Some time ago, we were having problems with our cable modem…it turned out to be a firmware upgrade the cable company had done, but when I called to complain they sent some kid out to run a new cable. He ran it across our back yard and left.
I called the cable company and said with three dogs and an occasional - albeit reluctant- desire to mow the yard; I suspected a cable strewn across our back yard was destined for problems. They agreed and said someone would be out to bury the cable. Sure enough someone came out and buried it, most of it.
Apparently this particular cable guy was not a believer that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line because he decided to go around a tree instead of simply straight across our yard and as a result he found himself unable to bury the cable under several tree roots.
His decision: string the cable above the roots.
Click to enlarge
I mentioned again that with three dogs and an occasional desire to mow the yard, his choice seemed like an accident waiting to happen. I was told the rule was to follow the fence line and then go straight across. I shrugged and figured I'd try to be careful when I occasionally mowed the yard.
When Amy saw it she said, "You're going to run over that with the lawnmower...if you ever mow the yard."
I'm not ready to open up a 1-900 service offering psychic premonitions, but that one came true today.
11:15 am - I called the cable company and whined my way into a service call "sometime today."
When you read this, it'll mean they showed up, because I have no Internet access or cable TV until they do.
I can't go anywhere since in order to get them to agree to come out today I had to "be available all day."
Not that I had big plans…I was thinking of going out to the church to do some yard work this afternoon. We don't have cable at the church…I couldn't do too much damage.
But now I'm going to simply sit and wait instead.
I also stink, since I took a nice long walk before working all morning in the yard. It wasn't until I had finished that I realized I had cut the cable with the mower. The question is whether my phone rings loud enough for me to hear it in the shower. Right now I'm afraid to risk it…because the cable guy is coming…"sometime today."
12 noon - Somewhere in this house are 643 different pieces of coax cable with various ends on them which we've acquired over the years. I had this passing notion that I might be able to find them and splice the cable together enough to at least get a decent TV signal.
I have torn the house apart and found zip.
Tomorrow, I promise I will trip over one….and probably knock out the cable again.
12:30 pm - The cable company called to confirm they would be out "sometime today." The delightful young woman could not tell me anything more specific.
5 pm - I risked a shower to stop the dogs from howling...no call. I found some cable…and also realized there was no way I was going to splice it together. I called the cable company a few minutes ago to find out how long "today" lasts in the world of cable repair. Apparently it's a long day. They now tell me someone will be out before 8 p.m.
Off to find another crossword puzzle to do.
6 pm - Decided to push up the process. I put the dogs out back knowing that will prompt an immediate call from the cable guy.
6:02 - The cable guy is on the way.
6:09 - Cable guy is here
6:15 - Cable is fixed…I should have put the dogs out earlier.
