It's been a long time since I've written here. It took a special kind of horrible to get me motivated to do so. What follows is the true, horrific story of two hours of my Saturday that I will never get back which were required to get back money Comcast otherwise would have stolen from me. If you have a choice, I strongly suggest you use another company. They're all terrible, but Comcast takes terrible to a whole new level. They are "The Room" of corporations.
A few months back we decided to upgrade our DVR to the Comcast X1. The standard HD DVR that they give you is the worst DVR we've ever seen. The menu and interface look like something out of War Games (that's an 80s movies for you young-ins). Just horrendous. We couldn't deal with it anymore. When we got the X1 we were excited. It looked and operated much better and was actually usable. Our excitement lasted about three days. At that point, it stopped functioning in any rational way. It was impossible to set up timers for any series at all and individual timers barely worked either. There were a number of other issues that I won't get into; suffice it to say, we were unhappy. We called Comcast and they promised to send out a technician to fix the problem. They never mentioned at any point that this service would cost any money.
A few days later a very nice independent contractor tech came out. After a lot of work he concluded that our box was defective and replaced it with another one. The new one's mostly worked well since then and we're more or less happy with it. Then came out bill, a few days ago.
The bill included a $50 charge for the tech's service call. This was upsetting, as not only had no charge been suggested, but the justification for one would be extremely weak. It was Comcast's crap equipment that barely lasted three days, after all. We had paid for the first installation. Comcast appeared to be saying we needed to pay AGAIN, less than a week later, to replace THEIR faulty equipment.
And so I set out to run the awful "Call Comcast" "customer service" gauntlet. There's no way to talk to anyone faster than 20 minutes, but fortunately, their phone system (after deluging you with several ads for programming) offers a 'call-back.' Put in your number and they'll call you back when its your turn. No waiting. Sounds great. It's not completely true, of course. I got the call-back and then had to wait in line another 5 minutes. A little weird, but not the end of the world.
When I finally got to a person, the rep explained that there was no way that he could take the charge off. He first mentioned that I could sign up for their 'customer protection plan.' Pay a monthly fee and the fee if someone has to come out to fix Comcast's garbage equipment is free! What a DEAL! No thanks. (They had previously tried this scam on me when the cable modem they gave me wouldn't work with my work's VPN. They refused to even TRY to help me since I only have 'basic service' which amounts to - have you tried turning it on or off again? Anything more complicated costs $15 a month. Scam.)
He then offered to compensate me by giving me a free premium channel. Since I can't watch the channels I do have, this wasn't acceptable to me. I suggested that he take off the charge for HBO, a channel I already have. He said this would work and would save me $30. He then offered to give me free 'blast' service for 3 months, which would upgrade my internet from 2nd tier to 1st tier in speed. I don't really need this, but he said it'd save another $30. Not completely satisfied, but at least feeling I was getting my money's worth, I agreed. Come to find out that because of my existing promotion with HBO, the 'savings' would be off full price. Without getting too into it, I'd get approximately no benefit. At this point, I asked to be transferred to a supervisor. This is where the fun really began.
Once I got put on hold - again, I realized that this genius's 'upgrading' of my internet had completely knocked out my internet. I reset my modem 3 times to no avail. I had been working from home and had quite a bit to still do, so this was a big issue for me. So now I'm stuck on hold waiting to talk to billing with no internet - and guess what, 25 minutes go by. Really! I was 'transferred to a supervisor' and had to wait ANOTHER 25 minutes. This was too much, I couldn't afford to wait for Internet service. So I gave up, hung up, and called tech support. This experience wasn't terrible. The woman was able to get my Internet working again. I asked her to send me back to billing. She transferred me to the 'so you're moving' line. Not helpful.
So I got call-back service again, waited another 5 minutes to actually talk to a person after the call-back and then asked to be transferred to a supervisor. This time I asked if the 20 minute wait was avoidable, after all, why couldn't the supervisor call me back? The rep put me on hold for a few minutes to find out. She then came back with the most convoluted response I've ever heard. The easiest thing to do would have been to say 'no, we can't do that.' Instead, she launched into a two minute explanation that can be summed up as: they can only call you back if you are already talking to them and you have to go. Great. So I have to wait the 20-25 minutes to talk to them to get them to call me back. In other words, NO THEY CAN'T. Sigh.
