HoodedHawk

Right. Last Wednesday some Verizon workers were installing/burying my neighbor’s fiber cable, and they (I assume inadvertently) damaged/cut/frayed ours. Ick. Call to Verizon Wednesday night basically resulted in a work order for MONDAY, 8a-12p. No way they would get here sooner. I called Friday to confirm. Yes, still on. Monday came around, 12:30 hit, and no Verizon. I called, and after 30 minutes on hold (I am patient :) ) I got a live person and they basically said, oops, looks like the dispatch was cancelled. Great. They set me up with one for today, between 8a-8p, but “no guarantee someone will come”. Again, great.

Anyway, a technician showed up this morning, and laid new fiber. He called me to let me know he was on his way around 9:15a, and then called once he was done. The new fiber line is laying on the ground, and it “may be some time before it can be buried”. That’s an understatement as the neighbor’s fiber has been exposed for months. Still is (I have no idea what the heck they buried last Wednesday).

Due to the strike, it appears Verizon is calling in techs from, er, far away. The tech who fixed our problem was “on loan” from Verizon California. His business card even has a CA phone number. It appears that he will be around awhile, as he said to call him if an issue arises and he’ll come back to fix it.

I have to say, that we have had no problems with Verizon FIOS in the several+ years we have had it (Internet/TV/Phone). I’ll forgive them the delay in fixing the issue as they have a strike on their hands, and all the actual people at Verizon I have spoken with have been courteous and professional. But if I have to wait months to have the cable buried and it gets damaged in the interim (or when they bury it!), I’m not gonna be happy. At all.

So how is the service now? Just great (back to normal): 30Mbit download and 18Mbit upload, to a server 3000 miles away, on the left coast!

(speed test is via Speakeasy.net’s Speed Test)

Me: “Preston, what was your high point today?”
Preston: “Dinner! I LOOOVE Pepperoni!”
Me: “And what was your low point?”
Preston: “Olivia breaking my car tracks…”
Me: “Sorry to hear that! Olivia, what was your high point?”
Olivia: “Breaking Preston’s car tracks!”

At least she’s honest. I was laughing too hard (to myself) to get her low point. :)

I was cleaning out my text message archive. Some of them I saved, such as below. I have changed the name(s) to xxx to protect the guilty (some are months old):

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xxx: I have strep! 9:28 AM

xxx: Hi our mailbox is infested with ants. Do we have any more of the baits/traps? 9:29 AM

xxx: I turned on preston’s ceiling fan and his balloons are stuck in the fan stupid me :-( 4:56

Me: Do not ask a four-year old, “Could you be any louder?” if you expect any answer other than: “Sure can, Dad!” and the ensuing cacophony. Also expect accompaniment by a 2-yr old. 9:16 AM

Me: Olivia ate your sausage. 9:28 AM

For the past few days, as most people in the country know, we’ve been having a heat wave. Wowsa! This was the reading from my car as I was driving home tonight…The “heat index” temperature was 121 degress (a record High for MD). Sticky too – feels like a sauna just walking to the car. What’s even more sad? I had to wear a sweater at work today as my office was waaaay too cold. :(

I typically get to play golf about once a year. This year, twice in a month!

Last week on vacation at Chautauqua, NY: I shot a 133; losing ~ a dozen balls.

Chautauqua Golf Score

This week locally in Elkridge, MD: shot 80, only losing about 10 balls (we played Captain’s choice/Best shot :) )

Timbers at Troy Golf Score