Super freaky

Dear Xcel Energy,

I know we spoke a couple of times today and while you maintain that there is no correlation between my phone call to you at noon and there being no power in my apartment when I got home at 10pm, I'm having trouble believing that. You see, I think that your systems are screwy - i.e. I called in June to have my account set-up, but as of today, I hadn't gotten a bill yet. That's kinda screwy, don't you think?

Being the honest person with a less than perfect cash flow situation, I figured that it behooved me to call you and start getting a bill sooner than later so I didn't owe you $400 by the time my first bill showed. When I spoke with your customer service representative at noon today, she repeated, "hmmm, that's strange" as she reviewed by account and tried to figure out what was up. After being placed on hold for 20 minutes, she informed me that they weren't sure why my bill wasn't setup correctly - usually the computer flags strange things and then a real person reviews them but for my bill, it didn't flag anything but then didn't set me up as it should have. Strange, eh? But I was assured that everything's fine now - all done.

Oh, but wait. I was a less than happy camper when I arrived home tonight and found that my light switch didn't work. Nor did anything else in my apartment. My building manager's wife no habla Ingles (actually she no habla Espanol either) so she wasn't overly helpful. I put 2 and 2 together and figured out that there might be a correlation between my phone call earlier and the lack of power in my aparment.

However, I was surprised when you told me on the phone that you had no idea why the electricity wasn't on in my apartment - there wasn't a shortage in my area. (No shit - I can hear the TV on in the apartment across the hall.) And when I raised the question of the correlation between today's call and the lack of electricity in my apartment, you agreed with me that it certainly was a coincidence. While I tried to believe you, something in my head (read: my brain: common sense department) said I shouldn't.

I actually really do thank you for your help in guiding my through the steps to check the meter downstairs - because it was better than the offer for your servicemen to stop by "sometime soon" and possibly charge me for that service call. After I flipped the switch that had mysteriously been moved, yipee! I've got power restored.

I understand that you accept no blame in this incident, and since I have power right now I'm not super crabby, but really, Mr. Xcel, I find it a little strange that this happened. I might call it super freaky - I had to check behind my shower curtain to make sure there wasn't a man waiting to kill me.

There wasn't. But I'm still a little freaked out.