Well, dear readers, about an hour after posting the notes guess what happened? Well, I’ll tell you what happened because why should I withhold such information from dear readers such as yourselves. What happened was the router, which should have a solid blue light at the bottom had a solid red light. I knew that wasn’t good, so I looked at the laptop and sure enough I was not only not connected to the Internet, the network wasn’t even showing up in the list of available networks. So, despite it being two in the morning, I called tech support at Spectrum. For twenty minutes it was the usual plug and unplug routine, all to no avail, nor could anyone guess what the issue was. They switched me to another person and we did the same routine, to no avail. He finally told me he thought it was either a bad router or perhaps a bad Ethernet cord, but I had another cord here and that didn’t work either. He suggested I go back to the Spectrum store at ten, which means I had to be up at nine, and it was already closing in on three in the morning. And so, I was up at nine and to the store by nine-fifty, first one there. They opened at ten, did the exchange and gave me a new router in the box, which also contained a brand new Ethernet cord. The gal told me all I had to do was plug it in and everything should be fine. Well, I think we all know how that goes, so of course everything wasn’t fine. I called and got a terrific gal on the phone, who said no, it could never be fine without unplugging the modem BEFORE plugging in the new router. We did that and I must say the two machines synched very quickly and we got a solid blue light. But the new network name wasn’t showing up in the list of available networks. Not there on either computer or phone. Then, suddenly, the other router’s network name did show up in the list. The gal thought that was very odd and she put me on hold while she talked to her “lead”, which I think is another word for supervisor. For grins, I clicked on the old network name for the returned router and guess what happened? It instantly connected me to the Internet on both computer and phone. The gal came back on the phone and said her “lead” had heard of that phenomenon happening – and it had something to do with overriding provisions or something like that, and that she could switch me to the Internet department and they could do it. But I said since I was connected and it was all working that maybe we should just let it be and if there was ultimately an issue that I could call and do the override thing. She agreed. I wondered if the new router had simply glommed on to the old name and password from the night before. Anyway, the good news is it’s been working all day and evening. But I just could not believe that yet another wacky thing could happen after all the other stuff that happened. This, however, was the first good thing, this new router working and it had lasted all day.
I also got a call from the senior tech fellow, who said the store that has my Mac wouldn’t talk to him about anything until I gave him the case number they’d texted me. I gave that to him and he put me on hold and called them and had a conversation with them, just so they knew what was what. They told him they were hoping to have some kind of news for me today, so we’ll see if that happens. This senior tech has been great. He’ll call again on Saturday to see if we’ve heard anything, but we’re both trying to stay very positive and hopeful that it will go well, so please keep sending those most excellent vibes and xylophones, especially strong ones, for the news. I did manage to watch some movies, and that at least took my mind off things.
First I watched the new Blu and Ray of What’s So Bad About Feeling Good, its first legit home video release. I watched it just a couple of months ago and wrote about it then, but that was a pan-and-scan bootleg terrible copy. So, it was fun to see it in scope with reasonable color. It’s a very silly movie with some appealing things in it, especially the title song, which I’ve always liked. After that, I dozed off for about forty-five minutes. Then decided to watch the third Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Obviously, Spielberg and company had learned that they really went astray with Temple of Doom, and even though Last Crusade isn’t as good as Raiders, it’s at least back in the right world, with action scenes spaced out and not overbearing. Back to being more of a Saturday matinee serial. It helped that this time they got a good writer again – Jeffrey Boam, who did the excellent screenplay for The Dead Zone. Sean Connery is fun as Indiana’s dad, and the rest of the cast is very good. And the opening sequence gets everything just right – we meet young Indiana and see his first adventure – River Phoenix plays him – and the best bit in this very clever sequence is showing how Harrison Ford’s chin scar happened to Indiana. The transfer is terrific and the third film is quite enjoyably enjoyable.
Then I finished watching a movie I’d begun the night before, Knight and Day, a big action film with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. I’d never even heard of it. It’s a rather silly film, completely implausible, dopey, and very loud. It didn’t overstay its welcome, which is the best you can say about it. Even though the party line is that it made its money back, with a 110 million dollar budget and another fifty or sixty million in advertising and stuff, I really don’t see how that’s possible. They attribute most of the grosses to overseas, where, of course, it’s easy as pie to make up whatever numbers you like. Here in the US they couldn’t do that and it didn’t do well at all here.
I had a long telephonic conversation with an old friend from high school, who dear reader Jane also knows, and then it was time to write these here notes. And prior to all that I had some Taco Bell and picked up two packages.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll pray for some good news, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll either eat a meal or just a snack and maybe eat later. At four-thirty, it’s a rehearsal with the singer and we’ll also have with us the twelve-year-old kid who’s doing one duet with her in the show. After that, if I haven’t had the meal o’ the day, then I’ll eat. And after that I can watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, she of the Evil Eye comes so I’ll have an early light breakfast. Then I’ll come home around 11:50 as the senior tech guy is calling at noon o’clock. Then the rest of the day and evening belongs to no one but me. Sunday, we have a full rehearsal, including the kid. Then this coming week is busy and hopefully the helper’s mom will be back and getting everything shipped – it’s a lot of stuff and I don’t want her to ship the two new things until all the backlog is done.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, pray for some good news, maybe snack, hopefully pick up packages, have a rehearsal, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CD, nothing. Blu-ray, perhaps The Chalk Garden and Todd Haynes’ first film, Poison. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that the Internet is working properly, as the saga continues to continue.