I'm BLUE Dammit!

First I want to say, Yay Hokies!

Secondly, I would like to say, BOO ADELPHIA!

Or perhaps, BOO ESPN since they seem to be in disagreement about who is to blame for our lack of Hokie watching on Saturday. I swear there is some sort of curse attached to us and ESPN Gameplan…it never seems to work out. Some of you might remember what happened last year for the Georgia Tech game. Well, in the same fashion, J and I were left, munchies in hand, with no Hokies in sight.

How is this Adelphia/ESPNs fault? Allow me share.

First, like a responsible sports fan, I checked the internet to be sure it was “AVAILABLE IN MY AREA” which is what the issue was last year. This is what I saw.
I have helped those who might not know where I live by highlighting it with the red circle. BLUE, right? In fact, my circle obscures it, but the entire state of Vermont is blue.

I call Adelphia, and after 20 minutes of them trying to get their computers to work, and making sure it was football and not NASCAR I wanted, she said I was all set. Since it took so long we decide to go ahead and get the whole season, so everytime Vermont decides the other VT isn’t important, I don’t have to go through that phone call again. A whopping $125! But worth it for my Hokies.

So we get ready, gather snacks, adorn ourselves in maroon and orange and tune to channel 502... and wait. 11:58. Ok 2 more minutes. 12:00. Blank screen. 12:05. Ok, I’m getting worried. I check the other Gameplan stations and they are all good, except for the BC game. I check the blackout map. Sure enought, it says it's blacked out because it’s on ESPN2…I go to ESPN2 and there is BC. Ok, so the only other Gameplan station displaying the scary dark screen, like the one Tech is supposed to be on, is for a game that is blacked out. This can't be good.

So I call. I explain that we live in the BLUE, not the BLACK, yet there are no Hokies. Where are the Hokies? I’m not sure she really understood the concept of a blackout, but she wanted to help. She took my word for it that we SHOULD be seeing the game, so she had us do a few unplug this and turn that off
things to get our cable box to reset. But nothing. No Hokies. Then she checks a list, and the list says the game is blacked out in our area.

Though this is completely contradictory to the visual indicators given on the internet, I must admit defeat. Disappointed, I solemnly asked for a refund.

To this she said, NO. No refund. "We do not give refunds for Gameplan."

EXCUSE ME!? Um, I just paid $125 to watch a game that is not on my TV!! Either give me my Hokies or give me my money! She still refused. So J got on the phone.

He didn’t get much further, so he asked to speak to a supervisor.

Cable lady: It appears that game is blacked out in your area.

J: Not according to the map.

Cable lady: That is ESPNs map.

J: Yes, and we ordered ESPN Gameplan.

Cable lady: We cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of ESPNs map.

This went back and forth for a while. I don't feel like going over all the reasonable and well articulated points J asserted, but I glowed with adoration of his firm yet professional tone and his ability to keep from using expletives. In the end, they gave us the day for free. I actually did watch the Ohio State game for a while, and a few others, so I guess that was ok. Hopefully Gameplan will come in useful in the future. If not for Hokie games directly, perhaps for important ACC implications or ranking effecting games. God, I'm annoyed just by typing this. END TOPIC!

Oh, and we built the crib! It's very pretty. Perhaps building a complicated, instruction intense piece of furniture was not the best idea after the mood altering Aldephia experience. But we got through it. J only called it a "Piece of Crap" twice!

Bumpin the bump

Oh Saturday! Day of Football and today, of painting furniture. We found out last night that the VT game will be on Gameplan, and I think that's available on our Adelphia cable, so we should be able to root for the Hokies! Last year we had some complications because we had Comcast cable, and they pretty much were worthless. If I remember correctly it was Adelphia we had in Blacksburg. So...that means something, right? Ok, completely unrelated, but I gotta hitch my hope on something. I'm making The Phone Call in a few minutes.

I am counting the days down to when I won't have to work anymore (that would be 13). And more importantly, won't have to listen to Top 40 radio anymore. The girl in the cubicle behind me listens to Z100.5 or W98 or The Jam or whatever ALL DAY. At first, it's not so bad, it's nice to have a little music to distract you from the fact that you are doing the same thing over and over and over again. But then you realize the music is in the same rut. It's the same shit over and over and over. If I never hear that Frey song again....well, you get the idea.

I know these songs backwards and forwards by now. Well, sorta. See, she listens to it at a ridiculously low volume as to not bother anybody. Therefore, I can't quite make it all out. I mostly just get the bass and cymbals, and perhaps a lyric here or there...but usually just the chorus. Therefore, my brain fills in the gaps. It took me a week to find out that one of the songs they play constantly is actually by cutie patooty Justin Timberlake. I thought it was a chick. I saw the video yesterday morning and relized that high whiny voice was him. Oh Justin, loose the effects...you sound like Brittany. I've also made up my own words. I now know the name of the song is Sexy Back, but I can't tell you if or when anyone actually says that at some point in the song. I've been saying "come on, here we go" during that repetative part...doesn't say much for my imagination. Even when my brain gets a chance to fill in the blanks, it's boring.

Did I just write that much about a Justin Timberlake song? help.

