FINALLY AT&T DSL AND FAX

Yes, you read that right. We FINALLY have our DSL line and fax line back at our office - FINALLY. Took 20+ techs, 20+ field people, 60 hours of my time on the phone, 8 managers, 3 supervisors, my own phone network specialist, a Verizon wireless internet card, and over $5000 in money due me to pay payroll to have the girls be at that office doing nothing but watch ding-a-lings say everything is fine, plus my Verizon bill for the internet card, plus my network specialist person's bill.

Guess what came in today's mail too? Yep an AT&T bill. Anyone taking bets if I pay it?

What went wrong? Who knows except that some idiot wired the phone line outside that went to the DSL and fax to another telephone line instead of its own line. When the tech specialist I have been working with since last Wednesday called and said he was sending out someone to see what was wrong with the lines, I politely asked him to make sure he/she had taken their meds because the others had heard dial tones and DSL tones on those lines - and therefore they had to have been listening to voices or noises in their head and I requested either one on his meds not hearing things or one with a brain. I got Fred who confirmed what I have been saying the entire time that there was no tone on the line and that the idiots before him had wired that line into one of our other lines.

**sigh** Now to hire a lawyer to recoup my losses. At least the office can function now - just in time for my surgery on Thursday.

Do I know why they turned me off? Nope and probably never will. All I know is it took over 42 days to get it turned back on. Sounds kinda like.........yeah will leave that alone........:)

Happy 59th Birthday Honey Honey Honey!

It doesn't seem possible you are that old....seems like yesterday we were kids falling in love and getting married. How time flies!

At least we didn't set off your daughter's smoke alarm last night lighting all those candles although it was really close.

And just a reminder, parroting your own words to everyone else: You are beginning your 60th year! **ouch**

I love you honey honey honey! **smooch**

Day 36 with NO AT&T DSL OR FAX LINE

Let's see - today's excuses (yes 3 separate phone calls from 3 different departments) who wanted to assure me they were working on it as fast as possible. Oh and to let me know I had a new bill to pay (mind you I hadn't even gotten it yet as the invoice date was today so it hasn't been mailed yet).

I asked if they expected me to pay their bill considering how much they are costing me for something that was their fault. They said it would help to speed things along.

Oh yeah I think you can imagine my response to that. Thank goodness it isn't Lent yet so the swearing jar isn't out.

In the meantime, I think I have been through every supervisor and manager. I want the VP or the President or CEO now.

AT&T this is ridiculous! It's not as if AT&T horror stories are anything new - there were plenty I found doing a simple google search. Who remembers Lily Tomlins as 'Ernestine the Operator' recite the mantra: "We don't care. We don't have to. We are the phone company!"

This one website suggested I file a FCC complaint so I did. Let's see what works the fastest - a letter sent certified to the CEO, a letter sent to CBS, NBC, and ABC, or the FCC complaint. Anyone want to take bets?

Day 36 AT&T STILL NO DSL OR NOW FAX

Really? This is a business. We pay you higher rates - triple what you charge customers PLUS we have to pay to advertise in your yellow page directory to the tune of $30,000 per year per book per office.

You disconnected my services. You admit your mistake. Yet not one of your managers or supervisors or tech people can figure out how to put the DSL and phone number to our fax machine back in our office.

You offer me another number yet I have invested YEARS in that number and all our clients have that number. Are you going to pay to re-advertise it for me?

You can flip a switch and turn me off yet you complain the problem is in my office. I demanded an explanation that if you didn't come to my office to physically turn off this line, then there is nothing physically in my office you have any right to see or touch. Frankly I am afraid to have any of your idiots touch anything on the inside.

I spent over $300.00 today getting my own telephone network system person - the same one who put in my phone system.

Funny how you say I have internet. Funny how you say I have a phone line.

Yet inside, there is no internet tone. There is no dial tone.

So where did it go?

Pam Zeckman and newspapers and lawyers here I come. I am beyond pissed.

