May 30, 2008
May 29, 2008
Technology and Customer Service...
We got a new flat screen tv for the office. It's supposed to be used for watching client logs, etc...We rush ordered the TV from Philips, paying extra to get it there right away. Unfortunately, they sent it to the CEO's home rather than the office. We had to jump through four days of hoops to get UPS to send to the right address.
When we finally got it, we opened the box to find a beautiful TV, but no screws, mounting brackets, remote or power cable. We called the manufacturer. The remotes were back ordered, so we can't get that any time soon. They did have the rest. But they can't rush order it to us, because of company policy. We've already paid for that, but that doesn't matter. The power cord is different than the TV, I guess.
We complained and they said they could put it in expedited, which will get it up to 3-5 days. Of course, that would assume that they wrote our name right on the box. UPS couldn't deliver it (but somehow the post office was able to deliver the post card telling us that UPS couldn't deliver to us, even though the postcard had the same information on it). A quick phone call. They now had our company name and they're ready to go.
Three more days later, the problem is that there was no suite number. There's no suite in our address only a floor. Sure, the company name is listed in the lobby and by the elevators on our floor, but that's enough reason not to deliver our package.
Today, we finally got our package. Power cord, but still no remote. (Still on back order, I assume.) Unfortunately, powering up the TV, we can't get past the initial set-up screen without a remote. Wouldn't it be nice if the idiot on support that we talked to initially let us know that at the same time she was arguing that we didn't need a power cord for the expensive TV that we just bought?)
So today's recommendations are not buying Philips or using UPS if you need something.
May 27, 2008
FW: It's raining,it's pouring...
May 26, 2008
Train ride to NYC through Conn.
May 25, 2008
May 23, 2008
May 22, 2008
May 15, 2008
Aigh! Too many people
Claustraphobia too much. Left the cheering throng. Will visit when I can get in.
May 12, 2008
May 6, 2008
Spring Has Come, Klennex Stocks a Good Bet
The last few days have been allergy hell. Even with the allergy medicine in my system, my head is pounding and I'm stuffed up.
Gotta love the pollen.
At least one good thing is that next week, I'll be going to the allergist.
I can't wait to see if there's anything that he or she can do for me other than telling me to suck it up.
On the other hand, the sun and the flowers are a nice change from the grey and the rain.
Gotta love the pollen.
At least one good thing is that next week, I'll be going to the allergist.
I can't wait to see if there's anything that he or she can do for me other than telling me to suck it up.
On the other hand, the sun and the flowers are a nice change from the grey and the rain.
April 22, 2008
Another Reason Why I Miss the NHS...
As my faithful (or bored) readers know I recently got a CPAP machine. I just got the insurance bill. The friggin' health insurance that I pay into won't pay for it, though my doctor says that I need it. The most they'll pay for health equipment is peanuts, leaving me with two grand for my very own. Friggin' jackasses.
This is what I love about health insurance. You get it, you pay into it and it still doesn't help you when you need it.
Happily, I do get to act out my frustration at work. I'm now the anonymous 'Jack', head of software development. A perpetually harried and annoyed character that gets to snap at the idiotic headhunters that cold call us with what we don't want or need.
It's very freeing.
This is what I love about health insurance. You get it, you pay into it and it still doesn't help you when you need it.
Happily, I do get to act out my frustration at work. I'm now the anonymous 'Jack', head of software development. A perpetually harried and annoyed character that gets to snap at the idiotic headhunters that cold call us with what we don't want or need.
It's very freeing.
April 21, 2008
One Annoying Problem with Sleeping Better...
Clearly, I'm dreaming again... So far there've been two nights, where I was able to take off the CPAP mask or otherwise disconnect myself from the machine the first time unplugging the hose (though that might have been something as simple as rolling over too far and popping it out), but last night was different. I went to bed with the machine fully connected and the machine on, but I woke up this morning with the water reservoir half-way full, the mask neatly coiled in the dresser drawer like I usually put it in the morning and the CPAP machine turned off. I'm not sure if it was fully unhooked, but I think it was.
Unfortunately, no memory at all of doing any of that. If my subconscious made itself half as useful and would take up the slack with its share of the chores around the apartment, things would be so much easier. Though I don't think there's a listing for someone that sleep-cleans rather than sleep-walking.
Unfortunately, no memory at all of doing any of that. If my subconscious made itself half as useful and would take up the slack with its share of the chores around the apartment, things would be so much easier. Though I don't think there's a listing for someone that sleep-cleans rather than sleep-walking.
April 16, 2008
Clownitis Strikes!
Ryan has it worst. But as you can see Conall, has the bug as well. I would imagine that the whole house will be down with a bad case by the end of the week. Hopefully, the usual therapy of seltzer bottles and oversized shoes will work.
Wednesday Night at the Circus
This brings me back. I feel like a kid again. (Okay, this me, so that's only going back days or weeks.)
April 7, 2008
Sunday School Thoughts
Sunday was strange.
