Many of you have heard my laments about my lack of TV/Intenet/Phone service for the past 6 weeks but I thought I would sum it up for all to fully enjoy and mock my frustrations.

It all started when I was set to move from my old house. I had had Uverse for a year and had a generally very positive experience. Because of a construction delay (and as it turned out, the legal winding up of my builder), I was going to be homeless between Dec 23 through the 29th. As a result, the fam would be packed into my Mother in Law's house (fantasies coming true!!!!) for the duration. So my first call to Uverse was to figure out how my service would be transferred with this gap. I was told to just take my equipment with me and to call back once we got established in the new place. No, they couldn't schedule the new install now, I had to be living in the new house first.

Sigh.

I called on Jan 2 and after being shuttled around, hung up on and put on hold for a combined 2 hours (from 4 phone calls), I was told the earliest they could come out was Jan.14. Really? I would be paying for no service for 3 weeks? Yes I was told, thats the earliest we can come out. Considering I have the max package and pay about $200 a month, I found this unsatisfactory. After stewing over it for a couple of days I called back and demanded an earlier install date or I would cancel. Sorry sir, thats the best we can do.

So I cancelled. Mistake!

I called Direct TV and they could come out that Sunday, Jan 8. Sweet! So they arrive Sunday morning and Mrs Fire Starkey goes outside to talk to them. She comes into the kitchen a few minutes later and tells me they have a satellite dish. "So?" says I. Satellite dishes are not allowed by our HOA, she informs me.

Sigh.

With satellite dishes outlawed, I had 2 choice, go crawling back to Uverse and sign with Time-Warner. Since TW is evil incarnate, I went crawling back to Uverse. I explained the situation and asked if they could bring back my old order to transfer to the new house. Mistake! Yes, I was informed and as a matter of fact, a tech was available to come set it up the next day! The next day I get a call from the technician who is confused. Why, says I? Well, the hous elooks empty. He gave me the address and he was at my old house. The new one is 1/3 of a mile away. Sorry, he can't do it. Cancel the order time.

I call Uverse back and explain the situation again. Ok, says foreign voice, we cant do anything right now because the cancellation doesn't show up yet. I argue for a while and am told they will fix it.

Suspicious, I call back 2 days later. Yes, they have it scheduled again. The address? The old house again.

Sigh.

Cancel everything, lets start all over. So I completely re-do the order. The new address is confirmed 4 times. They can come out Jan 25. I agree because this is bullshit and I'm not screwing it up again. Jan 25 comes and Mrs Fire Starkey takes her hald day of work off, I take the afternoon off. No one shows. I call and am told that the outside tech came and there is a problem with the wiring to the box at the street. Ok, when did you discover this? 2 days ago I'm told. Really? No call to tell us that the install is cancelled again?

Sigh.

The following week a team showed up unannounced and drilled under our driveway to run the conduit to the street and last Saturday, a guy showed up to check the network strength. He called another tech to come set up the inside later that day so in the end, it finished with a rush but never again will I screw around with an install date.