It's always something...

So, last evening, I lost Internet connectivity. I looked at my modem and thought, "Really? You pick now to die?"

I tried a short power cycle, nothing. I had to go over to do the Children's Play ticket-taking stuff, so I just left it plugged in and hoped it would correct.

Got back home. Nothing. So I unplugged it again and called the ISP.

My ISP/cable company has the second-most annoying phone tree I have ever used. (Top honors, if you can call it that, still belong to the IRS). Finally got someone after sitting through (1) a good bit of them bragging about how fast their internet speeds are and (2) a long-winded whine about how bad old Viacom was holding them up for more money, so that's why our Viacom channels went bye-bye. (Except they did not, so I don't quite know what's going on).

The guy I talked to said it could be the modem, it could be the splitter, it could be the line into the house. So okay. He said since I had a service totally out, they'd try to get someone out tomorrow (which would be today).

After the phone-stravaganza, I replugged the modem. Lights! my internet was back.

So this morning, I tried calling them back to cancel the appointment. Never got anyone, not after almost 10 minutes on hold, which as it turns out was providential, because when I got home about an hour ago, there was a message from the lineman guy to call him back. I did, and he said, "I'm out in your alleyway. I need to replace part of your cable and [what sounded like trap], the cable got chewed by a squirrel and the [trap] is really  old."

So he did. I could tell when he had because all the lights came back on on the modem. But then he came in to look at the set up - changed out the cable to the modem, and in fact, changed the modem altogether. (The modem I had was from 2007 and it still seemed fine to me, but I guess they wanted to put in a newer one. I pay a small monthly rental fee for the modem so I suppose it's just as well I got a new one.) So everything should work well from here on out, I hope.

He also said I'd get a few days of free HBO (And yes, there it is), that that is standard with new traps. (I suppose the trap is what keeps a person from leeching the premium channels without paying.) He also said that the periodic drop-outs of the upper channels (which includes TCM and Hub, the two ones most important to me) would stop, apparently that was related to the squirrel damage and windy days or something.

I will say: even if the head office doesn't seem that with-it (and their phone tree is a nightmare), at least the local techs are nice guys and are good. The senior guy on the job told me to call him back (I have his number) if something's not right. 

Well, if things break in threes, I should be good now. (Old home computer/air conditioning/cable and modem).

Also: probably one of the odder Amazon combinations I've ever ordered came  today. A larger-print edition of the New International Version Bible (I needed that version for a particular reading) and a Ty Pinkie Pie beanie baby. (Yes, I already have a big Pinkie Pie I made, but I kind of wanted the little one too)