Fricken Comcastic!

I was allowed to work from home today so I could get my car fixed and wait for the cable guy.

I have not had good experiences with Comcast so far. I am not a big fan. And if there was an alternative, I would go with it.

I do not understand why they have to charge me $40 for someone to "install" a DVR at my home. It doesn't take installation. It takes a couple of cables that I can do myself. I've waited 3 weeks since I made the appointment. I could have gone to the office myself, picked it up and hooked it up myself. This isn't the first bogus charge either.

So, my appointment was between 2-5. 3 hour time span. That alone is ridiculous. I ran a couple of my errands before than and came home to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

Finally, at 4:45 I call Comcast to tell them the situation and the lady asks, "Well it's not quite 5 yet, is it?" You've got to be kidding me.

She said she had no way to check the status but that there were no notes that the appointment was cancelled or anything.

10 minutes later I get a call from the cable guy himself saying he's running late, he didn't know how long he would be but he'd be here today.

The Post Office, the gym, and a few other errands I wanted to make will now have to wait.

This is wrong on so many levels. I would be the one to go up the chain and gripe, but I seriously don't think it would do any good.

Wasn't cable companies rated for the worst customer service; followed by cell phone companies?

***UPDATE***

It's 7:03 pm. Do you know where my cable guy is?

Called Comcast to let them know how ridiculous this is. Response? "Well, we do have an On Time Guarantee."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

So there's $20 off my bill. I'm glad 5 hours (and counting) of my time is only worth $20.

2nd UPDATE

It's 8:20. The cable guy called me 40 minutes ago saying he was trying to leave the house he was at asap.

I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the cable guy coming to my house after 8pm. What bullshit!

3rd UPDATE

The cable guy just left. It's 9:20 pm. He looked like he had been run over he was so exhausted.

He came in and looked at my tv and told me the DVR wasn't going to work, the signal here was too bad.

After going back and forth with him, I told him to leave the DVR, I'll hook it up myself tomorrow since no one is in the Comcast office to send a signal to it tonight anyway. He looked at me and said, "Do you know how to hook this up?"

I fucking hate that just because I don't have a dick, I don't know anything about electronics. Who the hell do you think wired all the speakers and components?

The signal is not good here. They have a splitter going from the living room to the other side of the room and upstairs to the master bedroom. Then they have another splitter from the master bedroom to the guestroom. You CANNOT split a signal that much.

The tv in the guestroom is pretty much all snow. The master bedroom gets the best signal it seems while the living room is dependent on which channel it is.

So, looks like I'll be making another date with Comcast to come fix all of this and I WILL NOT be paying for it!

Like Grandmother, Like Mother, Like Daughter

I am teased a bit because I have a sensitive tummy. Despite being a picky eater, the things I do eat often make me nauseous or ill.

But lately, it's gotten worse. I am the type of person that will lay there in misery before I throw up. Seriously, before the past few months, I could count on one hand how many times I've thrown up in life.

But like I said, until a few months ago.

Then, the couple of days, I have had abdominal pain. Sometimes it would be sharp and quite painful, and then other times it'll just be dull and uncomfortable.

Today, I've had the same along with middle back pain. Sometimes it'll be just a dull pain and then sometimes it'll be sharp and have me doubled over.

I talked to Morrigan about it and we looked up the symptoms online and she made a suggestion on what she thought it might be.

I talk to my mom later to find out she was in the emergency room last night because of these types of pains except 20 times worse. She's had these pains before where she would call me in tears, but I could never get her to go to the doctor. Well, last night it was finally bad enough. They gave her drugs to dull the pain, took tests and believe it's her gall bladder. She has to have an ultra sound tomorrow.

I also found out tonight while talking to her that my grandmother had the same issue. Why am I just now finding this out? Although, I shouldn't be surprised. My grandmother (on my mom's side) had EVERYTHING.

So, I am going to wait it out, see how things go tomorrow. My insurance with my new company kicks in Friday. If I'm not better by then, I'll look at going in.

In the meantime, the simple over the counter drugs are not working. I wish my mom could mail me some of her drugs!

Three $2 Bills

On the subject of dreams and theories....I had an odd one last night/this morning.

