“Lost time is never found again.”

I called Cook’s Pest Control on Monday to confirm that I had an appointment on Friday.
They told me I was on the schedule for after 10 a.m., but no specific time was set for the technician to arrive.

Badger and I were up pretty early. 
We cleared the countertops, locked the cats in the laundry room, put the dogs in the bedroom, and moved all the pet supplies out of the living room.

By 11:30 there was still no technician, so I called the office. 
They confirmed he was coming, but again said there was no set time, only that it would be after 10 a.m.
Okay, then.

Time moved on.
The time that Cowboy has to eat before work came and went, still no technician.
Somehow, and I don’t know how, Cowboy managed to work around the mess and microwave himself a bowl of stew.

At 3:30, I told Badger the office should be closing soon and that I’d call one last time.
When I called, I was told, “You’re on the schedule for 3 p.m. to…” I could have sworn she said 8 p.m., but I don’t hear well, so that could have been wrong.

At 4:29, the technician finally showed up, and by 5:04 he was out the door.
He was friendly, courteous, and did a good job in the short time he spent here.
My only complaint is the lack of communication, which is frustrating. 
I need a set time, not “we’re not sure.”
The countertops have to be cleared for him to work, and mine are always cluttered.
There’s the microwave, the toaster oven, and Heron and Raven’s endless supply of coffee mugs, enough to start a small store.
Cowboy has his egg drawer and buckets, and I’ve got two Keurigs (don’t ask).
All of it gets piled onto the stove when the technician comes.

I sent a complaint to the main office, not that anything will come of it.
I also found a customer portal which I didn’t know existed; it shows my dates but no times.
That will help a little.
I also gave the office my phone number for the fourth time. 
The number she had down that they were supposedly calling wasn’t any of our cell numbers or the house number.
I don’t know where they came up with it.

It ended up being an aggravating day, even though, aside from not being able to cook, it was like any other.
Cowboy napped, Badger stayed in her room working on her wood carving, and I played on the computer.
What made it frustrating was having the dogs and cats locked away, the trash can sitting on the porch getting pooped on by birds, and the fact that we couldn’t cook without risking melting the toaster oven.

That was an entire day wasted by waiting.
We didn’t know when the technician would pull in, so the dogs and cats stayed locked up, and everything else was on hold.

Once he left, Badger quickly mopped, though it was probably unnecessary. 
He’s a very clean technician.
We just feel better mopping afterward, in case of spills, though it looks like he mostly uses glue traps.
She wiped down the countertop and moved everything back.
We didn’t go overboard; we’re learning as we go. It was mainly the Keurigs, the toaster oven, and the coffee pod holders.

I got the dog beds back in the living room, along with the food and water bowls.
Then Badger and I went out to put up the cameras, since they needed charging today.
The two front-door cameras are the most important, and I’m charging them almost daily.
I’m not sure if they’re getting too old, if the Christmas lights are setting them off, or if the birds are.
Badger cleaned the litter boxes and then went to tidy up.

Once she finished, she quickly made us some White Castle burgers in the microwave, and we settled in to watch TV for the rest of the evening.
Heron came home from work just as we were wrapping up the series we’d been watching. I think he got caught up in it too, though he missed quite a few episodes.

I’m calling it a day. 
Tomorrow we’ll head to Morristown to check on Badger’s camera, then get our haircuts from Ms. January.
Cowboy’s already fussing about the schedule. 
The camera shop closes at noon, so we have to be there by 11:30, but our hair appointments aren’t until 1:00. 
That leaves a chunk of time to fill.
Badger and I can’t drive, and Cowboy would rather nap all Saturday. 
At 66 and working second shift, it’s his one chance to rest. 
Still, Saturday is the only day Badger and I can get our things done.
It’s nearly impossible to shop or get a haircut during the week when you have to be home by 1:00.