i could be happy
05 November 2009 @ 11:04 am
Comcast and I are done. DONE. I have to take in my equipment on Saturday and then I will be washing my hands of them.

Which of course means no cable or internet at home but honestly, that's okay. I've looked into Qwest but to get their deal you have to have Windows Live (at least, that seems to be the case if you don't also have a phone line, which I don't want). Having a Mac, and an older one that doesn't support Windows OS like the newer ones can, this doesn't seem like a viable option. And honestly, I'm sort of at the point that I don't really want to be spending money on this. I very much like the idea of taking the money that I was giving Comcast for their disservices and putting it towards paying off a new laptop.

Anyway, the last straw was the fact that they're charging me a $27 "service" fee on top of my regular bill. What service did they provide, you ask? Well, you may remember in October, I had my "signal leakage" problem. A problem that was determined to be caused by my television set and not any of their equipment. But because the technicians came out and had to "replace equipment" according to the service logs (which they did not) and I did not agree to pay their ridiculous "service protection plan" when I first signed up with Comcast, they can charge me a service fee. Yes. They're charging me almost $30 because their equipment wasn't broken. And despite the numerous and inventive ways I tried to get this across to the very patient woman on the phone, there was no budging, no attempts at working with the customer. When I finally said "Can you transfer me to someone so I can cancel my service" and she sent me to the "Loyalty Retention Department" the other very nice, patient lady there had absolutely no problems with me cancelling my service. I expected to have to fight tooth and nail, but I explained that I was unhappy at being charged a service fee when no service was given (because there wasn't any problem to fix) and that I no longer wanted to give them my money, she was like "Okay, here's the address for the office where you can turn in your equipment." So on top of the fee that they're still charging me, they made absolutely no attempt to negotiate or really understand where I was coming from, and so, we are finished.

edit: Oho, to add fuel to the fire, I just re-read the comment that the Comcast National Customer Service representative left on that first post I made about the service outage. It states that he would make sure my account was credited for the loss of service. According to my math, that did not happen either. But since I can't view my online bill, because the email account and/or the password they gave me for viewing my account online DON'T WORK, I can't double-check to see if I was actually credited for that loss of service due to nothing being wrong with the equipment.

It's been hours since I talked to them and I'm still mad. This just the worst customer service I've ever encountered. I should just let it go. Deep breaths. Knitting tonight. All is well.

And any time I feel sad that I can't watch TV or screw around on the internet immediately (because let's face it, there's no shortage of places offering free wi-fi, I just have to go to them) I will think of this or possibly one of these and be happy. I can also look forward to more reading time, more knitting time, more Netflix time, etc. If any of you ever come visit me, you'll just have to understand my new "bohemian" lifestyle. ;)

In other news, I had dreams of things catching on fire. Like, an electric pole getting struck by lightning, catching fire, and then setting fire to trees around it. Or a wall in my parents' house (which wasn't actually my parents' house, but it was in the dream) having an electrical fire. To my recollection, I've never had such dreams, so this is odd.

To end this on a good note, I finally published my first pattern, a scarf, and it's being quite well-received for a no-name, first-time designer (at least, in my opinion, the numbers I'm seeing make me very happy).
 
 
Current Mood: angry
 
 
i could be happy
30 September 2009 @ 05:03 pm
I have been trying and trying to catch up with you all, and being busy at work and having my parents in town is just making this impossible, so I give up. If, in the last few days, you've said anything mind-blowing, earth-shattering, or just really really funny that you think I'd get a kick out of, please let me know. Otherwise, I'm just going to hope that all of you are having fabulous lives, and start over at some point.

Anyway, what's new. My parents are still in town. On Saturday, we drove up to Poudre Canyon and the Great Stupa at Shambhala Mountain. I'm not sure I was liberated upon seeing but maybe I was and just didn't realize. We also went to dinner with [info]myras_girls and her hubby, during which the aforementioned hilarity ensued. On Sunday, we drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park, and there was SNOW. It doesn't count as part of SnowWatch 2009 because it a) wasn't falling and b) was at 12,000 feet instead of right outside my door. We walked around Old Town Fort Collins on Monday and ate at the Silver Grill Cafe. Quite yummy. I took lots of pictures and am in the process of uploading them. I'll be sure to post some here when they're all up.

