Everyday Adventures

[Tamas]

Is that really surprising from Dorsey?

[garbon]

In a wonderfully careless manner, the gas meters of out apartment building (12 in total) are arranged on the outer walls of the building with everyone to have free access to them. Almost nobody bothered to properly label them.

When we moved in I was shown which one was ours and for sure, our flat number was penned on the information sticker of the meter. About a year ago or so I found this number to be gone and it seemed somebody put a fresh new sticker on the meter. I thought whatever.

Yesterday, as I looked at the gas meter for the first time in 3 months, I noticed somebody scribbled what seems to be a different appartment's number on our meter. 
This evening, I'll be knocking on that flat's door to see what's what.

I wish I had gas in my flat. I hate cooking on electric.

[Tamas]

I immediately recognised the middle-aged lady who opened the door of the other flat: she's the one who doesn't speak English  I tried to explain myself, mostly so that anybody else "hiding" in the flat might come out to help but nothng of the sort happened.

So, well, I have tried. I've remembered that on a couple of occassions the boiler safety engineers went down to the meter and at least once shut it off and came back to check something, so it HAS to be ours.
I have now marked it such, and I consider the matter settled.

[Barrister]

So I'm on the road at a Crown conference, and I dug out my old Dell Inspiron laptop circa 2007 or so running Vista.

It's not entirely horrible, and it does still work to surf the web, but it's not an altogether enjoyable experience.

[Barrister]

I was wrong - this sucks.  Just trying to download and use Chrome (this laptop pre-dates Chrome) has caused two crashes.

[DGuller]

Is that really surprising from Dorsey?

Dude, I think it would be in your best interest to not remind everyone of your mad detective skills.

[Eddie Teach]

How so? What might he lose?

[DGuller]

How so? What might he lose?

That's a good question.

[garbon]

Twice this past year I've called up the water company to ask about my bill as it suggests that I'm using a suspiciously low amount of water. When, I last called in August, my bill told me that they estimate I use one cubic meter of water in a year which is the equivalent of approximately 12 baths or 20 showers.

They informed me there was something wrong about access to the meter (which is somewhere under the sidewalk in the street) and they were sending a repair team to fix that.  Also, got an SMS about a week later telling me the work had been completed.

Fast forward to today and I got a bill that says I used no water between 25th of July and the 19th of September. I am being charged though the basic fixed charges to cover the costs of maintaining my account (£14.16!).

When, I called they ping ponged me between departments (for about 30 minutes) before declaring that they'd need to call me back in the next 10 days to arrange when someone could come to read the meter. Though they also read description that it is in the sidewalk, didn't listen to me when I said I don't even know where it is. I guess when the meter reading dept (?) phones perhaps I can ask them why I would need to be present for a sidewalk viewing?

I love how difficult it is to get it setup so that I don't end up one day with a large bill once they figure out all of the attendant back charges.

[KRonn]

Garbon, that's an interesting development! No water use!

A gas meter reader came to read my meter and also to check it. About a year ago I was smelling gas around it, called the gas company and a technician came, found and fixed a leak.

I have an electrician coming Friday to do some minor work, changing/replacing some outlets inculding an outside shed outlet that I want to put in a safety type plug.

[The Brain]

Today I cleaned my apartment.

[Eddie Teach]

That time of year again?

[The Brain]

That time of year again?

Yes. Leaves are falling.

[DGuller]

That time of year again?

Yes. Leaves are falling.

You need to get some kind of a roof, that keeps the leaves out.

[The Brain]

That time of year again?

Yes. Leaves are falling.

You need to get some kind of a roof, that keeps the leaves out.

I should leave them out?