I was somewhere...maybe a store, a gas station, I dunno. But someone was giving me change for a purchase and gave me 3 $2 bills. They placed them on the counter and pushed them over to me almost as if they were trying to be descrete.

I looked for meaning in the dream dictionary and had no luck in deciphering the message.

Electronics, Furniture, Cooking and More

Four days and counting until my parents get here so of course I am trying to get these as put away and set up as I can.

One of those things was putting together a new TV stand I bought for my bedroom. I'm usually pretty good at putting together furniture. I can't cook, I'm not crafty, my taste can be lacking....

but boy can I wire a home entertainment center and put together some furniture.

Well, so I thought. Things were going smooth, each piece fitting together right despite the poor instructions and I was even thinking I might post a picture of the finish productI was proud.

Until I went to screw in that back piece that looks like wood but is more like cardboard or something.... I had two pieces backwards which means I couldn't screw in the back piece. I had to take apart the whole thing to swap the two pieces.

Then it came for the doors. Almost done and then I could carry on with getting everything done.

An hour later...I still can't get the doors quite right. They won't line up...and they will wait until my dad gets here this weekend.

So I have to unhook the cable and my cable internet to put the TV on the stand. I set everything up, hook all the cables in and even tie them together to prevent the nasty mess that usually happens in the back.

I program the remote that goes with the cable box. Almost done...

Turn on the cable box...blank screen. Nothing. Can't flip channels, no snow, nothing.

I check all of my connections, tighten all cables, no luck. I check the cable in the other rooms to make sure they work, they do.

I pull out the instructions to make sure I didn't forget anything. Oops, I have to call and activate the box.

I call and activate the box. There are a few issues...a different name showing up on the box, etc. We get that all resolved, and all is good!

Now it's time to take a break and check email.

Hmmm...no internet connection. No biggy, just need to reset everything.

Did that. No luck. So after 30 minutes of unplugging, power cycling, restarting, repairing, etc...no luck.

So I call the cable company again. THIS is what cracks me up.

Pressed 1 for English

Pressed 1 for Issues

Pressed 2 for Cable Internet

"We are experiencing higher than normal call volume. Your wait time will be longer than usual. Please check www.comcast.net and click help with your internet connection."

Do I need to explain that???? Ugh!

So I'm on hold and the system tells me to make sure I've done a complete reset with the modem and the computer. I have, but I do it one more time....no luck.

25 minutes later, I'm still on hold and am still using every trick I know to get a connection.

Finally, I go to completely unhook everything, where I feel the IEEE cable is loose.

I promptly hang up with Comcast.

So, if I am usually good with putting together furniture and wiring electronics and I screwed that up today....

....maybe I could actually cook a good dinner or something.

Or maybe I should just file today away as a test of my patience...

Call Sissy, She's Taking a Nap

Is there a message that goes out to everyone in my phone whenever I take a nap?

I was trying to stay up so I'd sleep tonight but I couldn't motivate myself to do anything at all. So, soon enough, I was passed out on the couch. My phone must have rang 5 times. Depending on who it is and how asleep I am, I'll answer. But I couldn't even wake up enough to spell my name, let alone have a conversation. So I pressed ignore each time.

A couple hours later...my phone rings off the hook again. Same people. And I'm grumpy when I am tired and groggy. Not on purpose, my brain just doesn't function.

The world has not come to an end, despite the many phone calls. But now I'm awake when I really should be getting ready for bed. Ugh! So maybe I'll get motivated to keep putting stuff away, put together the TV stand I bought this weekend, cleaning, laundry, and all the other stuff that has to be done before my family gets here this weekend.

Filling the Fridge

The act of moving sucks. The planning, the worry, the packing, the moving, the unpacking, making decisions, getting stuff set up and arranged...it all sucks.

But one of the things I hate the most about moving is that initial trip to the grocery store. When your refrigerator and cabinets are completely bare except for that left over chinese or pizza.

So I made the dreaded trip, on Sunday. I don't know what it is that makes people feel like they have to do this on Sunday, but I am obviously not alone as it seems half the population was at the store with me.

I made a very messy list of items I would need that aren't my usual items. I looked through cookbooks for ideas of new things to try on my quest of not eating out anymore. So, as I made it through each aisle, my cart became more and more full. You would have thought I had a family at home. But I don't.