About 35 minutes go by. Finally I get Hector, the supervisor on the line. By this point, I am fuming. I tell him that I appreciate that I finally got to him after my two-hour adventure. I then explain the situation and get some weak explanation about them crediting the account only if the tech guy had not been at the house for very long etc. This guy had been here awhile and done a lot of work. Great, I responded, I have no problem with the tech guy being paid, he did a good job. COMCAST should pay him to replace their garbage equipment, not me. That's the issue. At this point, Hector finally cracked a little bit. "I can give you $25 back. But that's the best I can do."
Not. Acceptable. I tore into him for five minutes about the horrible service and seeking an explanation for why I should pay *ANYTHING* for their poor equipment. Finally, he came back with..."I can give you $40 back. But that's it."
So now this guy is negotiating with me. After two hours of being on the phone waiting for a person who could do anything, dealing with an internet power outage caused by Comcast's idiocy, being transferred to the wrong department, and various other absurdities, the supervisor is trying to nickel and dime me - out of $10. "This'll satisfy him" he probably thought "and that $10 savings will make the bosses give me another look for that promotion!" Sorry, Hector, this is not your day. I did not go through two hours of utter bullshit to pay YOU $10 for YOUR garbage equipment. Are you going to compensate me for the two hours of my Saturday that I lost waiting to talk to a person? No? Then give me ALL my money back.
Hector finally relented, but gave me a half-ass lecture about how this was a one-time thing blah blah blah like he had done me some huge favor. I finished by telling him he needed to instruct his staff to TELL PEOPLE WHEN THEY WOULD BE CHARGED. Shocking advice that he said they would take as feedback. Somehow, I doubt that happened.
ALL this because:
1) The first HD-DVR they gave me was a pile of crap. Just the worst thing I've ever seen. Even Comcast's rep, when I ordered the X1 agreed with this assessment.
2) The X1 they sent originally WAS DEFECTIVE. So two straight horrible products from Comcast. Thanks guys.
3) Pass the charges onto the customer! Comcast gives you bad equipment, then charges you to fix bad equipment, then tries to get you to subscribe to a service plan for even more money to - wait for it - fix their garbage equipment.
If that isn't a scam, I don't know what is. Adam Smith would be using his invisible hand to smack these jerks in the face from the grave were he not as dead as Comcast's commitment to their customers.
Do yourself a favor - if you have a choice - go with DirecTV or Dish or ANYONE else. As soon as I move somewhere else where this choice is available, I will dump these idiots like they were a less charming less intelligent Paula Deen.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Molly and son and son and son and son and daughter and daughter
Many months ago I wrote about an adorably sweet cat that would sit on our porch constantly. We called her "Outside Kitty." At the time I wrote the blog, that's all we thought she would ever be. Circumstances have changed and she now has a name: Molly. As we eventually learned, Molly was in heat for some time period that she was visiting us. Eventually she got pregnant, which became more and more obvious as the days went by. Molly is such a small, petite girl, that her ballooning up suddenly was especially noticeable.
Once Molly had her kittens, we began to become concerned about her and them. How safe were they on the outside? Molly had found a nice nest for them underneath the house next to us. We would regularly see her going in and out of a hole in the bottom of the house and Janessa told me she'd heard high pitched kitten mewing going on in there at least once. Janessa was worried she'd have to go get the kittens to get them somewhere safe before too long. Molly beat us to it, though.
We were in Reno at Janessa's grandparents' 65th wedding anniversary family get-together, when Janessa's cell phone went off. She excused herself, and when she came back let me know that Molly had move the kittens to our porch! The next door neighbor saw the situation and put the kittens in a box so they'd be contained. That she trusted us enough to do this was touching. Logistically, it posed some problems, but we were able to solve them. Janessa had built a small enclosure on the porch for our cats that they were accessing through a cat door. That became kitten central and has been that way for about the last month. Molly was so happy to have the kittens safe and to have the burden off of her she started to let us pet her and even put her on our laps. She is an incredibly gentle and sweet cat and it boggles our minds that someone could ever abandon her.
When I say Molly had kittens, I mean she had kittens. 6 to be exact. Which, I'm not going to lie, has been wonderful to look at every day. When I am doing the dishes and look out the window and see three kittens on a scratcher sleeping smooshed together or two chasing each other around hopping like rabbits, it's impossible not to smile. When I walk outside to check on them and six kittens rush the gate all at once, well, it's every bit as cute as you'd think and then some.
