By Jove I think I got it.

[Eamonn]

Somehow when I wasn't looking my cable bill got way out of hand.

When we first moved into where we now live I paid $9.25 a month for cable TV.

Back then if I remember right I got 33 channels.

We didn't have a computer, so of course we didn't need Internet service.

We had Bell for the phone and the bill was a mishmash of charges for local calls, long distance calls and international calls.

Fast forward 25 years and the cable bill was $171.85.

This included phone, TV and Internet service.

While there is no way of fairly comparing what was to what is, $171.85 seemed like a lot.

My electric bill runs about $80.00 a month.

Water bill is about $75.00 every three months.

This meant that the biggest bill I have was my cable bill.

This seemed silly.

So I thought I'd change.

Living out in the sticks, is my idea of Heaven, but when it comes to choice of providers of TV,phone and Internet there isn't much choice.

I would have liked to go with FiOs,but that isn't available.

So I went with a Verizon package. High speed Internet, phone and satellite TV.

We seem to have several hundred TV channels, but half of these seem to show nothing but infomercials, lose weight, burn fat, chop food and shop till you drop.

I will when I get the time learn how to program the remote so I don't have to search through all of them just to find that there is nothing worth watching anyway.

Setting up the Internet was a real pain!

I've been working at it for a couple of weeks!

I tend to like things the way they were, so first was trying to get Outlook Express set up for the new provider.

I followed the Step by Step instructions time and time again, but each time I restarted the computer it went back to a setting that wasn't going to work.

Then there was the joy of trying to get the wifi to work.

I wish someone had let me know that the new modem had a router installed in it!

I tried every cable combination that I could.

I used some very un-scout-like language.

Called Verizon support twice. - They gave up and forwarded my call to Dell, who forwarded my call to Cisco. Who played music for 42 minutes while I was on hold and then cut me off.

My lap tops informed me that there was networks available, but the Verizon wizard said that there wasn't.

I "Chatted" with a live real person and someone who really isn't anyone?

It was driving me nuts.

Still this new package is going to save me $1,102.80 a year and I kept reminding myself how I was going to add this $1,102.80 to my Roth IRA.

Saving this money kept me at it.

Tonight HWMBO was busy catching up on the soap operas that she'd missed.

I wanted to download a couple of books to my Kindle, but without having the WiFI set up, there was just no way.

I'm going to have to spend a couple of days in the hospital, for yet another back surgery, so having the kindle set up and downloading the books was kinda important.

Then something happened! I'm not sure what?

You know when a Lad is trying to learn how to tie a knot and you have gone over it again and again. You have tried to show him from behind, involved rabbits, snakes and trees. Asked him to talk you through it and then for no reason known to man it just happens and he gets it.

I don't know how, but I somehow got it!

The Home network is now up and running, all four laptops, two desk-tops and the kindle are now connected to the WWW.

I have enough stuff to read that will last me for several weeks.

I'm very happy with myself. - I just wish I knew how the heck I got here.

The sad news is that the package I have is only good for 24 months, after which time the price goes up, then I will have to choose if I'm willing to change back to cable or pay through the nose again.

With my new found enthusiasms, I think when I get home I'll be ready to taken on the remote and who knows maybe even my cell phone.

Eamonn

 

[WAKWIB]

It sometimes seems to me that technology has a mind of it's own and will come together properly on it's own terms and not exactly according to the letter of the instruction manual, the genius of the technical support geek, or our own brute strength.

It just happens.

[sailingpj]

Did you ask your son to help? That is what my dad does anytime he needs technical help. For some reason he can follow the directions to the letter 20 times and not get it to work; then I step in, use the same directions, and just get it to work. He swears that I have mystical powers

 

I have noticed that most people under 30 have these same powers.

[jsummerlin]

I got rid of cable all together. I have high speed internet access and over the air HD. More than enough entertainment with just that, and only ~$40 a month!