Yesterday, I went to work, but not before my mother did some slight rearranging in the kitchen EARLY in the morning, meaning I had two minutes of trying to figure out where my electric kettle had gone. They played golf and then she also rearranged my living room. She likes to do these things, what can I say? Oh, and last night, I also showed my dad the episode of Castle from Monday night (because they were watching football on Monday night), and he seemed to greatly enjoy it. Today, the plan was for them to hang around the house while I'm at work, and then we'll probably go to dinner, and then they're leaving tomorrow at the same time I leave for work. This will make them happy, as it's supposed to be rather chilly here tomorrow and they've been giving me grief for sleeping with the windows open. :D

Who wants to fly out here around the end of November to attend the Swell Season at the Ogden in Denver with me? You know you want to... I'm planning to see Vienna Teng on the 21st with Chrysta and Corey, and The Sounds with Sharon (co-worker) and her hubby on Halloween. I will go to the Sounds show by myself if I must, but I'm hoping I can find someone around here who would be willing to go with me (mostly so I wouldn't have to drive back and forth from Denver by myself).

Following up on my last "real" post, I have made a budget for the month of October and if I am able to stick to it, I will come out an eensy-weensy bit ahead. But not much, which is sad, because I would like to be able to put money back into savings. At least I have a plan. Plans are good, yes.
 
 
i could be happy
26 September 2009 @ 08:51 pm
Quick drive-by posting to share this bit of brilliance. This evening, my parents and I ate nommy Mexican food with Chrysta and Corey. During the conversation, Chrysta and I came up with the idea of doing the Lord of the Rings... as CARE BEARS. Gollum bear would have a shiny ring on his belly. Sauron Bear would have a giant eye. Et cetera, et cetera.

I just had to share.
 
 
i could be happy
06 September 2009 @ 10:22 pm
I have requested that Chrysta bring Joe Flanigan back from DragonCon for me. I cannot think of a better souvenir. Sadly, I fear that I may be let down on this request (though I'm sure Chrysta will give it her best shot).

This weekend has been a doozy. Thursday was a super stressful day, between some work stuff and then some dog stuff. Poor Kaylo made himself so stressed out over his parents' going away that he made himself sick, and as I was so swamped with work stuffs, poor Chrysta and Corey had to try to make arrangements for him to get to a vet and get checked out from the airport in Atlanta. He's doing much, much better now. I just think maybe he has some abandonment issues or something. Also, apparently my jeans has a flavor, as he is determined to lick them to death. Do not want. These are my new jeans!

I made plans to go on a Saturday morning hike with a co-worker, forgetting all about New Belgium's Tour de Fat. So I missed out on that, but had a brilliant time hiking up a little trail in the Roosevelt National Forest. We also stopped in the Colorado Cherry Company store (so much damage to be done there) and the Dam Store (less damage). And then we grabbed lunch at 3 Margaritas in Loveland and I returned to Fort Collins to do a little shopping, visit with the Vera, and then return to the doggies.

I bought purple Urban Decay eyeliner and mascara (and now I want this Book of Shadows business, too... darn you website!), as well as some silver nail polish at Sephora. Have I mentioned that there's a Sephora and an Ulta within walking distance of one another? It's no good, people. no good. And then I went to Lambspun and managed to walk out of there with only a lighter drop spindle (25g as opposed to my 79g spindle -- hopefully I can get some thinner plies with this one) and a niddy noddy and buttons for the sweater I'm working on. That store is a dangerous store. Okay, most yarn stores are pretty dangerous to me.

Today I had big plans for getting up, chilling with the dogs for a while before heading back to my house to hang out with Vera and get some stuff done. All was well until I got home, around 10:30, at which point I promptly passed out for about four hours. Vera napped with me, so I guess that was quality time. I eventually got up, watched last week's Project Runway (IMO, wrong person won, but right person went home).

So now I'm back over with the dogs and after a couple of hours of random barking and general doggie behavior, they're both sleeping on the couch behind me. One of them is snoring. I had brought my True Blood Season 1 DVDs with me, intending to knit and listen to the commentaries...but I didn't bring any yarn. I had yarn in my purse for a project that I need to work on, but didn't bring my purse (only my wallet). And I have a project here that I have been working on, but forgot to grab another ball of yarn. So I may have to actually just sit and watch the show... or figure out some other way to entertain myself because I don't think my hands can stay still that long.

edit: Chrysta, I borrowed your Zombie Survival Guide. Maggie curled up next to me while I was reading it, and then Kaylo got bored and laid half on me and Maggie and kept his back legs on the floor. I'm sure you wanted to know that.

I may go into Boulder tomorrow to hit up a shopping center with another co-worker. Gotta find a replacement khaki skirt, and I may buy some bright yellow cropped pants at Gap if they have them. Yellow pants are so in right now--go pick up the latest copy of Lucky and you'll see. *nods*

Oh snap! Apparently season 4 DVDs of Criminal Minds come out soon. *happy dance*
 
 
i could be happy
10 June 2009 @ 09:04 am
So last night, after Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was finished, I flipped around the TV stations looking for something to have on in the background while I worked to a stopping point in a knitting project. Let me tell you all: Tuesday night TV in the summer is bleak.

