Bhagwan @ Large

in the deep, dark night-time of night

So we have moved. In a new bed which was not cheap, in a new neighborhood which is similarly priced, I still have problems getting and staying asleep. Be it pain, cramps, cold, racing mind, or whatever, it’s two shifts at least a night for me.

Tonight, that first shift was from 10 PM to 3 AM. quite possibly the best non-drunken slumber in quite some time. In one or two hours, I will (hopefully) wake up from the next one, and get myself ready for a day of creatively creating.

Saturday’s party was magic. Much like the theater, it all worked out, for some reason no-one understands. The ground floor was open and accessible to all, the backyard grill area worked to perfection, and the rain held off until the sun set and most grownups were either home in bed or inside drinking from big kid glasses. Many thanks to all that attended, especially those what brought wine. Post party tally shows I h ave nearly doubled the available bottles here, which is good because the party has much in common with the bed and neighborhood.

I also have no leftovers, you crazed locusts. Two pieces of chicken and a box of veggie burgers somehow survived the swarm, which is awesome because someone else brought the chicken. It would seem I properly estimated the available food exactly, or it could be that y’all were bey kind and considerate regarding the MEAT situation.

I take it back. There is still half a bag of GIANT MARSHMALLOWS, waiting to be artfully melted at our next gathering. Stay tuned.

It feels oddly strange and satisfying to have paid the rent 11 days early. It feels doubly so to be “broke” on the day one gets paid, and then to see a large sum of money still there in one’s account waiting to be whisked away in 11 days’ time. One of our overly aggressive party purchases was returned Sat. morning, but those funds will not return until sometime today. Now more than ever I am happy to have paid down all credit cards before heading to Hawaii in May. Much of our move “lives” there at the moment, and my desire to no longer possess that debt is the prime factor in my inability to buy a cup of coffee this week.

Yes. The above statement does indeed mean I had >MORE< money before I got paid last week. go figure. On the bright side, I “found” quite a bit of it sitting in front of other people at a chip-renting game session last week. Things look good for another such session, especially since it’s now a self-sufficient bus ride away from my house.

Not paying 5bux a day for the bus next month will be awesome. Just saying. Last time I checked, that’s 8 days away. And Also, twice the price of store-bought coffee beverages. I have coffee here, coffee at work, and the knowledge that I probably shouldn’t drink coffee so much.

Wheeee!

Time to pretend at sleep, so that this morning I may pretend at competence. Hope the day (or the night) holds more success for you.

Enter the land of Sadness

Tivo has died.

Not cable, not cable service or the tuner card tivo uses to speak to them, but Tivo itself. Less than 24 hours after I removed the lesser of two boxes from the network, the greater of went kaput. Receives a signal, but refuses to recognize it. Still talks to the internet, still talks to all my computers, just not the cable company.

This makes me sad. Very sad.

Three hours of life support between me, the cable guy, the cable guy’s tech girl, and then eventually the Tivo guy can not restore the hearing and sight of my 27 month old box, 15 months out of warranty.

A replacement is available to me for the “bargain” price of $149, through tivo. this will come to me some ten days after I Ship my wounded soldier back to them. Alternately, I can consent to have a $300 hold placed on my credit card, have a new box shipped out immediately, then have all but $149 refunded to me upon receipt.

I paid $200 for the box in 2008. There is a math exercise here for those what know me. It goes something like this. Current value of a box that will record, but not receive channels is almost $0. I say almost, because it costs $13 out the door for the service I’m not receiving, and we derive benefit from the functions that still operate (amazon.com and netflix access). negative dollars plus perceived value is greater than 0. A quick replacement is $149, but Comcast had one at my house, for free, and hooked up inside 3 minutes.

Free is better than $149, but not better enough.

I’m currently scouring the intarwebs for any price less than 150, or greater than with better options. mind you, it could most likely be repaired, but any research down those lines must also come up sorter than $149.

I have 90 days to make up my mind. Damnit.

UPDATE: Have just this minute discovered that despite my strenuous objections, and contrary to their (Tivo’s) stated promises, I have already been charged for a replacement Tivo unit. apparently I no longer have an opinion on the subject that is not SUCK.

Current Plan end date = 09/20/2010. 7 X $13 (+7x $4 for the cable card from Comcast) = $119. 7 x $5 (the cost of the Comcast unit which will leave my house at any time) is $35. Added together they do not equal the money I’ve just been charged to do nothing.

Rage…building…