November 7, 2008

Some would say I’m finally in the 21st century because—ta-da!—I now have high-speed internet. Downside? No email through the provider. Not that they don’t make it available, but they’re putting in a new system and it doesn’t work yet. Who do they think they are—Microsoft?? So I’m stuck with my old email for now. The on-line help guy told me to set up an Outlook account, but that doesn’t work either. I don’t have the time to mess with this right now.

The same company installed cable TV on our downstairs TV. That doesn’t work right either, but I don’t know yet if it’s the TV or the cable. Joe’s got to hook up the other TV and then we’ll see what’s up. Again, I don’t have time to figure it out, so I switched the TV back to satellite. (Never get rid of the old until you’re sure the new works.)

So . . . Stupid Cable Company? I don’t know yet. Up until this point, everything was flawless with installation. Everyone was polite and helpful and did what they said they were going to do when they said they were going to do it. We’ll see.

 

September 19, 2008

Got to get off the political thread here . . . waiting for the cable guy to call to tell me if he’s coming today. Of course since I’m on-line, he’ll have to leave a voice-mail message. (Can’t wait for that high-speed line!!) I may have to stop calling them the Stupid Cable Company. So far the service has been incredibly good.

An old friend of mine called this morning. Completely threw me off track work-wise (and I’m in another crunch) but it’s always nice to hear from her. Two years ago she was so seriously ill we thought she wouldn’t make it another few months, let alone for years. Now she’s doing very well physically and emotionally. We’re trying to set up a visit for her and an even older (as in long time, we met in kindergarten) friend to come up to Martini Rock. That should be pretty cool.

The ten blooms on my cactus aren’t doing so great. We don’t know if it’s the cooler weather or the lack of light, but the blooms are barely lasting past sunrise. Three opened Sunday night, two on Monday night. I think another two opened last night. We’re also concerned about what will happen when the blooms finish. The cactus my dad had bloomed prolifically just before it died. Hoping for the best here.

Joe went outside last night just as Jack the Beagle showed up. Last Friday he appeared at a neighbors’ door; last night it was our house. We called the owners, put him in the car, and drove him home. He’s got no electronic collar. But then the electronic collar for 85 Pounds o’ Love isn’t working right; he got outside his perimeter last night without a beep when he saw Mary the Photographer on her evening constitutional. So I think I’m going to buy him a new one instead of just sending this one back under the warranty. I don’t know if they rebuild them and that’s why it’s not working or what. It was so reliable at Foggy Hollow as long as the battery was good.

Cool day. Fall is definitely coming. Most of the hummingbirds are gone. We haven’t seen many migrating birds yet, but as Joe says, there’s plenty of seed around. No bears lately.

 

September 14, 2008

I know my readers are holding their breath, waiting to know if the cable guy showed up. Indeed he did. And he’s promised me cable!! AND the next day, in the pouring rain, his supervisor showed up to evaluate the installation requirements. I can’t believe it. If I get the “pricing and scheduling call” as I’m supposed to, I think I’ll have to faint.

Spent part of yesterday at a jazz festival in town. Met a drummer named Lucky; his quartet, X Factor, was part of the show. Lucky still lives in the same house he grew up in, with the same neighbors. Ever meet someone and feel completely at ease right away? Like you’ve known that person forever? That’s kinda how I felt about Lucky. Almost unnerving but nothing about him could make a person nervous. He actually made me feel kinda optimistic. Hope to catch a gig somewhere sometime.

 

September 10, 2008

Waiting for the cable guy to show up. Yes, CABLE! I may finally be able to ditch the Stupid Satellite Company and replace it with what has already been the Stupid Cable Company. The “surveyors” are supposed to be here today or tomorrow. When I originally called for installation while the house was being built, the first time the operator refused to take my information because I wasn’t the builder or developer (we handled the utilities ourselves and we don’t live in a development, but she couldn’t comprehend that). I called back later and another operator said someone would come out to survey the property. No one ever did and I never heard from them again.  Hence the saga of the Stupid Satellite Company.

But our contract is about up with them and—most important—we don’t have any other access to high-speed internet (Stupid Internet Service Providers). There’s also still the occasional “goes out in a storm” and it’s football season. So I called the cable company two days ago. After a long time on hold with some of the most irritating music I’ve ever heard (giving me a very large headache) and having to speak to not-the-most-polite cable guy, they said someone will be out today or tomorrow.

What’s different from a year and a half ago? Our neighbors now have cable (I’m sure for the high-speed internet) and so the cable company knows we’re here. Now let’s see if they show up.