Waltzing Matilda

Buying a house in the country has created some unique challenges.  There are certain things you must learn to do for yourself in order to survive.  One of these is making sure your heat source does not deplete on the coldest, darkest days of the winter.  There is no natural gas line that will keep flowing, even if we neglect to pay our bill.  We have to take the initiative.  We have to call the oil company and set up a delivery.

The initial account setup was its own adventure; that story however is for another day.  This week's adventure involved realizing our tank was less than a quarter full and how to carefully schedule the refill so life as we know is not turned upside down.

I'm sure you are asking, how can filling a fuel oil tank be disruptive?  Well, let me explain.  It has been a couple months since we last filled the fuel tank.  In that short time span, we have put up a fence, added another dog, and adopted sisters.  To call them Vietnamese would be stretching the truth; they have no more knowledge of what life in Vietnam is like than I do life in Ireland.  Still, I refer to these girls as Vietnamese potbellied pigs.  They are 6 months old and our fenced in back yard is their playground.  With the recent warm weather, we have been leaving the porch door open so they can come and go as they please.  Yes, they live on the porch.  We don't have a barn yet and it is far too cold for these sensitive girls to be out in the elements.  They sleep on an old carpet with blankets and when it's really cold, a heat lamp.  Their favorite place, by far, is the yard.  They spend hours walking around, chewing, sniffing, and rooting.  That's what pigs are meant to do. 

So now you can see my dilemma.  It is the beginning of February, we have a forecast of beautiful weather, and we need a stranger to enter our yard and deliver oil; the provider of life-sustaining heat. 

I called the oil company on Monday to schedule a delivery.  "tomorrow or Wednesday", the nice lady on the other end said.  I asked if she could be more specific... 
"you see, since our last delivery, we put up a fence and some of our pets have indoor/outdoor access.  If I know which day the deliver is coming, I can keep them inside so the driver doesn't have to worry about them escaping through the open gate".  She put me on hold for a moment and came back with Wednesday.  Definitely Wednesday. 

Still, the thought of keeping the girls locked up on such a rare warm February day bothered me.  They loved being out in the yard.  Maybe  I could work from home at least until my first meeting so they could have a few more hours outside?  If the delivery hadn't come by then, I could lock them on the porch,but at least it wouldn't be for as long.   I emailed my boss and she approved. My anxiety kicked in and I started going over the details... how would I know if the driver was there?  would I hear the truck?  What if they didn't deliver in the morning; would the sisters tear the porch apart?  I wasn't sure, but I would deal with it.  Things would work out.

Today, Tuesday, I sat at my desk wrapping up some of the day's work, and my phone rang.  3:35, about the time my significant other got home from work.  My mind and heart raced.  Something's not right, he never calls me when he gets home from work!  I answered the phone, prepared for the worst, expecting chaos on the other end...
"Hello?"
"Hey..."
"Is everything ok?!?!?"
"There was a bill for fuel oil in our mailbox..."
"Are the pigs there?!!?!!?"
"Yes, they're in the yard"
"Inside the fence or loose?!?!?"
"Inside the fence"
"So everyone's okay?"
"Yes, as far as I can tell.  They definitely hung the hose over the fence and smashed the old pumpkin by the steps..."
So we chatted for a couple minutes about life.  I decided it would be best to call the fuel oil company and make sure things were okay on the driver's end.  Our girls are generally friendly.  I'm not sure if a stranger with a hose would send them running or if they would get up the courage to aggressively nudge this person's legs with their adorable snouts, begging for treats.  So I called the kind lady at the fuel oil company...
"Hello, neighborhood oil company"
"Hi, I wanted to chat with someone about our fuel oil delivery.  It was scheduled for tomorrow, but apparently they came today".  I tend to get bitchy in situations like this.  I need these people so I'm doing my best to stay calm.
"Yes, I remember talking to you yesterday.  We set that up for tomorrow.   I see they came today; I'm not sure why.  Let me put you on hold and see if I can reach dispatch... ... ... they just stepped out of the office.  Was everything ok?  I had the note on the delivery about not letting the dogs out, did they get out?"
Her concern was genuine.  I like this lady.
"Well, they aren't dogs.  They're pigs.  2 potbellied pigs we just adopted.  I said pets on purpose because I didn't want you think we are weird.  They are still in the fenced in yard, everything is fine.  i just wanted to make sure the driver was okay with them.  They're very social, sometimes a little too social.  Do you have any notes on how the delivery went?"
"oh, pigs.  Well, we are in the country.  I'm sure it's not the strangest thing our drivers have seen.  I'll check with them and get back to you; what's the best number to reach you at?"

We conversed for a bit about whether or not the driver minded and if leaving the pigs out on fuel delivery day would be a regular thing.  She hadn't called me back by the end of the work day today, but I do hope she calls tomorrow.  I am curious to see if my girls were on their best behavior when the ever-important, life-sustaining fuel oil was delivered.