Another Opinion Among Many

And now, live and in person…

I’ve got internet access again. In fact, I’ve had it longer than telephone, since the cable company installed everything on July 2nd. The phone was supposed to be installed on July 1st. That didn’t happen. I called and got the repair department on the morning of July 2nd and they said that the reason that the phone install (which was a simple circuit connection at the CO – no visit required) didn’t happen is because “Customer Service” didn’t complete the order, and that they could do nothing until they finished (sound familiar, John?) the order. That shouldn’t have happened. I ordered the move on 12 June and even got our new number on that date. The order went on hold as the current phone was still connected (what those in the business call a WLI – ‘working left in’). I was informed that I’d have to call later to get the order off hold. Tis is standard. Seems that the previous tenants (before the ones who moved out for us) had not paid their phone bill – which resulted in a disconnect for non-pay on 21 June. So, I could have ordered it then. I didn’t know that, so I waited until 29 June to finalize the transfer of service (T and F). I was informed by a bouncy rep that I could have that done in 1 July. The order was put in but not completed, resulting in me having no phone until Tuesday, 3 July. Why? Because July 1 was Canada Day and monday was the leiu day for that holiday. The call center was closed. If I’d known that Aliant would screw us like that, then I would have made other plans – which I did after I got connected (another call from a payphone to a barely responsive and reasonably INEPT rep, who didn’t seem to want to work that early in the morning) by telling the agent that I was getting phone service that day or I was going to make other plans.

I made other plans anyways. I’m taking my business to the cable company. There are a lot of things that I don’t like about the way my cable company does things (it’s Rogers, the only choice around here), especially if you’re a tad behind on the bill. But, they deliver the product. Sure, they throttle P2P traffic because their network is inferior and needs an upgrade, but they deliver fast internet speeds at an OK price. They provide more for the money than the sattelite companies as far as TV goes (a switch from our American neighbors), and now they provide home phone service. What’s more, they’re in when you call.I haven’t not gotten my questions answered by a Rogers rep. Sure, they may have transferred me around a few times. Sure, they may not have had the answer that I wanted to hear, but they always had the answer – and not only before 6pm (which is actually 5pm in Aliant time, because they don’t actually take calls for the last hour – or the first, for that matter).

that was the rant part

So, Caleb is still loving life in Nova Scotia with his grandparents (and they’re loving it too). He gets to play with his cousin Alyssa (my sister’s little girl) and they’re getting along famously. Alone, they can be a bit trying, although Caleb really likes the attentionhe’s getting from Grampy. I think that my dad’s a bit regretful about not spending more time with us when we were younger, and Caleb’s getting the benefit of that.

Abby seems to like our new place, which is definitely a good thing! She’s already got her room all messy. I wonder how they are going to get along together in there. He likes a night light. She’s used to none. He wants the fan on (even in the winter) and she hates it. I guess that there will have to be a compromise. We’ll see when he gets back in about 10 days.

Our washer died before we left, so we were faced with replacing it. Turns out that our landlord has one that he is willing to loan us until we leave. That’s one down – a big one. Thanks, Jeff. So, now we have to finish decorating, etc. We just got a magnetic curtain rod for the steel door, as it has a nice big window. That little device was $23!!! Talk about niche pricing. There are still boxes to go through and the grout on the tiles in our new “room” that the previous tenant said he’d finish, but didn’t. That’s par for the course when you don’t like apartments that have it already done for you (AKA unnecessarily expensive to rent).

Otherwise, Ange and I caught Click and Salvage, which I may get around to reviewing sometime. But, for now, we are taking it easy between unpacking tasks. Moving’s for the birds, I must say. I don’t recommend it, unless you have no stuff.

Sorry for the away time, but I hope that my sporadic thoughts over the last week were a near substitute.

…and MrCorey has left the building, folks. You can all go home…