I finally have Internet service again! This past week, AT&T did some kind of upgrade in their Fiber Optic stuff in our neighborhood. It was somewhat poorly planned from my point of view. Our city had just contracted with some company to fix some of the streets in our neighborhood and this included alley entries/exits. We could not get out of our alley at its closest point to us, and had to drive to the other entry/exit which was fine, just kind of off putting. After about what seemed like an eternity, but was really maybe 5 days, we were able to go through the entry/exit closest to our home. Until, I came home from work one day and found our alley entry/exit blocked by AT&T trucks.

I had received a notice on our doorknob letting us know that AT&T was upgrading their system to something called U-Verse. The note had let me know that in order for my Internet to work I needed to call and set up an appointment to have a technician come out and install a component on the side of my house and replace my modem. So on Tuesday, they were working in our alley way and we could not get our Internet to work (or get into the alley since they dug up what the city had just laid down). So, I called to set up an appointment. I was told they could have someone out on Thursday from 8-10 to install the necessary items. Sorry, was my response, my husband I work during the day so we can't be there. Do you have anything on Saturday was my response. "Sure," they said. "We can have someone there between 12-2." Great! I'll have my service back on Saturday.

Thursday night, Jason came in with a grin and said, 'Don't shoot the messenger, but AT&T called and said they were here for our scheduled appointment from 8-10." So, I called AT&T U-verse and complained. sorry was their response, but we will put you in for Saturday between 12-2. Great! Thanks so much! Saturday rolls around and I'm trying to get the backyard mowed because our Live Oak is shedding, and at 1:50, I go in to see if they've called. Nope, was Jason's response. I gave him the number and asked him to call and find out what was going on. He came back out with a smile on his face, and I declared that whatever was going on I was not laughing. The person he spoke with said that we were scheduled to have someone out Monday from 8-10. I was LIVID! I went in, called the people and was not exactly the nicest. I was nice to the operator who took the call, because after all, it wasn't her fault. I hadn't spoken with her yet. I complained about the first SNAFU, about Saturday's schedule some how turning into Thursday, and now Saturday's schedule was now somehow Monday.

She got a technician to come out, who said our ticket read customer unavailable. The poor man stayed out here for about 2 hours and at the end of it we didn't have Internet or phone service. What the H?!! So he put in a work order to have a technician come out and check out the box at the side of the house. It might be that night, but it would more than likely be Sunday morning.

At about 8:00, Jack comes in and says that he sees blinking lights in our alley and he's kinda freaked out. Two seconds later our doorbell rings and it's the technician here to fix our component at the back. So I get the dog in and unlock the gate and let the man in. He's here about 30 minutes and gets everything working just fine. After he leaves, he realizes that we might not be able to hook up, so he puts in an order to have someone come out and set up our modem and router. Again, someone will be out between 8-10 am on Sunday. He apologizes profusely and even calls the U-verse people to set up the appointment.

Finally, at about 8:00 am this morning a young lady comes and sets us up. At least I can access the Internet from home and not get blocked by the system at school now.