Goings-on
Yesterday the Comcast guy came and treated me to 90 of the most stressful minutes of my life. His name was Stephen, he was new, and he was a total screw-up. Here's a list of his many inadequacies:
- He didn't bring the right kind of cable box. I had ordered an HDMI-capable one but he didn't have it because he didn't know how to read his work order, which did indeed specify an HDMI box. This means I have to take the box to the Comcast office 10 mi. away from where I live to get a new one, which is a huge pain in the rear.
- While fiddling with my TV, he got up really fast and knocked my front right speaker off its mount, sending it approximately 40 inches (I should know, I installed the mount) to the ground and putting a nice gash in the cloth which covers the speaker grill. Thank God for the grill because the speaker is still okay, but dammit, those speakers were perfect and now one of them is scratched up and torn.
- While in my closet putting together the cable connections, he managed to fall on his ass and BREAK one of my baseboards, which were living there until we had time to put them back on the walls. He split the damn thing in two! And it wasn't just any baseboard, it was the longest one of all, ergo the most expensive to replace. It looks like we will be able to repair it, but what the hell? Then, he had the audacity to ask, "Are those the ones you're taking out or are you still gonna use them?" What the hell kind of question is that anyway? I just wish I had my wits about me so I could have given him a smart response. "No, they're past their expiration date so we have to get new ones!" "I just put them in my closet so I could use them to hang my clothes on!" "I keep 30 random lengths of wood in my closet so in case a robber tries to break in, I have something to defend myself with!" All I was able to produce at that moment was a blank stare that said WTF??
- When he was putting the wall panel which covers up the cable connection back on, he managed to break the panel into two pieces. I'm unsure why this guy enjoys breaking things into two pieces so much, but it did not work out very well for me. He got some spackle from his truck to hold the panel together, and while it does hold together, it's still obvious that some moron split the freaking panel into two pieces. Fortunately, it's in my closet and therefore less conspicuous than it could have been.
- This whole while I was frantically working to address a crisis at work. He asked what I did and I told him I was a software consultant for Blackbaud. He admitted to applying to Blackbaud "20 times but then he gave up." NO WAY? That's a shame, we have plenty of things here that he could break in two.
- He asked how the installation had gone and after I expressed marked displeasure with his performance, he proceeded to complain about how he only gets paid $5 an hour and how he did his best. That's not my problem, pal - don't totally fail at doing your job and don't break my stuff, and maybe I'll give you a "thank you" next time.
- Oh yeah, and later in the day, we learned the cable box had stopped working. GREAT!
Yesterday continued to be a pretty bad day overall, but I guess I've become incredibly resistant to bullshit, and so I was able to put up with it all. My family was impressed.
Now that my little rant is out of the way, more recent happenings:
Work has been nuts the past two weeks and I am feeling pretty burnt out. I can't concentrate on anything right now, but ah well, that's fine - the end of the quarter is near which means next week will go pretty smoothly, and it's a 4-day week anyway. For a little while, we've been talking about me assuming another position within the company and yesterday I pretty much accepted it. I will be representing the Core Tech practice for the Sales Division as a Consulting Solutions Manager (CSM). In other words, I'll talk to clients about customizations before they are sold, figuring out what they need, how much it will cost, and all that stuff that happens before a contract is signed. I'll be training for the next couple of months, but my new position should be effective in September or October. It's a pretty big promotion (most would agree it's higher than Business Analyst Tier 2, and I'm still Tier 1), so hurray! I had a CSM-related meeting today and I enjoyed it a lot. I think I'll be well-suited to the position and I'm really eager to get started.
In the world of electronics (you know how I love the world of electronics), I've got it REAL bad for a new TV which was just released. I, being the doofus that I am, let myself fall in love with a Pioneer, the top-of-the-line brand of plasma HDTV (in the words of Jack Sparrow: "You need to find yourself a girl, mate"). This is a TV which is way expensive (makes high-end Samsung and Panasonic plasmas look affordable by comparison) but also way, way awesome. The model I have my eye on is the Pioneer PDP-5020FD (50" 1080p plasma) and it retails for $3999, though some retailers are selling it as low as $3000. Pioneer's plasmas are well-known for their incredibly dark black levels, which help to create an extremely high-quality picture and even a lifelike, 3-D effect with HD content. The new 9G (9th generation) ones are about the same price as the 8G (difference of about $300-500 depending on where you're shopping), and they have some negatives compared with the 8Gs, but the new deeper black levels and meager price difference are enough to warrant the search/wait for a new model (I've seen an 8G in person and it is delicious, so I can't wait to look at a 9G). In any case, I'm a total idiot because now I've all but committed myself to buying one eventually. Once the home-related expenses start to slow down and I settle into my new position, I will certainly be buying one at the soonest opportunity.
The family is still here, and while they're not wearing out their welcome - I love having them around and doing things with them - I'm starting to miss my privacy and normalcy. I've not had a chance to just sit back and relax in about a month, and I think some of my friends who I don't see at work on a regular basis are starting to worry about me. I'm pretty sure my family wants to go soon anyway, but like I said, I don't mind them sticking around... I just won't mind when they go either.
I bought a mattress yesterday and it was very nice and comfy and just the right price (pretty much the one thing which went well yesterday). I think it was delivered this afternoon but I won't know for sure until I call my folks or get home. I now need sheets and stuff, which is somewhat a dilemma because we checked three places last night and none had anything I really liked (pickiness strikes again). I'd eventually like a fluffy down comforter and a nice set of sheets and pillows, but for now I'll settle for whatever allows me to sleep in my new bed.
