Monday, December 15, 2014

Planned Obsolescence.

So you probably don't know that my mom was a Girl Scout. The Girl Scout motto is "Be prepared." This can account for why she has two working DSL modems on hand at any given time.

Wouldn't you know, then, that today both modems failed to connect to the interwebs. No amount of troubleshooting could correct the problem; nothing made either modem talk to her DSL carrier's server. Amazing, right? Since she depends on connectivity to do her job and help with my store, she was in a tizzy to say the least! She asked the DSL carrier's phone tech (rhetorically, of course) if both these modems were so old why they couldn't have alerted customers in advance of this problem, and of course there was no actual answer to that. (But they sure do appreciate her loyalty!)

Bottom line: her DSL carrier would overnight a modem (argh, with delivery probably about 5:30 in the afternoon), or she could go to Best Buy and purchase a new modem with credit for one of the old ones (no, and she would rather put her eyeball out with a fork than go into Best Buy) or go to a local mall to the carrier's store and pick up an exchange modem (maybe, but she would rather put her eyeball out with a grapefruit spoon than to go to a mall, and on December 15 no less!). She finally decided on the latter, still has both eyes and we have a brand-new modem now. She, however, hasn't quite worked through her snit yet because the day was pretty much lost. Start with her and she'll point out that she hasn't even read the morning paper yet!

Plus side for us: the office is strewn with all manner of cables and wires to play with, and NO PICTURES intruding on our day!

(Speaking of December 15, our sale ends tonight at 12 midnight MST!)

14 comments:

  1. My Mom feels for your Mom. Me, I am with YOU guys!

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  2. Yeah, Mom understands the modem and having to go to the mall because it was faster :/
    Cool about the no pics though ;)
    Mom is bummed about that. She thinks you kitties are cool ;)
    Well, we do too :)
    Purrs Georgia and Julie,
    Treasure and JJ

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  3. Yuck, our Mom understand this pain all too well.

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  4. Put out only ONE eye?

    Now, BOTH would signify true Shopping Avoidance.

    MOL!!

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  5. My human totally can relate about not wanting to go to the mall at this time of year! Well, at least you guys have a new modem now.

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  6. Our mom can sympathize with your mom. She spent this morning trying to get online. Technology, phbbttt!

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  7. Our DSL and/or modem and/or connection or whatever has been fading in and out for a few months so the Human has finally given in to the inevitable and is getting AT&T U-Verse the day after tomorrow. Sigh.

    She *almost* believes AT&T is just screwing with her DSL on purpose to make her go for the (OF COURSE) pricier alternative. Sigh.

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  8. My mum refuses to go anywhere near the shopping malls at all in December. She is having router woes too. The old one is so slow now that she complained to AOL and they sent a new one, but she couldn't get the internet with it. After 4 very long phone calls to call centres in India and going through the same questions the technician got it to work...for 30 minutes. She is back using the old slow router again. When they sent the new router they gave her a price reduction on her monthly fee too, and foolishly she renewed her contract for another year, so she is stuck with AOL for another 11 months before she can change provider.

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  9. We are quite impressed that your human had TWO modems! She gets a special geek card for that, and it gets stamped for refusing to go into Best Buy. Glad you're up and running again. Connectivity is so important these days!

    And like Spitty above, our cable internet connection has been less and less reliable ever since we gave up cable TV. Seems like the providers will do anything to "encourage" us to upgrade.

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  10. William, I am impressed with your momma! The best I can do is turn it off, then back on again to see if that helps...lol! I'm thinking you and your cat siblings had some real fun too.

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  11. "...she would rather put her eyeball out with a fork than go into Best Buy..."

    This cracked me up -- I say I'd (almost) rather stick pins in my eyes. LOL.

    I wouldn't have a clue what to do if my router failed...other than get a new one, probably from Best Buy. Hahahaha. And what the heck's the difference between a DSL router and modem anyway...or is there?

    Kim (so not techie, sadly)

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  12. Firstly, mommy laffed at putting your eye out wit a fork cause MY mommy feels the say way and brother calls it Beast Buy!!! But so glad all is well again. <3

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  13. Fico contente que sua mamãe conseguiu resolver o problema, e vocês tiveram alguma diversão.

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  14. Oh that is a stinker!!!! Glad you are back online!

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Wowee meowee.