Not long after I took these photographs, I received an email from Tim, who lives in Brooklyn. Snow had begun to fall.
Up here they’d said it would start around 0700, or noon, depending on which report you chose to read.
Currently, 1420/1st Feb, not a flake in site.
It’s hard to believe that just a few hundred miles south, JFK Airport is closed down and Tim says it’s snowing sideways past his 46th floor apartment.
“Tha’r be snow in them tha’r clouds!”
It will come. I suppose. Not that we really need more as we are still crunching through the last lot.
It wasn’t just snow I was waiting for this morning.
No, it was a service call from my ex-ISP.
Obviously determined to annoy me to the bitter end.
Last night the sky was full of contrails. I guess some people are still going places.
Anyway, my ex-ISP. I think they have only one person working for them because I swear it’s always the same dude I attempt to talk to.
So I should have been suspicious when I called on Friday and got someone different. Someone helpful. Who I could understand and vice versa.
The ISP has various bits and pieces of equipment that need to be returned. Mostly, not a problem. But one item is attached to their satellite dish, on the roof.
Now, in theory, Grant could go up and get it down, but inevitably he would not have the correct screwdriver, ratchet, spanner, whatever-the-hell he would need to dismantle the damned thing. Besides which, the company could claim we damaged it, or Grant could fall off the roof.
I’m not having any of that, so I called on Friday to arrange for a paid serviceman to come and get the thing. “Yes, yes, I know, I have to pay, that’s fine. Monday 0800-1100 fine.”
Sorted.
Like hell.
Also last Friday, at 0800, I heard a loud, obnoxious “TOOT TOOT”…”TOOT TOOT”…”TOOT TOOT”, which is unusual around here.
Usually at that hour I am clothed and would have gone out, but I wasn’t going in my night shirt, so I yelled for Grant, but by the time he pulled his boots and pullover on, the truck had gone off in an apparent huff.
It was the gas delivery I’d ordered, only hours before. Usually it takes 3 days minimum.
The problem, apparently, was that he couldn’t back his truck past the garbage bins, still there because the waste company no-showed the day before.
How rude. “TOOT TOOT!” at 8am. Walk down the driveway, man, and ring the bell? If I hadn’t been in the front room, I wouldn’t even know he’d been around. But I guess walking down the driveway doesn’t class as his job. You hear that a lot in an American workplace “not my job!” And they wonder why they all went to China.
Anyway….this morning I was watching out to be sure I didn’t miss the ISP service technician.
Who was also no-show. Just like in the airlines 🙁
This made me groan because calling those people is PAINFUL. First of all, the electronic voice asks for:…….. “the phone number connected with this account” and I know, from bitter experience, that their blasted system doesn’t recognize it. Nor does it recognize my account number, so the next thing you get is their mind-numbingly awful music.
Then, lo and behold, my old pal is back. The one who can’t hear/doesn’t understand me and sounds as though he’s half asleep. And guess what he finally delights in telling me?
That’s right: “You didn’t have a service appointment for today.”
“So when is it?”
” We don’t offer service to remove the equipment.”
“Then why did I get given an appointment when I called on Friday?”
“I’m sorry my colleague gave you wrong information.”
“So how am I going to get the device down?”
“You must get a neighbour to help you.”
“Nah, nah. If you want it back, you come and get it. I’ll pay the charge, just give me an appointment.”
PAUSE.
“We don’t have any service appointments available.” Forever, apparently.
Grant was in the kitchen so I went to relate this to him.
My scream sent Dee Dee diving into the cupboard above the kitchen sink. She goes in there when she wants to hide.
Those bastards. I just knew they would find a way to torture me. My new service costs $70 less per month for 100% better service. People must be abandoning the other ISP like rats off a sinking ship.
The sad thing is, they probably employ perfectly decent people, well except for my pal with hearing and speaking problems. But even he needs a job. Oh no, I hope he doesn’t transfer to my new ISP!
If it does snow, what are the chances my “snow man” will no-show?
Hi, We just now got home to our house in Pelham, MA; we drove home from Cambridge, NY. It didn’t start until we were in Vermont, and by the time we arrived home we had 2 – 3 inches. It is coming down steadily hear now, but they are small flakes. I think south of Cambridge is going to get more than you (for a change). We were visiting our new granddaughter and her parents. They have an instagram page called Caerluna Farm. It is really sweet, check it out.
Stay warm and cozy.
All the best, Annie Hondrogen
Hah! I will check out the Farm. Thank you. You stay safe too.
I understand your pain…. I know I still have good hearing and understanding, but the folks in “tech support” are generally a strain on the brain trying to understand them and an annoyance with their lack of timing when it comes to appointments…
I cancelled DISH early last year and mailed the indoor stuff they they wanted back – but they said just to leave the thing on the roof where it was… which is where it sits to this day… Maybe they really don’t want your’s back???
Best of luck – I am enjoying your snow and critter photos…
The dish stays but there’s a device attached. It can stay there and rot for all I care 🙂
Tell the old ISP that should they not come and remove their gear in a reasonable timeframe, you will consider it abandoned and dispose of it as you see fit. This should wake them up if the gear has any value.