Lock-down Day 603

Friday, 19 November

Still no power! Luke-warm coffee, made with the water I boiled yesterday morning ... off to work.

First thing, I call about our electricity! Funny thing - something went wonky with their system, and I suddenly found myself talking to the Police! Re-dial ... number does not exist. Wait. Breathe. Re-dial ... talking to a consultant, without much wait. Great! So first, why did I get a 'meter serial number could not be found' error message, in response to my SMS? Simple: You can't register with a meter number - you must have an account number. I don't have an account! Tough - nothing they can do. Grrr ... next: about the call I logged last night. Oh, yeah, that's on our system - but there is no update. Why not? Well, you see, the people who process calls only start work at eight. Call again after eight ...

And you call that a system? All you have is 100 different ways to tell us to fuck off!

Quarter to nine, I called again ... they have just allocated a Technician! At 8:41! 14 hours after the problem was reported! FFS! Oh, and that Technician has 14 jobs to do before us ... so, I can call again in about 4 hours for another update ... Grrr ...

Having 'no load shedding scheduled' is friggin' meaningless when the power is off all day ... 

On the way home, I noticed the traffic lights are still off at the main road - this power failure is affecting quite a large area ... and it's still not resolved! Sigh ...

However, a little later, quite close to home, I see a gaggle of technicians waddling around an electrical pole! Something is happening! There is hope!

Back at home, I start mowing the lawn almost right away. I finished the back, all partitions, and the part from the west up to the driveway. When I started the driveway, the rain got too strong and I fled under the veranda! At least I got the worst parts finished.

While I was mowing one of the partitions, the power came back! Oh, I can tell from anywhere - there's a light at the top of the water tank. That is always on - if we have power.

The rain didn't last long, and the sun came out soon enough. Of course, now the grass was too wet to mow ... so I decided to clean the patch outside the kitchen.

I saw a missed call from my boss ... a tool broke, and they need a replacement on Monday. We don't have any left in stock ... so I'll need to go in to order. But that's all I need to come in for ... so, I've been thinking that that might actually work out in my favour! I've been planning to go to Makro on a Monday, ever since I decided to take Monday's off - but, well ... I don't want to go out, unless I have to. Now I have to. So, when I've done the little job, I can go to Makro - and will be there as they open, before they're too busy! As I said, it'll be worth my while.

Well, I've bathed, shared dinner with mippies - though I will have to throw away the meat, that I had in the fridge for tonight Grrr ... and, although the power will go off at four tomorrow morning, I'll keep the PC on. It'll wake me up, before the power comes back on ... I'll cope.

Now, Ziva is pawing at me for attention ...