Automated systems and other idiots

Boy, Truth, you and I must operate on some psychic sister thing. I spent the other day on the phone for almost three hours and still didn't get things completely cleared up.

I got a notice from my electric company that my check had been returned and that I would no longer be allowed to pay by check; only cash, credit or money order.

Well, the thing is that I had not sent them a check. I had paid the bill with their very own telephone automated system, run by BillMatrix. I spent 27 minutes trying to get a live person at the utility company who promptly informed me that only billmatrix could straighten things out.

Okay, I call billmatrix, their rep tells me that I must have entered the wrong numbers. She is forced to backstep when the numbers turn out to be correct. Now, she says well it must be a mistake on our bank's end because the bank returned it to them saying no account exists with those numbers.

Okay... my bank says, uh-uh. It is billmatrix who screwed up by sending them the wrong numbers. They check, double check and even try to call billmatrix and talk to them. Billmatrix's agents are too busy to talk to the bank!

Hmmm, I call billmatrix and ask, politely, to speak to a supervisor who is equally polite and adamant that it could not possibly be their fault. However, he will call the utility and inform them that there is a discussion going on and would they please rescind the flag on my account. We both spend 30 minutes on hold waiting for the utility to a: answer the phone b: put a supervisor on the line and c: reluctantly agree to his request.

He is as happy as if he had actually corrected the whole mess, which he hasn't. He does say that when he gets back to work on Tuesday, he will see to this at once. I privately vow to never use their service again.

It took three hours just to get to this point and the matter is still not cleared up.

I spent more time on hold than speaking to an actual person.

Both my ears hurt and I am going to find my phone headset and use it.

When my dogs won't listen to me, I squirt their butts with vinegar water to get their attention. I wish there was some way to do that on the phone.

I am going to play Sims 2 and choose a life of crime for somebody.

Diabetes, puzzles and other stuff

I have been so lazy. I am going through some change in my diabetes again. All my energy is gone and all I want to do is sleep. My BG numbers are still pretty good but my after eating numbers are coming down slower. Not good. Since I don't see my doctor until next month and he told me to up my metformin if I thought I needed it, I am now trying to evaluate my numbers and see if this is a blip or another change. But since I am feeling so lazy, I haven't brought my meter upstairs and downloaded my stats into the puter. Duh, I know. Can't graph my numbers if I don't do that. Well, I could but it would involve lots of paper all over the dining room table and Tom is already less than thrilled with the puzzle that is in residence right now.

I am seriously addicted to puzzles of all sorts. Well, not sudoku. That involves math and numbers and that is one of the reasons I got a computer in the first place. There is this math sized blank spot in my brain. Anyway, I love jigsaw puzzles most of all, logic puzzles close second. And while rooting around hunting wrapping paper for Christmas, I ran across my stash of puzzles. Naturally I had to get one out and since the only decent (well, actually the only) table is the one in the dining room, that is where the puzzle is.

I have a great husband who genially tolerates my computer fixation and game playing. But having his bowl of soup tilting to one side because there is a puzzle piece underneath is a bit much even for him. hehe

He used to set up a TV tray and eat in front of the tube but had to stop because it gave the dogs a full view of his plate. They would spread out in front of him ( between him and the tv) and our boxer would drool and drool. You have never seen dog drool until you have seen a boxer yearning after hamburger.

Well, here I am writing a book again. It is about midnight and everyone but me is asleep. Have I ever mentioned that I have insomnia? Yep, most of my adult life. When it is most active, I stagger through my days and fidget all night if I am in bed. So I come in here and play cards or track down my ancestors and eventually I can go back to bed.