The Fiber Optic Dangle

Today's lesson...what to do when you're watching TV at 7:00AM and the picture suddenly freezes:

1. Check the other TVs in the house to see if they're frozen too. Yep
2. Check the phone for a dial tone. None
3. Check the computer for Internet access. No connection
4. Scream loudly.
5. Go outside the house to see your FIOS cable dangling from the utility pole across the street.
6. Call Verizon, wait 15 minutes for a representative, explain the problem and finally get promised a technician home visit some time before 2:00PM.

And that is how my day started. When the technician arrived (thankfully sometime around 9:30AM,) he smiled and pointed to the trash barrels which were out by the curb. Apparently, Verizon has had a number of FIOS cables downed by trash trucks as they go from house to house extending their mechanical arms to pick up the trash bins. Definitely not a good thing!

So the technician reattached our FIOS cable placing it higher on the side of the house so that it doesn't hang so low across the street from the utility pole. He thinks that should solve our trash truck problem...or not. Here's hoping...

Cruising and Personal Responsibility

It’s been more than a week since we returned from our Baltics cruise and I had intended to write posts detailing our grand adventure. Trust me when I tell you that, for the most part, Hubby and I enjoyed our trip immensely. The weather was spectacular, the ship was fine, the ports and excursions were fascinating. I took lots and lots of photos and eventually I will try and post them here for your enjoyment.

So why have I been so reticent about regaling you with stories? Quite frankly, it’s because an end-of-the-trip incident occurred which has left a terrible pain in my heart. I won’t go into details but I will say that it involves the friends we were traveling with and has more than likely created irreparable schisms in our relationships that have existed for many, many years.

The saddest part is that all it would have taken to overcome this split would have been a simple “I’m sorry.” But I have disappointedly discovered that not all adults are willing take personal responsibility for their actions and own up when they have done something to hurt another. Why is it that so many adults cannot find it in themselves to say "I'm sorry"…and how truly sad is that?