Anyway, I ended up on Sci Fi, which was showing an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, which I never really watched but figured "well, why not."

AHA I haven't cracked myself up more in a long time. So the evil race of Aliens were called the Ossarians. Except every time a character said it, it sounded like Yossarian which is the name of the lead character in Catch-22. IT IS DIFFICULT TO TAKE AN ALIEN RACE SERIOUSLY WHEN YOU'RE IMAGINING THEM STUFFING CRABAPPLES IN THEIR MOUTHS.

AND THEN, as if that wasn't enough, the Enterprise were following the (y)Ossarian ship and went through a cloaking cloud-like thingy, and upon exiting the cloud-like thing, and, well, I'm going to let the Star Trek wiki explain it:

They then pass through a cloaking barrier and exit to see a huge sphere. It is nineteen kilometers in diameter and constructed of a single alloy. Archer orders them in closer.


So of course, if you're me, and you've lived with [info]theemdash and [info]jedimara77, you immediately think "IT'S NOT A MOON IT'S A SPACE STATION."



Tee hee!

Edit: This post in that blasted community compares Captain Kirk (2009 version) to John Crichton. ...I'll be in my bunk.
Tags: ,
 
 
i could be happy
So I knew that The Sounds were touring with No Doubt, and I chose to not go to their Tampa show because I didn't really want to pay $80 for tickets to see three bands that I've already seen at least once (Paramore was the other opener, and I've already seen the Sounds twice).

BUT WHAT I APPARENTLY DIDN'T KNOW IS THAT THEY ARE TOURING IN SUPPORT OF THEIR NEW ALBUM. *headdesk*

Hopefully they'll do another tour over here, where they're headlining instead of supporting. I'm listening to the album on MySpace, and it's really good. A little more "mature" than Dying to Say This To You was and with maybe some more staying power? It's out on vinyl, too, but I have no idea if there's any store over here that gets new vinyl (how sad). I may have to call Park Ave to see if they have it on vinyl and then drive over to Orlando to buy it. But I think I'll be stopping at Best Buy this evening to pick up the CD so that I can put it on my iPod (unless anyone feels like *cough* being generous?)

OH, I foresee this becoming the soundtrack to many a Living Room Dance Party.

ETA: Oh, Maja of the Endless Legs.

 
 
i could be happy
Ah ah ah so much to do so not enough time need LISTS.

Friday:
-Wind yarn for February Lady Sweater
-Swatch for February Lady Sweater
-6:45 pre-wedding/post-hellish week pedicure (OMGYAY) (OMG should probably do a quick shave, even though legs aren't that bad)
-Work on Alice socks
-Block Kate's scarf so it can start drying


HO LOOK AT THAT PRODUCTIVITY PEOPLE AND IT'S NOT EVEN 8:30. I even cast on and knit the first three rows of the FLS. I amaze myself. Also, my legs are soft and smooth and toenails are a pretty orangey-pink for summer.

Saturday:
-Work on commissioned Baby Booties
-Work on Alice socks
-Photoshoot at the beach for Michelle's maternity photos (so nervous! I don't know a lot about portrait shooting)
-Possible trip to Joann's for knitting needles and buttons for baby booties

-CLEAN
-Catch up on TV, preferably while working on one of those knitting projects
-Beta one chapter of the two in my queue


Sunday:
-Star Trek in the AM for cheap, because if I don't see it this weekend I'll probably forget all about it until it comes out on DVD
-MORE KNITTING
-MORE CLEANING

-Beta the other chapter
-maybe laundry?

Monday:
-Work
-Post office at lunch to mail Kate's scarf, baby booties, pick up postcard stamps (OH HEY THAT REMINDS ME)
-WW meeting
-MORE KNITTING


Tuesday:
-Work
-Leave work early for hair cut (should probably tell boss about that, oops!)
-Laundry if it wasn't done Sunday
-Make packing list
-Re-block Chrysta's shawl


Wednesday:
-Work
-Bring Office Amy to my apartment to show her where Vera's food and whatnot are kept (REMEMBER TO GIVE HER THE KEY)
-PACK
-Watch Criminal Minds to make sure they don't do what the preview threatens (because I am obviously in a position to "fix" it if it does...)

Thursday:
-Wake up early, get ready, drive to Orlando, get on plane, forget about everything for five whole days

It's probably not such a bad thing that I seem to have a bit of insomnia right now, eh?
 
 
Current Music: the sundays - wild horses