We've had to wait until now to start really trying to get the kittens adopted out, because until recently they were still breastfeeding. As much as we would love to keep them all, 3 cats is already insane, 9 impossible. If they stayed at this age forever, it'd be a different story. Fortunately, one of them finally got a home. We figured the runt would go first, and she did. She has an incredibly squished face which is irresistible. She also has tons of spunk and moxie. It was sad to see her go. Two more followed in the next week. Three remain; we're hoping to get them all good homes pretty quickly. It's much more difficult than you might imagine. All the animal rescues are full and there are tons of people trying to adopt out kittens. Spay and neuter, people, spay and neuter.
We thought Molly might have a home too, but it fell through. At this point, it's seeming less and less likely by the day. It's hard enough to find homes for insanely cute kittens, what chance does a 1 year old - even a super sweet one - really have? We certainly hope something comes up, but at the end of the day, it's looking more and more likely that Molly will be our 4th - and FINAL - cat. She's much too gentle and sweet to have to live outdoors. She deserves a real home. And heck, she adopted us months ago. I didn't know it could work like that, but apparently it does, as we're quite taken with her.
Once Molly had her kittens, we began to become concerned about her and them. How safe were they on the outside? Molly had found a nice nest for them underneath the house next to us. We would regularly see her going in and out of a hole in the bottom of the house and Janessa told me she'd heard high pitched kitten mewing going on in there at least once. Janessa was worried she'd have to go get the kittens to get them somewhere safe before too long. Molly beat us to it, though.
We were in Reno at Janessa's grandparents' 65th wedding anniversary family get-together, when Janessa's cell phone went off. She excused herself, and when she came back let me know that Molly had move the kittens to our porch! The next door neighbor saw the situation and put the kittens in a box so they'd be contained. That she trusted us enough to do this was touching. Logistically, it posed some problems, but we were able to solve them. Janessa had built a small enclosure on the porch for our cats that they were accessing through a cat door. That became kitten central and has been that way for about the last month. Molly was so happy to have the kittens safe and to have the burden off of her she started to let us pet her and even put her on our laps. She is an incredibly gentle and sweet cat and it boggles our minds that someone could ever abandon her.
When I say Molly had kittens, I mean she had kittens. 6 to be exact. Which, I'm not going to lie, has been wonderful to look at every day. When I am doing the dishes and look out the window and see three kittens on a scratcher sleeping smooshed together or two chasing each other around hopping like rabbits, it's impossible not to smile. When I walk outside to check on them and six kittens rush the gate all at once, well, it's every bit as cute as you'd think and then some.
We've had to wait until now to start really trying to get the kittens adopted out, because until recently they were still breastfeeding. As much as we would love to keep them all, 3 cats is already insane, 9 impossible. If they stayed at this age forever, it'd be a different story. Fortunately, one of them finally got a home. We figured the runt would go first, and she did. She has an incredibly squished face which is irresistible. She also has tons of spunk and moxie. It was sad to see her go. Two more followed in the next week. Three remain; we're hoping to get them all good homes pretty quickly. It's much more difficult than you might imagine. All the animal rescues are full and there are tons of people trying to adopt out kittens. Spay and neuter, people, spay and neuter.
We thought Molly might have a home too, but it fell through. At this point, it's seeming less and less likely by the day. It's hard enough to find homes for insanely cute kittens, what chance does a 1 year old - even a super sweet one - really have? We certainly hope something comes up, but at the end of the day, it's looking more and more likely that Molly will be our 4th - and FINAL - cat. She's much too gentle and sweet to have to live outdoors. She deserves a real home. And heck, she adopted us months ago. I didn't know it could work like that, but apparently it does, as we're quite taken with her.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
A trip to the moon
On Saturday night, the wife and I went to see a screening of the color restoration of Georges Melies' "A Trip to the Moon" - a 109-year old picture of which no surviving color prints existed, until one was miraculously discovered in 2000. Restoration - both because of its complexity and because of a lack of adequate technology - took over ten years. But it was worth it! Like many people, I had become aware of Melies primarily from watching "Hugo." That film, as good as it was, though, did not adequately recapture the magic that we saw on the screen Saturday night.
