Today's mystery is not a new one...it's a repeating theme. You know, the theme of why do repairmen think all women are stupid? I'm pretty sure I've blogged about it before, but hey, then something else needs repairing and I get to revisit the stupidity all over again.
I'm not sure if I ever mentioned the electrician. I had to call the electrician earlier this year because the light over my sink went out. Just went "poof" one day. I thought it was the bulb and changed it but to no avail. Then my dad was over one day and we hooked up his voltage meter to it - no juice. And since the house is under warranty, a call to the electrician was in order. When he came out, I knew there was going to be a problem because my dog didn't like him. Now, my Sheltie likes everyone! So I'm thinking this guy has to be a butthead of the first order for the Sheltie to growl. Then first-order butthead proceeds to ask me if I'm sure it's not the light bulb. DUH? So he fixed the light and I ask what the problem was. He claims it was never wired. I say that's not possible as I've been using it for two months. He tells me I was mistaken. HELLO? I'm mistaken about using a light for two months in my own house.
So anyway, with that lovely episode to go on, you can understand why I've put off calling about the garage light for about five months. But the warranty is up at the end of January and I've been wanting to do some work in the garage, and since it gets dark at 5:30 now, I sorta need it. So I called the electrician hoping I'd get anyone out here but the idiot. No chance. The idiot showed up. I pointed him to the garage light and you'll never, ever guess what he asked.......
Yep, you got it. "Are you sure it's not the light bulb?"
To which I replied. "Well, which light bulb are you referring to? I've been through four in the last five months, three of which were CFL's and guaranteed to last 8 years. I've tried turning on the light with the garage door open, closed, in process, and since one breaker serves the garage, the hall, the front bath and the living room, and I assume they were wired in that order, I've tested the light running parallel with each of those switches - off and on. There's a short and the garage light is catching it."
The whole time, I'm thinking why do I bother. I keep wondering if just saying "you know, I'm not a natural blonde" would be a better defense than giving a list of my diagnostic prowess. Of course, it wouldn't be true...I am a natural blonde. Darker over the years but still on the blonde charts.
Of course the light worked while he was there, even though it hadn't bothered to come on for the previous week before, but I insisted he changed out the plate for the switch and the light. There's a short somewhere. I'm certain.
Even if the electrician thinks I'm smart enough to make enough money to own a house, but too stupid to change a light bulb. How does that one work exactly?
Deadly (no dumb blonde) DeLeon
Monday, December 08, 2008
Natural Blonde
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15 comments:
Always trust the dog, Jana. Always trust the dog.
Too Funny Jana.
We really need to learn to heed the advice that our animals give us.
In the seven years I had Jake, my best buddy, the only person he came close to biting was a man who I later found out had some issues with drugs, police, and couple of ex-wives he beat up once too many times. Jake somehow knew this.
CC
to me, it's easier to just play dumb. I've gotten free stuff that way!
I hate this so much. But mostly with car repair. My dad is a mechanic so I grew up in the garage with him. I don't know enough to fix things myself, but I know enough to know when they are feeding me a line of bull. Makes me just want to smack 'em.
But it's fun to see their face when they realize I know what I'm talking about. That usually makes them straighten up. Hope the short is fixed and that you gave the sheltie an extra treat.
The worst is when they ask those you-must-be-blonde questions like, "Well, did you remember to plug it in?" and it turns out, you really didn't. Happens to me all the time.
~Gemma
I swear its a man thing, Jana!
Too bad there aren't more women repair people.
How frustrating!
If you are thinking good thoughts, you can give him the benefit of the doubt that he asks the questions not because you are a woman or blonde, but because in his experience, it happens. I remember a story once going around about a man calling a computer support line because his computer screen blacked out. After 40 minutes of increasing frustration, the tech asked him to look at the back of the computer. The man said he couldn't see the back...because there was a power outage.
If you are thinking not so nice thoughts, just remember payback can be sweet if you get an opportunity to provide customer service feedback.
But always pay attention to your dog no matter what. They really can sense things that we can't.
Suzan - Oh, absolutely!!!! And like I said - my Sheltie loves everyone, even people I don't like. But not the electrician!
Christie - amazing isn't it how animals can zero in on someone that for all outward appearances looks normal?
keri - well, since it was under warranty it was already free. I figured having my intelligence insulted was equivalent to paying a bill. Not cool. And I've thought about playing dumb before, but I think I'm just too egotistical to do it. :)
Terrio - right there with you on cars and boy have I had a run-in or two with the service advisors! So far the light is still working and the Sheltie ALWAYS gets treats. He may, possibly, probably could be a little spoiled. :)
Oh no, Gemma! At least no one's caught me doing that one. Although I plug my phone in the charger all the time but don't have the charger plugged in. With the phone, earpiece, ipod, alphasmart and god knows what else I put on the kitchen counter, and one outlet, you think I'd do a better job of checking.
You know, estella, I agree. Lately, I've taken on some new woodworking projects - I might post pics next week. And I really enjoy it! I seriously think if I would have had the exposure earlier, I would have liked to have been a general contractor for a big home builder. I really love all the tools and angles and figuring out how to make something fit. :)
Terry - it's very true that the general population is sometimes not exactly on the ball. I used to do all the IT support on my last job and one of the first questions I always asked when told the printer didn't work was "is the green light on." Only difference is, I knew my audience. I wasn't throwing out insults to just anyone. And for the record, the green light was never on...not one single time. LOL
But I hear what you're saying. I think where this guy really, REALLY lost me was last time when he told me I had been imaging using the light for two months. My mom was hacked over that one as she'd stood there washing light fixtures after I moved in.
Sometimes you just can't win. And besides, if the Sheltie doesn't like him, that's all I need to know, right?
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer is the name of the song that was playing the DDD book. I just finished your book and loved it.
As far as regifting goes, we have a size 60 dress in our family that someone gets every few years, but it is a gag gift. We have several of these type gifts that go around in my family and some of them are kind of naughty.
My mother in law gives me a lot of avon lotions and things every year and my sisters get some of those regifted in their Christmas bags. You can only use so much lotion.
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