Friday, September 28, 2007

Ring Ring

Ok so it has been a while but I have had loads of stuff distracting me. In no particular order they have been, our internet connection being down, a busy work load, buying a house and laziness.

Let’s ignore the latter of these as it is something that strikes me frequently, and move on to the more interesting topics. 1st off – our lack on internet at home. About 2 weeks ago I picked up the phone to call my parents only to discover that we had no dial tone. Jen took my mobile phone and dialed AT&T to try and get it fixed. Like most things these days AT&T have computerized their system and put their call centre overseas. So when Jen called she was confronted by one of those option men’s – you know the kind. It asked her to key the number corresponding with her particular problem. She pressed 3 for phone fault. Was presented with another list of options and so on. Eventually having chosen the options for phone not working, no dial tone, she was asked if she was using the phone that wasn’t working and didn’t have a dial tone to make the call. Really. How would that be possible – we couldn’t get a dial tone?

So eventually she made an appointment with AT&T for an engineer to check the wiring outside the house to see if that was the problem, because we still had internet access but no phone. So they came and solved the phone problem, but unfortunately in fixing the phone they cut off the internet connection. So we called again. Eventually we were put through to someone in India, who made us turn off the computer, the modem, the router, jump through hoops of fire, and do all sorts of wonderful things. None of which worked. Having a brand new computer though it does have a handy-dandy screen that gave us a message that no ATM was detected. We told the guy this but he ignored us and told us to unplug everything and leave it for a while and then try again – the AT&T equivalent of turning if off and on again.

We called back the next day to tell them that we still had no service only for the girl to start going through the process again, asking us to jump through hoops, juggle flaming kittens, and eat a cracker without any water – the usual. We explained that we had done all this and finally after having to shout at her she made an appointment for a technician to come round.

He came and looked at the computer and the internet and said the problem is “there is no ATM detected”. He then called AT&T and had to go through the same problems of getting someone to believe him that there was no ATM detected. Finally after 3 hours he had it fixed and we are back on line.

The whole thing is so annoying, call centre workers seem to have no choice but to work from a script and they can not deviate from that at all. Unlucky gits.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Rain down on me

So it rained here today for the first time since around March. 6 months of completely sunny weather disrupted by rain causes havoc here. The roads become slippery, visibility is worse than normal, the tires become slick – you know normal wet weather stuff. However, you would believe that this was something out of the ordinary the way people drive here when it rains. And I guess it is, but it becomes frustrating when all the Muppets are out driving at the same time in crazy ways despite the fact that it is wet.

Anyway it is my friend, Monge’s birthday today. He is over in Australia and he tells me it is raining there too. I wonder if it is raining all around the world today to celebrate his special day. I like to think that it is.

Now there has been some debate amongst my friends as to whether he actually exists, and to prove it here he is on You Tube. Actually I guess this doesn’t actually prove that he exists I could have just picked any random person from You Tube and claimed they were my imaginary college friend. He has been over in Oz for quite a while and seems to have picked up a bit of an accent; I just hope that I don’t start doing the same thing. It will be hard to explain why I am speaking like an Australian here in California.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncjyBhZ7Nso

Friday, September 14, 2007

Debt

I am about to get myself into the largest amount of debt ever....we are going to make an offer for a house. I am scared out of my pants.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Another video

This video is of my friend Pete. He was the talent one out of the Tinners. Here he is as the Pete Crawford Experience, probably playing a pub in Torpoint.

http://www.youtube.com/ikontoon

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Rootjoose

Ok so there may not be hard core Rootjoose fans that read this blog - but I loved 'em, so here is a very crap video of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPHWux4EDoQ

I wish it could be Christmas everyday

We have bought Emma a cd/radio/alarm clok thing to wake her up in time to go to shool in the mornigs. We thought it would be nicer that one of us jumping on her/yelling at her. The great thing about this is that she can choose to wake up to either a CD or the radio. Emma has decided that CD's are the way to go and so faor the last 2 weeks she has been waking up to her favourite CD - Christmas Music.

Every morning without fail she wakes up to the wonderful sound of Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer. Now I am all for the Christmas spirit but not in September, surely that is too early?

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Sunday Bloody Sunday

argh!!! Sunday night, work tomorrow -it's funny how that Sunday evening feeling never really leaves your life.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Don't Cry for me Argentina (or should that be France?)

Amazingly I managed to watch both the England Israel football game and the England USA rugby game today on US telly. It was a lovely surprise to be able to find it on here. I can only assume that the competitive eating championships are on their mid season break, and lacrosse and sycronised swimming haven't yet started.

I also managed to catch the highlights of the France Argentina game. It was a bit like Hobsons choice as to who I wanted to lose, yest after further contemplation I am happy with the result!

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

August and Everything After


Wow - September has crept up on my and surprised me by its ferocity. Monday was Labor (sic) Day here, which meant a day off work, but this has also meant that this week has flown. 2 hectic and busy days at work, with another on the horizon means that the usual witty asides, so please do keep checking in, I have some new ohotos of the girls for you all but need to download them.


This picture is of Emma's 1st day at school. She is loving it.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

All the fun of the fair..Part 2

This video shows you just how much fun can be had at the fair.

All the fun of the fair...Part 1



Here we are having fun at the State fair. I am sure I have spoken about the fair before but if not here goes - imagine a County show - The Royal Cornwall one in Wadebridge springs to mind. You have your animals and your vegetable setc, only in California you also get a mobile Alton Towers - hundreds of rides to go on and be sick on/off.

Here are the 3 ladies in my life enjoying some wonderful "entertainment".