A Horror Story

[desertgrandma]

So, I wake up at 5:30 this morning, stumble thru the house, figure I might as well do some important computer work (yeah, check mobileread), and imagine my shock and horror when I realize I HAVE NO INTERNET ACCESS! Okay, after that initial shock wears off, I figure......well, lets watch the TV. NOPE! And guess what, the landline phone isn't working either. This is what happens when you have all three, cable, internet and phone, from one company, and some idiot takes out a transformer or where-ever they keep their secret power source. So now I'm wandering around the house, whimpering, feeling completely out of touch with humanity. I can't even read the newspaper, I do that online!! Husband is still sleeping, (the dog!), and the cat is too..........So, I curled up with my Kindle and lived happily ever after.........

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Something to look forward to...

I recently switched my net, phone and cable to one provider, a process of psychological castration much akin to last night's episode of Dirty Jobs, where host Mike Rowe had to castrate sheep by biting, yes, biting off their testicles. I would only have done this because of the constant frustration with my last provider, with whom I had simply had it up to here (see hand poised above head), and had to ditch lest I go out and kill an innocent bystander.

However, I do not look forward to my service calls with my new provider... past calls have always been accompanied by spooky organ music, wolf's howls, insane cackles and "Bwah-hah-hahs" at the other end. (It may have been my imagination... after all, every time I had to call them, I was insane with anger and probably not in my right mind.)

Yes, online, phone and cable providers always get my vote for the organizations most likely to wake up and find an angry mob with torches and pitchforks on the doorstep (and, in fact, I have volunteered for such duty many, many times)...

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Something to look forward to...

I recently switched my net, phone and cable to one provider, a process of psychological castration much akin to last night's episode of Dirty Jobs, where host Mike Rowe had to castrate sheep by biting, yes, biting off their testicles. I would only have done this because of the constant frustration with my last provider, with whom I had simply had it up to here (see hand poised above head), and had to ditch lest I go out and kill an innocent bystander.

However, I do not look forward to my service calls with my new provider... past calls have always been accompanied by spooky organ music, wolf's howls, insane cackles and "Bwah-hah-hahs" at the other end. (It may have been my imagination... after all, every time I had to call them, I was insane with anger and probably not in my right mind.)

Yes, online, phone and cable providers always get my vote for the organizations most likely to wake up and find an angry mob with torches and pitchforks on the doorstep (and, in fact, I have volunteered for such duty many, many times)...

I think this is why you have to push 1,493 buttons before you are allowed to speak to a live human being. They want to give you time to cool off. At least this time they said they had a tech on the way to 'see what the problem is.'. Once before I called, and was told, "Well, I don't see anything wrong on this end, (Nothing is working, idiot!), I"m sorry but we need three calls before we can send a tech out" WHAT???? So I"m outside at 7:30, knocking on those few neighbors door that I know, asking them to please call Cox .......Then when I told my husband that, he placed a call himself. He wasn't as nice as me.

[vivaldirules]

Glorious day, dg. You might want to do this again now and then. Just hit the main breaker and tell your husband that you think you heard a transformer blow down the street. The most serene time I've spent in the past year was the afternoon and evening after Ike took out our power.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

I think this is why you have to push 1,493 buttons before you are allowed to speak to a live human being. They want to give you time to cool off.

Guess what? It doesn't work. It only makes it more likely that I will disconnect in frustration before reaching someone... and for the record, every time I do, I can hear strange, maniacal Vincent-Price-in-Thriller-style laughter wafting through the wind outside...

[DixieGal]

We have GREAT service via AT&T, but whenever we do need to talk to someone, well, I subscribe to the school of thought that says if you pound zero enough times, eventually you will speak to someone. It might not be customer service, might be the cops called to your house for a domestic disturbance, but eventually you will speak to someone.

[slayda]

I've been on the three-in-one type provider for a few years now and no problem with them. Had power outages a few times though. I did recently change to a different competing service that is cheaper "and" better.

DG, couldn't you "browse" the net with your Kindle?

