As I type the asphalt’s being repaired on the driveway.  There was a wide strip removed for the electrical to the well’s pump and that was a mess to drive over.  Last week the nice people of Redline Bobcat came to re-do my upper driveway in crush, and then level the lower garden area and remove the gigantic rocks.

Then I casually went and took a water sample in and imagine my surprise to have areas of their report in red such as the coliform count!  I of course have been drinking great gobs of the neighbours’ urine and feces thinking my, this water tastes to so good.  Now I know why. 

I was contacted by a super nice neighbour who told me to shock the well, then have the water re-tested.  This just means pouring bleach into the well and pumping a hose in and letting the water run for three hours.  Then back to the lab for more testing, and if it’s still not clean, get a reverse osmosis device or UV filter.  It’ll work, it just takes research, time and money.

Last week was particularly hilarious as I decided to browse Value Village for a bit of R and R.  I came home to Nicky carrying wet towels out onto the deck railing, saying “the hot water tank finally packed it in.  Oh yeah, and the Internet’s not working, too.”

Apparently a Shaw technician had come along and turned off our Internet, then drove off.  I spent the rest of that day on hold, then arguing with various people as to why I can’t wait one week for my Internet to be turned back on.  As soon as the first person suggested that I demanded a supervisor.

The supervisor did the “I’m really sorry about that” thing, and I replied “I don’t see how that’s will help, so let’s just brainstorm the ways I might get the Internet back immediately.”  For some reason, this being a communication company, they couldn’t comprehend that by turning off my Internet, they turned off my landline, and I don’t have a cell phone.

I used Nicky or Ayumi’s cell phones for my calls to Shaw, but they’re about to move, so what do I do then, walk to a neighbour to call 911?  No matter what, Shaw just couldn’t fully understand when I said I was a senior living on my own, with no ability to call 911.  They were all like, wow, sorry about that.

Finally by noon the next day someone at Shaw Cable seemed to comprehend I needed a phone, so they returned and restored my Internet.  They had turned it off due do people complaining of “noise in the line.”  I said but why not tell the homeowner you’re doing that?  What a strange company.

Then this is the hilarious part, but I’d asked for a supervisor to call me back about not having a phone.  Once the Internet was restored I checked messages and saw someone from Shaw had left one on the phone which wasn’t working!  Can you picture that? 

There’s likely a small animal trapped under the steps outside as the dachshunds have been barking there for the past three hours, so that’s been a good distraction from the asphalt truck.  Not so great for the neighbours though.