Last night, let’s just say I expressed a little… frustration… to anyone who would listen. The reason behind that is Comcast. Before I share my experience, let me make it clear that I’m in no way indicating this is the worst possible thing to happen in the world. The anguish experienced over setting up a luxury item like cable television is laughable comparable to everyday dilemmas for 98% of the global community. Nevertheless, here it is.

Since we set up our cable internet, also through Comcast, a few months ago we’ve had (what I believed) was basic television channels. Channels 2 through 60 or so. No premium movie channels, high level HDs, just what you’d expect to find flipping through. These, from what I was told by our initial setup technician, were all included with our internet package. We had no desire to spend extra money on television since I only watch ESPN, Ryan is rarely home and Dean despises television. Since it was all included however we couldn’t say no.

About a week ago, all channels above 22 now read that we had to contact Comcast for a digital upgrade. I remembered a bill passed by Bill Clinton long ago that all television broadcasts had to be upgraded to digital and apparently this is what had just occurred, so we only kept our basic channels now. Curious about the change, I called Comcast customer service.

Having worked in customer service before I’ve always been patient and even tempered with this process, quite possibly the most despised courses of action in American life, so after being on hold several minutes I got ahold of a representative. After explaining my situation and wanting to know more about the cable packages they have, she said she would have to transfer me because she was in ‘activations’. We had a similar setup in my customer service career where Activations was it’s own department and did nothing except press “CREATE” and refused to answer actual questions. However, during this transfer process I was disconnected and had to call back in. Same situation where I get to activations and they have to transfer me, luckily I get through and I get to a gentlemen named Charles. This guy was a dream come true, great service, understood what I was saying, listened to my situation and we settled on a basic package where I would get the channels I had before and my bill would only modestly climb an extra $20, I would get a converter box for our TV in the living room and an adapter for the television in my room. They’d come in the same box and only cost me $10 shipping one time. He explained the box would be simple “plug and play” (direct quote) and I wouldn’t need to activate it or call into customer service again. Follow the instructions in the box and good to go. Seemed win-win for everyone. The guy even gave me his personal extension for any further information.

Fast forward to yesterday evening, I receive the box and open it. It only has one converter in it. Well, maybe the other one will come in another box or maybe my cable upstairs will just automatically work. I read through the instructions, it says that I will need to call in to activate the box once it’s all plugged in. Apparently it’s not plug and play as it was described, but maybe it’s just like cell phones, all automated you press 1 press 2 and it’s good to go.

I hook everything up, call in and am placed on hold for 5 minutes waiting for an activations team member. The woman comes on and asks me my name and address to verify my account, all standard procedure, asks me the basic questions to make sure everything is plugged in, says okay she will be sending the box an “activation signal” and it should power itself off/on in a few seconds and be good to go. I wait…. and wait… and nothing happens. I tell her everything appears the same. She then says the procedure may take anywhere from “a few seconds to 45 minutes.” …. What’s with these time ranges? How can they not narrow it down any further? That isn’t accepted anywhere else in society. When will the presentation be done? It’s on your desk already… or 2012.

The woman says to not touch anything for 45 minutes and I will be receiving an automated call back in an hour to check and make sure it’s working so I won’t have to call back into customer service. Sounds like a good idea. I hang up and find something else to do.

About an hour has passed, the green light on the cable is still a solid green and the television screen remains black on channel 3. No change, still no call back.

It’s an hour and 10 minutes now, I decide to call back in to customer service and see what they can do. I wait 15 minutes for an agent to answer, but they do. I explain situation, verify my name and address, and ask what they can do. The girl asks me to unplug and plug back in my box. I do that. She then says she will be sending another “activation signal” and the box should restart itself in a few seconds. Again, the green light remains stubborn and doesn’t waver. I tell her that. She says she will have to get me to their tech support department. I understand sometimes that happens and am willing to wait. I’m on hold for around 10 minutes waiting for a tech when the hold music stops playing, I look at my phone and it’s my home screen. Call was disconnected. I sigh.

