Tuesday, October 18, 2005

The powers that be

After a relatively sleepless night with the Offspring, I woke to the repeated rap of the knocker at the front door. There stood my very sweet neighbor.

N: Mami, the power went out. Could you please turn it back on?

Some of you are thinking, "Why are the inhabitants of Chateau Cookie providing power for the neighbors?" It's an excellent question, and one that I now find myself asking myself.

10 days ago, the male half of my neighbors came over with a sob story about how the guys working on the construction of his McMansion made a slight error and cut his power lines to his basement, where he is living until they complete the 7 bedroom monstrosity above him. Could we please run a power cord out our window until the power got turned back on when the weekend was over? "No problem," said we. When we politely slipped the "power situation" back into the conversation the following week, there were more excuses about why they couldn't turn the power on just yet.

About three days ago, they came knocking on our door, asking us to reset the breaker because the power had gone out. Derek went downstairs to find that the power strip had blown out. He rerouted the wire and the neighbors were back in business, with promises of getting their own power that day. Not two hours later, they were back with the same request. This has continued for the past three days.

D: So what do you think is going on over there?
K: Honestly?
D: Yeah.
K: I think they are getting balls-y. I think they started out by using the cord for a lamp and an alarm clock. Now I think they are realizing the gold mine they have found and are trying to plug in the microwave, a big screen tv, a heater and possibly a refridgerator.
D: You think?
K: I think we are going to have a $1700 electric bill next month.
D: No way.
K: Right now they are over there trying to figure out how to get us to provide power to the entire 10 bedrooms once the construction is over.

But I was wrong. When I threw the switch to get the power back on in the basement this morning, I heard the JACK HAMMER power up. I threw off the light and down went the jackhammer. I flipped the switch back on and there was the jack hammer.

Even worse, we are now providing power for them to build their house that will make our house look like the neighborhood ghetto house. I'm thinking $1700 is optimistic.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Flip the switch off and say I can't help you unless you get an upfront deposit on the bill.

Anonymous said...

I have one word for the neighbors after the weekend:

G-E-N-E-R-A-T-O-R.

momma of 2 said...

I'm not as nice as you.... I'd unhook the cord and go out for the day or just not answer the door or phone. but then I just spent the weekend with my in-laws, so I'm a little bit of a witch.

Memphis said...

Good freakin' GOD! Tell them they are blowing your circuits and ask them to find an alternate power source SOON. At the very least.

Memphis said...

By the way, if they are using your one tiny circuit to run power tools, especially air tools, they are gonna blow your circuit all the livelong day.

Foxy said...

i agree- nobody pays your bills, why should you be paying their's??

Anonymous said...

This is so wrong. You might have to put your foot way down on this one!!

Jaime said...

You ARE sending them a bill, right? My guess... they've got a tanning bed going in their basement. Free power... woohooo! And who the heck builds a new 7 bedroom house anyway? I hate them already...

Anonymous said...

i'm sorry, i just think that is freaking hilarious.
a jackhammer!!!!!
roflmao!