Let's Find One More Job for Val to Do

Hick enjoys staying busy, with assorted tasks and multifaceted do-gooding and numerous money-making ventures. I do not like staying busy. I have my routine. I'm set in it. I don't profit monetarily. I don't need recognition. In fact, I sometimes RESENT (hard to believe, isn't it?) taking care of the bills and paperwork that come with Hick's SUS2.5 (Storage Unit Store 2.5) and the various flip houses. My miniscule responsibilities are nothing compared to Hick's activities. But he enjoys "work," and I do not.

NOW I'M A METER READER!

It's not something I applied for. It doesn't even pay less than $300 a month. And Hick has to help me. Sure, it's only once a month. But I feel put-upon!

We got the gas bill for Bargain House this week. It felt very thick. Four pages, when it's usually two. Further investigation revealed a notice.

WE NEED YOUR HELP READING YOUR NATURAL GAS METER

We're unable to obtain a reading of your actual usage on your natural gas meter, so we had to estimate your most recent bill for the service address listed on your enclosed statement. We're asking for your help to provide you a bill based on your actual usage.

Simply follow the instructions below to provide your meter reading within the next five days.

The bill was dated on Nov 12. We received it on Nov 18. That's already past five days, depending on what starting point they want to use. And nothing about the instructions have the remotest resemblance to SIMPLY! It's a full page, describing three kinds of meters, and asking for the meter number, and the current reading. Oh, and once I have that information, I have to go online to submit it!

I wouldn't know a gas meter from my ample rumpus! So Hick had to assist. You can imagine how that went...

I told Hick what I needed, before he went to Bargan House on the morning of Nov 19. How I needed the meter number, which should be 9 DIGITS. And then I needed the reading, which might be an "advanced meter" with a digital readout, but only the numbers on the left of the decimal. Or it might be a "diaphragm meter" of four dials. Or five dials. Which should be read alternately counterclockwise, clockwise, counterclockwise, clockwise. Using the number which each dial has just passed.

"I'll just send you a picture!" declared Hick, refusing to take the page of instructions.

Hick sent me a picture of a gas meter. And texted the numbers of the reading.

That number has 10 DIGITS! I tried to call Hick about it, but his phone went straight to voice mail. I sent a text. Hick replied that he had SENT A PICTURE, so that should be good enough. And that the numbers he had sent in a separate text (11 DIGITS, with a decimal) were the reading. That I must be confused (you know, being a woman that doesn't know the difference in a meter reading, and a meter number!) and not counting right. Because he SENT A PICTURE! [Meanwhile, I was silently fuming that Hick was a man, you know, who can't count to 9.]

Obviously, that wouldn't work. So the next day, Hick went back and took another picture of a meter number. Which indeed had 9 DIGITS. I went online and filled out a questionnaire and submitted the info. We'll see how this gas bill is affected. 

I asked Hick why the gas company has to estimate our bill, after all this time of having an actual reading. "Did you have something in the way? While you were doing that work on the back porch?"

"No, Val. Nothing was in the way. I actually had it turned off for a while, the day we worked on the furnace. They cain't read it because they ain't sendin' a meter reader!"

"So now we're working for the gas company?"

"Seems like it."

I don't know what's going on here. But it seems odd that a meter that was once read every month has suddenly started relying on ME (well, assisted by Hick) to report our gas usage to the gas company. You'd think we could get a discount, for taking over a meter readers job...