Ben Franklin revisted, Venezuelan style

I read that Ben Franklin was born 300 years ago this past Tuesday. While I'm certainly grateful for his many contributions, especially electricity, this past week I was electically challenged this past week. Whereas most of my frustrations regarding life in Caracas had revolved around the phone company, having my phone service disconnected, and my attempts to get internet service at home - a 2-month plus effort, this week I ran into the brick wall known as the electric company. It began on Tuesday when I received a disconnect notice. I was somewhat confused since I had paid every bill that I had received, one per month, and the only unpaid bill had a due date of the 21st. The conserje (custodian) told me I had three days to pay and I told her I would take care of it the next day. The next day I set out to the bank, where I usually pay my bills, to find out that since I had a disconnect notice I had to go somewhere else. So I walked a few blocks down to a shopping center where there was a place to pay the electric bill. After standing in line for a while I was told that I had not paid the bill for December and that I owed 87.000Bs (the only bill I had was for 18.000 Bs). The woman got very insulted when I told her I had paid every bill every month - of course I was wrong then, though I didn't know it yet. Anyway, I paid the bill so that my electricity would not be disconnected, went home to get all my recipts, called a friend to find out the location for another office where I was told I could get an explanation and set out. In my frustration I walked past the first metro station (I had to go about three in all) so I just kept walking the whole way. Found the office and waited in yet another line, and finally got to talk with someone. The problem was she couldn't answer my questions and/or I didn't understand her. So, I called my friend who came to help me out (her Spanish is way better than mine). But that still didn't change the fact that the customer service person couldn't answer what I had paid. So, we took a number and waited for a different person upstairs. Finally about 40 minutes later (and there was only one person in front of us, but it was a young attractive male being helped by two young females) we got to talk to someone else. She was a little more knowledgable, although my friend also found that she could ask the same question twice (or more) and receive different answers from the same person. Anyway, it seems that I had never received a bill that was sent out in December, but that still was not the entire problem. It took the supervisor to finally determine that I had paid the amount for the invoice I had received due Jan. 21st, the amount on the invoice I had not received, and an amount that was owing from before I moved into the apartment. He actually gave me a listing of what I paid and copies of all the invoices. So, all was well I thought. Until I got home to discover that I had no electricity. I set out again to the first office to be told that my power would be restored within 24 hours and there was nothing I could do about it. I was really mad then and I'm sure I reinforced every stereotype of the ugly American. I was rude to an old lady who, in my opinion, tried to cut in front of me in line, and I raised my voice to the ladies behind the counter as I asked them just what could I have done to prevent this when I never received a bill and I paid the bill the very next day after I received the disconnect notice. They basically said, yeah we know, too bad. So I went home and talked with the conserje who told me that three other people in the building had their power cut the same day for the same reason of a missing invoice. So I headed out to the store to buy candles and a bottle of wine (I figured after the day I'd had I deserved that). But when I got back, I had power again. So, in the words of Shakespeare, "All's well that ends well." Of course, I still get to pay the re-connect fee. I have a friend here who thinks this is just a way to get extra income. Who knows.