Household utilities

How did there come to be so many?

The water, the hydro, the cable, the gas, the phone.

In Lachute the only one we did not have was gas - the house had electric heat.

I have had my share of repairs being needing to be done to most of them at one time or another since I have owned the house.

*****

When I got home after a night away there was a note hanging on my door handle from the gas company. I went to inquire with my neighbour as to what had happened.

There had been a very strong smell of rotten eggs - there was definitely something not right with the gas. The dogs did not want to go outside at all.

The fellow from the gas company spent about 1 ½ hours attending to the problem. He had to shut off my gas but the note at my door was a little vague as to what was what.

I had warm water in the evening but by the next morning I had to take a cold shower. When the repair person came it was a very quick operation to turn on the gas again.

I said - now I can have a hot shower or bath, turn on my furnace (which I have needed to do in the last few days) or enjoy my new gas fireplace. That is another story because I am not quite ready to use it yet.

*****

As my repairs were done so quickly without too much distress on my part I thought about other countries and times where the utilities do not work all the time. We are certainly well taken care of here in Canada and in Ottawa.