Music Soothes the Savage Beast

And as anyone who knows me has realized, “savage beast” is an understatement whenever some fiasco imposed by someone else’s stupidity imposes extra work, extra time-wasting, extra meanders through phone punch-a-button mazes, and extra headaches. Corporate stupidity, in particular, evinces glorious fireworks of savagery.

This weekend I could not get into the “new” credit union checking and savings accounts created by changing the account number. Error message claimed the site was having “technical problems.” By 10 a.m. they were still having “technical problems,” and, since I couldn’t get through on the phone, it looked like I was going to have to make another trip up there to talk with them in person. Given that the Dog Chariot burns about a gallon of gasoline in a round trip to the closest branch, this trip would cost me $3 and another half-day of wasted time.

Meanwhile, I have workmen here and no way to pay them unless they’ll take plastic.

FINALLY I found the credit union assistant manager’s business card, which I had conscientiously put away someplace where it would be safe (read “where not even Sherlock Holmes himself could find it!”). Turns out she neglected to tell me that the account number I was supposed to enter as the userID is not quite the right number….to get in, you have to drop the last three digits of the endless number she gave me.

Anyway, at last I’m in and it looks like everything indeed is just the same as it was in the previous account. They’ve even imported the prior few months’ transactions. The only things we’ve lost, as she said would occur, are the automatic bill pays and the direct deposits.

After a full day of hassle I did get through to a human at Social Security who claimed she changed the direct deposit to the current account. However, I used the number on a form she gave me called “Employer Direct Deposit” and can only assume it’s the correct data. I surely hope so…we’ll know next month. I’m concerned that if the account number that has to be entered for one’s initial online foray into one’s account at the CU is actually three digits shorter than the one she gave me, the next Social Security check will go astray.

In other precincts, the power company said they would move the electric bill on their end. The city water dept and the gas company said “we’ll send you a form.” So far no such form has surfaced from either worthy entity. However, they send statements, so it’ll be easy enough to just bill-pay them whenever the paper shows up.

Last night I went to an amazing performance staged by our church’s music department. It truly was spectacular.

Usually by the end of the day I’m so beat I can’t drag myself out of the house. But on Saturday evening I went to our friend Craig Petersen’s chorale performance — he directs the Mesa Community College choir, which performed at All Saints this weekend — and found that just sitting there listening to the chorale music was SOOO relaxing, it totally unwound all that annoyance stress. Very nice.

So at the last minute thought I’d try for the same last night. For Evensong, the chamber choir — mostly professional singers — sang the Great “O” Antiphons by John Muehleisen. Unbelievably gorgeous!!!!!  This setting of the Advent set of antiphons alternates passages in Latin, sung in traditional chant mode, with their translations, sung in contemporary style — and very beautiful contemporary, not the unmelodic cacophony we too often associate with modern classical music. It was an incredible, spectacular thing to listen to.

The preliminary recital was played by an organist named Curt Sather. He has a Ph.D. now, but…get this! At the age of twelve (!) he was a church organist. He was very, very good — played three pieces by Bach and one by Aaron David Miller.

All in all, it was an impressive performance from beginning to end.

Meanwhile, this morning’s damn hectic.

Yesterday M’hijito’s dog, who given half a chance will run off to Yuma like a rabbit with a coyote on its tail, countersurfed an entire frying pan full of (mercifully cold) cooking oil. This, as you can imagine, had some interesting repercussions.

He’s pretty much stopped barfing. But my son didn’t want to leave him alone all day, so he brought the hound over here. He needs to have free access to the yard, because you can be sure he still has the doggywobbles, even tho’ no manifestations have occurred here. Yet…hmmmm….  Thank heaven for all-tile flooring.

The men are building two French wells and a river of rock in back, to drain rainwater away from the porch and the CoolDeck. The back porch has always been a bit below grade, so when it rains a nice lake comes right up to the back door. And the deceased Devil-Pod tree heaved the CoolDeck on the east end with its accursed roots, and so now that corner floods every time I try to water the plants over there, to say nothing of every time the rain falls.  They’re also replacing the ironwork in front that’s about rusted through. When Pup gets here, I’ll need to wire a little screening on there to keep him from wiggling out, and just now there’s nothing to wire it TO. 😀

At any rate, this activity is driving both dogs nuts. Even Charley, who hardly ever barks, is jumping up every few minutes to sound the alarm, and Cassie has gone absolutely bat-sh!t. She doesn’t have to sound the alarm: she is the alarm.

This is the last week of class, so I’d better get to work on stoont papers.