Three Hundred Twenty-Fifth Entry

Today was a not that boring day. It started off a little boring, but picked up dramatically after about noon.

I met up with ex-Lea & Brazers again for lunch today. Had a tuna salad sandwich from Eden Cafe in Hayward. I've always liked that place. Found out lots of old company gossip, including discovering that Karma actually does exist. Never burn your bridges...

I returned home to a box from Comcast. Apparently, if we do not get digital converters for our televisions we will lose half our channels come May 1st. I didn't really understand it, my mom spoke to the lady on the phone. So, they sent us two digital converters, and one digital receiver. I called them to figure out what to do with all this, and Tiffany basically called me an idiot and told me to read the instructions. Yes folks, everyone with cable has become their own cable guy!!!

I opened the instructions and all the equipment. I connected all the hardware to the three televisions we designated worthy of them, and called to activate all the boxes. Well, once you've called to activate, you need to wait for 45 minutes, and then complete the activation through the TV. Melvin was unable to activate the two digital converters, and said to call back later. I tasked my mother with this since I had to leave to go take Amy her lunch. Easy enough!

I basically run out the door with Amy's homemade tuna salad sandwich and a bag of chips and speed on over to Safeway. I wasn't too hungry, so I just brought a yogurt with me to eat while she ate. It was Peach...mmmm... I didn't use to like the peach flavored yogurt, but it's grown on me. Amy really liked her tuna salad sandwich. :) After our quick nosh, we headed over to Peet's coffee where I finally finished using my gift card. Yes folks, I used up the 30 cents I had on the card and got a small mocha. Starbucks mocha is so much better. Starbucks in general is so much better: tastier, quicker, friendlier. I'll bet the plain coffee at Peet's is better than Starbucks, but Starbucks wins every time in the non-plain bevs.

As per usual, we sat out front of Peet's, talked and tried to ignore the two Pomeranians that were almost as annoying as Freddie, my mom's pom. I encouraged her to buy a "chug" of milk and she did. Chocolate milk...mmmm. The second she started drinking it, the phlegm started to form. It really was quite fascinating.

I left Safeway and headed home. I got home to a frustrated mother and no TV's working. Arrrgh! I called Comcast again and asked them what the hell was wrong with our TV's! I was on the line for about an hour as the guy told me to unplug things, turn things on and off, push buttons, etc. Finally the TV in the family room started to work. By this time I was transferred to some technician lady. I told her that the receiver was working properly, but the digital adapters were still not working. She said I needed to call some number to activate them. Fine.

I called the number and "activated" the new boxes. No sooner did I activate the adapters, but the family room TV stopped working!!! WTF!!!

I read the letter that came with the stuff, and there was a website where all of the equipment could be activated. Why didn't I see this before!!! I go online to activate everything, and only the digital receiver is there. No wonder they can't activate the two adapters, Comcast doesn't even know they exist. I saw a link for Chat Help. I figured, all of the clowns I've been talking to on the phone haven't been able to help me, maybe the internet guy could figure this all out.

Meanwhile, Louis showed up because we were supposed to go to dinner, so I was trying to get this all done quickly.

Well, after over an hour chatting with Antonio.37071, the family room TV was working but still nothing on the other two TV's. Antonio wrote that I should wait 45 minutes for everything to kick in and "download". Fair enough.

I log off the chat with Comcrap, and I see Jen pop up on IM! I chatted with her for a while, Louis chatted with her for a while. She had a long day and was on her way to bed.

Louis and I head over to El Torito at about 9:15, 45 minutes before they close. Plenty of time to eat, chat and get out of there. I think that El Torito really liked us because they tried to keep us there all night! Oh wait, I think it was just horrendous service! It took about 15 minutes to take our orders, we were only allowed one glass of water and I guess we looked content enough because nobody bothered to check on us at all. Yes I know they were close to closing, and I know that there are other customers in the restaurant, but there were maybe 6 other tables there, and as many servers! And if you don't want to serve people after 9, then close at 9! I'm sure all the servers were out back counting their tips and smoking crack. I left a 4 cent tip. I have never left so little a tip. For bad service, I leave 10% minimum. They just caught me on a frustrating day...and they sucked ass!!!

Louis and I head back to the house and I do a quick check on the TV's. Still nothing. I give it one more shot, and call up Melissa over at Comcrap. She basically can't help me either but assured me that she has escalated the issue and forwarded the problem to a better equipped team of technical screw ups who may or may not call me within 3 days.

I told my mom we should get the DISH Network.

Louis is asleep on the couch. He's hella tired. I think I'm gonna do the hand-in-the-warm-water trick!

Scratch that...he's on my couch.