September 16th

QUICK UPDATE

I haven't blogged lately. My bad. After Durango died I fostered a young dog named Kirby. Sweet little thing, but I did the happy dance when he was adopted. He was still in the chewing phase, and I'm out one remote control and a couple of shoes. Now Apollo (handsome fellow pictured above) is hanging out here. Nice guy, much calmer than the Kirby-Monster. I hurt my back and didn't feel like doing anything but mope around for two weeks. Better now, need to get back out and take some pictures this week. Maybe tomorrow. The Tweeker-House has been completely untweeked, and is up for sale. I'll get around to posting a recap of the History of Tweeker House one of these days.

BUT NOW, I MUST RANT A BIT

Cox Communications SUCKS! I have more than one story to tell about them, and they have put me into a really pissy mood, so I'm telling.

My old TV had a broken internal tuner (wouldn't go above channel 10) so I had a cable box. When I moved here I was told to just bring my box with me and continue to use it. No problem. But, when the service guys came to hook up the cable they brought another box. I told them I didn't need it, but they said "Oh well, now you have two" and refused to take it back. No problem for a few years until Cox Communications (who suck, BTW) started billing me for two boxes. I called them, endured the most annoying phone tree system in existence, and finally was able to get to a real person. I told them the story, and they told me that in order to no longer be charged for a box that I wasn't using, hadn't asked for and their employees insisted on leaving at my house I had to go out of my way and bring it back to their office. Uh, no. I finally convinced them (although it wasn't pleasant or easy) that the proper and polite thing for them to do would be to come get it since it was their mistake that I had it. They did, but it took two more months, and two more phone calls and two more encounters with the most annoying phone tree system in existence for them to acknowledge that they had it and to stop billing me for it.

A few months ago that TV finally died completely. I wasn't going to complain about being billed for a box that I wasn't using, I figured that I should unhook it and take it back but hadn't gotten the enthusiasm worked up to do it. A couple of weeks ago I got a letter from Cox Communications (have I said that they suck?) saying that that old box would be disabled and that they were going to send me a new one, but to call if I didn't need it. I called immediately, and of course once again endured the most annoying phone tree system in existence. As is usual when calling Cox Communications (the cable company that sucks!) the reason that they told me to call wasn't one of their choices, and it takes five steps to get to talk to a person. Come on you morons! If I'm not calling to order new service the first two times I'm presented with a menu of irrelevant choices, what are the chances that I'm going to be calling to order new service when I get to the third, fourth or fifth list of irrelevant choices? Did I just forget the first four times, or are you hoping that if you keep asking I'll change my mind? So, once again I was finally able to talk to a human, and told her not to send the new box. According to her there wasn't even an order on my account to do that, and she was surprised that I had received the letter, but she assured me that the new box would not be sent. Of course, they wanted me to bring back the old one, but she did finally agree to send a return label for it because the letter said that they would do that.

Guess what's sitting on my doorstep? BINGO! The new box, that I don't want, don't need and was assured that they wouldn't send. Back to the phone, and the most annoying phone tree system in existence, and I finally get a person. I won't call this one human, she was a snooty bitch and when I told her so she hung up on me. Okay, now I'm really pissed at Cox Communications (who suck) because I have to endure their phone tree AGAIN. And, their "solution" for their screw up is for ME to take care of fixing it.

Uh, no. Your stupid box is sitting on my doorstep. You sent it after you promised you wouldn't, getting it back is YOUR problem. Hope the neighborhood hooligans don't make off with it before you pull your heads out and take care of your screw up.