Friday, May 22, 2009

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:
5_21_2009 005
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--
5_21_2009 030
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--
5_10_2009 002
5_10_2009 003
Aren't they cute?
5_10_2009 005
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.
memorial day 1
What's say we "meet" at the PBS Memorial Day Concert and string some bunting for our veterans--
Memorial Day Concert 2008

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

13 comments:

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

I feel your pain on the cable, Ruth. Unfortunately, I am not technically savvy and can offer no advice. Love your stash cleaning story - I have sat for hours surrounded by stuff, trying to get it organized and wonder why in the world I should EVER buy another thing..... I could open a small store but I never seem to have just what I NEED!

Happy Memorial Day to you!

Barbi said...

Oh my gosh can I relate to the floss organization. I know that I have to do it, and I know that it needs to be done, and I know that I should do it soon before I have yet another bag of floss to detangle and sort out. I just have to find the 5 hours to do it! EEEKKK I loved this post! Thanks for making me feel like I'm not the only one.
Barbi

Cyn said...

Hi Ruth,

I leave all "technical" issues to dear husband as I don't do hardware! I'm a software IT Specialist. :-)

DH's favorite story about cable is when we first bought this house each of the (many) hookups has 2 nipples (yep, that's what they are called LOL). The cable guy who was fairly new couldn't get the cable to work. He called in backup who figured out that one of the nipples was the cable and the second was to the antenna in the roof. No we didn't build this house or install the antenna. LOL!!!

I also know the joys of arranging/sorting stash as I've been working on that project off and on for over a year! Okay, I'm not working on it during all of my limited free time. :-)

I have the Rebecca Wood sheep and penguin! Love those guys. Actually so much I have one of the whole series! SAL anyone? :-)

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

CJ in OK ;-) said...

Sorry you had so many cable issues, but really you know you loved playing with all that stash. While trying to organize my things lately I realized I have to get the Longaberger baskets under control, so I could probably make you a great deal on a much bigger basket. Small kit storage problem solved. LOL CJ ok;-)

valerie said...

Oh, I feel your pain. Comcast sucks too! I recently discovered that my dual tuner Tivo got reduced to the equivalent of a VCR because of the conversion to digital. Comcast doesn't do Tivo's either so I'm stuck...until I get a new Tivo. Nice start on the sheep! =)

I can spend hours sorting through my floss and my BF wonders how I can spend so much time "playing with string". Ha...string!

Chris said...

What are you calling me? I love you too sweetie. And here I was thinking about bringing you some single malt, straight from its homeland.

Mylene said...

I am sorry to hear about your cable issues, hope it gets sorted out very soon.
It does makes me nervous here when hubby is away for four weeks and something went wrong with the cable as i don't know what to do, he does everything in that area.
I don't have that much stash to worry about stash organization.
Have a good weekend.

Carol R said...

Why does other people's stash look far more interesting than one's own?

Hope you get your tv/vcr problems sorted - but what I would like to know is why the back on my tv stand and my desk looks like Spaghetti Junction? Surely with today's technology there must be a way round 'cables'??

Mel said...

That is brutal about your cable!
I do hope you can find someone who can help you fix it without having to spend an arm and a leg.

Shelleen said...

ok, Dylan and I will come out there and fix you all up with your TV, cable and VCR, Dylan and I do it to our TVs all the time. While at it I can get you some bigger baskets for your stash and help you reorganize :-) Ok, Ruth now wake up it is a dream lol. I really would love to come out and stitch with you though.

Kathy A. said...

Hon, you always make me smile. We could have shared sorting threads and stash this past week. I have discovered that I have about a dozen threads missing form my huge stash of threads - that of course, necessitated going through threads, fabrics, patterns, stitching magazines etc - and an entire day!!!
I like you found all kinds of things I wanted to stitch that weren't already in my overflowing bag!
Isn't it fun!

Carolyn NC said...

Ouch to the cable - hope you get it sorted out! I call stash organizing an exercise in ADD (no poking fun here). I go start one thing and realize that BEFORE I can really do that part well, this part I just found needs to be done, and so on and so on. Got the picture? So it eventually gets put into place, but stays completely confusing to the unenlightened onlooker until the very end, which very rarely happens... But that's what goals are for, right? Good luck!

Ranae said...

Ack! What a horror story.
I love the pic of that mess ,lol
Nice start on the SB
Take care!!