At this point I look online for other options, I voice my frustration on Twitter and get a quick response from a Comcast customer service rep named Bonnie who asks me to direct message her my phone number, which I do. She says she will take a look. I call back into customer service and wait for 20 minutes until I finally speak to another agent. She apologizes for my frustrations and says she will help me and asks me if my phone number is this and if my address is that… giving out my contact information isn’t a great business practice but I could care less at this point, I confirm and explain again what I had done previously. She asks me if I have a splitter for my cable. I say yes, I do, I have internet service so it’s the only way I can have TV and internet at the same time. She tells me confidently that it is the problem and I should have the wall plugged straight into the box, and the box to the TV. I confirm, so I should unplug my internet? She says yes. I turn off the internet just as I get a message from Bonnie on Twitter saying she is sending me another magical “activation signal”.

The voice in my ear says she will also be sending me an activation signal and my box WILL restart itself. I stifle a laugh. It does not predictably and we’re back here again. My hand is already on the plug as she asks me to unplug and plug it back in, I tell her this is my 3rd time doing this and my box has been blasted with activation signals all night. She says she knows and would now have to get me to tech support. I tell her I was disconnected last time and she assures me it won’t happen again. I hear 30 seconds of my favorite “on hold” music when it goes dead and the call has been ended a second time.

I mentally sum up the score thus far, approximately 90 minutes on the phone, about only 20 minutes of which was with an actual person, and all they’ve managed to do is break my internet also. I check Twitter on my phone and all I’ve received back from Bonnie is “reconnect your internet dude” (direct quote). I, for whatever reason, decide that I need to call back into customer service. This is their last opportunity.

I wait on hold for 30 minutes, only this time without internet to preoccupy the passage of time, before I speak to someone. As soon as I hear the person I immediately say my name, phone number and address, explain the situation, explain that I’ve already unplugged the box several times and another activation signal might give my box some type of cancer. The woman says she will get me to tech support and I tell her I’ve been disconnected twice and if I get disconnected again I need a call back, there is no way I’m waiting in line again. She said she will stay with me, and to her credit she does for the next 7 minutes before she warm transfers me to a deep voiced woman from tech who interrupts me repeatedly.

Finally speaking to tech support I’m excited for their options and new techniques that may be able to fix my problem.

She asks me to unplug and replug in the box.

I feel my teeth grinding and a twitch in my eye as I comply with her instructions. She says she is sending out an activation signal and I can’t help but sarcastically say “Oh good another one.” When nothing happens for another minute, she tells me my only option is to send out a technician and their soonest time is Saturday. I say clearly, like you said, it’s my only option. She says he’ll be over between 4-7, of which I assume 4 AM and 7 PM, and tells me they value my business and hangs up while I say “Have a nic-…”

The evening afterwards calmed me down, and this morning I could laugh at the absurdity of it all. Just another story, but at 9:11AM while I’m on my way to work I get a call on my phone, unknown number, and I pick it up. I hear an automated voice say:

“Thank you for choosing Comcast! We are calling to confirm your cable has been set up successfully! We value you as a customer!”

I hang up and scream at the top of my lungs.

The initial morning and subsequently afternoon is upon us since I abruptly decided to move ahead my move out date by a couple of days. The Snowpocalypse has ascended on the area and after days of shoveling I decided it would be easier to just not attempt to return up the driveway and take some essentials to the new (flat land surrounded) home.

While it doesn’t feel like I’ve actually moved yet, awaiting the mattress and dresser for that, I walked down the main drag of town to a cafe where I am now enjoying free wireless internet and, soon, a meal. These are the types of activities that one can only dream/read about on Dean’s blog archives. On the walk over, I realized that despite the cold and lack of navigable walkways I loved the idea of being within walking distance of something I wanted to do. Perhaps it’s my inner subconscious (can a subconscious be anywhere else?) saying that I have more of an urban mentality. Not that Aliquippa is a metropolis by any means, it is the most densely populated area I’ve ever resided in.

