Nov 24, 2009

Worst. Grownup. Ever.

I am, often, a bad grown up. One of the reasons I am a bad grown up is because I am bad at paying bills. It is not always because I don’t have the money (although that has certainly happened before) but is most often because I am irresponsible and forget.




Yet another incident that makes me the Worst. Grown-up. Ever………….



Roomie and I get home the other night (we carpool to and from work, which I’ve now learned is called ride-sharing when you’re a grown up. Carpooling is for kids, but I like the idea of carpooling better because I think the difference between carpooling and ride sharing is snacks and juice boxes. And sometimes we have snacks and juice boxes in the Yaris.) I digress………



We get home and Roomie is the first one in the door. She turns on the light switch…… and nothing happens. So I search through the darkness for an electric bill and can’t find one. I walk to my mail box (which I never check because I am a bad grown up. I was once put on mail restriction because my mail box got so full and my mail person was so irritated with me. I had to go to the post office to pick my mail up and re-activate my mail drop offs. Did I learn my lesson? No) and retrieve two weeks’ worth of mail. Sure enough, I have a past due electric bill.



So I call the electric company and play dumb like I can’t imagine why my electric is not working. He asked if I was aware that I am a month late on my bill and I say, “Who ME?!?! Are you sure? Can you check your records again? I could have sworn I paid that two weeks ago.” Right.



So he says that I have to come up with the entire past due amount in order to have electricity restored. Oh, AND I cannot make a payment over the phone, I have to bring CASH to a KIOSK (I hate that word and I don’t know why) at a payment center. And my bill? $361. Thank you Phoenix summers that last until November.



So I’m freaking out. I don’t have $361 and I don’t know what to do. My first thought is to light a fire in the middle of my floor and dress like a hobo because surely my life is over and the next step in my irresponsibility is homelessness. I figure I may as well start now. Luckily, Roomie pointed out that we have hardwood floors and that starting a fire on them is probably not a good idea.



Then, my phone rings again. It is a Phoenix number that I do not recognize. I pick it up. It is the electric man who tells me that the deposit I made on the electric account when I moved to my condo is abnormally high (around $400) and that I really only need an $80 deposit. Would I like him to apply my deposit, minus the $80, to my past due amount and restore electricity immediately? Um, YEAH?!?!?!?!



I was elated, but after such a stressful experience I did what any normal person would do. I went to the grocery store and bought wine and candy.



A bottle of wine, some candles, some mike and ikes and a few volts of electricity later, we were back to normal.



Phew.

7 comments:

Corie said...

You crack me up. Especially because it all worked out to your behalf anyway. Good thing this happened or you may not have EVER known you paid to much early on!:)

Jenn said...

Since when do I not carpool? Ride sharing? Really? We don't stop half way and switch, so I don't think that's it.
What a relief that worked out for you so well! And great way to celebrate.

funny in the 'hood said...

My twin sister Trish got put on mail restriction too since she would never check her mailbox and the mail person got really annoyed and they stopped bringing her mail altogether. I am weird in that I love getting the mail and will check the box twice on Saturdays to see if it's come yet. That's mostly because I have a magazine addiction. And I've found most problems in life can be solved with candy and wine :) Have a great Thanksgiving Taylor!

Maryann said...

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~Maryann

Debbie said...

I hate to admit it but I am bad about stacking up papers and forgetting them too. Glad yours worked out.

Phoenix said...

LOL! I hope you had electricity for Thanksgiving, girl! And what a lucky break to have to only owe a small portion of that huge electric bill.

Yikes.

Stacy said...

Ride sharing? Hmmmm...never heard it referred to as that but ok! How lucky were you all this?! Visit my blog and maybe some of that luck will rub off on me!!

http://shhhdonttellthekidsimhere.blogspot.com/

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