
Which fortunately it did.
.
My method of dealing with contrary equipment is to threaten it:
“You can be replaced you know!”
This is often a hollow threat given budgetary constraints, but an ordinary appliance is not to know that.
.
“Did you just call me an ordinary appliance?”
“I did. Yes.”….
.
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Late yesterday, a dip in the mercury.
Traversing the living room, I thought it felt a bit more fresh than usual. This was because the wretched, ordinary appliance had ceased to function.
Calling it some other name, I fiddled with the remote control and the right sequence eventually produced a flame.
.
Grant came by and scowled at it.
At 10 pm, the flame was still lit but as soon as our backs were turned…
Awakening at 6 am, I just knew the thing had gone off again. It was too early to go and check.
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But then I got an image of two little cats lying there gassed. We have a gas detector and there is no reason to suspect it wouldn’t work, if gas did leak which is unlikely.
But it was enough to get me out of bed…
..to check that Sophia and Muffin were still breathing, since that is where they always sleep.
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The cats were fine if a bit chilled.
The temperature reminded me of my early childhood in London. My father used to sit in the living room with his hat and coat on.
59F/15C.
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Before it got any colder I thought I’d better trundle out one of the oil heaters. It was currently buried under a pile of boxes but taking care not to step on Willow, I managed to extricate it.
Plugged it in next to the accursed fireplace and went to brush my teeth.
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The lights in my bathroom were out.
Fantastic. The oil heater blew a fuse.
So I went back out, unplugged it and dived into the electrical cupboard to reset the breaker.
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Finding a different circuit, I plugged the heater back in and returned to bed to warm up and I likely would have stayed there but birds must be fed, their frozen water bowls must be emptied and refilled….
…and…oh, cats…
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Things are fighting me just now.
There are stupid little annoyances.
At the vet I was handed a postcard that had been mailed to me but returned by the Post Office because it didn’t have my box number on it.
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Last week I had received a similar postcard, similarly addressed, reminding me to take Muffin for a blood test.
If I’d known that Tinkerbelle was due, we would have taken her at the same time but there is an individual at the Post Office who likes to be difficult.
It’s a very small Post Office with a very small number of boxes.
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It’s just a persnickety little annoyance.
But it’s this sort of thing that can tip the balance and the unlucky person who witnesses what they perceive as an overreaction is left wondering:
What the hell?
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Mostly I am very patient, but I have low tolerance for unnecessary inefficiency.
Getting a prescription refilled:
The doctor’s office tells me to have the pharmacy initiate the request.
But this has proven to lead nowhere, so I call the clinic, listen to their long menu and leave a message.
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Checking the pharmacy site the next day, expecting to see that it is “in process”, it’s not.
So I called them up, listened to their extensive menu. Finally, a nice pharmacist said no, they had not received anything from the clinic, but she would email them.
As of this morning….no evidence of progress.
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It wouldn’t matter if the insurance company didn’t make you wait until the last day to get the refill.
If you had a few pills to cover all the farting about, it wouldn’t matter.
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The frustrating thing is that despite doing everything you are told to do, it still doesn’t work.
In the days when I was on oxycontin this was a real problem.
At least I don’t have that to worry about now.
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The ridiculous conclusion of this last tale?
Fed-up this morning, I refused to make further phone calls but with a weekend approaching this afternoon I capitulated:
Yes! The prescription was ready.
.
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So we went to pick it up and when I looked at the paperwork I saw that in fact, it had been filled yesterday.
According to their computer there is still no sign of it.
However, the upshot of all this was something nice.
Which I’ll save till tomorrow.
Thank you, Carolyn, for your post of trials and tribulations, we have to suffer! I love your sky study, the fire place saga, Grant’s cleverness, and your devotion to the safety of your charges.
Joanna
When I lived in Dutchess County NY we had a psychotic woman in the tiny post office. When she left and was replaced by the friendliest and most efficient postie our lives improved enormously.
Your postal stories continue to make me glad I live in a country where the post comes through your door every day with zero hassles. And where I don’t need medical insurance approval to get a repeat prescription.
Thinking about so many of your posts that refer to blown fuses and other electrical issues, I have to ask. Have you ever considered having the house professionally re-wired using modern equipment?
Best wishes, Pete.
Ha! Yes. The problem is finding someone to do the job. Hard to believe right?
Oh how I loved you using the phrase ‘farting about’, which I’ve always thought of as being particularly British. We have just had a Hive wireless controller fitted to our central heating system so that we can control it when we are out and about (eg not heat an empty house, but to have it warm when we come home). It turns off beautifully when I ask it to, but then forgets all about its normal schedule whatever ‘button’ I press, until I get up in the freezing bloody cold and swear at it. Then it starts to understand…
Swearing is the best way!
Born in sunny SA, I don’t actually like getting cold (and especially not when I’m indoors). Here we don’t have central heating in the houses (because it never gets that cold), but I remember when we stayed near Cape Town we would light the fireplace with the appearance of the first cold front and then it would burn almost every night until Winter is over! It makes me think that I might not be as patient as you when it comes to appliances that don’t want to work!