The Rural Voice, 2002-08, Page 14• two 5 1/2" augers
provide positive
gentle lift
• eliminates
troublesome chains
• space saving
vertical positioning
• reverse for loading
out of mow
• low maintenance —
durable Delron
bearings
• all drive and controls
conveniently at
ground level
AUG -A -BALE
also Mow systems - installation evadable
WEBER LANE MFG.
(1990) CO.
R R 4 Listowel. ON N4W 3G9
For Sales & Service call:
Weber s Farm Service 519-664.1185
BARN
RENOVATIONS
• Renovations to farm
buildings
• Concrete Work
• Manure Tanks
• Using a Bobcat Skid Steer
w/hydraulic hammer,
bucket, six -way blade &
backhoe
BEUERMANN
CONSTRUCTION
R.R. #5 BRUSSELS
519-887-9598
or 519-887-8447
10 1 HE RURAL VOICE
Mabel's Grill
The
world's
problems
are
solved
daily
'round
the table
at
Mabel 's.
"1 think I'm going to take an off -
farm job," said Dave Winston the
other day.
"What, are you having a tough
time making the payments on your
truck?" wondered Molly Whiteside
as she delivered his morning coffee.
"If I was to go after a job it would
be one with air conditioning," said
Cliff Murray. "The barn is hotter
than Hades these days."
"Oh I've already got my job
picked out," said Dave. "I'm going
after that vacancy at the top of Hydro
One after the CEO was fired."
"But you don't know anything
about running a big company like
that," said Molly. "If they're going to
pay you $2.2 million a year they
expect you to know something."
"So what? If I could get even half
as much as that $6 -million severance
package they promised Eleanor
Clitheroe, they could fire me and I'd
still be set for life," said Dave. "They
won't have to worry about me
running up $330,000 in limousine
services like she did. I'll be quite
happy with the $40,000 a year car
allowance and that $174,000 they
gave her every year to buy a new car
... as long as they let me use the
money to buy a new combine instead."
"It's going to look awfully funny
to see a combine parked on
University Ave," said George
McKenzie.
"Oh I'll leave the combine here on
the farm. I'll drive to work in my
pickup. Might set a new standard in
the executive parking lot — a real
working vehicle."
"Well at least run it through the
car wash before you go," said Molly
looking out at the dust -covered truck
parked outside. "It's been working
too much."
"Well I hope you get the job,
Dave," said George.
"You do?" asked a surprised Dave
who seldom gets wished the best by
George.
"Yes, because the next time my
hydro goes out I'll know who to call.
It's got to be better than that call
centre set-up they've got now. My
power went out last week and I call
and they put me through the whole
number -punching, automated -system
thing. First it's punch a number for
French of English, then it's whether
it's a life-threatening emergency.
Then they want me to punch in my
account number which of course I
don't have and since it's dark 1 can't
read the damn thing anyway. I finally
get this all done and I get told all
their operators are busy and then I
get to listen to the complete recorded
works of Barry Manilow, interrupted
every two minutes by some voice
apologizing for the delay but
assuring me they really do care about
my call and thanking me for my
patience. Hell, by the fifth Barry
Manilow number I wasn't patient at
all. I would have strangled somebody
but there was nobody in sight. Even
tht cat kept her distance."
"Isn't it wonderful," said Cliff,
"how this is supposed to be the day
of instant communications bqt you
spend more time on the phone
listening to recorded music than you
spend sleeping?"
"They needed all this technology
to perfect one-way communications,"
said Dave. "They could have just
learned from politicians."
"Of course 12 hours later nobody
has still showed up to put the power
back on," said George. "1 mean I've
got the generator cranked up by now
and the cattle are all 9n pasture so
it's no big deal'. Except you wonder
if they're all busy or if they just lost
the order somewhere in this big
automated system and you sure don't
want to call back and have to listen
to an hour of Barry Manilow again."
"That's when you push 'one' for
life-threatening emergency," said
Dave. "When they ask you whose
life is in danger say the next Hydro
One employee you see if they don't
get some service fast."
"Hey, I like it," said George.
"Maybe you could run Hydro One."0