I tried!

That's pretty much how yesterday went...I tried! Due to the fact that my VCR didn't work last Wednesday and, horror of all horrors, I missed the first 45 minutes of The Amazing Race, I decided to make the big leap to digital cable--only to get the DVR. I did try to schedule the cable guy to come out on Saturday, but apparently it doesn't work that way. Fine, I would be home from work so that he could come at any time between 2pm and 4pm.

Now, just getting out of work was a struggle. It's about 40 minutes to an hour for me to make it back from the office, so I had to leave at 1pm. Unfortunately, that's when the immigration protests started (I know my view may be unpopular, but I've never seen such a wonderful show of patriotism as I did when I saw thousands of immigrants converge to protest the immigration policies. If I didn't have the cable guy appointment, I probably would have joined them). However, once I navigated my way through the crowds to the other side of the street--another wonderful thing about the protests was that they were both orderly and polite!--I was able to make my way in the opposite direction.

Fine, I get home at 5 minutes to 2pm. I busy myself with some chores around the house and then it's 3pm. Now biggie--I have errands to run, but even if the cable guy comes right at 4pm, I should still be able to get everything done. Next thing I know, it's 4pm. Well, maybe he's a little late.

At 4:15 he still hasn't arrived and I'm starting to get early. I have to be someplace at 6:45 and I still need to run to the bank, the grocery store and the post office (although, since the post office near me closed at 3pm, that dream is pretty much dead). So, I call the cable company and the dispatch guy doesn't know why my cable guy hasn't arrived yet, but I'll get a $20 discount and he'll have the cable guy call me within 10 minutes.

At 5:00, the cable guy finally calls! Here is the conversation as closely as I can remember it:
Cable guy: You had an install scheduled for today?
Me: Yes
Cable guy: I'm in Gaston (a town about 30 minutes away)
Me: [Silence]
Cable guy: I usually quit working at 5, so why don't we reschedule this for another day?
Me: You know, I usually quit working at 5 as well, but I quit working at 1 so that I could be here for this install so why don't we just do this tonight?
Cable guy: But it's late!
Me: Yes it is! So, why don't you come over now.
Cable guy: Fine! (rather snottily, there!) I'll be there at 5:30

So, he shows up at 6pm! A rather stinky guy...Carmel is terrified of him. Anyway, he installs the DVR and digital cable, hands me a remote and walks out. Now, I'm not the most technical person and it actually took me 5 minutes to figure out how to turn my TV on with the new remote. He did say something about a video in the DVR to watch but I have no idea how to access it! After messing with it for a couple hours, I managed to record Shalom in the Home (it's new--it's basically Jewish Dr. Phil with unresolved childhood issues. Kind of entertaining, really) and I hopefully have it set to record The Amazing Race tomorrow. It had better record it....or else!!!!!!

When did customer service die? I mean, it's not like I don't have choices...I could very easily get digital cable and go to TiVo (okay, not that easily, but don't let the cable company know that!) and the cable company pretty much asked me to do it! Once upon a time, companies actually tried to please their customers! Now they just leave customers to figure out technology on their own!

And then I went to record all this for you all to read and I couldn't get into blogger. Oh well! I tried!