Time Warner sucks

Yeah, like you didn't already know that. Honestly.

From that can you tell how my digital cable installation went? Sigh.

So I rearrange my hovel (no small feat at all, TRUST ME!), and I sit around past Mr. Installer's promised window of arrival because his first appointment kept him long. Fine, whatever. He arrives (nice man, really), looks at my current set up (cable from wall into VCR, VCR into TV) and says he's going to have to run the cable box to the TV. Fine, I say, I just still need to be able to tape shows and watch the tapes. And there's the moment where the trouble began --

-- He looks at me like I've just grown two more heads while walking out of my flying saucer. He's never heard of taping shows? Now, I've checked with the industry association and the US Census Bureau, and only about 64% of American households have cable. Only about 31% of American households have DVR capabilities. So, dude, VCRs are not unusual! Honest, they aren't. So he says that would make the VCR a splitter and I might lose some of the resolution and maybe some music channels. Fine by me, I don't need music channels, that's what I have CDs for.

He installs away. I have digital cable, cool. But wait, if I turn the VCR on not only do I loose cable, but I can't even watch a tape. Sigh. That, Miss, is not TW's problem he says, we don't do VCRs.

He leaves me with a non-functional VCR and the choice of the bliss that is BBC America versus having to watch all my shows live versus hiring someone to come in a figure out how to install it so it actually works versus telling them where they can stuff their digital cable box.

In short, Time Warner Cable sucks.

On to other news. Besides having to clean for the cable guy, I also called a Finishing Weekend. It was sort of successful. I thought (what was I smoking????) I'd get 4-6 finishes. I got 3 (or 2 is you don't considering merely ironing a finish. lol). And I can't even show you what I did since they are gifts. Sorry. Someday soon you'll get to see, I promise.

What did I do (instead of finishing).... besides fret about cable? Well it really all is Time Warner's fault. You see most of what blocked the path to installation was stash. So I needed to clear up my stash. See, I knew you'd understand! Stitcher's organizing stash work with all the efficiency of a golden retriever in a room full of squirrels on speed. Ooo, look at that. Oh, I forgot about that. Hmm, what could I stitch on that. Wow, that's even cooler than I remembered. You know. I know you know. You've been there right?

Sheesh! It took me an entire evening--- ENTIRE like 7pm until 4am just to "finish" sorting my threads. 90% of them were already sorted!!!!!! I'd think I had them all gathered up. I'd put them away. I'd find &#@*^$*#@ more. The 4th time I found more I said... well, I can't really say what I said because it was after 3am when I found them so I just shoved them in the rubbermaid bin on top of all the sorted threads and went to bed. Oh and who thought it was a "necessity" that I spend 2 hours winding bobbins and checking my DMC floss boxes that night? Really? Necessity? I think not. After all I ended up sitting on my fanny for 4.5 hours just waiting for him to show up. I could have wound an entire family of bobbins then. Sigh.

Because it's too embarrassing I did not photo essay the entire stash cleaning experience, but I did one sample. On the infamous installation afternoon I hauled my very unruly "small kits" basket (an idea I stole from Chris-- who by the way is going to England and Europe on a stitching adventure --- can you all help me say the appropriate word that rhymes with witch?) and started sorting. Let me show you the problem:

Do you see the basket?
Do you see how the basket is full of stuff?
Do you see the mass of stuff all over the bed that was also crammed in the basket?
Honestly I swear that stash-wise I'm ready for armageddon.

And, pawing through all these projects forced (by totally twisting my everso reluctant arm, of course) me to start something new--

That's Shepherd's Bush Fa La La which I hauled along on Monday to the dentist's. I was going great guns until the thread for the sheep's body turned out to be exactly the same color as the fabric. What with all my fights to get the threads in the rubbermaid tub-o-threads, I have been reticent to forage in there for some white Splendor to use for the sheep. Maybe next week..... next month.

Since we're discussing stash, allow me to share a couple things that came in from my TNNA ordering--


Aren't they cute?

I'm not sure how I'll like the tacks but I'm game to give them a try when a wobbly canvas is driving me nuts.

A final thought -- here's to Memorial Day. A day I actually get off! Miracle of miracles.

What's say we "meet" at the PBS Memorial Day Concert and string some bunting for our veterans--


Goal for this weekend: 2 finishes and a plethora of Beatrix Potter. Although I should probably needlepoint. Sigh.