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Still here, and back online
Jul. 31st, 2010 11:51 amYes, I'm still alive.
Three weeks ago my AC stopped working. We went through a hot Sunday, then had the AC guy out on Monday. He determined pretty quickly that the system wasn't working because we were only getting 110 into the house. So I called Oncor and they came out and said they would have to run new service. That they did and then the meter base burned out. I was going to have to get a master electrician out to get this fixed.
I got one out. I got three out, actually. They all told me the same thing -- $1900 to fix it. I don't have $1900 lying around. I don't have one nineteenth of that lying around, in fact. So I got on the phone and started calling charities. No dice. Some didn't even answer the phone. This was highly demoralizing.
The next day I started calling churches. Again, no dice. I kept hearing that either their benevolence fund was depleted or that they gave all their charitable funds to a charity or charities, and that I should call those charities -- ones I called the day before. I also called the IBEW -- the electrician's union. They couldn't help me either. Finally I called political resources and sent word out that I needed help to the pagan community.
One of the political resources, my state senator's office, dug up the county's Comprehensive Electrical Assistance Program, and I went in to talk to them. I didn't have the exact documentation they wanted, so I had to go back the next day. They told me they would be able to help me, and with the assistance I got from the pagan community I would be able to get this fixed.
It got fixed yesterday. I'm back in my home and happy to be able to cook for myself again. It's been a frustrating ordeal, but one that I survived by remaining flexible and open to opportunities.
This has been a chaotic summer. I know of five couples that are no more since the start of the summer season (I consider summer to start here in TExas at Memorial Day and end at Labor Day) I had a good friend murdered yesterday. I have three homeless friends. I know a lot of people out of work. It's a chaotic time.
The inability of any of the charities or churches to help me also told me a lot about the state of our economy -- we're in a society that is financially on the edge so that the normal resources for getting out of problems aren't working anymore.I'm not going to point fingers and lay blame, but I do feel we're at the precipice, with little to predict what will come anon.
And we're two days from the start of harvest season, when things get really hectic as the chickens (and crows) come home to roost. That fills me with apprehension, definitely. This has been a turbulent year, and I fear the turbulence is not done yet. I'm definitely keeping my head down and focusing on remaining as flexible to change as possible.
Three weeks ago my AC stopped working. We went through a hot Sunday, then had the AC guy out on Monday. He determined pretty quickly that the system wasn't working because we were only getting 110 into the house. So I called Oncor and they came out and said they would have to run new service. That they did and then the meter base burned out. I was going to have to get a master electrician out to get this fixed.
I got one out. I got three out, actually. They all told me the same thing -- $1900 to fix it. I don't have $1900 lying around. I don't have one nineteenth of that lying around, in fact. So I got on the phone and started calling charities. No dice. Some didn't even answer the phone. This was highly demoralizing.
The next day I started calling churches. Again, no dice. I kept hearing that either their benevolence fund was depleted or that they gave all their charitable funds to a charity or charities, and that I should call those charities -- ones I called the day before. I also called the IBEW -- the electrician's union. They couldn't help me either. Finally I called political resources and sent word out that I needed help to the pagan community.
One of the political resources, my state senator's office, dug up the county's Comprehensive Electrical Assistance Program, and I went in to talk to them. I didn't have the exact documentation they wanted, so I had to go back the next day. They told me they would be able to help me, and with the assistance I got from the pagan community I would be able to get this fixed.
It got fixed yesterday. I'm back in my home and happy to be able to cook for myself again. It's been a frustrating ordeal, but one that I survived by remaining flexible and open to opportunities.
This has been a chaotic summer. I know of five couples that are no more since the start of the summer season (I consider summer to start here in TExas at Memorial Day and end at Labor Day) I had a good friend murdered yesterday. I have three homeless friends. I know a lot of people out of work. It's a chaotic time.
The inability of any of the charities or churches to help me also told me a lot about the state of our economy -- we're in a society that is financially on the edge so that the normal resources for getting out of problems aren't working anymore.I'm not going to point fingers and lay blame, but I do feel we're at the precipice, with little to predict what will come anon.
And we're two days from the start of harvest season, when things get really hectic as the chickens (and crows) come home to roost. That fills me with apprehension, definitely. This has been a turbulent year, and I fear the turbulence is not done yet. I'm definitely keeping my head down and focusing on remaining as flexible to change as possible.
