Aggregate Saturday

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Blog Post for Saturday 3/12/11 – 31 degrees at 6:11 AM – It snowed again last night. If it snows again I will run around in it naked. We don’t want that, do we, weather god?

Aggregate

Aggregate Saturday

All of our problems seem somewhat less important when you learn that a Nuclear Reactor has exploded in Japan.

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I made it through my Dr. visit yesterday with no problem. Two x-rays of my shoulder, an exam by a Physicians Assistant who may have been older than 12 but you couldn’t prove it by me. A cursory exam by the Dr. and a shot of Cortisone in my arm. This is why I have health insurance.
My diagnosis? Bursitis.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bursitis is the inflammation of one or more bursae (small sacs) of synovial fluid in the body. The bursae rest at the points where internal functionaries, such as muscles and tendons, slide across bone. Healthy bursae create a smooth, almost frictionless functional gliding surface making normal movement painless. When bursitis occurs, however, movement relying upon the inflamed bursa becomes difficult and painful. Moreover, movement of tendons and muscles over the inflamed bursa aggravates its inflammation, perpetuating the problem.

The shot has taken the pain away, more or less. The Dr. said while the pain was gone I should exercise the joint.

Please note: I WILL go back to the gym on Monday. Really. I will. Stop Laughing.

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I blew a gasket yesterday. I would like to know what my blood pressure was when I went through this episode. I am willing to bet $225 dollars that it went sky high.

$225 is the amount that the, until now, friendly and reliable propane gas company, wanted to charge me for NOT using any gas this winter.

I shut down Huntsville Sound, my studio above the garage this winter. I can do pretty much everything I used to do in there on my laptop in my office. If I get a client (heh) I can reactivate the big room pretty fast.

Heating the studio to even 50 degrees was costing me $3-400 monthly. Without a steady stream of income from the studio that didn’t make sense.

So in yesterdays mail came this:

"Minimum usage?"

My first phone call to the gas place ended abruptly. After the tongue-tied guy who answered tried and failed to explain why they were charging me TWOHUNDREDANDYTWENTYFIVEDOLLARS for NOT using gas he asked if I minded being put on hold.

“Can I put you on hold for moment?”

“NO! I am not paying this bill.” (phone hangs up)

About five minutes later another guy called. I am guessing the manager. He apologized for “not being right there” when I called before.

Ok, this is already not going well. I hung up on your place. I don’t need sarcasm.

The thing I am, most proud of? I did NOT swear.

I got real mad. At one point the guy asked me “if he could please finish” explaining the “options to me.”

I said “There is only ONE option. I am NOT paying this bill.”

At the end of the day you will be glad to know I was right.

The propane company “waived” the “minimum usage fee” which is their way of charging rental on tanks not being used, as the guy explained.

If I use any gas at all next year I will not be charged the “minimum usage fee”, or I can have them come and get the tank, give me a smaller one (for a smaller “minimum usage fee”) or I can tell them to go smell propane.

Over the years (about 15 of them) I have sent this place about $2,000 yearly. That’s $20,000 more or less.

The whole episode rankles me. I am still not sure that I want to do business with a company that would try something like this.

At one point the conversation went like this:

“I NEVER signed any contract that said anything about a minimum usage fee.”

“It’s right there on the back of your invoice.”

A new tactic on my part.

Dead silence. The silence of the lambs. A silence so FROSTY that the propane guy said:

“But we can waive the charge.”

Hmmm…maybe silence is golden.