I think I may have figured out one of the reasons I hate to cook and/or hate to grocery shop. They make too many variations of things now. Sugars, oils, seasonings, cheeses, juices, ziploc bags....there are just too many types. Hell, I stood there for a minute looking at the 50 types of canned tomato sauces. I wanted plain tomato sauce; no added spices, not paste, none of that. Plain. It was in the bottom right side of the display. Is that not a normal thing to buy anymore??

And I don't understand the prices of seasonings. Seriously, $35 of it was seasonings, oils, etc. The stuff you usually only buy once. And that was with me still having many of the basics from storage. (If I get terribly sick sometime this week...we know that seasonings are not good packed in an outdoor storage unit in the Arizona desert for a year)

I got 3/4 through the store and was reminded of the days when my mother would have 2 shopping carts going through the commissary. There is no way I would/could do that. I'd make two trips.

Which so happens....I did. I had to be at home by 3:30 to await the delivery of my new kitchen table (and my first). A couple of aisles before the frozen foods, I had to just go with what I had.

I was missing frozen foods, fruits and veggies, and meats. That trip would just have to wait for later.

And I'm dreading it. If it's another $250 grocery bill, I will faint.

Bigger Than You

There are things in life that seem bigger than me. Things that I can't seem to put into words or share. I'd be willing....if I could.

In South Carolina, I started blogging as a way of sharing and talking through my own personal experiences. It seemed like something big or small was always happening, and I needed a way to share it...to get it out.

Once I moved to Arizona, I still had that same desire, but lacked the time and the patience. People and time kept me from my outlet, my addiction. I was in an unhealthy place, again. My 2nd try at Arizona, I thought I could conquer what I left behind. And I couldn't. And unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to talk/write through it.

So now, I'm in a place that I can't quite describe. I still have the desire to write and find myself sitting at the computer, wanting to put something into words, but I can't seem to do it. I'm not sure I'd call it writer's block. That's not quite it. It's a lack of words to do justice to what's running around in my head.

So the question is if this is temporary, or if I have just lost the need to blog and only hold on to the want.

Scrabble Saturday

So I'm in a new city with plenty of things to see and do. Plenty of bars, clubs, restaurants, etc. Plenty of good times to be had.

And which of those things did I take advantage of this Saturday night?

Scrabble!

That's right, Scrabble...with a girl from work and a 70 year old woman.

Good times had by all. No stress on what to wear, no rooms of smoke suffocating you, no hangover.

And for the record, yes, I did win!

Nap Time

I had planned on going to bed very late tonight so I can get more unpacking done and also so I would still be tired enough to sleep on the plane on my 4.5 hour trip to California.

I didn't intend on NOT going to bed. Before I knew it, it was 5am. I have to leave the house at 7am, so why tease myself with less than 2 hours of sleep?

UPDATE:

This was a bad idea! It's 6:15 and all I want to do is lie down and sleep...just a little bit....

And I can't take a nap until I get on the plane at 10:40. Damn it! Why did I think this was a good idea?

Blogging Young

I keep getting stuck looking at old pictures and stuff in my "save box". I'd probably have everything done if I could keep from going through everything.

I have put some picture boxes to the side to go through and organize later, but there are some things that just need to be looked at so I can pack them away again until the next time I move.

But one thing that I had to share, that had me laughing hysterically was my school journal from 2nd grade. Hmmm....let's see how much my spelling, grammar and writing has change... :-)

5-1-89

Ice Cream is good for you because it got's milk and it got's some other good stuf in it.

5-2-89

My heart beats faster sometimes when I'm laying down or, when I'm walking or when, I'm brithing faster.

5-8-89

This weekend I'm going to ask can I go to bo ginn and have a picnic. probley saterday if we go. I'm going to ask my parents.

5-9-89

My mother thinks I'm helpful, nice, good and pretty.

5-10-89

My dream vacation would be no school for 20 years and go all arond the world go to ever state and cotrey. I wish.

