Our internet and Dragon Dad's mobile phone are a combination thing, and we were with a carrier who was charging like a wounded bull. In these days of a multitude of carriers, he took himself to them and asked them if they could do better, as he'd had enough of such a monster monthly bill, and was contemplating defecting to someone different who could offer a better deal. You'd THINK, given current marketing strategies, they'd have got on board to meet his needs, and not lose a customer... But, no. Couldn't be done, they said, For what you require, that's the cost. So, once we'd landed here, he chuffed off to a major competitor who had a good deal on offer, which included 150mins of free international calls (important when there's a brother overseas) and signed up. Received the new phone, got the number ported over, selected the accompanying internet plan, and then looked forward to the call announcing the time the tech would come and hook up the cable. Only, that never happened. Back and forth he went, on the phone and to the shop, and just piles of conflicting info about work orders and no work orders - much confusion and frustration building... Eventually, he went and parked himself in the shop and refused to leave (it was late on Friday) until it was sorted. So, I am now eagerly awaiting a courier with a modem, and hooking us up sometime this week - no more dongle with limited data!!!
I have, however, made contact with my new rheumatologist. I'm not due to actually see him until November, but we've chatted on the phone and got a number of things organised. On Tuesday, I have the adventure of finding the hospital where I'll have my infusions, which is in an area I don't know at all... I have an appointment with the dentist to fix the tooth that spat out a filling two days after arriving here - he's booked up, but I'm on a cancellation list. Have found an excellent chemist who have already done one order of my biologic most efficiently. That was for a home based infusion...something that the drug company offers, but that I really didn't like much - hence the hospital based one happening next week. The cats were also very concerned and hugely protective, and parked themselves on my lap to supervise the whole time the drip was going...
So, we survived. There are still boxes to unpack, and furniture to get. But our little house is starting to feel like home. I'm noticing - and appreciating - the lack of humidity. The days, when the weather gremlins remember it's spring now, not winter, are crisp and sunny, and have brought out some delights in the garden. In things to come, next week is RABlog Week. Regular readers may remember that event last year, and those who don't, or weren't following me then can go back to September 2015 and find the posts. It's a big international event and a big blogging challenge which I will be joining again. So, look for the posts next week on topics around Rheumatoid Arthritis. Meantime, please do enjoy the bluebells from our new front garden - I certainly am!
Cats are wonderful, aren't they? There's a brain working there that dog people can never understand.
ReplyDeleteFeel you on the internet. Here in the States it usually comes bundled with your phone, and the norm seems to be that residential customers are ripped off every way from Sunday to fund big subsidies for business. We had our internet through AT&T, the big boys, and it got so bad toward the end that we couldn't keep it connected for more than 10-15 seconds before it crashed. That's unacceptable for an author; you literally type two or three words, then you have to recycle your modem again. The rep didn't seem happy when I told her that it seemed like the only thing AT&T could deliver reliably was a bill. Too bad.
Meanwhile, we're inundated with advertising that takes the form of "Subscribe with us! We offer the first six months free!" Or a room addition, or a new car, just anything to get you to pick up the phone. Everyone we called said we were too far off the grid to deliver service to. Darlin' we are 25 miles from downtown San Diego, one of the top-ten cities in the US. The only other company we could get service from (Exede) delivers it by satellite! We have a dish on the house now that looks the navigational deflector on the starship Enterprise, but the internet works. There's a lesson there somewhere...
It's frustrating the hell out of me, the whole Internet thing. The stuff up appears to be an internal issue, more than anything else - too many people saying too many different things. Just not good business. DD had a text on Monday saying Wednesday next week... I HAD hoped, by now, to have sussed out some more potential work, but that does require connectivity, given what I do - as you would well understand. Patience, right? Cos I'm SO good at that...
DeleteThe cats are just AMAZING. I was awake for long stretches of the night last night, and Callie parked herself with me the whole time. Knew I wasn't OK, and was just there. Consequently, she seems to be as knackered as me today, and is tucked up and sleeping on a blanket very close by!
What beautiful flowers. Flowers like that might be worth the move? Phone companies, Grrrrrrr
ReplyDeleteThe last time I had a garden with bluebells was nearly 30 years ago - in a house with its original garden, planted circa 1912...so a huge naturalised patch of bluebells, gazillions of naturalised narcissi of all shapes and sizes, granny freesias too, and springtime was just the most spectacular thing. This garden has not had much done to it - mostly grass. But I'm now waiting for the crepe myrtle to burst forth to see what colour it is...that'll be next. Disappointingly, the roses in the bed with the bluebells appear to all be icebergs...but hey, there are roses, right?!
Deletewelcome to your new home (somewhat belatedly). It all sounds really great. So happy you’re getting everything sorted. And yes. I was waiting with bated breath :)
ReplyDeleteHa! Thank you, my friend. We are now properly online, as of the night before last - I posted ecstatically on FB, which you might have seen. And the roses aren't all icebergs - there a spectacular yellow one, a pale pink David Austen, a darker pink one, and the mystery on that has buds that have yet to open enough to disclose their colour!
DeleteMade it to the hospital yesterday with sky high blood pressure. Going to have to find an alternative route - the freeway was awful! And when I was feeling daft for being so pathetic about it, DD said to me it IS awful, and a particularly scary road - he's just driven it so much more than me, but he's in a bigger car. Says the time he's had little hire cars he was just as stressed as me. So I felt better.