The day started out with oversleeping.  Not much, just enough to get me rushing a little.  Then I found out the city had turned off my gas because I paid it late.  After I had called to get an appointment with the P.A. to have my shoulder checked out, I fell asleep again and missed it by 15 minutes (would have been 30 by the time I got there).  The young lady said she would have to charge me for a missed appointment.

So I have been pretty grumpy all day.  The shoulder I injured in the pool fall has been killing me; I keep forgetting to call my occupational therapist nephew who graciously offered to help me for free; every night I fight with sleep.  Me: tossing and turning, getting up to pee, getting up to do something on computer, tossing and turning until, I suppose, I finally wear myself out in the wee hours of the morning.  Must be how babies feel… only I want to go to sleep.

Then the turning my gas off because I was two weeks late on my $10 gas bill just irks me.  Somebody else had a bill of $7, I believe; well, $7 plus 75 now.  Since I only use gas to cook with, the charge in the summer (heat the garage about a month in the winter) is meter rent usually, so I pay two or three months at a time; write one check.  Now my little town has decided everyone of the 3- or 400 patrons must pay by a certain date or off with your gas!  And to do the rehook-up is $75.

In the old days (last couple of months ago) the guy that reads the meters (who has caused part of this problem) could leave a note on your door or tell you to pay up or you would get shut off, or the keeper of the bill records would perhaps send a notice.  No longer: postage was too expensive I was told.  And the meter reader could not give you verbal notice either, just get paid his hourly rate to turn off your gas and then come back and turn it on again… that is, if you paid your $75 fee and your bill plus, I’m assuming, the late charge.  Hmmmm.  Five minutes versus 50+ minutes.  Sounds like the stamp would be cheaper.

I wouldn’t have minded paying my bill two or three months ahead instead of behind; wish I had thought of it or someone had suggested it to me.  Oh, I’ve been late paying it.  Sometimes I would wait to get the water bill and pay them both together, making me late on the $10 gas bill.  Sometimes I carry the stupid thing in my purse with the check I wrote out a week ago until I’m late.  The powers that be should be happy about that:  I’m paying late fees, too.  Nothing like the $75 dollar fee to hook my gas back up though.

Now… I’m just getting a propane tank.  I refuse to pay the $75.