Well, fall is upon us here in Northern Vermont. The maple trees outside our house are speckeled in yellow, though still mostly green. I would say in about 2 weeks it should be really pretty around here. I should celebrate my liberation from the cubicle by taking a nice long drive out into the mountains for a photo taking expedition! Only problem is my bladder won't really cooperate. I think 3 hours is it's limit...if I'm lucky.

Baby boy is squirmy. In a kind alien sort of way. He's stopped kicking and has begun a pushing and stretching, which is sorta freaky. But neat! But bizarre. He's probably poking at me to protest the impacts he's been feeling lately. Don't worry, not hard ones, but he is protruding much more and therefore, gets in the way. In the last two weeks he has been bumped by the bathroom stall door about 6 times. Oh, and the counter...I walk up to it, not realizing where my belly actually extends to and bump! oops. sorry little man. The most embarassing is standing up at my desk an not being aware half of my stomach is still under ergonomic keyboard holder. That one makes some noise. Which illicits questions of concerns from fellow cubby dwellers. No, I'm ok, I'm just bashing my baby into furniture.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Go Hokies!

Oh my little blog, how I've missed writing to you. Especially during this time of change...I want things to be recorded so I can go back and read about what I thought and was going through. But work has been wearing me out and throw my folks visit on top, I haven't been feeling up to it. But, I dropped my mom off at the airport a little while ago and I am alone again. Just me, Tubbs and the little squirmy guy.

We had a really nice visit. My dad stayed through Tuesday, and my mom stayed on until today. We successfully bought a crib (which is waiting for J to go pick up) and some storage pieces for the nursery. My mother's grandama enthusiasm was channeled into 2 days of painting, so the nursery is nice and clean. I feel a little better knowing some things are done and out of the way. I still have a lot on the list, but most of the essentials are now covered. Just waiting for this work assignment to end so I can concentrate all my energy into preparations!

It's been so long, I'm sure there are things to talk about, but I can't seem to conjure anything up. I went to the Champlain Valley Fair. Eh. I pet a goat, looked at some bad art and ate the required blob of Fried Dough. Luckily we got out of there before Kenny Chesney appeared. Oh, we took a lunch cruise on the lake, which was nice. The weather wasn't perfect, but luckily it wasn't raining. My folks got a chance to see some of the pretty scenery around here.

God, this is boring. I know more interesting things are going on, but it's not on the tip of my brain. Well, I guess I'll be back to my Miami Ink Marathon. I have the remote set between that and the Supernanny Marathon. I struggle between the desire to watch people make permanent (and sometimes questionable) changes to their bodies and the proper implementation of a Naughty Mat. But first I must post at the Knitting Blog I have been neglecting...but only as much as my knitting. Oh, knitting, another reason why working sucks. Especially when you can't wear jeans, but can only wear flip-flops because your feet are so swollen you can't fit into your shoes. VERY PROFESSIONAL. And when you drop your pencil, you have to stand up and bend over to pick it up, because sitting and bending in no longer an option, unless you want to pop your baby.

Oh, I am officialy HUGE. I had a doctors appointment on Tuesday and after measuring me she goes "Well, looks like we've had a little growth spurt!" At least it was in reference to my stomach, so maybe that 6 pounds I gained between visits isn't all on my ass like I thought. I am bumping into things more and I can no longer carry my laundry down the stairs. Well, maybe on my head, but if I carry it in front of me, the weight of the basket plus the weight of my protruding belly makes my center of gravity so far in front of me that I danger of tipping over. J will now have to be laundry carrying man. He'll be so excited when he gets back from San Diego.

Computers are (apparently) used for more than blogging...

I've become increasingly crabby lately. J can tell you. He's probably counting his blessings he won't be around next week while my Mom and I attempt to ready the nursery. 'Cause if I'm crabby now, just you wait until I've spent 4 days straight with Grandma.

My folks were supposed to arrive tonight, but with concerns of being blown off the runway by Ernesto, they changed their flight to tomorrow. That way, they can fly over Ernesto and land in Burlington just in time for him to arrive here! It sucks they may not get to really see the beauty of the place...when it gets grey and rainy the mountains are obscured and the lake looks much less inviting. But my mom is staying a whole week, so hopefully we'll get out and she'll get to appreciate my new town like I do.

I haven't been around much...here, on the internet that is. I started my new job, which is going pretty well, but a sucky condition of it is that I'm not allowed on the internet...EVER. I think I might have mentioned this in a previous post...I'm not sure. I wouldn't know since I'm not allowed to come here, or anywhere. Really, it's killing me. Don't email me, unless you don't mind waiting a month for a response. Oh, and another thing! I can't wear jeans to work! Which normally would be ok, but since I have a very limited wardrobe, it's kinda a problem. Especially since the number of pants that fit seems to be dwindling by the week. Right now I have 3 pairs. But this will soon be 2. I might just wear my maternity jeans anyway and see if anyone says anything. Hey, I'm a temp, I don't drink your no-internet-surfing-no-jeans-but-fugly-Goucho-pants-are-ok-cubby-dwelling- Kool Aid!

Hopefully I won't go the remaining 4 weeks I have at the bank without posting, but I usually get my blog itch around 11am and I can't scratch it there...and I'm tired and numb when I get home.

So if I don't come around for a little, don't worry, I'm just busy processing Overdraft Protection Forms!