January 24, 2003 - 9:41 p.m.
What a week.
We're beginning to settle in. Most of the boxes have been emptied (though I still can't find my mousepad or my jar grip), the boys are sleeping at night and confident that Momma and Daddy will be here in the morning, my dog is stretched out at my feet, and I'm online.
Until 11:27 this morning, I was in total internet blackout. There wasn't even a point in turning on the computer. But I had very little opportunity to pine over it. No, my life continues on its "interesting" cowpath...
I arrived on Monday to an apartment and garage full of boxes that Mike was tearing through to unpack, foxphotog installing a ceiling fan in Zachary's new room, and Regan taking a nap in Marcus's. Mike calls my attention to the move-in forms provided by the rental office to note any damages or things outside of normal wear-and-tear for new residents -- the forms they gave him two weeks prior when he picked up the keys -- the forms that have to be returned to pick up the key to the mailbox. So, Tuesday morning I sit down at the kitchen table and begin noting any minor little thing that I notice around the apartment, just to be certain nothing is laid at our feet when we move out. Mike also mentions that the hot water isn't very hot, so I note that the thermostat on the water heater should be checked. Wednesday morning I drop by the rental office to return the form and pick up the key to the mailbox.
Contrary to my belief, the box isn't bulging with mail or holding a little note ordering me to come by the post office and pick the stuff up. It's only a few things, the only piece of any importance being our renters' insurance information. I'm feeling pretty good about the day and drop by the local cable company offices to pick up a self-installation kit for internet access, through MacDonald's for fries, and home again to unpack and hook up the cable modem.
I'm not back long before the bell rings - the maintenance guy to look at the water heater. He runs the kitchen faucet a few minutes and then goes outside to the utility closet off the patio to take a look at the water heater. A few moments later he rushes back in, grabs his cell phone that he left in the kitchen and runs back out, dialing and yelling. There's an odd sound out on the patio. I walk over to take a peek.
Water is gushing out of the utility closet! It's pouring over the threshold, across the patio, and into the grass where I assume it's beginning to freeze (temperatures are in the low 20's). Larry the maintenance guy is jumping around and crying for help into his cell phone while simultaneously trying to give me "nah, this is all under control" gestures. Moe comes running over to join him and now they're both yelling and gesturing and the water is cutting its little path to the Potomac. At last, Curly wanders by. He's in shirtsleeves, casually snaking from a mega bag of chips. Larry and Moe, still in frenzy, explain the situation to him in one big "Arrrrgggghhh!" Curly tilts his head to the side look past them into the utility closet, then back to upend the bag of chips into his mouth, wipes his hands on his jeans and walks in to the source of the latest Chesapeake Bay tributary. And it stops.
Of course, if there's going to be water damage anywhere it will be along the wall of the closet where we're storing the Mac and all of Mike's comics.
None of these stooges helped me move them. But they did loan me a fan to dry out the carpet.
As Larry leaves, he gives me a note from the office. Seems they forgot to ask me to sign yet another form verifying that, yes, I picked up the mailbox key and they also need proof of our renters' insurance immediately, which Mike had not given to them because it was in the mailbox and he hadn't completed the form to get the key.
sigh
I figure they can wait another day and move on to hooking up the cable modem.
Step 1: Connect coaxial cable to outlet.
Step 2: Connect other end to modem.
Step 3: Phone in model and serial number of modem.
If only it were that simple.
Step 4: Repeat serial number several times to customer service rep who finally concludes that the Virginia Beach network has not released it. He claims to send them a request to do so and promises to call back shortly.
Step 5: Wait.
Step 6: Wait.
Step 7: Spend a ridiculous amount of time on the phone with rep when he finally calls back (the next morning) trying to determine why the modem will not receive a signal.
Step 8: Lug spare tv through apartment to hook it up to aforementioned outlet to see if it will get a signal. It won't.
Step 9: Wait for service technician to come the following day.
Step 10: Try to explain the problem to a service technician who does not speak the same language as you, or even one you took in college.
Step 11: Upset your toddler by turning off his "Best of Thomas the Tank Engine" video because it's confusing the technician who's trying to figure out which cable outlets are live.
Eventually the guy decided to skip directly to the most complicated solution and rewired the outlet. It worked. He left. I had to call technical services once again because the password I had been given for the account was not the one they actually set for it, but that was a minor hurdle in comparison to the rest of the week.
Can't wait for the next...