Melies' style is fantastical and magical. Melies made no attempt to represent reality, but was more of a stage magician and artist. His sensibility was wildly imaginative and evocative. The energy in the film is manic and contagious. The film was inspired by Jules Verne's novel "From the Earth to the Moon," and captures a group of astronomers planning and executing a rocket ship trip to the moon - ultimately landing in the eye of the moon's face - in one of the most famous images in film history. The scientists encounter hostile life on the Moon and are ultimately forced to escape back to their capsule and return to earth, where the capsule parachutes into the ocean where the scientists are rescued.
I strongly recommend checking out this film, as well as Melies' work in general. A dvd of the colorized version of the film, together with the fantastic new soundtrack by AIR and a documentary on the film and the restoration process are available now at http://www.flickeralley.com/
Melies' style is fantastical and magical. Melies made no attempt to represent reality, but was more of a stage magician and artist. His sensibility was wildly imaginative and evocative. The energy in the film is manic and contagious. The film was inspired by Jules Verne's novel "From the Earth to the Moon," and captures a group of astronomers planning and executing a rocket ship trip to the moon - ultimately landing in the eye of the moon's face - in one of the most famous images in film history. The scientists encounter hostile life on the Moon and are ultimately forced to escape back to their capsule and return to earth, where the capsule parachutes into the ocean where the scientists are rescued.
I strongly recommend checking out this film, as well as Melies' work in general. A dvd of the colorized version of the film, together with the fantastic new soundtrack by AIR and a documentary on the film and the restoration process are available now at http://www.flickeralley.com/
Thursday, February 9, 2012
How Much is that Kitty in the Window?
Monday Night we got a visitor to our patio. Specifically, a black and white cat. This isn’t uncommon for us. Our neighborhood has many stray cats wandering around; several of our neighbors allow their cats outdoors. This one planted itself on the mat outside our living room. We have no shade, so outside kitty could just stare in at us and our cats – and it did.
As expected, our cats were interested in this stranger. The outside cat was extremely friendly. It repeatedly tried to play with our cats through the glass, flopping and showing its belly whenever they got close. Later, when we played with Louis with a laser, it saw the laser and went after it. Outside kiddy is adorable.
We didn’t give outside kitty too much thought until the following morning, when we found it in the same spot it had been in the night before. We wondered if it had been there all night. Did it have an owner and was lost, or was it simply abandoned? Outside kitty looked well taken care of, not skinny, with fluffy fur and a positive disposition. No collar though.
Or maybe outside kitty just really liked us. Janessa guessed the kitty was a girl and that she was there because she had fallen for Louis. Outside kitty seemed to get especially excited with Louis paid it attention. Whenever we went out and tried to approach outside kitty though, it was skittish. Through the glass it didn’t mind us, but up close, it ran away. Still it persisted in its spot, trying to get our cats to play with it whenever it had the chance.
Outside kitty was there the next morning. And the next evening. We had no way to know if it had been there all day or had gone somewhere to eat or sleep or anything else. We were getting a little concerned. Was this cat stubbornly waiting us out?
We certainly couldn’t let it in. Our household was still adjusting to Francis, our kitten, and Francis himself was still recovering from being neutered on Tuesday. We couldn’t seriously consider adding another cat to the household.
This continued and, as far as I know, is still going on. Every once in a while, outside kitty vanishes for half an hour or so but then returns as if it had never left. We hope it is going somewhere and eating. We can’t put food out for it – both because it’d never leave and because it’d attract other strays and wild animals – but it doesn’t seem as though outside kitty is going hungry. Still, we’re at a loss how to proceed. We resorted to google to try to figure out what was going on. All we learned was that some outside cats hang around a house if they think the owner is “neat.” Thank god outside kitty hasn’t seen my studio!
So here we are. Each time outside kitty has disappeared part of me has been relieved and another part has hoped it would reappear. Assuming outside kitty stays around even longer, our only plan right now is to try to see if it has an owner. If not, I guess we’ll try to find it a good home. One thing’s for sure, it’s extremely stubborn. It’s as though outside kitty has decided it will adopt us, come hell or high water, and it is holding a vigil on our porch-step until we come to our senses. It’s a sweet, adorable cat and I really hope it has – or finds – a loving home.
As expected, our cats were interested in this stranger. The outside cat was extremely friendly. It repeatedly tried to play with our cats through the glass, flopping and showing its belly whenever they got close. Later, when we played with Louis with a laser, it saw the laser and went after it. Outside kiddy is adorable.
