Wednesday. July. 11pm
You know, dates don't stick with me very well. When I watch a movie, or play an adventure game, and they scroll the date across the screen because it's important, I immediately forget the date. When I was playing Phoenix Wright, I knew it was October of some date, but I never knew exactly. So I'd forget if the murder was yesterday, or the day before. These were crucial facts in the case.
It's like some mental block I have. Maybe it's because I couldn't get any dates in high school. Nor in university. Not that we have to revisit that.
I hope I have underwear tomorrow. I'm running low on that too.
I forgot to mention that I remembered garbage day yesterday. That means our bugs finally went to a better place. At least, a better place for me, not for them.
Oh, I woke up quite late this morning. It was about 8:40. I took a shower in about 8 minutes. That's *really* good for me. And then I biked to work immediately. That meant no breakfast, no lunch making, no house cleaning.
... Seems there's never any time for housecleaning.
But there is a happy ending to this story! Work bought lunch and it was Thai food. I don't know why they bought lunch, but I'm not one for questioning gifts and I heartily ate the food.
I've been doing a good job at keeping the weight down too! What with eating soup every day. But today, that pattern was broken, because of the Thai food, and the Disselkoens fed me steak. In fact, they had lots of it, and packed a lunch for me.
Now, do I really sound that pitiful and incompetent?
...
Of course, I *am* quite happy about the steak, and food. So... sure. I'm geek enough to admit that I fail at life. Feed me meat.
I need a sign. "Please feed the geek. He likes crackers, apples, and steak."
I think about you a lot, you know. And just to prove it, here is a transcript that I had with tech support. I love tech support chats now. Instead of waiting on hold on a telphone, you can wait on a chat screen. And the best thing is, they're usually quick! Just tonight, I was on with Rogers for a password reset, and it was quick and easy.
Of course, the one at work took a long time to come on. So I used that time to talk. About me. And you. Well, ok, mostly about me. But you do want to know what I do at work sometimes.
Oh cool, that blockquote thingy shows up in facebook import. Wild.
Hmmm, that got a couple red underlines for misspelling. That reminds me of Ekko. I miss you girls. *sigh*
Anyway, here's the transcript. This is why I like tech support chats so much:
Errol: Still cannot log into admin console
* Welcome Errol! Your request has been directed to the Hosted Exchange Support department. Please wait for our operator to answer your call.
* **SYSTEM MESSAGE** We are sorry, all of our Agents are currently assisting other customers - Please wait until the next Agent becomes available and accepts your chat request. You do not need to remain on this window if an Agent does not become available within the next few minutes. You may close this window at any time, and a Support Engineer will contact you at the phone number and/or email address provided when you requested this chat session.
Errol: Oh well, while I wait, I'll explain the problem. :)
Errol: I'm trying to log into the admin console.
Errol: I'm in IE 7.
Errol: Yesterday, I get the error as indicated by the file I uploaded. It's a white prompt box, with no indication what the error is.
Errol: I log onto customer support chat, and wait for a few hours. Nothing. So I try again a few hours later, and it works! Good!
Errol: Then I try to log on this morning, and I get the same problem. White box.
Errol: So I log onto customer support chat, and someone is there, Huzzah! His name is Chester (am), and he has a nice pic on the header graphic. That's pretty brave if you ask me. I'm glad I'm not part of a support team which has to show your pic. People would run if they saw mine.
Errol: Anyway, he tells me to install the proper java. I acquiesce, despite the fact that I despise java and I need to have multiple versions of the thing for the variety of java applets that companies seem to run and they all think you need THEIR specific version of Java.
Errol: It's like .NET. That's why I despise .NEt. I don't want to install an 80 meg program so that I can get a 1 meg program to work... unless I used an older version of .NET.
Errol: Heck, Delphi can do it without any .dlls, why can't Microsoft do it?
Errol: At least with flash, everything is backwards compatible, and you just load the latest version and things WORK.
Errol: Speaking of Adobe, the latest reader is such a bloated piece of software it drives me mad just thinking about it. I want to read a pdf, I don't want it to play songs and dance for me. Why in the world is it so large?
Errol: ....
Errol: Sorry, I am digressing in a big way.
Errol: Anyway, I DO install the latest Java, that he sent me a link to, off of your website, and I uninstall the old java (1.4 because I needed it for another application, as I've ranted) and this of course requires me to reboot. I hate java.
Errol: (Woops, wrong order. I uninstall, reboot, and then reinstall. Don't want to make you guys think I did it in the wrong order and do the whole process again.)
Errol: And unfortuneatly, I get the same problem. Try to log in, and white blank screen.
Errol: ...
Errol: I wept.
Errol: ...
Errol: And thus concludes my sordid tale.
Errol: ...
Errol: I like customer support chats. Mailny because I don't have to wait on the phone. I hate the phone too.
Errol: I never answer the phone now. The phone world has been taken over by telemarketers. So I never answer it at dinner time. But they've clued in. Sometimes, they call at breakfast.
