Friday evening, Hick's phone rang. Once again, it was just as he sat down with his supper.
I could hear Hick's part of the conversation from the kitchen.
"Huh. Are you sure? It should be working. Turn it all the way up."
Then nothing. I didn't hear a goodbye. I thought Hick might be waiting for somebody to "turn it all the way up," and report the result. My first thought was that it might be The Pony, about a problem with his furnace. We were expecting single digit temps overnight for Saturday and Sunday. My second thought was that it might be The Veteran, who sometimes calls Hick while working on his truck.
Ten minutes went by, and I could no longer contain my inner Gladys Kravitz.
"Who's that? What's that phone call about?"
"Just one of the crazy ladies from the apartments. She said her heater don't work. I know it works! I was just there on Wednesday, checking ALL of the heaters, in every apartment. They all worked. Including hers. I set them on 70, but apparently she turned hers down to 60. And now she say's it don't work! It's warmer in them apartments than 60. That's why it's not running. I told her to turn it up. I ain't heard nothin' back, so I guess it worked."
"Are you going to check on it? It's supposed to get REALLY cold!"
"I'll go by there tomorrow afternoon and make sure. But it was working fine when I tried it two days ago. She ain't gonna freeze. It's a second floor apartment. The ones above and below her have heat."
It's not that Hick is uncaring. Or is not performing the duties of his less-than-$300-a-month job. He had tested the heaters, and made sure they all worked. He was not going back to town Friday night to check on this one. He DID go on Saturday afternoon.
"She wasn't there. Nobody home."
"Huh. Maybe she doesn't have heat, and had to go stay somewhere warm!"
"I don't know where she was. But she ain't called back. I'm guessing it worked fine when she turned it up. If not, I guess she'll call me again."
At least this time it wasn't a fracas for Hick to break up. No police, unless that old gal called them to report Hick! He still hasn't heard anything about the Dog Lady and her nemesis. Which may be a good thing.
70F is around 21C, which is what my mom keeps her house at. She doesn't mind cooler to save money but I left it at 21, anything lower is difficult. I am surprised she turned it down from 70! Just wear less clothing, lol!
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was a budget thing. The elderlies there don't have a lot of money. The weather was in the 50s for a few days, but this frigid cold snap might have made her decide to turn her heat up from 60. Just the thought of it being so cold outside.
DeleteWe owned and managed apartments for about 10 years. It is a miserable occupation. I hope the old lady had heat on. Old people feel the cold more than others, and if you are sick and/or arthritis ridden, you feel it more.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure Hick would classify himself as a "manager," for less than $300 a month, heh, heh! His job is to collect rent and make sure the building is not in a state of disrepair. The residents seem to think he is at their service 24/7/365. Apparently this lady wasn't feeling the cold when she turned her thermostat down to 60 when Hick left it on 70.
Delete60F is 15-16C which is pretty cold to me, I'm guessing the old lady didn't know that if the room was already warmer than the heat setting it wouldn't turn on, and older people do feel the cold more. I hope she turned it up and is now comfortable.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why she turned it down, but I don't think she would find 60 comfortable! Maybe it was one of our warmer days, and she didn't want the heat to kick on. Elderly Hick will sit around in his tighty whities and be comfortable at 68. I will wear two sweatshirts and be cold at 72!
DeleteI keep ours at 67. I find it comfortable when I am up and moving around. When I sit down I sometimes get a little cool, but I have a lap cover as well as my own little hot dog! Appropriate name for dachshunds, Eddie is like a little heater. My mother used to build a fire in the wood stove that would run you out of the house. She liked her atmosphere very hot. Just be thankful she isn't one of his residents, she was very demanding and impossible to satisfy.
ReplyDeleteHick can be very thankful, because if her heater broke, she might just build a fire!
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