We didn’t give outside kitty too much thought until the following morning, when we found it in the same spot it had been in the night before. We wondered if it had been there all night. Did it have an owner and was lost, or was it simply abandoned? Outside kitty looked well taken care of, not skinny, with fluffy fur and a positive disposition. No collar though.
Or maybe outside kitty just really liked us. Janessa guessed the kitty was a girl and that she was there because she had fallen for Louis. Outside kitty seemed to get especially excited with Louis paid it attention. Whenever we went out and tried to approach outside kitty though, it was skittish. Through the glass it didn’t mind us, but up close, it ran away. Still it persisted in its spot, trying to get our cats to play with it whenever it had the chance.
Outside kitty was there the next morning. And the next evening. We had no way to know if it had been there all day or had gone somewhere to eat or sleep or anything else. We were getting a little concerned. Was this cat stubbornly waiting us out?
We certainly couldn’t let it in. Our household was still adjusting to Francis, our kitten, and Francis himself was still recovering from being neutered on Tuesday. We couldn’t seriously consider adding another cat to the household.
This continued and, as far as I know, is still going on. Every once in a while, outside kitty vanishes for half an hour or so but then returns as if it had never left. We hope it is going somewhere and eating. We can’t put food out for it – both because it’d never leave and because it’d attract other strays and wild animals – but it doesn’t seem as though outside kitty is going hungry. Still, we’re at a loss how to proceed. We resorted to google to try to figure out what was going on. All we learned was that some outside cats hang around a house if they think the owner is “neat.” Thank god outside kitty hasn’t seen my studio!
So here we are. Each time outside kitty has disappeared part of me has been relieved and another part has hoped it would reappear. Assuming outside kitty stays around even longer, our only plan right now is to try to see if it has an owner. If not, I guess we’ll try to find it a good home. One thing’s for sure, it’s extremely stubborn. It’s as though outside kitty has decided it will adopt us, come hell or high water, and it is holding a vigil on our porch-step until we come to our senses. It’s a sweet, adorable cat and I really hope it has – or finds – a loving home.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Francis the Killer Kitten
NOTE: The below was written in November and never published. There is an update at the end. Thanks.
About a month back, my wife sent me a rather alarming email. My wife and a coworker heard an abandoned kitten crying just outside her office. My wife wrote that no one at her office was able to take the kitten home permanently. I was reluctant because I know my wife - she always wants to adopt another cat, so I have to serve as the voice of reason. Janessa resorted to low blow tactics, however, by sending me the following photo:
Try saying no to that face! Anyway, we ultimately decided to take the kitten in on a provisional basis. We were both concerned that his presence might negatively affect Rewind and Louis, our two cats, and resolved to find the kitten a suitable home should it be necessary.
We isolated our kitten in its own room, both to ease the transition and because it had not yet had its shots (it was too small, only a few weeks old). After lots of eating and pampering, he began to come out of his shell. My wife and I had several discussions about what to name him, with me preferring non-human names and my wife the opposite. In the end, the kitten's name just came to me one day as I stared into his little eyes: Francis. This is what such a small cute thing should be called. Janessa loved the name and it stuck.
I'd never had a kitten before. Rewind was my first cat and she was about 10 months old when I got here. Several people told me it was a bad idea to get a kitten as my first cat and I grudgingly listened to them. It worked out great, of course, because that's the only reason I ended up with Rewind. Well, I finally learned exactly why it had been a bad idea to start with a kitten! They are unstoppable perpetual motion machines lacking boundaries, order and common sense. Of course they are also adorable, which goes a long way.
Like most kittens, Francis is a natural born hunter. It didn't take long at all before he was stalking toys and pouncing on whatever moved - often our feet. Right at the beginning he started doing what we think of as his trademark: popping up on his back legs and raising his arms as a threat of attack. Francis wants to look big, and this move frequently comes in the middle of play sessions. It is incredibly cute and endearing.
Francis never stops. He basically plays, poops and eats, with the latter two making his play even more spirited. It was weeks before I caught him relaxed enough to purr - though when he does it is LOUD, his whole body shakes. We can literally play with Francis for hours. The nice thing is that he is so crazy that we can often do it with minimal effort, sitting on a couch and waving a toy around. Sometimes he is so crazy he doesn't need us at all and simply attacks the toy on his own. Sometimes WE become his target and he goes crazy trying to attack any part of us he can reach. Sometimes I think kittens are sponsored by Band-Aids.