Errol: Around 8:45am. What's up with that? Don't they know some people WORK at 9:00?
Errol: Of course, why am I still at home at 8:45? Because it's a short commute.
Errol: And I bought an electric bike. It's brilliant. I only have about 8km to go and it was a waste of very expensive gas to drive, so I bought a cheap electric bike at Canadian Tire.
Errol: You don't even need to pedal. Of course, I need the exercise, but it's not a way for me to get fit; it's an alternative transport device.
Errol: And it is perfect for that. Since it takes about $80 CAD to fill up my vehicle, I finally decided to stop driving the thing.
Errol: And I also charge the bike at work, so I don't even use my electricity. I'm that cheap. It lasts for 30km. Even during the weekend, I don't charge it. :D
Errol: ...
Errol: But the van is being used by my fam currently. They went up north on vacation. So I'm currently wifeless and kidless for almost a week.
Errol: My days have consisted of working, eating soup, and playing games.
Errol: Video games, boardgames. It's been pretty sweet.
Errol: A descent into geek bachelorhood of the most awful proportions.
Errol: It's been lonely though, like high school all over again. But at least this time I'm not spurned by the oppositie sex. Well... that's not true. I AM spurned, but I'm not trying to get noticed by them this time.
Errol: So soon my girl will return home and the magic sink will hopefully start working again.
Errol: It broke. Coincidentally with my wife's departure. I think she broke it on purpose.
Errol: ...
Errol: I hope you guys haven't forgotten what my problem was. I need to get in because I have to change an alias for a client.
Errol: ...
Errol: *sigh*
Errol: ...
Errol: Here's another question. The only reason I ever go into IE7 is for your admin console. Can I use Firefox 3 instead now? Or am I stuck with IE7.
Errol: I could rant about IE and microsoft more, but that's like bombing fish in a bucket.
Errol: ...
Errol: Just for fun, I'll try logging in again. Just to see if it starts working.
Errol: ...
Errol: Nope...
Errol: Why can't it at least have an obscurely worded error message hinting that a possible solution is in sight? It may have nothing to do with what is actually wrong, but at least I can google it... and verify the only thing I need to do is wait for customer support.
Errol: *sigh*
Errol: ...
Errol: I'm trying to win "Most Words Typed in Customer Support Chat" Award.
Errol: If I win, I hope to get a asus eeepc.
Errol: I like to write, and this would be perfect for writing sessions.
Errol: (See what I did there?)
Errol: ...
Errol: Just saw Josh Whedon's "Dr. Horrible" last night.
Errol: Seems every geek is wanting to see this thing. Server was overloaded. I found a message about changing the local host file.
Errol: Of course, I've done it on a *nix box, and a PC, but never on a mac, which is my home machine.
Errol: And although I like how Macs just work, if your used to just editing a simple host file, doing it with their networkmanager.app thingy is pretty convoluted.
Errol: Not that hard... but... I just wanted to VI something quickly.
* Call accepted by Giannina.
Errol: Regardless, it worked, and I got to see what all the fuss was about. And I liked it! It's funny. I wouldn't pay...
Giannina: Hello, it will be my pleasure to assist you today. Please give me just a few seconds while I pull your account information and we will get started! Just a moment please.
Errol: Uh oh... you're here...
Errol: Uh... ignore all that up there...
Giannina: give me some time to read your input please :-)
Errol: Allo Giannina!
Giannina: oh ok
Errol: I'm trying to log into the Admin Console
Errol: I get the error as indicated by the file I uploaded.
Errol: Which... is no error at all.
Giannina: I saw that
Errol: I had the problem yesterday...and it went away
Errol: and then I had the problem again today
Giannina: question , what version of Java are you using?
Errol: I spoke to Chester (am).
Errol: And he told me to put in the version of Java on mailstreet's server
Giannina: correct that is your best option
Errol: SO I uninstalled the old version I had (for another app)
Giannina: ok
Errol: which of course required a reboot
Errol: *sigh*
Giannina: ok
Errol: and then installed the latest version
Errol: And I get the same error
Errol: ...
Errol: and much weeping occurred after that.
Errol: So I came back here!
Errol: And you don't have a pic up! Unlike Chester (am)
Errol: He had his pic up. :D
Giannina: :-) yes I know
Errol: That would be daunting, having your pic displayed for tech support.
Errol: I wouldn't want that. :D
Errol: So if you can choose NOT to have your pic up. That would be my default choice!
Giannina: me neither
Errol: Those two are brave men.
Giannina: lol
Errol: There was another guy for (PM)
Errol: I forgot his name, because I only talked to Chester (AM)
Errol: Anyway, back to my problem.
Errol: I just want to log in to fix a problem with an alias...
Giannina: well I'll be happy to fix your issue
Errol: Huzzah!
Errol: ... Did you need anything from me to fix the problem?
Giannina: not yet
Errol: Okeydoke...
Errol: ...
Errol: I can chat to myself some more if that helps pass the time.
Errol: ... for me that is.
Errol: I'm kidding. I'll wait quietly.
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