“There are good days and there are bad days, and this is one of them.”
I woke up cold this morning. The sheet, spread and Gracie beside me weren’t enough. The house was 61°. Outside was a bit warmer so I stood in the sun awhile. This time of year is so odd with all sorts of days: hot, cold and once in a while, just right.
Yesterday was a day I’d rather forget. First, I was on the computer just finishing Coffee when I heard a loud bang and a nanosecond later my computer died as did all things electrical. I figured it was a transformer. Having no phone book, I called on my cellphone to my sister for the Nstar number and gave them a call. The woman told me it was a downed lined and would take a few hours to fix. I asked about the bang and the transformer, and she said she had no idea so I knew she had been giving me a line, so to speak. I decided a nap was a good idea. While I was sleeping, the electricity came back, and when I woke up, I went around to correct the time. The VCR always presents a problem as I have to use 3 remotes, and I always forget how to do it. Later, I went upstairs to get something and noticed the clock radio was dead as was the digital readout on my converter box. Everything else still worked. I went down to the cellar to the electrical box and turned the switches labeled general lights. Once there, I noticed the floor was wet and I heard dripping. It was my water heater. I went back upstairs for my cell phone, then back downstairs for the phone number on the heater and I called the company. They had me turn off the hot water which didn’t do anything as it still dripped. They said they’d be here on Tuesday with a new heater. The other was isn’t even two years old so it is under warranty. I then went back up two flights to check the outage in my bedroom. They were still out. I called my friend Shane the electrician who said you never know what is connected to what, and I should turn off and on all the switches, and I did. That worked. I came upstairs to have a cold drink, turned on the baseball game and then the phone rang. I noticed the number didn’t appear on the TV so I called myself from my cell phone. It didn’t appear either. I went to the live chat on line with Comcast and explained the problem. The woman had me to do a couple of things, neither of which worked. She told me that her diagnostic tool showed no problems with my line. I suggested her diagnostic tool was wrong. She kept leaving and coming back so the time on line with her was endless. She made inane comments like, “Great job,” when I told her I had done what she’d asked. I wanted to strangle her. The last thing was I had to disconnect my modem for five minutes then reconnect it. It would take 2-5 hours before we knew if this had solved the problem. If not, I was to get back to Comcast. Lo and behold, when I checked this morning, the problem had been corrected.
Nothing is more frustrating than out of my control stuff needing fixing. Yesterday gave me a headache, and I want a redo, a better yesterday with no drips.
Did I mention the tick on my arm?
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: Comcast, Nstar, Water heating
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
June 5, 2011 at 11:57 am
At least You had Your tick on Your arm, mine sat more discreet in my crotch 🙂 🙂 🙂
I hate when things like that happens and I have to talk in the phone all day!!! But can You see who´s calling on Your TV?? I didn´t know it could show that! I remember when Your last heater died, is it a year ago? Strange that the new one gave up already, even before the warranty went out!
Well things seems to work better today so You did a great job 🙂 🙂 🙂
Have a nice day 🙂
Christer.
June 5, 2011 at 9:07 pm
Christer,
You’re right-I’ll take the tick on my arm.
The name appears at the bottom of the TV screen. It’s part of my cable phone service.
I did have a better day today!
June 5, 2011 at 9:19 pm
PS You are so right-it was only a year and a half ago when I put in the one which is leaking.
June 5, 2011 at 12:16 pm
The only thing that lasts forever is AIDS.
Everything else will eventually fail at the worst time. Speaking with a technical services person who works in a call center in India is pure torture. The conversation will begin with “Hi my name is Charles”. Then, they will ask you if you are enjoying the warm weather in Boston, which they are reading from their computer screen. This is a ploy to make you think that they are from the US. The only persons who would think they are talking to a native US speaker are people whose parents are first cousins. The representatives attempt to speak English, although not American English. Then they take you through a script which may or may not solve your problem. It’s maddening. I refuse to buy anything from a company that uses a call center in India for their customer service.
I hope today goes better for you.
June 5, 2011 at 9:16 pm
Bob,
I love the commercial where the credit card owner is talking to Betty in India-exactly what you’re talking about. I too hate to deal with outsourcing.
Today was a better day!
June 5, 2011 at 3:44 pm
When it rains it pours. See you joined Christer in the tick department. I hate those things. Good that you had a warranty on the hot water heater. They are over a grand to replace today. At least down here they are . . . very expensive. We rent ours. Hope today is a better day for you.
June 5, 2011 at 9:18 pm
Z&Me,
I hated I found the tick on me. I felt creepy, crawly all day.
I would have raised holy hell if it wasn’t under warranty as it is only a year and a half old.
June 5, 2011 at 8:49 pm
Hi Kat,
Hope all the aggravations were concentrated on that one day.
On my breaker box there is one switch that is boldly labeled “It’s This One!!!” with a broad black arrow pointing to it. That was for my mother’s benefit because she was always tripping the circuit.
My old water heater sprang a leak a couple of years ago. It was two months short of its 15 year warrantee running out but the repairman was concerned that the company might not accept the warrantee. I forget why. He said if they didn’t it would be $1500 to replace. If they did accept, it would only be $720 because I would still have to pay for the upgrade and 15 years of upgrades was going to cost that much. Fortunately they accepted the warrantee. Lucky me.
June 5, 2011 at 9:24 pm
Hi Caryn,
Yup, it was one day with all the aggravations joining forces.
This water heater is still a baby, a year and a half old, so it had to be under warranty or I would have raised holy hell (sort of an oxymoron).
Yours was definitely under warranty, and if the company denied it, I would turn ugly quickly.
June 5, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Oh, I forgot to add that the loud bang right before a power outage is usually a Spawn of Satan blowing a transformer.
June 5, 2011 at 9:24 pm
I knew it! They are evil!!!
June 5, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Oh No! Sounds like my life sometimes! Glad you are ok, but whew, now that IS a bad day. A Murphy’s Law day for you…
Waving,
Lori
June 5, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Lori,
It was an awful day! Today was much better so I recouped!
Waving back!
June 5, 2011 at 9:21 pm
And then Burrows scores @ 11 secs into overtime to win the game 3-2, and Vancouver leads the series 2-0.
We understand …
Cheers
June 5, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Minicapt,
This doesn’t rate a reply!