Also, Francis is fearless. We're finally at the point where Francis can be in the same room with the other cats for small periods and hopefully soon, all the time. I was concerned about how he would do with such bigger cats around (and how they would respond to him). In fact it only took a few minutes before Francis started to attack Louis like crazy and chase him throughout the house. Francis somehow instantly sensed that Louis was a pushover and, before we knew it - became a bully to a cat roughly 5 times his size. Louis does stand up for himself sometimes, though, although occasionally we have to give him a break and put Francis away.
As fearless as Francis is though, he is far from the alpha kitty. Rewind is and will always be the dominant cat in our house. She is STONE COLD. Francis will approach her and Rewind will not even flinch. She may swat at him a bit if he gets too close, but mostly just a glance in his direction seems to communicate everything. Whenever Francis gets even within a small area of Rewind, he treads carefully. Rewind is not impressed with Francis and barely pays him any attention at all. Several times we've seen Francis get his audacity up and walk up to her proudly only to slink away at the last moment. It's really quite amazing. We are glad Francis is learning something about boundaries, at least.
One of the best side effects of crazy kitten time has been its effect on both Louis and Rewind who are now more playful than they have each been in years. They constantly hear Francis playing in the adjacent room and his spirit seems to have infected them. Both of them could use more exercise, so we are thrilled with this result. Of course neither can keep up with Francis for long so they are not exactly playmates, but both Rewind and Louis are healthier for it.
Francis has been a wonderful addition to our family and we can't wait to watch him grow into cathood. We are both so glad we decided to save him. Here he is being held by me:
Edit: January 2, 2012:
I'd meant to publish this long ago, but it slipped off my desk. Since I wrote it, lots of things have changed. Francis has become much more integrated with the other cats, and much calmer as a result. We now have him out all day long and only put him away at night so that we can sleep. He's still crazy, but he's a little more under control.
Also, his (excuse the pun) pussyfooting around Rewind ended quickly. He realized pretty fast that Rewind was all threat and no follow-through and started attacking. Most of the time, he wins, because Rewind is too lazy to fight back and gets annoyed and runs away. Photographic evidence of Francis' courage:
About a month back, my wife sent me a rather alarming email. My wife and a coworker heard an abandoned kitten crying just outside her office. My wife wrote that no one at her office was able to take the kitten home permanently. I was reluctant because I know my wife - she always wants to adopt another cat, so I have to serve as the voice of reason. Janessa resorted to low blow tactics, however, by sending me the following photo:
Try saying no to that face! Anyway, we ultimately decided to take the kitten in on a provisional basis. We were both concerned that his presence might negatively affect Rewind and Louis, our two cats, and resolved to find the kitten a suitable home should it be necessary.
We isolated our kitten in its own room, both to ease the transition and because it had not yet had its shots (it was too small, only a few weeks old). After lots of eating and pampering, he began to come out of his shell. My wife and I had several discussions about what to name him, with me preferring non-human names and my wife the opposite. In the end, the kitten's name just came to me one day as I stared into his little eyes: Francis. This is what such a small cute thing should be called. Janessa loved the name and it stuck.
I'd never had a kitten before. Rewind was my first cat and she was about 10 months old when I got here. Several people told me it was a bad idea to get a kitten as my first cat and I grudgingly listened to them. It worked out great, of course, because that's the only reason I ended up with Rewind. Well, I finally learned exactly why it had been a bad idea to start with a kitten! They are unstoppable perpetual motion machines lacking boundaries, order and common sense. Of course they are also adorable, which goes a long way.
Like most kittens, Francis is a natural born hunter. It didn't take long at all before he was stalking toys and pouncing on whatever moved - often our feet. Right at the beginning he started doing what we think of as his trademark: popping up on his back legs and raising his arms as a threat of attack. Francis wants to look big, and this move frequently comes in the middle of play sessions. It is incredibly cute and endearing.
Francis never stops. He basically plays, poops and eats, with the latter two making his play even more spirited. It was weeks before I caught him relaxed enough to purr - though when he does it is LOUD, his whole body shakes. We can literally play with Francis for hours. The nice thing is that he is so crazy that we can often do it with minimal effort, sitting on a couch and waving a toy around. Sometimes he is so crazy he doesn't need us at all and simply attacks the toy on his own. Sometimes WE become his target and he goes crazy trying to attack any part of us he can reach. Sometimes I think kittens are sponsored by Band-Aids.
