Monday, April 27, 2009
F'gas phone call
So, I'm writing this afternoon, and who calls? Some chick from F'gas wanting to know if I'd like to take advantage of a new low price and fill our tank.
As politely and patiently as possible I declined, and added that I hoped to use up what propane we had so that they could come and take it away next fall.
Here's hoping for lots of cool nights this summer.
As politely and patiently as possible I declined, and added that I hoped to use up what propane we had so that they could come and take it away next fall.
Here's hoping for lots of cool nights this summer.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Early spring at Little Blake
Recon at Sidetrack last weekend showed that all's pretty well. Everything worked and the only real problem was the blue mouse poison pellets that had been stored under the comforter by energetic mice. What's with the mice, carrying the stuff around? No dead Mickeys lying around as far as we could tell. Maybe they crawled under the comforters on the spare beds?
The only buds I saw were on a lilac bush in the back yard. A few plants are pushing up in the garden.
The old fireplace by the lake has to go.
It's ready to fall over. And with two growing boys next door, the chances are that somebody will be climbing on that thing before long.
The builders were not content with putting stones in a circle for fires by the lake. They built a fireplace with a chimney.
The sides of the fire pit were gone when we first saw it. Over the past decade or so rocks have fallen off of the structure. And now the whole thing rocks back and forth.
It won't take much to put it on the ground. The hard part will be breaking it up into pieces small enough to cart off.
It seems to have flattened conduit used as rebar to hold things together.
I'm not sure if the builders signed their work or named the structure, but "Red Tom" is the name. Too bad, but Red Tom will be on the ground before summer and Will and Charlie show up too much.
Got some garden clean up done, even in Sunday's rain. Read a book. (Although I fell asleep on the lake room couch Saturday night. I thought I slept for half an hour and woke up thinking it was too early to go to bed. It turns out I'd slept for over 2 hours and I was ready to go to bed.) Then I slept until 7:45 on Sunday morning. Well, that's one of the reasons to be at Sidetrack and offline.
Maybe we'll get back after the storms this weekend.
The only buds I saw were on a lilac bush in the back yard. A few plants are pushing up in the garden.
The old fireplace by the lake has to go.It's ready to fall over. And with two growing boys next door, the chances are that somebody will be climbing on that thing before long.
The builders were not content with putting stones in a circle for fires by the lake. They built a fireplace with a chimney.
The sides of the fire pit were gone when we first saw it. Over the past decade or so rocks have fallen off of the structure. And now the whole thing rocks back and forth. It won't take much to put it on the ground. The hard part will be breaking it up into pieces small enough to cart off.
It seems to have flattened conduit used as rebar to hold things together.I'm not sure if the builders signed their work or named the structure, but "Red Tom" is the name. Too bad, but Red Tom will be on the ground before summer and Will and Charlie show up too much.
Got some garden clean up done, even in Sunday's rain. Read a book. (Although I fell asleep on the lake room couch Saturday night. I thought I slept for half an hour and woke up thinking it was too early to go to bed. It turns out I'd slept for over 2 hours and I was ready to go to bed.) Then I slept until 7:45 on Sunday morning. Well, that's one of the reasons to be at Sidetrack and offline.Maybe we'll get back after the storms this weekend.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Reprise of The Cost of Not Buying
If you look back to the entry I made here on November 9, 2008, you'll see my rant about Ferrellgas, one of the local (and national) suppliers of propane. And the one we have purchased from for over a decade.
My rant was due to the company charging us a $210.00 "non-usage fee" because we didn't have our propane tank filled last year. (We didn't use much.) Saving energy doesn't pay, it costs through the nose if you're a customer of that company.
I knew it was futile, but I had to complain publicly (besides here), so I wrote a complaint to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection.
The first response was a December 5th letter acknowledging the receipt of my complaint.
The second response, 10 days later, included a reply from the propane company, which did "not offer a resolution."
Here are the relevant parts.
And here, is the propane company's response. Even though I've never had the pleasure of taking a course in contract law, I recognize that the "agreement" to which I am a party might be a legal agreement, but it's not a contract. It's bullshit. And so is the policy and rationalization offered by paralegal Erin M. Strickland on behalf of Wade Clarin (SCGM), Ben Guzzi (Region Manager), and the whole rotten company.
The Wisconsin bureaucracy will keep my complaint on file for three years. If you have any to add, please do. Write to the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Division of Trade and Consumer Protection, 3610 Oakwood Hills Parkway, Eau Claire, WI 54701-7754 or call them at 1-800-422-7128.
I think my next letter will go to the Wisconsin state legislator for the district within which the lakes Blake lie and suggest that such one-sided agreements be outlawed in favor of contracts that are made between equal parties and that offer benefits to all parties and impose substantially equal responsibilities on all parties. (I may not vote in Wisconsin, but I certainly pay taxes that buy a lot of things I never benefit from.)
My rant was due to the company charging us a $210.00 "non-usage fee" because we didn't have our propane tank filled last year. (We didn't use much.) Saving energy doesn't pay, it costs through the nose if you're a customer of that company.
I knew it was futile, but I had to complain publicly (besides here), so I wrote a complaint to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection.
The first response was a December 5th letter acknowledging the receipt of my complaint.
The second response, 10 days later, included a reply from the propane company, which did "not offer a resolution."
Here are the relevant parts.
December 5: Thank you for contacting the Department... I have written to the business to try to assist you to find a solution to your complaint...
December 15: I have received a response from Ferrellgas concerning your complaint, which does not offer a resolution. I have enclosed a copy of the reply for your information...
I have recorded your complaint... and it will be included in information provided to consumers who inquire about the business for a three-year period...
And here, is the propane company's response. Even though I've never had the pleasure of taking a course in contract law, I recognize that the "agreement" to which I am a party might be a legal agreement, but it's not a contract. It's bullshit. And so is the policy and rationalization offered by paralegal Erin M. Strickland on behalf of Wade Clarin (SCGM), Ben Guzzi (Region Manager), and the whole rotten company.
The Attorney General complaint... has been forwarded to the Legal Department... I have completed my investigation...
Customers who do not purchase fuel for an extended period of time are charged a fee to help offset the use of our asset (propane tank) that is not generating revenue...
Our Master Agreement... states... "If you lease a tank from us, you agree to purchase from us a volume of propane at least equal to two times the water capacity of your Tank each 12 month period...
The Wisconsin bureaucracy will keep my complaint on file for three years. If you have any to add, please do. Write to the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Division of Trade and Consumer Protection, 3610 Oakwood Hills Parkway, Eau Claire, WI 54701-7754 or call them at 1-800-422-7128.
I think my next letter will go to the Wisconsin state legislator for the district within which the lakes Blake lie and suggest that such one-sided agreements be outlawed in favor of contracts that are made between equal parties and that offer benefits to all parties and impose substantially equal responsibilities on all parties. (I may not vote in Wisconsin, but I certainly pay taxes that buy a lot of things I never benefit from.)