Anyway, how's your week been? :)
- He didn't bring the right kind of cable box. I had ordered an HDMI-capable one but he didn't have it because he didn't know how to read his work order, which did indeed specify an HDMI box. This means I have to take the box to the Comcast office 10 mi. away from where I live to get a new one, which is a huge pain in the rear.
- While fiddling with my TV, he got up really fast and knocked my front right speaker off its mount, sending it approximately 40 inches (I should know, I installed the mount) to the ground and putting a nice gash in the cloth which covers the speaker grill. Thank God for the grill because the speaker is still okay, but dammit, those speakers were perfect and now one of them is scratched up and torn.
- While in my closet putting together the cable connections, he managed to fall on his ass and BREAK one of my baseboards, which were living there until we had time to put them back on the walls. He split the damn thing in two! And it wasn't just any baseboard, it was the longest one of all, ergo the most expensive to replace. It looks like we will be able to repair it, but what the hell? Then, he had the audacity to ask, "Are those the ones you're taking out or are you still gonna use them?" What the hell kind of question is that anyway? I just wish I had my wits about me so I could have given him a smart response. "No, they're past their expiration date so we have to get new ones!" "I just put them in my closet so I could use them to hang my clothes on!" "I keep 30 random lengths of wood in my closet so in case a robber tries to break in, I have something to defend myself with!" All I was able to produce at that moment was a blank stare that said WTF??
- When he was putting the wall panel which covers up the cable connection back on, he managed to break the panel into two pieces. I'm unsure why this guy enjoys breaking things into two pieces so much, but it did not work out very well for me. He got some spackle from his truck to hold the panel together, and while it does hold together, it's still obvious that some moron split the freaking panel into two pieces. Fortunately, it's in my closet and therefore less conspicuous than it could have been.
- This whole while I was frantically working to address a crisis at work. He asked what I did and I told him I was a software consultant for Blackbaud. He admitted to applying to Blackbaud "20 times but then he gave up." NO WAY? That's a shame, we have plenty of things here that he could break in two.
- He asked how the installation had gone and after I expressed marked displeasure with his performance, he proceeded to complain about how he only gets paid $5 an hour and how he did his best. That's not my problem, pal - don't totally fail at doing your job and don't break my stuff, and maybe I'll give you a "thank you" next time.
- Oh yeah, and later in the day, we learned the cable box had stopped working. GREAT!
Yesterday continued to be a pretty bad day overall, but I guess I've become incredibly resistant to bullshit, and so I was able to put up with it all. My family was impressed.
Now that my little rant is out of the way, more recent happenings:
Work has been nuts the past two weeks and I am feeling pretty burnt out. I can't concentrate on anything right now, but ah well, that's fine - the end of the quarter is near which means next week will go pretty smoothly, and it's a 4-day week anyway. For a little while, we've been talking about me assuming another position within the company and yesterday I pretty much accepted it. I will be representing the Core Tech practice for the Sales Division as a Consulting Solutions Manager (CSM). In other words, I'll talk to clients about customizations before they are sold, figuring out what they need, how much it will cost, and all that stuff that happens before a contract is signed. I'll be training for the next couple of months, but my new position should be effective in September or October. It's a pretty big promotion (most would agree it's higher than Business Analyst Tier 2, and I'm still Tier 1), so hurray! I had a CSM-related meeting today and I enjoyed it a lot. I think I'll be well-suited to the position and I'm really eager to get started.
In the world of electronics (you know how I love the world of electronics), I've got it REAL bad for a new TV which was just released. I, being the doofus that I am, let myself fall in love with a Pioneer, the top-of-the-line brand of plasma HDTV (in the words of Jack Sparrow: "You need to find yourself a girl, mate"). This is a TV which is way expensive (makes high-end Samsung and Panasonic plasmas look affordable by comparison) but also way, way awesome. The model I have my eye on is the Pioneer PDP-5020FD (50" 1080p plasma) and it retails for $3999, though some retailers are selling it as low as $3000. Pioneer's plasmas are well-known for their incredibly dark black levels, which help to create an extremely high-quality picture and even a lifelike, 3-D effect with HD content. The new 9G (9th generation) ones are about the same price as the 8G (difference of about $300-500 depending on where you're shopping), and they have some negatives compared with the 8Gs, but the new deeper black levels and meager price difference are enough to warrant the search/wait for a new model (I've seen an 8G in person and it is delicious, so I can't wait to look at a 9G). In any case, I'm a total idiot because now I've all but committed myself to buying one eventually. Once the home-related expenses start to slow down and I settle into my new position, I will certainly be buying one at the soonest opportunity.
The family is still here, and while they're not wearing out their welcome - I love having them around and doing things with them - I'm starting to miss my privacy and normalcy. I've not had a chance to just sit back and relax in about a month, and I think some of my friends who I don't see at work on a regular basis are starting to worry about me. I'm pretty sure my family wants to go soon anyway, but like I said, I don't mind them sticking around... I just won't mind when they go either.
I bought a mattress yesterday and it was very nice and comfy and just the right price (pretty much the one thing which went well yesterday). I think it was delivered this afternoon but I won't know for sure until I call my folks or get home. I now need sheets and stuff, which is somewhat a dilemma because we checked three places last night and none had anything I really liked (pickiness strikes again). I'd eventually like a fluffy down comforter and a nice set of sheets and pillows, but for now I'll settle for whatever allows me to sleep in my new bed.
Anyway, how's your week been? :)