5-12-89

Mrs. Lewis gets on my nerve when I'm doing my work and she's ether yelling at the kids or talking to the kids and I'm doing my owrk that realy gets on my nerve. Uh! Hg

5-15-89

My mother had a special day ysterday because I helped her. I asked did she need help. I did.

5-16-89

During the summer I would like to help myself like save up my money for swiming.

5-17-89

During the summer, I'm going to miss Mrs. Lewis, music, math, spelling, homework, art and most of all school.

5-18-89

I am not going to miss work, homework, reading, pe and setting is desk.

5-18-89

I'm so glad today is Friday because no homework and we have fillds day today.

5-22-89

This summer, I'm going to help my mother clean the house well I'm going to try to. And cook dinner. Well I'm going to try to. And wash dishes. Well I'm going to try to.

5-24-89

If we had to go to the school during the summer I whould be so mad.

5-29-89

Why is it important to celebrate Memorial Day? We have to celebrate Memorial Day because some people dyed for us and are country. So thats why we celebrate this day.

5-30-89

Our Honors Day Program it's good. If we didn't have it we would not get honored.

[no date]

We missed writing in our Journal yesterday and I was sad. But today I'm feeling even Happer writing in it today.

Unpacking Tidbits

If you are storing your belongings in a place that is all sand, be sure to choose INDOOR storage.

Inhaling too much Windex will cause nose bleeds.

Thou shalt not look at every single picture you have when unpacking.

I believe boxes multiply when stored for a year.

Unpacking stuff you haven't seen in a year should fufill the need to shop a month week. Maybe.

There is nothing better than sleeping on your king size bed after you haven't seen it in a year and after sleeping on an air mattress for a week.

Here is a general shopping list of stuff you will need when unpacking to avoid going to Target/Hell-Mart 5 times in a night:

- lightbulbs
- batteries (of every size)
- papertowels
- Windex
- Clorox Wipes
- Dish Detergent
- Laundry Detergent
- Scissors or Knife (if you can't find where you packed yours)
- Beer

Oops, forgot the last one! To the liquor store I go...

Bad Timing

A cure for a hangover? I wish!

Something hit me about an hour before I had to leave work today that had me hovering the toilet at work. I already hate throwing up...add that to throwing up at work....blech!

And then throwing up in the trash can outside CVS.

All I know is it has until 8am to go away. I cannot be sick tomorrow!! I cannot be sick while the movers are brining in my stuff and I have to get in unpacked.

With any luck, I've seen the last of the toilet for a little while.

25-34

The other day, I was filling something out online, and it asked for me to select the appropriate category for my age.

I selected 18-24 and then stopped. And laughed. I clicked the drop down menu again and drug it slowley to 25-34.

Then last night, Morrigan proceeds to tell me that I was in the older bracket of attendees at the concert. Lots of young college students there. I often forget I'm not one anymore.

And last night, I think it finally hit me where I am and what I've just done. There was a moment at the concert where Dave Matthews was playing a song and behind them were lights and large screens that showed city lights at night.

This isn't temporary....it's permanent. I am not on a long business trip, I live here. I no longer work for the company that I have been with for the past 4 years.

I'm slowly crossing things off the list of all the things I've promised myself I'll do. Some of them earlier than I thought I would.

And it is here that I am in a good place, physically and in my head. Despite the move, a new job, new people, places and things....I am in a much better place.

I knew 25 would be a turning point of some sorts - insurance rates decrease, I don't get charged an extra fee or deposit to rent a car, I get a new age bracket on surveys, etc. But I had no idea that I would experience this much of a change at 25. It makes me a bit chary, but still excited, of what lies ahead.

See Dave Matthews Band - CHECK

Morrigan and I made it to the concert, despite rain, traffic, and the abundance of walking morons!

And boy was it worth it!

The tickets were better than I thought they were going to be. We were 20 rows back, in the center. Ah, they were great!

And let me tell you what a religious experience this was for some folks. I thought at times we were in a Pentecostal church. There was some great people watching! I guess when you mix alcohol, pot, and Dave Matthews....you see the holy ghost or something. It was crazy! Morrigan and I couldn't stop laughing at some of the guys that were all over the place! Great fun!