Interesting how you can't afford to pay a technician or employ intelligent people yet you Mr. Randall L. Stephenson make $1.42M as Chairman, Chief Exec. Officer, Pres and Chairman of Exec. Committee. Interesting how you Mr. Richard G. Lindner make $1.2M as Chief Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and Sr. Exec. VP or Mr. John T. Stankey who makes $1.36M as Chief Exec. Officer of AT&T Operations Inc and Pres of AT&T Operations Inc, or you Mr. Ralph de la Vega who makes $1.46M as
Chief Exec. Officer of Mobility & Consumer Markets and Pres of Mobility & Consumer Markets can't figure out how to work your system or keep systems from shutting down.

Really? How nice!

Recipe Tuesday - Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

1 jar (6 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 pkg (9-11 ounces) frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 small garlic clove, pressed
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Diced red pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.Combine all ingredients except red pepper in bowl, mix well.
Spoon into oven safe dish.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. Garnish before serving with red pepper in center for color.

Serve with crackers or baked pita chips (split pita pocket in half horizontally, then cut each round into 8 pieces, bake in single layer on cookie sheet or stone for 8 to 10 minutes or until chips are lightly browned and crisp, cool completely). I also serve it with mini baguettes, lightly toasted.

AT&T

Thanks. Now in ATTEMPTING fixing my DSL problem (nope still not fixed), you have now disconnected my fax machine line. How in the flippen world do you think I can run a business??????????

Lawyer here I call. Comcast here I come.

I can't believe someone besides an insurance company has pissed me off this much!

Monday - AT&T - et al

There are Monday's and then there are MONDAY's. I knew it was going to "one of THOSE Monday's" when all I wanted to do was go back to bed and pretend it was any other day but Monday and this Monday was far far away and it was all a nightmare.

My day started way too early for what was to come. Mind you I am handicapped and stuck in my room unless someone deems it okay for me to go elsewhere. Usually that's my husband but he was at work.

First up was dealing with AT&T who I am so pissed at I am hiring a lawyer - yeah me who never sues anyone - even the town of Philly who was responsible for my 5 surgeries to date. But come on, they disconnected my DSL at one of the offices for NO REASON on December 30th and as of today I still don't have DSL in that office. All I get are excused after excuses after excuses. I refuse to hear anymore of them. There is not enough money in the world they can give me at this point.

Next was mother-in-law who got told by her physical therapist that she no longer qualified for home physical therapy and had progressed as far as she could at home and needed to continue physical therapy at the hospital. You would have thunk the world caved in after her histrionics on the phone. So I gave her a choice - she could come live in my house, following my rules, or go to physical therapy via the bus where she lives. She chose her way (figured she would). Then I dealt with her orthopedic surgeon who mistakenly booked her for an appointment for tomorrow when we don't go for another 3 weeks and their office who was being pissy when I said we didn't book it. Finally got it settled and an apology from them. I feel sorry for the patient who really has that appointment because I am sure someone else is coming in your place by now.

Next up was father-in-law who decided to use desitin to brush his teeth with this morning while the nurse was waiting on him to draw his blood. Desitin people - yuck yuck yuck - I can't believe even a dementia patient as bad as he is couldn't tell it wasn't toothpaste but then again, he used to drink cologne for mouthwash. After a call to poison control, another crisis averted.

I use a folding chair with a 55 gallon bag over it to take a shower (I kneel on it with my right leg that I can't stand on yet). Usually hubs puts it back in the shower after he takes his. Today - nope - he forgot. Said chair fell right in front of the door. So here I am, naked as a jaybird, on my hands and knees, trying to get the door open. Trouble and Nubs decided to help so they crawled over me into the bathroom and thought this was some new game to play with my arm trying to get the chair out of my way. I was accomplishing this a bit until they decided to sit on said chair. Yes, I finally got the door open and the chair into the shower along with 2 kittens who took a shower with me because they love that.

Work wasn't any better. Patients from hell. Patience was shot. Plus no time for lunch and still no coffee. I had decided that since my dear son wouldn't wake up to help me this morning, he didn't deserve to watch any TV or be on the internet. I was able to parental control him on the TV and changed the password to the modem and router but got the tables turned on me when I couldn't get online this evening.

Perfect ending of a very crappy day!