OK, so this was neat.
Yesterday, as Bell and I were enjoying a day off, and she was still enjoying, y’know, the tender caresses of swollen jaws and big gaping holes in the mouth, we decided that it’d be a good idea to take down a tree.
I mean, not us, but get other people to do it.
The tree was a bit in the way for future civic improvement projects between our neighbor and our house, and it was its time. It was a lovely sugar maple, but the roots were starting to peek into foundations, and the neighbor offered to pay for the removal on account of she can’t put a fence around her house with it there. That, and the looming possibility that this thing is kinda wanting to put out a window or two during a windy day sealed the deal.
So, we had the tree guy swing by with his posse of tree cutting fellers, and they took that bitch down.
Eventually.
But before they did, there was this one part where Bell and I were cleaning up our oatmeal bowls, and she looks out the window at the guy on top of the remaining trunk of the tree with his mighty chainsaw, and said,
“He’s gonna knock down the powerline.”
2 seconds later, theres a bang. Then lights flicker. Then there are a few audible pops. I missed the ozone smell, because I busted ass outside to turn off the electric main to the house.
As I turned, yep, he hit the line. Technically, it wasn’t knocked DOWN, per se, but it was knocked enough so that the ground wire in the line between our house and the transformer on the pole got disconnected, sending like a billion volts of pure electronics hating electricity into the house.
Yeesh.
So, we waited a tense 2 hours while the city showed up and started fixing things. We determined from the dude that he has insurance, and that anything like, say, the 3 computers, 2 laptops, 2 TVs (one of em my bitching LCD), xbox, various DVD players and receivers and myriad gadgets that beep and light up for purposes that I no longer recall, will be full on paid for.
So, y’know, thats good. If some dumbass has to drop a tree on my line, at least my junk is covered.
Anyway, the city electric people (who were friendly folks) got everything turned back on, and Bell and I rushed around the house to find the causalities.
Everything worked, except Dragon’s computer that I built for him a couple of X-mases ago, the big screen Magnavox which largely isn’t used anymore, and (sigh) the xbox 360, which has been the centerpoint of our media rockinness in the den, playing music, movies, and the occasional video game.
Sucks.
Sucks.
Totally sucks.
But, we wrote all the stuff down, and dude from the tree thing turned it in yesterday. Called last night to say we should be getting satisfaction within 48 hours.
And the tree’s gone, which makes the side yard look hella big.
And Bell’s teeth are slowly getting better.
So, all in all, y’know.
