A fight that can be won?

Maybe I can win this fight after all. Last month I mentioned the letter I received from the electric company telling me to fix the work that had been done. Having no work done, I played along figuring it was still in my best interest to get this repair made anyways and have the electric company on my side.

The problem was I needed a city inspector to verify it was a problem. I called the inspector and left a message. Never heard from her. Last Thursday I came across my notes and decided I would try again. Last I heard she had been out with the flu and was behind. I left a second message. When I left work that day, I had another call from the electric company asking if I had an inspector out. Hmm...interesting. I called back and left that lady a message explaining I haven't heard from the city.

Well, appears the lady at the electric company thought I sat on my butt doing nothing. Turns out she filed a notice with the city about this issue and wanted something done about it. I learned this when the inspector finally called me back. The inspector mentioned the electric company had called about the property and she had taken a look. Because they have no record of any work being done since 1998, she said the city had no reason to come out and inspect the property. She said it looked like something had been done, that it had pulled back from some mast and the wires may have been spliced or something. Hey, I am not an electrician. But she they said what was good to my ears. As far as the city is concerned, there is no issue and they would not be out to inspect anything. Okey dokey!

But it ain't over yet. The electric lady calls me a couple hours later. I give her the story from the city and she isn't too happy. She is going to try and get in contact with the inspector to hash this out.

I will probably still have them do what they want to do. The wire from the pole is hanging somewhat low. But I am beginning to wonder if maybe this isn't some maintenance work required by the electric company. They want to charge me around $100 to do this work (supposedly a letter was sent stating the exact amount by I haven't received anything). But if the work that needs to be done is on the outside of the house, I am wondering if that isn't their problem, not mine. It may be the weather that caused this issue and that would be their problem to correct. At least that is the angle I am shooting for now.

I had my car out on Sunday. It was nice to drive it again, cruising down the highway, letting the horse run. If the weather can get just a bit warmer and not snow again, I may be able to make the conversion early this year. I just need to get the oil changed and the car wash. It is filthy.

Since I didn't drink at all yesterday, I may have to make up for it today. Only to stay healthy. You know, preventive medicine. From the New York Times:

Several recent studies have found that moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk for cardiovascular disease. Now a new study, published in the March issue of The American Journal of Medicine, suggests that teetotalers who begin having a drink or two a day in middle age may also get significant benefit.

Adopting Moderate Alcohol Consumption in Middle Age: Subsequent Cardiovascular Events (The American Journal of Medicine)The researchers followed 7,697 healthy men and women ages 45 to 64 enrolled in a large study of atherosclerotic illness, focusing on 442 who were nondrinkers at the start of the study but moderate drinkers at the six-year point. Then they tracked this group for cardiovascular disease over the next four years and compared them with people who continued to abstain.

After controlling for age, physical activity, smoking and other cardiovascular risks, they found that new moderate drinkers were 38 percent less likely than abstainers to suffer a cardiovascular event during the four-year period. On average, they also had lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure, and there was no increase in mortality.

So, should middle-aged nondrinkers start imbibing?

“If there’s a benefit to it, I’m not sure it should be restricted to people who just didn’t happen to start yet,” said the lead author, Dr. Dana E. King, professor of family medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. “Exercise is good for you, but you have to be cautious if you start in middle age. In the same way, moderate alcohol consumption can be part of a healthy lifestyle if you don’t have contraindications to it.” emphasis mine

See! I knew my cure for the common cold was rooted in medicine. I must get off to the bar. Doctors orders!