I can understand how people could get lost in thought being surrounded by people so much. It’s a mental marathon seeing so many new faces and without thought have judgement, stereotype, opinion, and first impressions. Luckily, I consider myself a relatively good person and I haven’t seen anyone that I feel negatively towards. Everybody is going about their lives and on occasion they cross paths, even just for a minimal smile or head nod. Those moments are what make up a community apparently, and I’m eager to make my mark on this new one soon.

I’ve never been the most logical person. Luckily most of my risks have worked out, at least through optimistic perspectives. Over the next month I fully expect (at least hope) that I will take drastic steps forward towards life progression. Moving out, returning to the  ”real” workforce (no offense Blockbuster and the 12 hours a week you toss my way), and beginning to accumulate collective wealth.

Several opportunities have presented themselves in the last week or so… some large, some small, but I’d like to think that the odds are at least one will work out. While I’d obviously prefer the large ones to be successful, the minor victories keep troop morale above sea level. We arn’t drowning yet. I can tread water for a long time.

Or at least a couple more months.

Dusted off an old design classic for the blog and brought it back. If you hadn’t seen it before, it’s new to you.

Decided for the frequency I update my twitter and check-in with foursquare, why not make it all a central hub on this domain that I’m paying for? In addition, I’ll be looking to create a better online portfolio. I already updated my resume. Take a peek.

Let’s not waste time talking about how I never update you webpage, we know it’s true. I will follow Dean’s recent post and toss together a quick bulleted list of a life update:

- Working at Blockbuster now, really enjoy it. Easy to do, fun to be at. Minimum wage pay and only a dozen hours a week though. I’m definitely in the red on monthly income. Ate through all my savings from the six months of Verizon Wireless cash I had. Think I’ll be able to survive another two or three months without some increased income.
- Illogically, plan on moving out within the next month. Once the room I’d be moving into is completed being renovated I will go in. Luckily, rent is low, and it’d be closer to my current job and friends so less gas money will help balance the cost. A minimal amount, but still, a good opportunity I have to take advantage of.
- Been reading more in the past month then I had the previous few years. A couple autobiographies (Howie Mandel, Andre Agassi), Dexter by Design, and just finishing up Accidental Billionaires about the founding of Facebook. Pretty good. Not sure where to go from here. We’ll see what falls into my lap.
- Most days are spent waking up, looking for jobs on the laptop, soon realizing there’s nothing there, and then playing video games / eating junk / drinking mountain dew for the rest of the day. I’d say that it’s getting old, but, it’s not. It’s really, really not.
- I want to create. I want to write. I want to film. But my head is full of half ideas that are never as good out of my head as they are in it. Maybe eventually we’ll finally make that 3rd episode of UpSTATE or I’ll write a story longer then four pages.

That’s it for me. It’s late. My life has taken a strange schedule. I sleep from 2am-10am, eat lunch at 11AMish, lounge around most of the day, if I work I have a small snack but eat dinner after 11PM when I get home. My whole life is shifted. Going to be strange if I get a 9-5 job and I’ll have to go to bed before midnight. Blech. Not an old man yet.

Been refocusing my life on the “arts” the last few weeks. A lot more music and even got a library card. Only book I’ve read so far is Dexter By Design, and merely because I like the television show, but it still counts. Next book is Howie Mandel’s memoirs. It fascinated me because of his life with OCD and my own (albeit minor) experiences with it as well. Less then hundred pages in, but pretty good thus far.

Was reading Dean’s site and he talked about how his books sparked memories for him. While I haven’t read nearly the volume of literature that the English Major has (let’s just say he’s read so much he should be promoted to Colonel by now, *da dum CHING*)… I’d say I have the same feeling about music. Songs, artists all spark memories from my past. Some of the songs really don’t have any specific memory but it never fails to make me think of a particular person.

“Freshman” by The Verve Pipe was my first “song” I ever had with a girl. 7th Grade with Courtney Ross and we danced to it being played by some awful student band cover. Regardless of this one occurrence and we never really listened to the song again together, it stuck. It’s a strange song to dance to, even a stranger song for it to be a couple’s song but hey, we were merely 7th graders.

