In Which I Make The Electrician Laugh

Yes, it is time boys and girls for another installment in House Issues at Chez Knit.

Those stirring tales of trial and woe where things go wrong, I call the service person, they come out and have a good laugh at my expense.

Sigh, it has been one of those days.

Lets go back and see how my day started.

I figured this morning that I would take a few minutes to change the filter on the septic bubbler motor. You know, this one. I gather my materials. Then I remember that I have to go to the basement and flip off the circuit for that motor so that I can live through the experience. I walk over to the electrical panel to flip the circuit breaker.

Hmmmmmm, there is a circuit breaker that is tripped. Which one is it? Let’s see……..#23 is the water heater system. And when I look over I can see that the water softener isn’t working, the panel is blank. Well that isn’t a problem. I will just flip the circuit breaker back on and we will be good to go.

Click it all the way off.

Click it all the way on.

And it trips again.

Click it all the way off.

Click it all the way on.

And it trips again.

HEY!

Well dang it. What is the problem with it?

Click. Click. Click. CLICKETYCLICKETYCLICKETY.

You know we all do the same thing. We think if we stand there and click that switch enough times it is just going to miraculously start working again.

Not.

Shoot. OK, that isn’t what I actually said but this is a family friendly blog.

This is not how I wanted to start my day (it was 7:45a) at the time. Well I am going to need an electrician. So I pull out the name of the people that I used last time.

And then I looked at the clock and realized that they didn’t open until 8a.

Drumming finger. Drumming fingers. Drumming fingers. Why can’t everyone be open at 7a?

8a rolls around and I call. And I am told that they aren’t going to be able to send anyone out today and most likely tomorrow either. Umm, no that doesn’t work for me. Thanks and I will find someone else.

I get on the internet and let my fingers do the typing and come up with another name. I call and talk to Tom.

Well ma’am, our schedule is pretty full today. I am not sure.

Oh you know I don’t mind if they come out at the end of the day, REALLY. PLEASE. OH PLEASE. PRETTY PLEASE. I BEG OF YOU.

Fine, I didn’t really beg but I did ask that first question. And after consulting with his manager Tom said that Omar would be able to come out after his last call.

And then I waited. I did errands. I cooked. I knit. I studied. I waited.

And finally Omar called. And we spent a bit of time trying to diagnose the problem over the phone so that he wouldn’t need to come out but to no avail. And soon he showed up on my doorstep and I led him to the basement so that he could fix the problem……

See Omar, this is the circuit breaker that isn’t working.

Hmmmm. Yes, I see that.

And see Omar, I know it isn’t working because the water treatment system is off. The screen is as blank as my brain.

Hmmmm, Yes, I see that. Ma’am is there anything else that is plugged into this particular circuit?

Well, as a matter of fact I did notice that the de-humidifier wasn’t working either. It is right over here.

We take three steps. He looks at it. He unplugs it. He walks over to the breaker panel and flips the circuit breaker….

And it stays on.

No! Nonononononononononono. It cannot be that easy. It cannot be something that if I knew anything about electricity I would have figured it out on my own.

Yes ma’am that is it (insert look of pity here). That will be $79 cash, check or charge.

Sigh.

Omar did stay on a bit and chatted, I think because he wanted to make sure that the crazy housewife wasn’t going to do something worrisome. And he didn’t actually charge me for the time he was here. But he had to charge me for the actual service call. And I am going to admit that he had some good trouble shooting ideas that will help me the next time this happens.

But please, for the LOVE of all that is holy.

Please let there not be a next time. I am not sure how much more service man laughter I can stand in my life.

But you know, the first thing that I REALLY thought after all of this happened.

Oh man, I am so going to have to blog this.

You just have to see the humor in life.