I started the process toward joining the Arlington Street Church, here in Boston. It was weird to be going to Sunday School at this point in my life. And weird to try to fit Unitarian Universalism into my understanding of 'church' from my more hierarchical Roman Catholic upbringing. To say that they're more than a little different doesn't begin to cover it.
A few things are the same though... The senior minister sat down with all of the new people in the class. She said that knowing her congregation is the only way that she knows how to minister, which reminded me a lot of the way my old parish priest would always be there to talk to his flock. The group talked about our faith and what brought us to Arlington Street and finally to the class. It was strange to hear the ministers talking about being called to preach. Maybe it's because I'm agnostic enough to not be sure about whether a deity (or deities) exists, I can't really understand someone that had utter confidence and belief in such a calling.
One of the things that really made me feel better about myself and my own struggles was learning that Mother Theresa had doubts throughout her life. I mean, I'm no Mother Theresa, but knowing that she had doubts and quite probably days when she wanted to pack it all in has really helped me keep my life in perspective.
For me, my beliefs turn more to believing in the innate goodness of mankind and a belief that we can make things better for everyone/everything. Maybe not solve all of the problems, but even easing someone else's day certainly counts as a win. I want to believe that there's an afterlife, but because I can't be sure, I believe that this is your one chance at getting it right. Maybe it flows from that or maybe because my own nature is largely ambivalent and doubting, I don't think I've ever made a decision in my life that I haven't second or third guessed. So the concept of an external imposed calling seems so alien that I can't really wrap my mind around it.
Of course, part of that is probably my reading of the words. If you think about it, a call to serve doesn't have to be external. I guess it could just as easily be a belief that that's where you'll be able to do the most good. And as such, that's the same as anyone moving toward a career. Of course, I doubt that's the way that they'd see it.
Okay, there's my maudlin post for the day. Time to go back to my mass market paperback book.
I started the process toward joining the Arlington Street Church, here in Boston. It was weird to be going to Sunday School at this point in my life. And weird to try to fit Unitarian Universalism into my understanding of 'church' from my more hierarchical Roman Catholic upbringing. To say that they're more than a little different doesn't begin to cover it.
A few things are the same though... The senior minister sat down with all of the new people in the class. She said that knowing her congregation is the only way that she knows how to minister, which reminded me a lot of the way my old parish priest would always be there to talk to his flock. The group talked about our faith and what brought us to Arlington Street and finally to the class. It was strange to hear the ministers talking about being called to preach. Maybe it's because I'm agnostic enough to not be sure about whether a deity (or deities) exists, I can't really understand someone that had utter confidence and belief in such a calling.
One of the things that really made me feel better about myself and my own struggles was learning that Mother Theresa had doubts throughout her life. I mean, I'm no Mother Theresa, but knowing that she had doubts and quite probably days when she wanted to pack it all in has really helped me keep my life in perspective.
For me, my beliefs turn more to believing in the innate goodness of mankind and a belief that we can make things better for everyone/everything. Maybe not solve all of the problems, but even easing someone else's day certainly counts as a win. I want to believe that there's an afterlife, but because I can't be sure, I believe that this is your one chance at getting it right. Maybe it flows from that or maybe because my own nature is largely ambivalent and doubting, I don't think I've ever made a decision in my life that I haven't second or third guessed. So the concept of an external imposed calling seems so alien that I can't really wrap my mind around it.
Of course, part of that is probably my reading of the words. If you think about it, a call to serve doesn't have to be external. I guess it could just as easily be a belief that that's where you'll be able to do the most good. And as such, that's the same as anyone moving toward a career. Of course, I doubt that's the way that they'd see it.
Okay, there's my maudlin post for the day. Time to go back to my mass market paperback book.
April 2, 2008
CPAP - Review
First a note to the pervs out there, the teenaged girl wasn't in my bed. She was in the guest room.
Now that that's over with, the CPAP machine. I've been using it since Thursday night — about a week now. I'm feel better rested, more awake during the day, I haven't felt the need for caffeine since I started using it. I also find that I have a lot more energy. I'm not ready to roll over and go to bed at 9:30pm any more. I can do more than be a lump on the couch after work, which has resulted in me going to the gym more (okay, twice so far) and other things.
I do find myself waking up at odd times during the night, when I roll over an the mask shifts and the CPAP machine blows air into my face or my eyes. Unsurprisingly, that's enough to wake me up.
But other than that, I'm feeling much much better.
Go CPAP.
Now that that's over with, the CPAP machine. I've been using it since Thursday night — about a week now. I'm feel better rested, more awake during the day, I haven't felt the need for caffeine since I started using it. I also find that I have a lot more energy. I'm not ready to roll over and go to bed at 9:30pm any more. I can do more than be a lump on the couch after work, which has resulted in me going to the gym more (okay, twice so far) and other things.
I do find myself waking up at odd times during the night, when I roll over an the mask shifts and the CPAP machine blows air into my face or my eyes. Unsurprisingly, that's enough to wake me up.
But other than that, I'm feeling much much better.
Go CPAP.
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