Still, aside from “reaching out” with an unsolicited tech support call, AT&T’s handling of the matter was lackluster at best. The original tech took my word for it that I had unplugged the modem and re-plugged it in. Had he gone through apparently basic steps (that is, to unplug ALL cables and re-plug them) to troubleshoot, I wouldn’t have had to go through any of that.

But in my book, when I called back Tuesday and got the “we’re unable to complete an order” speech twice, along with an “I can place an order, but it will be $75″ and “I see you upgraded your cell phones, did you know you can put two more cell phones on that account, do you want to do that today?” from the second level support, that’s crap. She’s lucky she took this month’s internet off the bill and that I don’t feel like sitting through another phone tree and hold music to let someone know what’s up.

On the bright side, I had the new iPhone to play with, so that was good. Still looking for ideas on “must have” apps and other (positive) thoughts about the phone. Ah and if you’re a “Words” player, look me up: haveyoumettony. That much I do know. :)

To summarize, after getting home at 2:15 am, to bed around 3, back out of bed about 3:30, back to bed about 4:15, I woke up for the guys that were supposed to come at 8 to put in new flooring in our guest bedroom. They were going to be a couple hours late. Back to bed off and on until noon, still no floor guys, and now, the power is out. 20 minutes later, the power comes back on, but the DSL is out. Floor guys show up, still no DSL. An hour later, while hosing dirt off the back patio, a hose attachment breaks on the reel. An hour after that, during lunch, AT&T calls about the internet. Find out the modem is likely fried, but the equipment office isn’t picking up, so after 10 minutes on hold, I get an appointment for them to “call back Thursday around 2″ – um, yeah. In the meantime, I get the direct number for the equipment office. They’ll get a phone call tomorrow. Get ready for work over the flooring crew, find $20 in a pair of pants that I accused the wife of misplacing a year ago. How the money stayed in the pants that long, why I hadn’t worn them in a year, and how they still fit, I don’t know. But things are starting to at least a shade of Milhouse, but I still have to go to work. Not an awful day, until I eff up the last video clip of the day, which wouldn’t be a big deal if I had Internet at home to fix it later. I don’t, so 2 a.m. at work it is.

But tomorrow’s Friday, I’ve got a new iPhone to connect me to the world, a new floor in a room designed for other people and I’m leaving on a jet plane Sunday. Don’t know when I’ll be back again.

Peace and hair grease.

A spam comment led me to read a post from the fall of 2006, which I enjoyed so much, I clicked around my own site and read some more. I’m one funny dude. Just ask me, I’ll tell ya.

I think the job and life in general led to not writing much… I do so much online for work, I don’t think to write for myself. Nor do I usually have the desire to. But, in light of Grant restructuring his site, but with a purpose, I figured it was time to do something here. Since I don’t grow insanely hot peppers from scratch, I guess I’m stuck trying to write some more.

I blame Facebook and Twitter for the absence. If I can tell you about my day, my dog’s day and ignore a billion posts about mafias and toddlers on Facebook, I can do it here, right? I mean, I’m paying for this privilege, after all. I promise to do better, if anyone’s even still paying attention.

Thought for today? I wish Mitch Hedberg was still alive so he could be on Twitter.

I can see where some fans are calling this a sucker punch, since Ward wasn’t initially tied up with Walker, but he gave Walker a couple shoves and squared up to him, so he knew he was there. Not to mention to stand there and stare as a guy throws his gloves down and winds up? I don’t think it was a necessarily classy move by Walker, but I don’t think it’s a cheap shot.

It reminds me of the announcer on EA Sports’ NHL franchise:

“He should get two for receiving.”

(Incidentally, Sidney Crosby receives two every night, but that’s neither here nor there…)

I liked Ward when he played for Carolina, he was tough as hell in the Stanley Cup Final against Edmonton in 2006. I can’t imagine the pain of a “possible fractured orbital bone”, which Boston coach Claude Julien (what a cute name!) is claiming, but I’d bet dollars to donuts if Walker is suspended for Game 6, Ward will be out on the ice. And don’t get me started on Zdeno Chara the 6’9″ fish.

I’ve always said Game 5′s when up 3-1 scare me. Last night is why. Tuesday is a must-must-must win for Carolina, I don’t want to think about heading back into Boston to decide it. (Though I believe I thought that once about New Jersey….)

Oh, and because I can:

Why is it that I have to CONTINUALLY try to convince people that hockey is, at the very least even, a tolerable sport, much less a great one??

The arguments are all the same and even the ones that make sense don’t make much sense. “I can’t follow the puck”, “It moves too fast”, “It’s boring”.

Boring?!?!

REALLY!?!?

This from a town who embraces it’s pathetic excuse for an NBA team. I believe I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. I like the Cleveland Cavaliers. I hope they do well and I’ll watch bits of their playoff games if they’re on. But I’d also rather watch Anaheim vs. San Jose in the Stanley Cup playoffs, with no rooting interest whatsoever.

Why?

Because it doesn’t put me to sleep!!! The NBA is awful in that regard. Beyond awful. Every now and again, someone will put up a memorable night in a blowout game. Or maybe you get some overtime games in the playoffs and there’s excitement there. But it’s still such a slow, painful process. Even in the overtime period, teams exchange a few shots, one team makes more than the other, there are a few fouls, the game’s out of reach, there are a few more fouls and that’s it.

In hockey?

Sudden effing death.

I had a co-worker tonight (whom I like and by any other standard is at least a casual sports fan, I believe) say she started watching the Detroit-Anaheim game in the second overtime and was bored. Seriously. “They just kept going back and forth, back and forth,” she said. “It was boring.”

How can it possibly be “boring” when any one of those backs or forths would end the game?

“Well, it’s just like soccer. People don’t like it,” was another excuse.

Listen up, people. Hockey is not hard to follow. Give it a little time, a little effort and you’ll find that out for yourself. If you still insist you can’t follow the puck, try. If it goes to fast and you lose track of it, stare at the goal for a little bit, or look to see if people celebrate. If they do, then a goal was scored. Seriously, try it. Pick a team (there are 8 left to choose from this year) and follow them.

I’m not asking for superfans here, just for some of you to knock off the ignorance and enjoy a great sport.

If you still can’t get your slow, NASCAR-loving brain wrapped around it, then go watch the Pacers.

In honor of the holiday, not only have I not once walked out to the mailbox, only to open it up and have a “V-8″ moment, but I’m also sick as hell. Sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, etc… all in a tribute to William Henry Harrison. (“He died in 30 days!”)

Apparently, not only would our 9th President have turned 236 a week ago today, but he was once governor of Indiana and Wikipedia claims his campaign tactics laid the groundwork for modern political campaigning.

Thanks, jackass.

On another note, his grandson, 23rd President Benjamin Harrison used to live three blocks from where I currently work, has a pretty solid golf course at the military fort named in his honor and is damn amusing to follow on Twitter.

And believe me, I tried to find a way.

Speaking of crimes, apparently, sodomy is legal in Houston and I love it. No one deserves to be on the losing end of a “40-point lead, but we’re still gonna throw the ball” loss than Tulsa coach Todd Graham. At least he seemed somewhat gracious in his postgame comments on the loss, I guess.

Of course, karma being what she is, BG will probably face Houston somewhere down the road and a 70-30 outcome won’t be quite as comical.

Speaking of BG, hoops season is underway and while the men followed up an exciting overtime win Friday with handing Minnesota the game in the first half Saturday, they fought back pretty impressively in the second half, cutting a lead that was once 20 down to three before committing a dumb turnover and not quite getting the shots down the stretch. It’s going to be an exciting season for that squad, I can just tell.