Of a disastrous weekend, electricity, Convergence, and AT&T: An ain't-it-awful thread!1

[UTUSN]

This may all be a big coincidence. Or paranoia. So, first, a month ago this molar had a crack in it, possibly from chewing ice like a cocker spaniel I had long ago. The discomfort was mainly an ongoing nagging deal, with occasional spikes into outright pain. Never having had dental work done, I had to start from scratch in finding out about root canals and whatever. For details I won't go into, it dragged out to the month.

O.K., so the do-or-die date for the molar was for last Tuesday. But the Friday before that, the phone went dead, meaning no internet. The phone repair would not be here till Monday, with the threats that there would be charges if the problem was INSIDE and if a "pup" was in the yard. O.K., fine. So I resigned myself to being DU-less for 2-3 days, still, you know, able to play a couple of games of Spider Solitaire, out of habit in firing up the computer.

So, Saturday the computer went out. More calls to the three main outlets for this kind of thing. One was double the price of the cheapest one for diagnostics and wouldn't commit to anything less than a week. The middle one could do the diagnostic within an hour and a half. The cheapest would take 1-2 days. That night I was leaning towards the fastest one, but then decided on the cheapest because the geeky dude was the most polite and actually sounded interested and concerned. O.K., so Sunday I delivered the machine over there.

So, I was still able to do the treadmill. Until Monday morning, that is. IT went out!!1 I could still hear the "fitness expert" (salesman)'s words, "LIFETIME GUARANTEE!1 LIFETIME GUARANTEE!1" ringing in my ears. When I dug out the booklet, the warranty said that the STEEL FRAME is what had the lifetime guarantee, that the electronics and mechanical parts had a two year period. Well, of course the STEEL FRAME is for lifetime!1

So, the computer is 4 1/2 yrs old, the treadmill 2 1/2. But things started falling into place. Since I'm a geezer of the hate-Ma-Bell generation, I didn't know that the repair people for my different phone company are STILL Ma Bell's. By 2:30 P.M. Monday the phone was back. It was an OUTSIDE problem. My "pup" was inside. Who knew that Ma Bell would be the most positive thing to happen in 3 days?

And Tuesday, the dentist and I went for extraction, not root canal, since the molar was SHATTERED in multiple directions. It wasn't bad. The discomfort never rose to outright PAIN that first day, and was gone the next day--NO discomfort for the first time in over a month.

The computer took a little longer. Apparently the geek didn't clarify that he needed 1 1/2 days for EACH machine in line ahead of mine. He looked like a middle aged mad scientist, a brunette (whassiname, the confetti comedian, Rip TAYLOR). He called the 2nd day and said he had cleaned it up, that it was full of DUST, had screwed down the loose power pack and something else loose, and that it was now turning on, but he still needed to perform the full diagnostics. I didn't want to alienate him, so I bit my tongue with the empty socket and refrained from saying something about missing-the-forest-for-the-trees. If the thing was WORKING, why continue? Anyway.

So the treadmill is the missing link. I will not pay for service calls on this, oh, and the manufacturer of the thing went bankrupt. I need to come to terms with its being DISPOSABLE.


So, unless any electricians can explain why almost everything went out at the same time, I'm guessing it was OLD MACHINES (and dirt)!1 I really missed DU for a week, probably more than DU missed ME!1

[lizziegrace]

1. At some point you must have talked about money

Whenever I do, all the appliances (including the cars) get together and vote over which one has to die. And I've also noticed it's not all about money coming in, but money going out too. The appliances feel neglected if all the money is spent on you and your health...

That's the way I see it. ;)

Sorry all went to hell at once. :(

[UTUSN]

2. Haha!1 Thanks!1 n/t

[UTUSN]

3. Oh, but I read THREE books and started a fourth by the time the internet was back

Plus, did some yardwork in the newly crisp weather.

Thomas CAHILL's book on the Greeks (recommended by a DUer)----excellent!1 His other one on the Hebrews (not so concrete). An old one from 30 yrs ago, on the origins of tragedy in the Greeks. And another old one by NIETZCHE's biographer, Walter KAUFMANN, "Tragedy and Philosophy."



Could it be that time CAN be wasted on the internet? COULD it be?!1

[NV Whino]

4. It was probably the standard reason I use...

Mercury was in retrograde. I use that reason whether Mercury is retrograde or not. It works equally well for all disasters.

[UTUSN]

5. LOL n/t