Kevin's Watch

Hey Av, now that you've been in the new position a couple of weeks, do you have an update for us? Are the people as good to work for as you hoped?

*shrug* What can I say? It's work. A necessary evil unfortunately. But, under the circumstances, I'm probably as happy as it'possible to be. If you have to work, better it's under relatively easy conditions huh? Damn busy though...was spoilt in my last job.

--A

Today I am feeling a bit hopeful.

We switched from dial-up access to DSL a little over a year ago, which has been awesome. Getting to watch online videos, etc. Excellent. However, whenever it rains, my connection keeps dropping. Especially if a phone call comes in on the landline, even though we have filters on all of the landline phones. We rent a pretty old duplex, and never really followed up, fearing if it is the internal wiring that we would then be responsible for replacing it, or at least have to start bugging our rental management people to replace it. Since we are month-to-month renters with no lease, we prefer to lay low on things like that.

A few months ago the DSL totally dropped out for over a day, so I called AT&T. A workman came and did something to the box on the pole outside the property and while I still have drop outs during rain, it hadn't gone completely down since. About a month ago we lost our landline for a few days, yet the DSL still worked. Again, a repairman came and worked on the box on the pole and we haven't had a problem since.

However, over the weekend we had some pretty good rain, and the DSL dropped out several times, finally going completely out on Sunday afternoon. I called AT&T help desk, and they did some line testing. They finally said they would send a technician out...Tuesday morning between 8 am and noon. I was not a happy camper, but agreed.

Sometime during the night Monday morning, DSL came back up. But, I was tired of this, so didn't cancel the appointment. The technician just left, shaking his head...

Apparently, the housing is completely gone from the box on that pole that has been worked on.; it is only wrapped in some sort of plastic wrap. Every line to the duplex he tested is shorting out on the test. As much rain as we get here, he's amazed we have the connectivity we do have. But, he doesn't do the sort of repairs that need to be done and has placed a call in to the line repair department for us, and reconnected us in the mean time.

So now we wait.
But perhaps this issue will finally be resolved.

Menolly:

This is part of the reason why I dropped the landline -- I always seem to rent (or, heh, buy) older units where the phone wiring (among other things) hasn't been maintained, and the service occasionally would go walkabout (and I'd have to call and have them come out and fix it). The current apartment complex is relatively new so the wiring is, too. Right now I've got Verizon DSL and it seems to be working fine. (Knock on wood...)

aliantha wrote:Menolly:

This is part of the reason why I dropped the landline -- I always seem to rent (or, heh, buy) older units where the phone wiring (among other things) hasn't been maintained, and the service occasionally would go walkabout (and I'd have to call and have them come out and fix it). The current apartment complex is relatively new so the wiring is, too. Right now I've got Verizon DSL and it seems to be working fine. (Knock on wood...)

Well...
First, I'm anal when it comes to 911 calls.
We had a situation with Beorn where we had to call within the past year, and my understanding is that response time is several minutes quicker if called from a landline versus calling from a cell, especially if the caller is unable to speak due to an invader in the house, or choking, or well...whatever.

Second, AT&T told us you have to have a landline in order to have DSL. This is not the case with other providers? I really have no idea what is and isn't required. Plus, we qualify for the Lifeline assistance billing, so it is not all that much for our landline.

Verizon required a landline for FIOS but not for DSL. (Go figure.) Now, I believe, they don't even require a landline for FIOS -- but that may vary by market, and probably also by service provider, and phase of the moon, and who knows what else.

I hear you re the 911 issue. I might be more concerned if I still had kids at home, but at this point it's just me.

Menolly wrote:

aliantha wrote:Menolly:

This is part of the reason why I dropped the landline -- I always seem to rent (or, heh, buy) older units where the phone wiring (among other things) hasn't been maintained, and the service occasionally would go walkabout (and I'd have to call and have them come out and fix it). The current apartment complex is relatively new so the wiring is, too. Right now I've got Verizon DSL and it seems to be working fine. (Knock on wood...)

Well...
First, I'm anal when it comes to 911 calls.
We had a situation with Beorn where we had to call within the past year, and my understanding is that response time is several minutes quicker if called from a landline versus calling from a cell, especially if the caller is unable to speak due to an invader in the house, or choking, or well...whatever.

Second, AT&T told us you have to have a landline in order to have DSL. This is not the case with other providers? I really have no idea what is and isn't required. Plus, we qualify for the Lifeline assistance billing, so it is not all that much for our landline.

As long as there's an actual phone jack, you don't need a landline for DSL. We can't afford a landline combined with our cells, so we decided to use only cells. We got our DSL through Verizon (it's FairPoint Communications now) and they gave us absolutely no hassle. Though this sounds more like a wiring issue than anything.

Four stinking days left! My boss actually had the fracking insane balls to ask me to train the bookeeper to do my job. In four days. She hasn't even a rudimentary knowledge of cars. She doesn't even know where to add the oil and he thinks she can do my job. He's out of his mind. All I can say is I feel sorry for the nice people I'm leaving behind. This shop is gonna go down quick.

Cameraman Jenn wrote:Four stinking days left! My boss actually had the fracking insane balls to ask me to train the bookeeper to do my job. In four days. She hasn't even a rudimentary knowledge of cars. She doesn't even know where to add the oil and he thinks she can do my job. He's out of his mind. All I can say is I feel sorry for the nice people I'm leaving behind. This shop is gonna go down quick.

Just more proof that you're making the right move!

Feel like I'm getting sick.

Scratch that...I am getting sick. Damnit.

--A

I'm in your club, Av. Picked up a cough yesterday and have had a bit of a headache all day today.

Hope you both feel better! Hot totti's - that's the ticket!!

Get better both of you dammit!
Got a cheery call from Jenn after her post-apparently her boss got wind of a big celebration party at her work planned for Friday and let her go this morning, so she gets paid for 3 days and is officially gloriously unemployed! Said she should be comp ready and up on the Watch sometime next week.

Madadeva wrote:Hope you both feel better! Hot totti's - that's the ticket!!

You mean toddies. Tottie is something completely different. Ask Cj.

--A

why is KW giving me loads of error messages as I wander?

Damelon wrote:I'm in your club, Av. Picked up a cough yesterday and have had a bit of a headache all day today.

Ah the cough and headache bug! I've had that, Mr Seareach has had that, SoS still has a wicked chest infection (caused by a virus the doctor reckons so SoS has just being given a puffer for it...but the poor kid has been like this for weeks and not sleeping and is exhausted and no sign of the cough clearing!).

Anyway, yeah, I sympathize D (and Av).

Dumb lurgies!

SoS get beTTER!

Avatar wrote:

Madadeva wrote:Hope you both feel better! Hot totti's - that's the ticket!!

You mean toddies. Tottie is something completely different. Ask Cj.

--A

Well, either variant could make you feel better.

Well yes. Although one variant would probably be a bit miffed if you kept coughing and sneezing over her...

--A

Went to the hairdresser to make an appointment to chop off my flowing locks.

Me: "I'd like to make an appointment."
Receptionist: "When did you have in mind?"
Me: "The sooner the better, really."
Receptionist: "How about now?"

So there it is. Hair removal complete. It's shorter than I asked for , but never mind (though at first, when I'd just washed it, I looked like a villainous overlord of some sort).

Not that it'll be of any significance to anyone, but as I walked to the hairdresser I had 'Overtaken' from One Piece playing in my head. It's the music that plays when the main characters are walking into danger, often to confront some nefarious enemy.