Am currently holding for the mobile phone service provider, hoping to get my phone working again. So far it's been 36 minutes while some lady is checking on my account status, she's now just transferred me to the 3rd person. If history repeats itself, I've one more transfer to go !
Need to get out and fence my vegetable garden to keep the ducks & geese out. They are ripping the asparagus, planted garlic, blueberry bushes and grapevines apart. I shout at them to get out, and they obey, but I'm not watching them all the time. It's amazing the damage they can, and do, do.
Yep, being transferred to the 4th person, being advised by robo-help that it's going to be another 15 minute wait.
Going to get cow feed this afternoon. Seemingly timed it well this time, still have enough for Dolly for this week-ends' milking. Still good on the corn / oats for the poultry, have been giving a little to the sheep - the new mums' like the protein boost, and we needed to move them to the furtherest point possible, so Herbie could remove a fence panel and put a large round bale of hay in for them. There are some chickens laying their eggs around the sheep hay, yesterday I found an egg lying outside the feeder, amazingly none of the sheep or alpacas had stepped on it, today, a blue one was tucked into a hole halfway up the side of the bale. Chickens are weird about where they lay. Suppose that's free-range at it's best.
Found the rubber mallet last night. Down in the basement next to the new furnace. Herbie had used it to fix the sheet metal I damaged taking it off the truck with the tractor boom (as suspected, I hadn't lost it !).
Had an enquiry for 5 butcher goats per month. Shopping around for that, I don't do goats. Don't much like them. Thought about branching into them as there is a small meat demand, but they are too difficult to contain, they smell, so, nope, I'm not going into the goat business. Sheep, alpacas, beef, dairy, eggs, chicken, ducks, geese, guineas, bees, dogs and cats are enough, thank you very much. Just waiting for the last sucker fish to go belly-up, then we'll be out of the fish business too, although I wouldn't mind growing Tilapia (sshhh, don't tell Herbie).
Wow, now speaking to the 5th person, 1 hour 18 minutes so far (Herbie needs to go to work soon and I'm talking on his phone). Explained the whole sorry saga, again. Holding thumbs, but getting very annoyed. Why do I have to give them the same 16 digit SIM number 3 times to each person ?
I have this multi-tasking thing down pat, methinks. Talking on the phone, writing this blog, eating lentil curry, playing a game on my phone, chatting to Herbie, chasing chickens, keeping an eye on the movie on the TV - all at the same time !
Herbie has gone to work without his phone, I'm speaking to the 6th person, 1 hour 56 minutes, so far. This guy wants me to buy more airtime before activating the new SIM. Trying to control my temper, I explained, again, that I was on auto refill, which was paid on March 1 for the next 30 days, and that today was day 8 that I didn't have a phone, which I have already paid. Holding again.
While still holding, I drove to Westphalia to collect the cow feed, 40 mile round trip. Then the 6th guy advised me that they couldn't keep my phone number ! What ? This has been my number for the last 7 years, through 3 different cell phone providers, the number I use for the farm business, the number that has been sent out on all my resumes over the past 2 1/2 years, the number that my South African friends and family have, the number I brought with me to this service provider ! I'm gobsmacked. Asked for a Manager, was transferred, and cut off after the message we cannot help you at present, please try again later !
Called back, spoke to 3 different people for 35 minutes, asked each one for a Senior Manager, was cut off again. Called back, held for 10 minutes without speaking to anyone before being cut off again. Called again, now speaking to the 2nd person after being on the phone for another 1 hour 3 minutes. Eventually, 1 hour and 34 minutes, I have a new ticket number and my phone, with my original phone number, should be working within 24 hours. Please, please, let it work this time !