Thank you, Gas Company.

For a situation so absurd I could do nothing but burst into laughter.

We've been living here for two years. Some of the utilities are in my name, some in Dick's. For two years, we've paid our bills on time.

Suddenly, I get a notice in the mail from the Gas Company, that essentially says:
"Hi there! We were checking the meters, and see that you've been using gas. However, we have no account for you. Please set one up as soon as possible to avoid disruption in service."

No account? What's that thing we've been paying for two years?

My dear husband offers to call on Monday to say "what's up?"

Imagine his surprise when their explanation is that ... according to their records, I am deceased.

And they were pretty sure about it too. Said that kind of information has to go through several people. And that they had called to verify it.

He called me at work to inform me of this fact. This is when I burst into hysterical laughter. As did my boss, when I told her.

I will skip the boring middle bits, where he had to keep going up the chain of command at the Gas Company, insisting that someone produce this alleged death certificate. And finally! The answer.

When I sent in a change of name form, along with a copy of my marriage license, someone somewhere got confused and decided it was a death certificate.

Never mind that I sent in a clear, concise form explaining the name change. Never mind that there are TWO names on the marriage license - the first of which is not mine.



Nope. They declared me dead.

Our utility company at work!