Long ago, when Heather and I were first dating, our quiet romantic evening was abruptly punctured by a shout from my Dad upstairs.

“Sue!” he called out to Mom. “The Tattered Cover has a website!!”

We collapsed in giggles then. We still do now, at the memory of the shattered mood. And it’s made even funnier by the fact that the story seriously dates us. I mean, everybody has a website now, right?

But I bet you didn’t know that includes 811.

I’ve mentioned 811 here before as the statewide “Call Before You Dig” line. It’s the number you call before doing any kind of excavation, to make sure that you don’t hit any utility lines. (Power and gas lines in particular can be EXTREMELY dangerous to hit unexpectedly!) The routine’s a familiar one: you call three business days before digging, the utilities show up with colorful flags and paint to show where in the ground their lines are, and everyone stays safe and happy.

But as with most things these days, 811 isn’t just about the telephone anymore. You can set up your location request online by going to https://www.colorado811.org/idig811/. No fuss. No muss. No struggle to understand a voice over bad cell reception.

Better yet, April is Safe Digging Month, which makes it a great time to remember the basics. So check out our own City “Before You Dig” page, which goes over what happens when you call, what those pretty flags mean, what a private line is and your responsibility for it, and more. That’ll help you be safe and keep an errant shovel from expensively breaking your water, power or NextLight internet service.

After all, some interruptions you don’t need.

On date night or otherwise.