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

So, I wake up at 5:30 this morning, stumble thru the house, figure I might as well do some important computer work (yeah, check mobileread), and imagine my shock and horror when I realize I HAVE NO INTERNET ACCESS! Okay, after that initial shock wears off, I figure......well, lets watch the TV. NOPE! And guess what, the landline phone isn't working either. This is what happens when you have all three, cable, internet and phone, from one company, and some idiot takes out a transformer or where-ever they keep their secret power source. So now I'm wandering around the house, whimpering, feeling completely out of touch with humanity. I can't even read the newspaper, I do that online!! Husband is still sleeping, (the dog!), and the cat is too..........So, I curled up with my Kindle and lived happily ever after.........

Ummm... How, exactly is it that you are communicating with us if your cable is out? Seems sort of spooky to read that you have no computer access on my computer...

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Ummm... How, exactly is it that you are communicating with us if your cable is out? Seems sort of spooky to read that you have no computer access on my computer...

Oh, did I forget to say everything came back on within 1/2 hr? Sorry about that..........

And why didn't I think of browsing on my Kindle? Because to me its first, middle, and last a book reader/downloader.....and it was early, and my brain still wasn't working up to its normal 35% capacity.........

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

Glorious day, dg. You might want to do this again now and then. Just hit the main breaker and tell your husband that you think you heard a transformer blow down the street. The most serene time I've spent in the past year was the afternoon and evening after Ike took out our power.

Actually, I remember one serious ice storm in Arkansas where we were without power for three days. Out in the country, and water came from electric well. Being from California, and knowing all about 'be prepared', we had propane heaters, camp stove, canned goods, and books and puzzles galore, not to mention quilts.

Quickly figured out that we could melt ice on top of the heater to flush the toilet. After that, life was GOOD! Of course, this was before we had a computer.......1992. Quietest, most seriously wonderful times.....except for those people who werent' prepared, of which there were many, and complained because the repair crews weren't working 24 hrs to get the power back on......

[RWood]

I have had satellite, cable, and Verizon FiOS for TV and Internet over time. Of the three Verizon FiOS has been the best. Great service, great techs (when they came to the house to install), and reasonable cost. The satellite service was spotty and the cable was slow when it worked at all. (I am only about a mile from the Cox head end.)

I think the worst power outage I have ever been in was back in grad school in Boston when the electrical power was out for about 3 days in a dead of winter ice storm. Thankfully we had gas heat from a free-standing gas heater in the living room and gas to cook with in the kitchen. We didn't lose any food from the freezer as we could just put it outside the window. Since we had a gas water heater we could even take hot showers. All-in-all, not a bad time.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Oh, did I forget to say everything came back on within 1/2 hr? Sorry about that..........

Huh... some horror story. "I was alone in the dark, and a scary shadow came up behind me! ...but it was my best friend, and she had cookies."

"I accidentally got locked in the meat freezer at work, and I thought I was gonna die! ...then my boss opened it a minute later, and asked if I'd had my break yet."

"I met Tom Cruise! ...turns out he's just an actor."

My brother knew a guy who would tell incredibly anti-climatic stories much like that, and he says it used to drive him and his buddies crazy!

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

"I met Tom Cruise! ...turns out he's just an actor."

He is? Do you promise?

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

He is? Do you promise?

Swear to God and hope to sign a 5-movie contract.

[digitalzen]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

So, I wake up at 5:30 this morning, stumble thru the house, figure I might as well do some important computer work (yeah, check mobileread), and imagine my shock and horror when I realize I HAVE NO INTERNET ACCESS! Okay, after that initial shock wears off, I figure......well, lets watch the TV. NOPE! And guess what, the landline phone isn't working either. This is what happens when you have all three, cable, internet and phone, from one company, and some idiot takes out a transformer or where-ever they keep their secret power source. So now I'm wandering around the house, whimpering, feeling completely out of touch with humanity. I can't even read the newspaper, I do that online!! Husband is still sleeping, (the dog!), and the cat is too..........So, I curled up with my Kindle and lived happily ever after.........

Be thankful, I've been waiting to get my service back for a week now. And I don't have a Kindle!