It's So Hard to Switch Internet Providers

So today I'm going through the painful process of switching to Earthlink. I currently have Time Warner Road Runner but at $50/month, it's way too expensive, especially since Earthlink offers a slower-speed (768 kbps) service for $30/month.

So I signed up for Earthlink. I got a call for an installation and was told to disconnect Time Warner Road Runner by returning the modem. Okay … so I did that. I called the installation number back again and was told that my account was active until the 28th. O-kay … So I called Time Warner Road Runner back and they said it was already disconnected. Further, they — all of a sudden — offer a $25/month service for the same speed as Earthlink. O-fucking-kay … I wish they bothered to have that as an option on their website. Then again, Time Warner is such a slimebag company, I would rather spend $5 more a month than deal with them. As if I can actually not deal with them because they provide the cable. I called the installer back and they said the system takes 24 hours to update so I'll have to schedule an installation tomorrow. Fucking great!

Thank goodness I was smart enough to sign up for Budget Dial-Up so I can actually still get to the Internet.

Loading

Painted House Pictures

After living with peeling paint for most of the 11 years I've lived in my house, I finally got it repainted. I used financial and planning assistance from NeighborWorks Rochester (570 South Ave.) and went with Trinity Home Renovations, Inc.. Everything worked out great and they wrapped things up last week. I finally got out for some pictures. The older one is not a good photograph, so the difference is exaggerated, but not by much.

Jayces house as of May 5, 2009.

Jayce's house as of May 5, 2009.

Jayces house as of June 6, 2009

Jayce's house as of June 22, 2009.

Loading

The ReSassy Project

A few weeks ago I announced that I was going to take my Civic apart and sell the pieces. Well, this weekend I got the website up and running and decided to call the project ReSassy which construes the goal of reusing, repurposing, and recycling as much as possible. Plus it fits my criterion of "specifically avoiding things that mention 'Honda' or 'Civic' in the title".

Loading

The Lobster Quadrille and Daryl Fleming and the Public Domain at the Bug Jar

Ali was really sad she couldn't make it, but Christina and I forged on to The Bug JarMySpace link (219 Monroe Ave.) to see The Lobster QuadrilleMySpace link play. Opening up was Daryl Fleming and the Public DomainMySpace link who did a fine job. They spun some lyrical, interesting, groove-rock-ish country/folk/rock … if that's any help at all. The Lobster QuadrilleMySpace link really did a great job too. They brought their Gothic satirical gospel back to the Bug Jar, and even had a bunch of toy instruments so the audience could join in too. Their new CD is — like many bands CD's — an idealized studio form of their live work, but it gives us fans a chance to learn all the words.

Loading

Running the Fight Against Violence 5K Run/Walk with Ali

Ali and I went to The Stay Bridge Suites (1000 Genesee St.) to participate in the Fight Against Violence 5K Run/Walk. There was a good turn-out — I guess quite a bit more than the organizers had anticipated. The race headed south along the River Walk through Genesee Valley Park (Hawthorn Dr.) then back through The University of Rochester (Elmwood Ave. at Intercampus Dr.) and finally returning to the hotel. I joked that if it were closer to the heart of the 19th Ward, far fewer white people would have showed up.

Anyway, Ali ran it in 36:11 and won 2nd place for her age/gender category out of 6 other runners. There were 6 men in my category but I came in 4th among them with my time of 29:54. It's "officially" listed as 9:39/mile on the PCR Timing site which surprised me because that's slower than my 9:33 pace at The Medved Lilac 10K and 5K Family Fun Run [and this time, I think I was the only person running without shoes … people sure seem to like buying those over-the-counter orthopedics]. According to USA Track & Field (USATF), the course is actually 5.20 km or 3.23 miles, so my per-minute time based on that is 9:11.

I was a little disappointed that the promise of a gift bag from UofR and other post-race items were not available, but I can't fault them too much because the turnout was so high they didn't even have enough shirts for everyone. But you know, it doesn't really matter because we had a great time.

Loading

Seeing David Byrne and Ani DiFranco with Ali

Ali and I headed to The Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC) (Lincoln Hill Dr., Canandaigua) to see David Byrne and Ani DiFranco. She bought me the tickets for our anniversary last month and I gotta say, I had a great time. Oh yeah, and we saved the $10 on parking because Ali has friends who live about a quarter mile from CMAC and they let us park there. That savings paid for all of about 1 beer, though.

Anyway, Ani DiFranco — although I don't seek out her work — was very good. I imagine she's incredible to see in a small venue, but it's terribly difficult to pull off that kind of personal connection among a thousand people. Since I'm not all that familiar with her, I wasn't nearly as excited or interested.

David Byrne, however, has been consistently great in my book. I liked his PowerPoint-based art in Trees, Tombstones, & Bullet Points when I saw him present it in October, 2004 and I've enjoyed what he's done with music. In this show, he didn't use as much multimedia as I'd seen before, but all the performers were dressed in white and changed appearance considerable with the use of stage lighting and the lighting on the back curtains.

I'll be sure to look for the new album because it has the power and pop-rock feel of old Talking Heads stuff while still feeling current (as if old Talking Heads heard by fresh ears doesn't sound modern enough). We were about to leave after the second encore, but he and his band were coerced into a third encore so Ali and I headed to the front row. The security guards eventually even let the stairways fill up with people.

Overall it was a blast and I had a great time. Thanks, Ali!

Loading