Small Town Life!

Funny story - Happened today!
I bought this new home in September.  It's in Mullet (Lake) Township.  Up here (and maybe where you are too - wouldn't know as I never paid bills) we get a tax bill twice a year, winter and summer.  The other day I got mine for winter.  I put it aside until after the holidays.  Today I organized 2011 for tax purposes and set up 2012.  So I opened my tax bill.  I had 3 of them!!!!!  I wondered with the heck was goin' on.  There's a different description of the property and property code number on each one.  There's also the name of the Mullet Township Treasurer (will remain anonymous) and a phone number.  After reading the 3 tax bills several times I called the number.  A man answered the phone and I asked for the name on the paper.  The man who answered shouted "It's a tax person".  He told me she'd be with me in a minute.  The good news is I wasn't put on hold.  For some reason I don't think the phone had a hold button!  The bad news is I could hear the two of them talking and sounding like they were clearing the table of dishes.  He told me once again she'd be right with me.  

She picks up the phone and says (I kid you not!!!!) "What do you want?"  I was a bit flabbergasted and quickly gave her my name and told her I had received 3 tax bills on 3 different pieces of real estate.  Could she explain this to me?  She asked where I lived and I told her and she then said, "Oh, you live up by Susan (not real name).  You're the lady from Kentucky."  I told her I didn't know Susan but I did live on top of the hill.  So we began by me giving her the property code number on the first bill.  She says wait a minute as she is obviously entering this number on a computer.  After a few minutes of no conversation, she says "Dang! I hate this computer.  It did this yesterday too.  Gimme that number again."  And I did.  She then says "Honey, bring me the book."  I ask her if she's speaking to me.  She says "No, I don't know you so I wouldn't call you honey."  "Honey" is apparently her husband who answered the phone and her office is in their home.  Wonderful!

Let me share with you that it took another 30 minutes to figure this out with lots of "Honey" this and "honey" that.  She has a property deed book at home and while she is talking on the phone, he turns the pages of the book.  It turns out all 3 bills are mine.  One is for the house, one is for the boathouse across the road and the other one is for a separate lot below the hill before you cross the road!  I asked if I couldn't consolidate all these bills into one and she said I would have to appear before the township at one of the monthly meetings to get approval.  Dare I?????

Anyway, at the end of the conversation she said "That's it Honey."  I couldn't resist and asked if she was calling me "Honey" now since we'd been on the phone for so long.  She said no and then goodbye.  As she was disconnecting the call I heard her say (to Honey), "That woman's crazy!"

If I had grown up in a small town I'm sure I wouldn't have appreciated it.  I'm so glad this small town experience was saved for me until now!