Lester Ryan Clark

Harrowing, Pete. Harrowing. Actually, for once, that's actually not true. What could have been harrowing was rendered relatively harrowless, if that's a word, by the two topics we're discussing today, kindness and patience, and the new word that I just learned, vapapasana. What is it? Vapapasana? That's too many. Vipasana. Vipasana. Vipasana. Vipasana. It's Vipasana. Okay, let's dive in. Yeah.

Harrowing, Pete. Harrowing. Actually, for once, that's actually not true. What could have been harrowing was rendered relatively harrowless, if that's a word, by the two topics we're discussing today, kindness and patience, and the new word that I just learned, vapapasana. What is it? Vapapasana? That's too many. Vipasana. Vipasana. Vipasana. Vipasana. It's Vipasana. Okay, let's dive in. Yeah.

Let me begin by setting the scene. I'm going to move this over here. For this hero-ish tale, we are going all the way back to November 27th

Let me begin by setting the scene. I'm going to move this over here. For this hero-ish tale, we are going all the way back to November 27th

2023 pete to put this bygone era in perspective the number one song on the billboard charts was cruel summer by taylor swift and the number one movie in the country was the hunger games colon the ballad of songbirds and snakes and for me that's still in the dollar theaters 100 this was not very long ago I just wanted to say colon Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

2023 pete to put this bygone era in perspective the number one song on the billboard charts was cruel summer by taylor swift and the number one movie in the country was the hunger games colon the ballad of songbirds and snakes and for me that's still in the dollar theaters 100 this was not very long ago I just wanted to say colon Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

As for me, on that day, I received a call. Did I answer the call? No. What am I, a sociopath? I didn't recognize the number, so I immediately sent it to voicemail. And I listened to it later that day, and there was a pleasant but bored-sounding man who said they were calling from the LADWP. That's the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. They keep the lights on and the water afloat.

As for me, on that day, I received a call. Did I answer the call? No. What am I, a sociopath? I didn't recognize the number, so I immediately sent it to voicemail. And I listened to it later that day, and there was a pleasant but bored-sounding man who said they were calling from the LADWP. That's the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. They keep the lights on and the water afloat.

He said that they had noticed that my bill was, quote, a little higher than normal. this cycle, and that if I wanted any helpful hints on how to reduce my electrical usage, I should call them. I was like, well, that's nice of them, I thought. I wonder how much higher it could have been. So I hopped online to check.

He said that they had noticed that my bill was, quote, a little higher than normal. this cycle, and that if I wanted any helpful hints on how to reduce my electrical usage, I should call them. I was like, well, that's nice of them, I thought. I wonder how much higher it could have been. So I hopped online to check.

Pete, as you know, and our avid listeners know, I live in a one-bedroom apartment with my dog, and I pay my water electric bill every two months. Is that how you do it? Is it every month or every two months? I don't know if that's universal. That's how they do it.

Pete, as you know, and our avid listeners know, I live in a one-bedroom apartment with my dog, and I pay my water electric bill every two months. Is that how you do it? Is it every month or every two months? I don't know if that's universal. That's how they do it.

Every two months. And my average bill is around $180. I don't honestly know if that's a lot or a little. It goes up in the summer because the San Fernando Valley is built on the sun, but it's usually about $180. And so I got that nice call message from that nice call man, and it was going a little bit over. I was guessing what? Maybe 250, 260? Sure.

Every two months. And my average bill is around $180. I don't honestly know if that's a lot or a little. It goes up in the summer because the San Fernando Valley is built on the sun, but it's usually about $180. And so I got that nice call message from that nice call man, and it was going a little bit over. I was guessing what? Maybe 250, 260? Sure.

That's just under six times more than my average bill. And that guy called to see if I wanted any tips. This is not where you get. What was his tip going to be?

That's just under six times more than my average bill. And that guy called to see if I wanted any tips. This is not where you get. What was his tip going to be?

Like, sir, have you tried unplugging eight of the nine refrigerators you just bought? Like, I couldn't understand what tip. Like don't use all 300 of the electric blankets you just got from Amazon. So obviously the meter reader guy read the meter wrong or she, my apologies, the meter reader person read the meter wrong. And so I called customer service and I wait on hold for 48 minutes, Pete.

Like, sir, have you tried unplugging eight of the nine refrigerators you just bought? Like, I couldn't understand what tip. Like don't use all 300 of the electric blankets you just got from Amazon. So obviously the meter reader guy read the meter wrong or she, my apologies, the meter reader person read the meter wrong. And so I called customer service and I wait on hold for 48 minutes, Pete.

And I know I'm in the right. And I know this is all annoying and I'm getting a little bit annoyed and And I'm waiting and I'm waiting. And the hold music I remember is somehow insanely loud. Like I turned my phone down, but it's piped in so loud there's distortion. It's like... So it's really hard.

And I know I'm in the right. And I know this is all annoying and I'm getting a little bit annoyed and And I'm waiting and I'm waiting. And the hold music I remember is somehow insanely loud. Like I turned my phone down, but it's piped in so loud there's distortion. It's like... So it's really hard.