SBC, Rats and Panther

Date: December 13, 2003
   
      My phone went dead as a doornail.
      My dial-up went with it of course.
      So--- I called SBC.
      You cannot get a human on the week-end.
      They evidently think they don't need to provide that service.
      Voice mail.
      Menu menu menu.
      Of course, they immediately said - go to our website ----- How in bloody hell do I do that?
      And then they said I could email them --- without my dial-up???
      Cute!
      Well, my son's phone works.
      Because he is not on the back yard connector box that got wet and took out my three lines.
      Done this before. I should have called when we found the kitchen phone was out.
      We had a mad scramble - since he NEVER uses his phone - being deaf.
      He uses it for dial-up.
      They wanted a number to call.
      Fine.
      They wanted you to choose a time.
      I work - what happened to evening hours?
      And there is my son's final.
      I went through the damn menu twice - got the phone number tested - yep - needs service - and picked MONDAY MORNING.
      Charming.
      My phone is dead for three days.
      His is not - since it has a different connector box (different number).
      Sigh.
      I need to get off SBC.
      So much for service.
     
      Meanwhile - my son logged into my email - using his G4 running Panther. THe latest Apple operating system.
      Panther learns about bad email.
      Panther read the WHOLE email box - which is not supposed to accrue anything - and found 887 messages - all but five were spam.
      Panther is AI. (Artificail intelligence for the non-tech.)
      They (the spam) are now gone.
      I need to get my G5 running. I need Panther! (The new computer is waiting for space to set it up - which is waiting on the garage remodel.)

      Monday - 8-12 was rhe schedule and my soin needed to get to campus.
      At 11, I called SBC. He was getting there. He was on a ple.
      By 11:30 he got there. I dragged him right to the back yard.
      Wet I thought.
      Rats he said. They had chewed thru the lines!

      The bait trays are now in the water heater compartment and and contractor has an added task. The phone are working. The sprinkler lines are resisting the little buggers.