Welcome Back, World!

The month of September has been a really frustrating month so far, and with classes starting tomorrow, there doesn't seem much possibility that things are going to become less stressful. Coming home from a tropical island vacation to an unplanned move is not how I'd recommend anyone spend the last few weeks of summer vacation. In fact, these were going to be my only vacation time this summer that was unplanned by anyone else (not that I don't thank those of you who planned vacations for us). I was looking forward to sitting by the pool with a book, which I didn't get to do once before they closed the pool for the fall!

Yesterday we finally got the apartment up and running entirely. I think one of the hardest parts of the whole move was the incompetence of out Internet provider, who stalled and stalled on installing our service. It shouldn't have taken nearly three weeks for us to move from one building to another. Our address barely changed, for goodness sake! It felt like we were having a bad conversation on repeat.

Us (On Sept. 4th): Is there any way to speed up the process? This move was unplanned, and we couldn't call you before now to set things up.

Them: Yes, we'll have an installer out there on the 21st. How would that be?

Us: Would it be possible to have anyone out here sooner than that? You see, the move was unplanned.

Them: Yes, we'll have an installer out there on the 21st. How would that be?

Us: Yes, but could you make it sooner? We'll be without phone and Internet for a month by then.

Them: Yes, we'll have an installer out on the 21st. How would that be?

At which point we just gave up and agreed that the 21st would be lovely, and spent the next three weeks checking our email at the school when we had time (sorry to anyone whose email I didn't respond to). On the morning of the 21st, the conversation changed.

Them: Good morning. How are you today?

Me (suspiciously): Fine. Why are you calling? Why aren't you here?

Them: Well, one of our technicians called in sick this morning, and we were wondering if it would be possible to reschedule your installation.

Me: It would be impossible. I took the day off from work to stay home today in order for the installation to happen today. It has to happen today. There isn't any other option.

Them: Oh. Well, let us see what we can do. we'll call you back in a few minutes.

(Half an hour later...)

Them: We think we can give you an appointment sometime between 4:00 and 7:00 this afternoon. (Our original appointment was between 8:00 and noon, and it was now about 10:30.)

Me: That will be fine, as long as it happens today.

Them: We'll call you back once we confirm your appointment.

(45 minutes later...)

Them: It's all set. We'll have a technician there between 4:00 and 7:00.

Me: Great!

(At around 5:00...)

Technician: I'll be there in about ten minutes.

(45 minutes later...)

Technician: Hi, I'm here to install your modem.

Me: Don't we already have a modem?

Technician: Oh, yeah, it looks like you do. Well, just let me fiddle with a few wires.

Me: Okay.

(Fifteen minutes later...)

Technician: That's all I can do. It looks like you have a short in your phone wiring somewhere near the street. The phone company will be out sometime in the next couple of days to fix it. Goodbye.

Me: (Jaw dropped silence.)

At that point, Michael got on the phone and negotiated by telling them that we wanted to cancel our account, at which point they did some negotiating of their own and the problem was fixed by 10:30 yesterday morning, and now we're back online. I have to say, during our next move, we're very likely to switch Internet providers! At least everything is working now. Whew! I was starting to think it wasn't going to happen.