Tag Archives: Internet

High-Speed Fiber Optic Installation-Part 5

26 Apr

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

After the Christmas holidays, I was finally able to reach the contact person at the claims office.  This time she said they still didn’t have all the necessary information, and would I please send the photos and the estimate again.  I verified the email address and sent the information they requested again.  I was beginning to wonder if this was a ploy to keep from having to pay me, or just how many times I was going to have to repeat this process before they finally received the email information, I was sending them.

Image Credit: https://images.search.yahoo. customer-service/clipart.  

About two weeks later, with no other word from the contact person, I was surprised to receive a check in the mail for the estimated damage claim amount.  Wow!  I guess they finally did receive my information and someone actually followed thru with my claim.  Will wonders never cease?  I didn’t waste any time contacting the drywall contractor and setting up an appointment to have the damaged area repaired.  That only took a couple of days to schedule, and the repair was completed without any additional problems.  

Image Credit: https://images.search.yahoo.com/ceiling+repair

Upon completion of the repair, I mentioned that it didn’t look like the new portion of drywall was covered adequately, but was told that it would all look fine when the plaster dried.  I really didn’t think it had enough plaster on it, but I didn’t say anymore because hey, who am I to question the guy that does this kind of work every day.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It’s a week later and really, does that look like there is enough plaster on the new piece of drywall to cover it adequately?  I was originally told that the new plaster might not match the original plaster, and I was ready for that, but the plaster on the replacement drywall just isn’t thick enough to cover the new drywall.  So now I have to get the drywall guy back out here to finish the job the way it was supposed to have been done the first time.  Bummer!

Image credit: yahoo.com/frustrated+man+clipart

I called the drywall guy and it’s hard for me to believe what he told me.  He said that it’s not that there isn’t enough paster, but that the new plaster and wallboard have to be painted in order to keep the paster from drying out and crumbling.  Not knowing anything about smooth  or skip trowel ceiling finishes, I was not aware that they had to be painted.  Well, whatever; he is coming by to take a look at the repair and do whatever needs to be done to finish the job to my satisfaction.  We’ll see how that goes.

Image Credit: https://images.search.yahoo.com/ceiling+repair

Well, as expected, the drywall guy never showed up, even after I called him several times.  I had the same kind of problem with sub-contractors back in the 1980s when I was building houses with my father-in-law.  The last 5% of any job is getting the “finish” contractor to do his part.  I ended up many times doing most of that “finish” work myself, when possible, just to meet the scheduled closing date.  So, I (not too happily) painted the repair area myself.  OK, so I caved.  I know I should have insisted on the drywall guy doing it, but I didn’t want to make a big deal out of a tiny little bit of paint.  Besides, I had already had enough trouble with this project and just wanted to see it done.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Well, finally the job is done, and we love the new system.  However, this whole project has been what I call getting connected to a new high-speed fiber optic system THE HARD WAY!  What do you think? 

—–The End—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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The New Power Pole-Part 4

19 Apr

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Since I already had internet cables running from outside the house into my attic and to my computer, it was only a matter of snaking the new high-speed fiber optic cable across the attic and down thru the existing holes in the wall, alongside those existing cables.  When the technician went into the attic to route the new cable, he happened to kneel on a piece of plywood I had nailed between two trusses.  The plywood split under his weight and his knee went down through the drywall ceiling of our garage/studio.  OPS! Was anyone hurt?  No, thank goodness, but he was so embarrassed and didn’t know what to say.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

He apologized profusely and said that in all his years on the job this was the first time anything like this had happened to him.  I told him not to worry about it as the same thing had happened to me when I was younger and working for an electrical contractor, except in my case, my leg had ended up going thru a lady’s kitchen ceiling.  He told me he would immediately send in a damage claim to his company to get the hole in the ceiling repaired.  He finished the installation of connecting us to the new high-speed fiber optic system with no other problems.  He told me someone from the company claims office would be contacting us about the repair of the damage soon.