Also, Francis is fearless. We're finally at the point where Francis can be in the same room with the other cats for small periods and hopefully soon, all the time. I was concerned about how he would do with such bigger cats around (and how they would respond to him). In fact it only took a few minutes before Francis started to attack Louis like crazy and chase him throughout the house. Francis somehow instantly sensed that Louis was a pushover and, before we knew it - became a bully to a cat roughly 5 times his size. Louis does stand up for himself sometimes, though, although occasionally we have to give him a break and put Francis away.
As fearless as Francis is though, he is far from the alpha kitty. Rewind is and will always be the dominant cat in our house. She is STONE COLD. Francis will approach her and Rewind will not even flinch. She may swat at him a bit if he gets too close, but mostly just a glance in his direction seems to communicate everything. Whenever Francis gets even within a small area of Rewind, he treads carefully. Rewind is not impressed with Francis and barely pays him any attention at all. Several times we've seen Francis get his audacity up and walk up to her proudly only to slink away at the last moment. It's really quite amazing. We are glad Francis is learning something about boundaries, at least.
One of the best side effects of crazy kitten time has been its effect on both Louis and Rewind who are now more playful than they have each been in years. They constantly hear Francis playing in the adjacent room and his spirit seems to have infected them. Both of them could use more exercise, so we are thrilled with this result. Of course neither can keep up with Francis for long so they are not exactly playmates, but both Rewind and Louis are healthier for it.
Francis has been a wonderful addition to our family and we can't wait to watch him grow into cathood. We are both so glad we decided to save him. Here he is being held by me:
Edit: January 2, 2012:
I'd meant to publish this long ago, but it slipped off my desk. Since I wrote it, lots of things have changed. Francis has become much more integrated with the other cats, and much calmer as a result. We now have him out all day long and only put him away at night so that we can sleep. He's still crazy, but he's a little more under control.
Also, his (excuse the pun) pussyfooting around Rewind ended quickly. He realized pretty fast that Rewind was all threat and no follow-through and started attacking. Most of the time, he wins, because Rewind is too lazy to fight back and gets annoyed and runs away. Photographic evidence of Francis' courage:
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Silent Page
For a writer, there is a silent tyranny to the blank page. The blankness suggests a vacuum in the writer's own heart - a lack of direction, inspiration - motivation, that never finally dissipates. The chase to fill this empty space can occupy a writer forever and that writer can still lose in the end.
Most of my life, I've been told that I should be a writer - one form of writer or another. It's understandable. Language dominates my interface with the world. I learned to read when I was 4 and never stopped. I was one of those kids who would borrow ten books from the library at once, read them all in a week and come back for more. In the pre-internet era, imagination was as magical and vivid as we dreamed it could be. Books were only truly successful when they were a collaborative experience between the reader and the writer. Creativity was as natural - and as effortless - as breathing.
As I've aged, my fascination with language and writing has only increased, but my creativity seems to be on a continuous downward slope. I think that, in part, this is due to the flood of media now surrounding us at every turn. Creativity consists of filling the gaps. When there are no gaps, there is nothing to create and originality suffers. To be sure, this is at least as much my own fault as my environment. I've become a bit too lazy, a bit too relaxed and happy. This condition is good for one's physical health, perhaps, but anathema to one's creative health.
At many points in the past few years I have realized that my desire to write can only be accomplished by actually writing - and that this can only be accomplished with a daily discipline that I seem to lack. Intellectually, I know that writing is like any other pursuit one wishes to be habitual - the first two or three weeks are the most difficult part. Creating a routine, ironically, is the key to true creative success. Only repetition can breed originality.
So this blog entry represents the first step in my latest attempt to transform myself from a dreamer to a doer. I am hopeful that committing myself to doing some writing everyday - even on mundane subjects - will stoke my creative fires and motivate me to get off my ass and DO SOMETHING. Whether this will just be another failed attempt or an actual beginning is unclear to me at this moment. But I have to try.
edit: no dice, but I'm going to keep trying...
Most of my life, I've been told that I should be a writer - one form of writer or another. It's understandable. Language dominates my interface with the world. I learned to read when I was 4 and never stopped. I was one of those kids who would borrow ten books from the library at once, read them all in a week and come back for more. In the pre-internet era, imagination was as magical and vivid as we dreamed it could be. Books were only truly successful when they were a collaborative experience between the reader and the writer. Creativity was as natural - and as effortless - as breathing.