After that, pretty much just artists in general remind me of my timeline with girlfriends or crushes on girls I’ve had. All-American Rejects (Highschool), Switchfoot (Freshman year of college), The Clarks, Hellogoodbye (Next two years of college), The Format (Post-Graduation) … I still listen to all these bands but when they come on unexpectedly or surprisingly my mind immediately is thrown into the past and they are the initial thought I have. Luckily I don’t have any negative past events that prevent me from listening to music I regularly enjoy. Closest I have to that is any song from Dirty Dancing makes me remember the endless hours (an exaggerated three years straight if memory serves me) that my sisters watched that movie. Nobody puts baby in the corner but when that movie comes on I hope somebody puts the television through the window.

So as I’ve brought music back into my life (both new and old) it’s been refreshing going down memory lane. I encourage others to do the same. Listen to some songs you haven’t in a few years and see what memories they bring up. The soundtrack of your life.

Look, Facebook, I appreciate what you’re trying to do but everytime I login I don’t want to be reminded about my old 10th grade friend whom I haven’t spoken with since pre-9/11. Sure, you started innocent with “Reconnect” or “Write on his Wall” but now all you’re saying is “Talk to Him” … listen, I don’t need your suggestions. I’ll speak to whomever I want to speak with. You want to make friends, you talk to him. He’s a good guy but we have nothing in common anymore. Really I’m only still friends with him because I know if I un-friended him you’d show me to him as a suggestion to add as a friend, and that’ll be an awkward friend request.

You keep doing your job of showing me pictures of people I don’t talk to and I’ll keep pretending we’re still friends with the 300 connections I have instead of the six people I actually speak to. We’re both liars. Don’t act like you’re better then me.

Been sitting here 45 minutes trying to think of something to write about. Wrote about three different half posts, nothing came out like I enjoyed.

So, just wanted to record my efforts.

Maybe tomorrow.

With my current job forcing me to work 12PM until 9 PM, Tuesday through Friday, and then 9PM until 6PM on Saturday (and not taking into account the 45 minute commute one way), I have a lot less time on my hands then I use to.

According to my rough estimates, which I just made up, that leaves me with two hours of leisure time a week. Most of the time this is spent doing things I use to do to fill the excessive free time I once cherished, browsing the internet and watching reruns of Sportscenter. On my two days off, often times I am just so emotionally and physically drained from being out of the house I cherish sitting on the couch all day with a laptop, big screen television and snack food. While I do enjoy these days, they go quickly and the next week begins again.

It would be great to find the motivation to go out more and do things, but I’ve always been the type of person that prefers a pizza and a movie over a large party. I went to a small college, I only have half a dozen or so close friends, whenever my sister made me play The Sims I lived in a small bachelor pad with a single guy. Less has always been more.

This admittance of my mental state is merely an acknowledgement of my situation. It makes no promise of change or expectation of altercation, just letting the universe know the cycle I’m in and who knows what might happen tomorrow.

Oh wait, I do know, I’ll be at work.

[via facebook chat]
Courtney: Just waiting on the gasman to come.
Casey: whats he doing today
Courtney: turning it back on… drama with the girl who moved out before i moved in, was getting bills and notices and not telling anyone…
Casey: ooo what a crazy bitch … unless you were friends with her… then i can understand her situation.

What do you think is the most comfortable, softest thing in the world? Even if you’ve never been in contact with it, just what you think it might be.

My answer? The fur on a panda’s belly.

Easy there. Ignore the subject. I’m talking about a dinner party I’ll be attending tonight at Dean’s house. He organized it and it should be a good time. These are the types of things I always looked forward to doing as a child. Parents would go off to the unknown and I’d be stuck at home with a babysitter.

I’ve been put in charge (read: asked casually) to provide cups. I went to Wal-Mart and actually debated on what kind to get. Plastic, paper, red, clear, blue… you never knew how many options there were until you’re actually faced with a decision. I ended up going with a specialty red that provided “extra grip support” (read: not smooth plastic and an extra 29 cents). Nothing but the best for my friends.

My mom, who works from home, spends her down time checking in on the San Diego Zoo Pandas… obviously.

LRossiSiemens:one is upside down!

I will be making this and digesting it someday. Someday soon.