Image credit: yahoo.com/frustrated+man+clipart

It took me about two weeks to finally get in touch with the claims department, after I received my first email from them telling me they had set up a claim number for me and to contact them with more information.  When I finally reached the claims office, the agent said one of the things they needed was some photos of the damaged area.  I told her that the technician had taken photos of the damaged area and that he had assured me he would forward them to their claims office.  She said they hadn’t received any photos and asked me if I had taken any.  I said I had, and I tried to email them to her, but they wouldn’t go thru to the email address she gave me.  Next, she said they also needed an estimate for repairs to the damaged area.  I said I would get an estimate and forward it to their claims office. 

Image Credit: https://images.search.yahoo. customer-service/clipart.  

It has now been three weeks since my last contact with the claims center.  I re-sent my photos of the damage to the contact person.  I had a damage estimate made and emailed it to the contact person.  I have tried several times each week to reach them to verify they received the requested information with no avail.  I have phoned only to be put on “hold” for up to five minutes, and then a computer voice tells me there is no one available to help me.  I have left messages with the contact person with no response.  I have sent emails to the contact person with no response.  I have tried the phone calls at different times of the day to try to catch the contact person to no avail.

Image credit: yahoo.com/frustrated+man+clipart

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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Robots~Part 3

19 Mar

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Bill

  

I just read an article about a new micro engine that says scientists have built the “smallest petrol engine,” tiny enough to power a WATCH.  The mini-motor, which runs for two years on a single squirt of lighter fuel (they say), is set to revolutionize world power/energy technology.  It produces 700 times more energy than a conventional battery, despite being less than a centimeter long.  It is hard for me to imagine a motor small enough to run a laptop, much less a watch, being able to replace a battery, but that is what the article was saying could happen in the not too distant future.  Check it out on the Internet.

Inspired by colonies of insects such as ants and bees, researchers are modeling the behavior of “swarms” of thousands of tiny robots, which together perform a useful task, such as finding something hidden, cleaning, or spying (on who I wonder?).

                                               

While most robots today are installed in factories or homes, performing labor or life saving jobs, many new types of robots are being developed in laboratories around the world.  Much of the research in robotics now is not focusing on specific industrial tasks, but on investigations into new types of robots, alternative ways to think about or design robots, and new ways to manufacture them.  It is expected that these new types of robots will be able to solve real world problems when they are finally realized. 

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 Then there are the fears and concerns about robots that have been repeatedly expressed in a wide range of books and films.  A common theme in this genre is the development of a master race of conscious and highly intelligent robots, motivated to take over or destroy the human race.  Does any of that kind of paranoia sound familiar? 

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Now, you know, I just started out to go on the Internet to check out a few things about “Robots” for my friend Leon, and now I have written a three-part (1250 word) blog about just some of what I found.  Who says the Internet is not a distraction?  Well, it sure can be one for me, as you can see.

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—–The End—–

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Sprinkles

14 Mar

I’m pretty sure God knew about the internet way before Al Gore invented it. I can imagine him smiling all those years ago when I grumbled about everything taking soooo long. “If words can be heard through a telephone line then why can’t a piece of paper somehow be scanned and sent along those same lines” I would ask. Abra-ca-dabra the fax machine was born. Then I wanted a computer that could actually sort data and give me answers to my multitude of questions , I wanted, no I NEEDED instant communication at all times and she-bang  personal computers,the internet  and smart phones became everyday items.

Just like God knew about my irrational need for instant communication he also knew of all the blessings he had placed in my life long before I even knew I needed them. He sprinkled my life with people who would become dear friends, mentors and helpers. It seems that whenever I have a need, God has already sprinkled someone in my life fill it. His latest provision was a quick thinking friend with a rice strainer!

There is a lovely passage in I Corinthians 12: 12-26 where Paul speaks of the different parts of the body and how each part is equally valued.  I think it is that way with the people in one’s life and even my place in other’s lives. Sometimes I might be a helping hand and another time a lowly toe. Both are necessary  and important, neither more grand than the other.

All of this chatter to get around to say forty years ago God sprinkled a talented woman into my life. Louise Gibson is the mother of my best friend from high school days and now, hopefully, she is going to fill a need on this blog. She will be posting on Fridays and the title will be “From the heart of Louise Gibson”

 

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