One Hell of a Ride

So there I was- it's 2 in the morning and I'm just getting in from babysitting.  Mike had left for work about an hour ago, so the house was for me and the pets.  I get in.  I get ready for bed.  I plop down.

It's important to note our mattress is currently on the floor of the spare room while we paint the master.

I lean over and feel the air vent, just to see how hard it pumps in that room. 

And I feel cold air.

WTF, people?

The pilot light is out.  In both the heater and hot water heater.  Yuck.  I've never relit them, and Mike is at work.  I call him up, and he proceeds to fail at giving me instructions.  By the end of the call I'm in tears (I'm tired, and cold.  Don't judge.) and still without heat.

After a few minutes talking to my uncle, I somehow miraculously make a lighter heat the whole house.  Woohoo!  heat again.  Back to bed with the promise to my uncle that I will call the energy company on Monday.

Monday- I call Duke.  Duke Energy.  They promise to be out within 3 hours to check the pressure on our line.  That was 1 pm.  I tell Mike to be ready.

I get home at 5:30.  No Duke.  At 6:40- still no Duke.  I leave for the gym.  Mike and my mom are at the house.

He shows up around 7 ish.  It's important to note that up to the point of his arriving, there had not been a single instance of "I smell gas".  NONE.  So he comes, and checks, and turns the gas on in the garage for a teensy bit of time to check it.  He can't find a problem.  He leaves.

I come home at around 8:40.  I open the garage door and WOOF!  Huge huge huge smell of gas attacks me!  So I turn the car off (duh) and run in the house freakin' out like.  No, no.  Everyone tells me it must not have aired out from when the tech was there.

So we leave it.  And then around 9:15 I take Romeo out.  The garage has been open since I got home.  The smell of gas is more evident.  It has floated into the yard.  It's still strong in the garage.  I tell Mike, who goes out and confirms "I hear a hissing sound".

BAD BAD BAD, right?

(This is where I resist the urge to say "to be continued" because you probably are dying to know the rest).

I call Duke (don't call Duke.  Call 911.  I've learned my lesson.)  And they say to leave the house, but not the premises (it's 20 degrees outside).  They'll be there in no more than an hour.  The tech can't call us when he gets there, so we have to be outside waiting for an hour???  Really???  I have small pets.  I'm cold myself.  No.

So we went to my aunt's, and after 30 min I call to check the status.  They say that all they can tell is that it's been reported and the tech will be out within the hour.  They don't know where he is or when he'll be there.  Lovely.  There was a little screaming and yelling at them, and I asked for the manager "I can have them call you back".  Fine.  Hang up and head back to the house to sit in a running car during a gas leak.  That the tech caused (he turned it on to check it, but didn't turn it all the way off).

We get back to the house, and no one's there.  So I call again.  "Our records show he was there at 10:02 and couldn't find any problem."  LIAR!  It is now 10:22.  So you are telling me, that the tiny amount of gas let out at 7 was able to waft and get stronger from 7 to 9:15, but then miraculously disappear by 10?  We went up to check.

The hissing had stopped, the smell was almost completely gone- the guy flat out lied.  He showed up, realized a mistake was made earlier and that no one was around, fixed it, and left saying nothing was wrong. 

And that supervisor?  Never called me back.  Nope.  Nuh-uh.

I hate our energy company.  They lie.  They have no customer service.  The "plan" to follow for a gas leak contradicts itself.  Their technicians are too incompetent to know to turn the gas all the way off after checking it.  I could have exploded when I opened the door or, ya know, parked my car in a GAS FILLED GARAGE.

Guess who will be getting an angry letter from me.