Every year...

[susandennis]

I like having my electric bill the same amount every month. When I first moved to Seattle in 1991, I called Seattle City Light and asked if they had such a program. Oh, yes, we do but since no one has ever lived in your condo before, we would have to charge you more per month probably than you will use. How much? $13. I allowed as how I'd suffer through that.

Over the years, the program has morphed into one basically for people who can't or don't pay their bills when they get them. It's even now called Budget Billing. And most of the people on it, pay twice a month because that's part of their 'recovery payback' system.

I pay once a month but their billing system can't grasp that. So every year, in October, I get a letter saying my bill is going up - basically doubled plus some. Last year, for instance, I paid $72 a month. The letter said that now I will be paying $169 a month. Er. Nope.

Every year I have to call and explain. It's an easy fix for them once I call and explain. And they are always very good and nice about it. (I expect they spend most of their time on calls with people who are pissed off and/or desperate.) Today was the day. I asked them to round up the number so now my bill will be $85 a month. And we're totally cool til next year.

The Smalls just got tossed from my lap for biting my chin. I've never had cats that were such biters. Biggie is getting way better but The Smalls just thinks chewing on me is an appropriate love language. It is not.

Today does not really feel like Friday to me. Weekends are just weird when you don't have a schedule of any king.

I did not walk today. I drove. To Amazon to drop off a package and to the ATM to pick up cash. The Amazon pick up place is in the same building as Starbucks HQ. And there are food trucks in the parking lot at lunch. They rotate and usually I'm not interested but today there was one I wanted to try so I did. Turns out I can quit wanting it now.

Project wise, I did good. I came up with a scheme for dealing with scraps of fabric. All sewers have scraps big and little and they can soon take a vast amount of real estate if you don't have a plan. Even the tiniest of scraps can be useful if you are vigilant so the desire to keep them all is strong. But, I persevere. I keep no scraps now that aren't at least 10" wide. Still, that mounts up.

So today I decided to square them off and sew them together to make fabric pieces big enough to make stuff out of - like tops or vests and stuff. Bigger pieces are also way easier to find room for storage. Today was fleece. I sewed all my fleece pieces together and now I have about 2 yards of nice, funky fleece fabric.

Next up - tomorrow? - the knits.

My sewing room is just a joy to sew in now that it's all so tidy and organized.

And my new shoes are really excellent. Sturdy and solid and comfy. I just got the refund from Zappos for the two pair that I shipped off to them today (as soon as they get notice from UPS that they are on their way back, they return the funds - so classy).



The Smalls went over to the gray chair where Biggie was napping and joined him. I don't think Biggie cares if he bites.

Here they are from this morning.



The Yankees are playing Houston in the playoffs. I wish there was an option for them both to lose.

Comments

[colestainedpage.livejournal.com]

In high school we had a cat that used to nibble on the top of my mom's head after she washed her hair. He LOVED the scent of her shampoo. Cats are weird, lol.

[susandennis]

I'm seriously considering coating my chin with Tobasco

[colestainedpage.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking that might sting a bit for you, haha.

When my mom needed the oxygen concentrator for her COPD, she ended up coating the tubing in Tobasco to stop her cat from chewing on it. It worked!

[carriea31.livejournal.com]

Now I can't help but wonder what you got from the food truck that was so unimpressive.

[susandennis]

they are known for their poke which i found uninspired and with way too much hot sauce.

[howeird]

Nostalgia time. Once upon a time my mother returned to the work force as a clerk typist for Seattle City Light. After 10 years she had worked her way up to being the manager of the little old ladies in tennis shoes who did the data entry and answered calls like yours. The latter carried the unlikely title of assistant city treasurer.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

The Yankees are playing Houston in the playoffs. I wish there was an option for them both to lose.

I can understand your feeling that way. I, of course, am rooting heartily for the Astros.

We haven't actually been paying that much attention to the playoffs this year, although I expect we'll watch some of the Yankees-Astros series (not tonight, we're not home). And I've decided that, although I don't feel strongly about it, I'm rooting for the Nationals against the Cardinals.

[susandennis]

I gave up the game channels the day after the last Mariner game so I'm only getting glimpses of the playoff info in my Twitter feed which is plenty enough info for me. I'm good til Feb.

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

Monthly payments are the norm here thankfully although it usually goes up for a few months then down again

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Our utilities companies used to prefer people to pay with a regular monthly amount by standing order. Then they slowly began, like yours, to change and prefer direct debit of a set amount monthly - then they began to give a discount for payment by direct debit of the exact amount owed. And paying a fixed amount has almost faded away.

My mother paid a set amount monthly for a long time - and they always wanted a larger amount than the really should have needed - but it did mean that every year they sent her a cheque for the overpayment. More than once she received a cheque for £80 or so in the same post as a notification that her monthly amount was going up by £3 -£5 each month.

[susandennis]

Sounds like our power companies have the same billing department!