Slight Detour: Powerless; Priceless

Seeing the emergency vehicle and the power line across the driveway provided a hint that we may be waiting a while for our power to be restored after yesterday's wind storm.

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For starters, I experienced the feeling of being powerless yesterday---even long before one of Meserve's spruce trees fell over the power line just up the road, leaving us and several neighbors without electricity for about eight hours.

Powerlessness can also often manifest itself in situations involving communication or inability to communicate with a live human being.

Because I had time and because I was listening to nauseating, repetitive music, I wrote down a chronology of my attempt yesterday to reach someone, anyone to merely change an upcoming hotel reservation from one day to another.

"It's not as simple as you think," the guy at the other end told me after I had done the following TWICE:

Called the hotel in Seattle to change the reservation

Learned only then that a third party had actually made the reservation for me, a customer who does everything possible to talk directly to someone in hotels.

Was told to wait on the line while they sent me to "Get a Room," who then told me to wait on the line as they sent me to "customer care" who then told me to wait on the line for "customer service."

I would have thought that customer care and customer service were one in the same, but apparently not.

While listening to the nauseating music and waiting for someone to answer at customer service, I heard the dogs bark downstairs.

Since the barking was short and sweet, I assumed one had barked at nothing and set off the other two, so I went back to waiting and hating the music.

It so happened that I had brought my cell phone upstairs with me, and moments after the dogs shut up, a note flashed on my telephone screen.

The writer was Kit Harvey. Her message: we are here; where are you?

OMG, I said to myself, Kit Harvey . . . I haven't seen her in years.

So, I wrote right back and asked where she was and told her I was upstairs.

"Well, come on down; we're here," she texted.

I clicked off the phone and the creepy music and ran downstairs and out the garage door.

Sure enough, a car had returned to the driveway.

Inside it sat Kit Harvey and Cathy Parkins, both of whom had lived in my dorm, Carter Hall, at the University of Idaho.

And, so for a few brief, shining and joyful moments, the three of us Carter Hall girls took some nostalgic trips to way back in the days when we were young and crazy college girls.

What a PRICELESS moment in what eventually turned out to be a downright rotten day!

I hope they come again, and if they do, we'll sit on the deck, drink some wine and gab to our hearts' content.

Yesterday's teaser visit from Kit and Cathy was mighty refreshing for this person who has hardly been experiencing the "luck of the Irish" lately, especially with our planning for the trip to Ireland.

And, so when they left, I came back upstairs and skipped one step in the gauntlet involved in changing my hotel reservation from one day to another and listened to more awful music while waiting.

Bottom line: my reservation was cancelled yesterday and I need to show proof of our flight cancellation from Aer Lingus to "possibly" get my refund. I would need to rebook for the desired new date.

The man told me he would send the hotel cancellation in an email and that I was to take a screenshot of my airline cancellation, send it in a response, and he would do his best to get my refund, but it was not guaranteed.

So, I wasted no time looking for the airline cancellation to respond to the email sent to me by "Get a Room."

Just as I began to search for the document: BANG, the power went out and stayed out for nearly eight hours.

But, AHH, we still have our cell phones, so I sent a reply to the email from "Get a Room," only to have it bounce back.

I sent another AND it bounced back.

So, this employee at "Get a Room," which very sneakily made my reservation at the hotel, sent me a document from an address which cannot be used.

I later told Bill about the latest travel debacle, and we both agree that the Better Business Bureau needs to be contacted.

It it takes until my dying day, I will press on to get that money back.

Happily, the power of electricity came back, but I don't know how one has any power against the corporate elements which pull these kinds of shananigans.

I'll certainly give it a try, though.

In the meantime, the Northern Lights guys were out there in the dark last night, bringing some welcome light to what had been a mostly dark day.

And, Cathy and Kit---you're the best, and your visit was, indeed, priceless.

Speaking of priceless, there's an article in today's Daily Bee which announces the upcoming induction of Duane Ward and Jim Wilund into the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame.

I cannot think of two more deserving individuals, having known both of them and totally appreciating them for decades. Sadly, Jim, who once served as principal at Sandpoint High School, is no longer with us.

Duane talked Willie into joining him as an assistant basketball coach for Sandpoint High School. Later, Duane would step aside as Willie took over.

I always talk about what a wonderful friend and mentor Duane has been for Willie, and I know that Willie shares that admiration.

So, congratulations to these two fine gentlemen who have served as wonderful examples in both the athletic world and as educators in general.

Two of the best!

https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2022/apr/05/ward-wilund-be-induct-north-idaho-hall-fame-month/