Just a Small Difference

When Elaine and I moved out of the city, I thought the biggest change to our life would be that we would be at least an hour to Taco Bell. Turns out, that isn't the only change.

We have a little issue with the phone company that could not happen in the city. Last July (the first week of July to be exact) while performing road maintenance, the county road crew dug up our phone line and the phone lines of about ten other houses.

Assuming that a person is in compliance with their financial agreement with their utility company, the utility company is legally bound to provide uninterrupted service. Of course, things happen.

The phone company responded very quickly, after being informed of our lack of service. The p

hone company responded the very same day. After a short investigation, the company tech decided she would expedite our return of service by running a new temporary phone line from the terminal box on the road. This is where it gets a little different from living in a city. Our house is six hundred feet (two football fields) from the road.

Running a temporary line seemed like a good idea at the time. The phone tech informed us they (the phone company) would be out within ten days to bury the temporary line or make repairs to the damaged line. Burying the temporary line didn't seem like a great idea. The temporary phone line crosses a creek that must be tunneled under. The terminal box is located a road level which is forty feet lower than our house. Plus the fact that they must dig six hundred feet of rocky soil will not be easy.

Have you noticed that I am speaking in future tense? The ten day obligation has come and gone. It is now October and the temporary phone line is lying on the ground across our pasture and a creek.

Last August, while riding a horse across our pasture a neighbor broke the temporary phone line almost tripping the horse. We were without phone service again. Again the phone company quickly came out and repaired and restored service.

Last week I was reminded that the phone line is still lying on the ground. I called the phone company. Another tech came out to see why we were having a problem. He asked "Monner, how long has this been like this?"

Yesterday, just for fun I called the phone company to check on progress. Progress? The phone company is planning to send a tech to see how they can help me.

Today, we are experiencing the first snow of winter.

When I get to town I'm going to Taco Bell!

Our crazy lives!

Monner