So, everyone is okay. Brian's latest follow-up tests have shown he's cancer-free. I had a follow-up appointment for my pre-diabetes diagnosis. Diet and exercise got my A1C down to 6.5. It was 6.7. In reality, it shouldn't even be a thing.
Cats are okay. Nooby has a small cough, but he had that when he first came here. It doesn't seem to bother him, and it's not that often. Wendy and Goose are chonks.
I got a new soundbar for our television. The old one didn't have a night mode. (This new one is expressly for Roku televisions.) . Car chases, explosions, "background" music. No longer have to adjust the volume. I started checking out options when Brian was watching "Wednesday" and I got him to use his headphones, the volume was so annoying. This was a good decision.
I added another HDHomerun tuner for local stations. These tuners give one the ability to stream local tv to all devices in the home. An antenna is attached to the tuner, you choose your channels in the software, and download the app for your devices. The problem is there's only one antenna per tuner. When our rooftop antenna is pointed in one direction, we don't get the channels that are in the other direction (we're just talking about CBS, ABC, NBC, CW, and a few independent stations).
We do have an indoor antenna set up in the garage that we got back when CBS wanted more money from Cox. Cox said "nope," and CBS cut the feed for Cox users. The blackout was just a couple of days, and someone blinked. We never had to use the antenna, but it was there if we needed it. Well, I thought it would be nice to get ALL of the stations, so I got the additional tuner. They both show in the software, and I'm able to choose all of the channels now. There are a ton of Mexican stations, but I only know a few words of Spanish. Tortilla, burrito, taco, bueno, quesadilla, if you catch my drift. Those channels are not on the chosen list. Obviously.
Because our WiFi signal was so iffy in the house, I had the scathingly brilliant idea to move the router. I figured out what I'd need (cables, switch boxes, etc). I also got a new router! I'm waiting for the weather to cool down because this is going to be a nasty, hot job. Lots of old equipment to move out. Not looking forward to actually doing the work, but I know it will be a lot cleaner setup than I have right now.
Meanwhile...
I upgraded our mesh system to the TP-Link X55 Pro. We did have the X55. The pro turns out to be a fabulous upgrade, with much better coverage. (Rethinking moving the router - no, I'm not, it's definitely gonna happen.) I was able to take down a few of the older devices. I needed to use one of the older ones for the new tuner, since it isn't WiFi, but needs to be connected via Ethernet. All of the mesh devices have ports for Ethernet, so it works out nicely.
Last month, we got a notice in our mailbox that a company by the name of Wyyerd Fiber was in the area. I've mentioned how I feel about Cox. I checked out the Wyyerd website. Their plan for the same download speed we get now is $95.00 with NO data cap. Our current Cox plan is $120.00, and a data cap of 1780 GB a month. Normally, that wouldn't be an issue, but it is when I get a bee up my butt to download series that I know we'll watch again and again (Justified, Elementary, etc). I'm very interested.
Since that notice, I've been paying attention to Reddit complaints about Cox. The data cap is a big one. Most big providers no longer have data caps. Cox is one of the remaining few who do. And I read multiple posts that when there is competition, Cox will meet or beat the competitor's price.
Sunday, I initiated a chat about price matching. Totally forgetting what a nightmare it was in January when I ended up cancelling our cable service. After a few back-and-forth messages with chat, I realized I was once again wasting my time, and I figured "eff this" and left the chat. After which, I got a notice for a survey about the chat I just had. I was brutal. Actually called the chat CSRs liars and just didn't want to deal with them. Monday, the phone rang. It was a Cox loyalty representative. Wow, they still have those?
Anyway, the rep was super nice, super polite. He listened to my issues and how I was most likely going to change providers. He wanted to know what it would take for me not to leave. I told him they'd need to match the price and lose the data caps. He said he'd get back with me on Tuesday. He didn't.
But he called yesterday while we were at the doctor's appointment. And he called again later. Guess what? My new plan. Guaranteed for 24 months. So, yay!
It's $30 savings over what I was paying.
It rained yesterday and last night. It might rain more today. I think I'll work on finishing the craft stuff I started a couple of months ago. I did make another Automata, a little flip thing. Still need to do videos. My mind is just all over the place lately. lol
Growing old ain't for sissies.
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