Well, Duh...

In this week's "Oh, Meg, what are we going to do with you?!" category...the unpaid phone bill and inability to use my landline to call my parents.

I am very, very good about paying my bills and rent on time. It's a personal point of pride for me that I do this. I love looking at my parents and saying, "I'm a responsible adult!"

Then came yesterday.

As you know, I moved this summer, from Antioch to Stockton. Obviously, this means a new phone number. With AT&T, your phone number is your account number.

For the last two months, I've been merrily paying my bill through my online banking--to the old account number. It didn't even connect in my brain when I got a refund check for those payments a week or so ago. I just thought, "Cool! Free money!" and put it in the bank.

In my own defense, I'll just point out that things happened kind of quickly with the new job and the move.

Anyway, yesterday, I had one of those cranky days that come along once in a while. I left my cell phone at school, so imagine my dismay when I arrived home and couldn't call my parents from the land line. I emailed a terse "Call me" email to Mom and Dad, telling them how "f-ed up" AT&T is, telling me in a letter I got that I haven't paid my bill. What could they be talking about?!

Dad called, and said, "You know, when we switched over, I got a refund check, too...when you paid your bill, did you put in your new account number?"

Imagine the "Oh. DUH!!" look on my face (and go ahead, laugh at my expense--it's okay, really!).

"Um. No. I did not."

Dad just laughed.

It's all sorted out now, and I should have calling ability soon, once the payment goes from my bank account to AT&T. In the meantime, I'll be making calls from the trusty cell phone. I'm still on Dad's account, so no worries there!