Friday

Ok I know - I haven't updated you for two days. But the truth is there was not alot to report yesterday - there was a severe lack of vp (visual progress).

But today of course is a different story - man - look at that - we have a barn!!

And the grass is growing now that the temps have come down a little.


So who wants to hear about my Power saga - or should I say continuation of the power saga.

• Beginning of the week I call Jim Cato from Siemens to ask what is happening - he said he is waiting for an estimator to get back with a price. I said what happens after that - he said if there is anything to pay we will let you know. I asked how he would do that? He said I will write you a letter. I asked how he would do that because he does not have our mailing address and we have no letterbox at Hutchinson rd yet. (Well we do but it's in George's car - he's been wondering why there has been no mail). He said oh. So I asked that he call.
• Midweek I call again and leave a message. Call his administrator Chanti and her message tells me she is at home.
• I call Alan the electrician - he doesn't know what else to try.
• I call another Siemens guy called Dave - who just does faults but seems to be the only one who cares that we still don't have power. He says he tried to call Dave and even went to his office and he couldn't find him.
• Dave calls back and says that he went to the site and spoke to his boss about it - spoke to our builder who said that a guy came and went but no one got out of their car.
• Dave suggests to try Jim one more time. And to perhaps try to get the retailer on board from another angle.
• Today I call Mercury Energy and get some dim wit girl that keeps asking me (even though I have told her we are building) what the last owners name was. We have an account already I say and we are moving on April 18, and we are building and need power now. She says "so you want to open a new account?" "What?" I ask incredulously - hoping my sarcasm would give her a clue... but know - she persists in asking the same question over and over. Then proceeds to tell me - after I explain very very slowly - that I need an ICP number or a meter box number and when I have that I should call her back and she will put me through to new connections.
  
• So I call Alan again and explain it all to him, and that I need an ICP number - says he will call me back.
• - he calls Jim and gets him. Jim says we are doing it today. Alan asked why Jim had not returned my call. Jim says he spoke to my husband on site yesterday. That's odd - because George was (and still is) in Apia. Must have spoke to the builder. So I call Jim and leave another message saying while George is a good builder - he's not building our barn, and when are we getting the power.
  
• He called back -OMG - he exists!!
• Says the installer is afraid of the German Shepherd dogs next door and can't do it till we arrange for the neighbours to restrain the dogs.
• I call back and ask why they need access to neighbours property - he tells me they have to upgrade the pillar (plinth) and need to disconnect everyone and then hook them all back up and test everyone to make sure they still have power afterwards. I asked for a time - he said the morning. So I am thinking - how will the neighbours like having to spend a whole morning off work??
  
• I call back and ask for a time on Monday - Chanti yells out in the background 10am, after some persistence on my part. I think they must be together those two.
  
• So I need to find the neighbours name and number and call them to arrange - either that or take two very big bones up there at 10am on Monday.

Lets take a poll to see who thinks we will have power on Monday 11am?


Oh - we have a new phone number?!? Where should we plug the phone in I wonder.?

Telstra tells me we should be able to get Broadband - even though no one else in the street can - hah! We'll see.