And the show was just outstanding. One of the best shows I've seen! As a musician, I was amazed by the performance. And as a fan, I was amazed even more. They had a great mix of old stuff like Crash, Ants Marching, Warehouse and others. They played some great new stuff that I haven't heard yet that I'll be excited to get.

And they played for 3 straight hours! The show started at 8:30 and ended at 11:30. No breaks, intermissions or anything. We were literally standing up, having a blast for 3 straight hours. I loved it!

I can't define my definition of happiness any better than getting to see something like we saw last night. I get lost in the show and nothing else exists but what I'm experiencing at that moment; no work, no chores, no irritations, not anything! It makes me miss being a musician but appreciate the knowledge and love I do have for it. And as usual, each time I see a great show like that, I leave thinking I should get back into it. Nuts!

I can scratch "see Dave Matthews Band" off my list now, after 3 attempts. And thanks Mo for coming with! You made it a lot of fun and I'm glad you were part of it!

So Close...

**UPDATED**

I've been a Dave Matthews Band fan since high school. One of the few bands that are talented, timeless can put on a great show with just their skills.

In college, my roommate and I bought tickets to go see them. We bought them in the spring but the concert was for the fall. Good seats too!

Well, that summer while I was in California, I was sent a letter from the college asking me not to return. So, I missed out on the opportunity to see them.

Then, 2 years ago for my birthday, I was visiting my family in Chicago. For my birthday, my mom bought my 16 year old sister and me 2 lawn seats to see Dave Matthews Band.

It was raining, bad! We were so far back, we couldn't see a thing. Then, people started to get ridiculous in the back. The smell of weed and watching the bongs go back and forth....not a good environment for the sister! Plus she was miserable in the rain.

So we left. After 2 songs, we made the haul back to my truck and made the 2 hour drive home.

Third times a charm, right?

I won 2 AWESOME tickets on E-Bay last Thursday. They are great seats, covered, up close. The auction went smoothly, the seller was very nice, and she next day aired them on Friday, meaning they should be here today.

I checked the UPS tracking and she indeed mailed them Friday. However, this morning, it said rescheduled for tomorrow. What the fuck?!? The concert is tomorrow.

Throughout the day today, I kept checking, and it said that it was on route for delivery today.

Well, it's 6:30 and still no sign.

I realize they will probably be here tomorrow, but after what I've gone through, I have this terrible feeling they won't.

UPDATE:

Tickets are in hand - I do not have to go postal on UPS!!
We have a 40/50% chance of scattered thunderstorms tonight....but this time I have covered seats!

License Plate Contest Results

Everyone had some great ideas for the License Plate Contest and now I can't decide what I want!

So view the extended entry for all of the submissions and leave your favorite in the comments.

Here were the submissions:

Spurs:

CalTechGirl:

Napster

T1G

Eric:

My Dad:

Death Wish

What's worse than going to Wal-Mart on a Sunday?

Going to Wal-Mart on a Sunday...the day before school starts!

Eh!

Home Remedies

The latest mosquito chigger bite count? 37....yep, 37 (gave up count) more than 40 red, dry, itchy bites...mainly on my legs. It's completely miserable.

The only relief is Asorbine Jr...but that only last for a couple of hours and makes them more dry.

My friend told me to put lemon on them. But hell, she puts lemon on everything.

So, I'm asking for any home remedies you all might have for being attacked by a large family of mosquitoschiggers!

Good News

I can blog now!

I now have wireless cable internet!! The air card is getting flushed down the toilet. Although fast, for some reason, it did not like sites ending in mu.nu.

Although not an increase in quality, there is likely to be an increase in the quanity of my posts. A new job, a new city, a new home, travel....there's gotta be some blog fodder in there somewhere!

License Plate Contest

In an attempt to feel more grounded, stable and permanent, I am quickly getting everything switched over from Arizona to Georgia.

This means a new license plate!

And I want it personalized! But I don't have a creative bone in my body.

So we are going to have a contest:

The Rules: (as per the state of Georgia)

Must be 7 letters or numbers including spaces

Must document a meaning and cannot be offensive, profane or defamatory (and no, they won't buy that 69 was my birth year)

I'll be announcing a winner Sunday Evening!

The winner's prize will be posted Sunday Evening and will be picked out specifically for the winner!

This could get interesting...