Weird Weekend

All I can say it was a weird weekend. We had planned to visit our family in central Virginia like we always do for Christmas. But with the pandemic resurgence we thought it best not to worry ourselves and our family. So the appropriate grinch wrapping paper gifts will remain undone until another time. We decided to take a ride on Christmas Eve to find some lights. It was a rather disappointing event except for one house that was over the top. It was also rush hour and we got stuck in traffic. That evening the tv stopped working and we both had a heart attack. Our lifeline to normality was snatched away - even more so when the internet quit and I couldn’t even use the version app to troubleshoot. We couldn’t even find a number to call. Luckily after plugging and unplugging everything a few times it finally came back. What a lousy weekend it would have been to buy a tv when everything is shut down. We had leftovers for dinner both on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Last evening we thought we would try to visit Alexandria to see the Christmas lights one last time. It was a bust except for the canopy of lights on King Street. The only thing good about going there was to find a gas station with gas for $3.17. When we came home we watched a really awful movie, but it made us forget about the pandemic and our cares. Sometimes I dread the holidays. This was one of those times. And I’m glad it’s over. 

Verizon Chat

Any time the tv stops working I get very worked up because I know that means at least two hours of my time will be wasted trying to get it fixed. And so it was one evening this week. It started at seven and ended at nine PM. For whatever reason, the “input” or “output” wasn’t connected. We had a pink screen with the closed caption scrolling and no audio and a transparent video. I tried first using the Verizon app to refresh everything - which usually works - based on past experience with Xfinity when we lived in Capitol Hill. Of course it didn’t. So I tried to find a chat option after trying to call. After much frustration I was able to start a chat with someone who transferred me to someone else once they became aware that it was a technical issue. I was juggling two phones and two remotes - one for the LG set up and the other for Verizon - and of course my phones were almost out of power so I was tethered to the wall. It took forever just to get beyond the account number. Anyway, they wanted a screenshot of the tv and we went from there. I was finally able to reconnect the set top box with the tv using the LG menu, then rebooting the whole system. Thank goodness we moved the huge cabinet away from the wall the last time so we can now unplug everything “easily.” Otherwise it’s a big mess unloading the cabinet and putting everything back. In the end I got some unexpected kind words from the person I was chatting with. I can only imagine the horrible interactions these poor folks must bear with when things don’t go right. So I hoped I made his day as much as he finally made mine. In the end it is a feeling of accomplishment, but I hate it all the same. 

The Tiny Screen - Thank Goodness for TV Watching Options

We have two tiny apartments across the hall from each other. It makes for totally separate quarters when we have guests. Otherwise, one side is for living during the day, has a Murphy bed, and faces the front of the building; the other side has a separate bedroom for sleeping, a private patio and garden, and faces the rear of the building. That's all a good thing until it comes to TV watching. All of the Xfinity setup is on the side where we usually live and where the guests stay - with the big TV, so that means that the wifi signal doesn't always work so well across the hallway for us. And because it is a totally separate address, it requires two totally different set ups and all the additional expenses associated with it. Because we only used the tv on the "other side" when we had guests, we decided to eliminate the Xfinity box and service on that side, and live with the consequences. Our grandson was visiting with us the last two weeks, and he ultimately enjoyed the guest quarters with the full range of tv and Internet services along with the big screen. Luckily, I recently figured out that we could also watch live or saved tv on my iPad using the Xfinity apps. Using the iPad was okay, but too small and clunky. So I dragged out my laptop, put it on the laptop stand, and set it up for the same purpose. After two weeks we finally got used to sitting on the couch looking at the laptop a short distance in front of us. One of these days I will figure out how to get whatever is on my iPad on to the tv screen. But for now, this happens to work. Luckily we don't need to use it that often!