Nothing is easy

I’ve had the same digital box and remote forever. I’m in the “if-it’s-not-broke-don’t-fix-it” camp.

About a year ago, the on/off power button on the remote stopped working, but that didn’t bother me. It’s good to get off the couch once in a while. Then on Thursday night, the channel selector thingie stopped working. And that was a bridge too far for me.

Bright and early Friday morning I called my cable provider. I looked at my watch and it was 9:15 a.m. I got through to a customer service person (and I use the term loosely, more like customer torture)

Hmmmm …

I’m having trouble focusing lately. My mind is very busy, wandering here, there and everywhere. I’m not particularly troubled by it, there’s a lot going on in the world in general, not to mention everything that’s going on in my own, little world, so I guess it’s to be expected.

This is a time of introspection and change, that I know, and I’m good with that. What I don’t know is where it will all net out; and I guess

I’m having one of those days …

… when I’ve got a bunch of disparate thoughts running around in my head. They’re all unrelated, but they are on my mind; and you know me, I love to share. So here goes:

A friend of mine recently wanted to change her communications provider. It should have been simple — two phone calls at most. One to the current provider, cancelling her services and one to the other provider, setting them up.

Turns out she was without email or voice mail for several

Sorry, but I’ve got to blow off a little steam …

Yeah, I’m crabby. I probably would have suffered in silence, but yesterday a blogging buddy wrote about being crabby and, at the end of her post, asked what made us (her readers) crabby.

Well, she poked the tiger, opened the door. Of course I have to share.

About 10 consecutive days of rain hasn’t helped. I know it’s sunny now, but I’m still not over it, 

You just never know …

I don’t know about you, but lately, everywhere I turn I seem to be confronted with bad service. With people who don’t value your business, who just don’t care.

It’s particularly frustrating and disappointing when it’s companies you deal with all the time, where you’re a regular, loyal customer. That really

Gotta share …

It seems that everywhere I turn someone is complaining about lousy service.  God knows I’ve had more than my fair share of it myself.  Well I’m here today to tell you it’s not all bad.  There is a flip side to that coin and here it is:

In the last several weeks I found myself running into a few difficulties with WordPress, mostly due to my own limitations.

Once it had to do with trouble I was having publishing my blog on Facebook.  From time to time we have to ‘refresh’

How do I love thee?

I’ve been having a wee bit of trouble charging my iPhone recently.  I suspected it was my power cord, but it is three years old, so I sort of had to accept the possibility it was my battery.  As in, time for a new one.  Which in my case is a major pain in the ass, because my phone is my office, my life, my lifeline, not to mention my alarm clock.  My only alarm clock.  And a battery can’t be replaced instantly in the store.  The phone has to be sent away for anywhere from three to five days.

Not good.

So yes, I’ve been putting off dealing with it.  But over the weekend the matter was taken out of my hands.  Procrastinating was no longer an option.  Because no matter

My idea of heaven seems to be changing …

What do I know?  Maybe I’m just having a bad couple of days.  Maybe I’ve got a case of the January blahs.  Tell me what you think.  Is it just me, or is life becoming way too complicated?  Is it just me, or is nothing easy anymore?  I’m not joking.  This is a serious question.

Everything is becoming a hassle.  It doesn’t matter what it is you’re trying to get done, or who you’re dealing with.  It takes way longer than it has to, it’s more fraught with problems and frustration then it should be and you’re left wondering why you bothered in the first place.

Should I really have to re-arrange every carton of milk on the bloomin’ shelf in order

Day 158. Great Expectations

I had no internet service Wednesday night. Not sure exactly when it went out. I started trying at 7:30. It was after midnight when it came back. It’s annoying and frustrating to be sure. But it happens and probably can’t be helped (I can just feel my nose growing. We all know I’m not this nice). What pissed me off beyond the beyond, though, was the unforgivably bad customer service.

Tried calling. Could I get through?

Can pigs fly? For the first couple of hours I didn’t even hear that ‘connecting’ sound. Right after I dialled the number I got a recording: “The circuits are busy. Try again.”

Why I even bothered, I cannot say.

Bullheadedness, I guess. Obviously I’m a glutton for punishment. And clearly I’m the type of person who might press on a bruise, because I’m enough of a sicko to think it feels good. If this is true, I’ll bet I’d have a lot more fun with Christian Grey than I have dealing with Rogers.

Anyway, about three hours in I was finally connected to their IVR system. Oh, how I love those. Even on a good day.

Well, this won’t surprise you. It was screwed up. Wouldn’t recognize my telephone number (which had to be programmed in