As I've aged, my fascination with language and writing has only increased, but my creativity seems to be on a continuous downward slope. I think that, in part, this is due to the flood of media now surrounding us at every turn. Creativity consists of filling the gaps. When there are no gaps, there is nothing to create and originality suffers. To be sure, this is at least as much my own fault as my environment. I've become a bit too lazy, a bit too relaxed and happy. This condition is good for one's physical health, perhaps, but anathema to one's creative health.
At many points in the past few years I have realized that my desire to write can only be accomplished by actually writing - and that this can only be accomplished with a daily discipline that I seem to lack. Intellectually, I know that writing is like any other pursuit one wishes to be habitual - the first two or three weeks are the most difficult part. Creating a routine, ironically, is the key to true creative success. Only repetition can breed originality.
So this blog entry represents the first step in my latest attempt to transform myself from a dreamer to a doer. I am hopeful that committing myself to doing some writing everyday - even on mundane subjects - will stoke my creative fires and motivate me to get off my ass and DO SOMETHING. Whether this will just be another failed attempt or an actual beginning is unclear to me at this moment. But I have to try.
edit: no dice, but I'm going to keep trying...
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
One Year No Coffee Anniversary
One year ago today I sipped my morning coffee only to feel a strong burning sensation in my stomach. Intuiting that this wasn't a good thing - I stopped, and set up a doctor's appointment. My stomach had been bothering me for a few days quite a bit. I assumed it was just a bug because the wife had just finished a two week stomach ordeal that matched my symptoms almost exactly.
I was wrong.
Sadly, I soon came to understand that I had extreme GERD - chronic heartburn, in other words. I'd had some problems with heartburn in the past but had been taking nexium for several years and this had succeeded in suppressing the symptoms - until now. I underwent an endoscopy and my GI doctor told me flat out that I had to quit drinking all caffeine for my own good - to allow my gut to heal. Maybe not forever, but for several years at the very least.
I was livid and actively rejected this analysis for some time. I kept drinking tea, though I didn't touch coffee, because I believed that it was the tannins - not the caffeine - that was causing my problem. I was half right. It was both.
After taking a few weeks completely off caffeine during an intense work phase, I tried a cup of white tea one morning - the lowest dose of caffeine in a drink available. My stomach burned in pain for two days.
Uh oh.
Slowly, I began to accept reality. It still took me until early this year to part with my nearly twenty pounds of green (unroasted) coffee. I kept thinking things would turn around. Well, they haven't. I hope they do one day, but I am caffeine free for the foreseeable future.
If you told me tomorrow I could drink coffee without destroying my stomach - I would. But the truth is, I know I am healthier this way. I feel better, have more energy, sleep better and my day is much less of a roller coaster.
Still, it's crazy to think that a year ago I was returning from WSOP and drinking coffee and now can't drink coffee and online poker has been effectively stolen from my grasp by the DOJ. Life is crazy sometimes. I am happier than ever despite it all, and I guess that's what counts.
I was wrong.
Sadly, I soon came to understand that I had extreme GERD - chronic heartburn, in other words. I'd had some problems with heartburn in the past but had been taking nexium for several years and this had succeeded in suppressing the symptoms - until now. I underwent an endoscopy and my GI doctor told me flat out that I had to quit drinking all caffeine for my own good - to allow my gut to heal. Maybe not forever, but for several years at the very least.
I was livid and actively rejected this analysis for some time. I kept drinking tea, though I didn't touch coffee, because I believed that it was the tannins - not the caffeine - that was causing my problem. I was half right. It was both.
After taking a few weeks completely off caffeine during an intense work phase, I tried a cup of white tea one morning - the lowest dose of caffeine in a drink available. My stomach burned in pain for two days.
Uh oh.
Slowly, I began to accept reality. It still took me until early this year to part with my nearly twenty pounds of green (unroasted) coffee. I kept thinking things would turn around. Well, they haven't. I hope they do one day, but I am caffeine free for the foreseeable future.
If you told me tomorrow I could drink coffee without destroying my stomach - I would. But the truth is, I know I am healthier this way. I feel better, have more energy, sleep better and my day is much less of a roller coaster.
Still, it's crazy to think that a year ago I was returning from WSOP and drinking coffee and now can't drink coffee and online poker has been effectively stolen from my grasp by the DOJ. Life is crazy sometimes. I am happier than ever despite it all, and I guess that's what counts.
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