Tech Support

Another week done and dusted. Most of my week has been fraught with technical issues. About a week or so ago Netflix (which I watch via my Xbox on the TV) did a massive update and ever since then I have been unable to watch anything. I contacted Netflix first and spent around an hour type talking with a tech support person there troubleshooting the issue via the Xbox...Nothing. In the end they told me it was an Xbox issue and I should contact them. The next evening I spent a total of 3 sodding hours on the phone with them, the first hour was spent talking with the general support dept, once again we explored every setting in the Xbox, resetting, deleting, re-installing, emptying the cache and a ton of other weird and wonderful things, after he could help no more he said I needed to speak to the connectivity dept...he tried to connect me and then cut me off, luckily he had given me the direct number, so I redialled, gave my case number, I was then told that I had reached the hardware dept and they couldn't help me, they in turn said they would put me through to Connectivity...Once connected I was through to billing....Not all was lost as the chap in billing seemed to know his stuff and walked me through yet more redundant steps to fix the problem, once he had exhausted his expertise he then said I would need to speak with Connectivity, he gave me a couple of numbers one of which I knew was the first number I had tried, so ignoring that one, I tried the second number with a new case number, once more I found myself in general support, who then in turn said they would connect me to the Connectivity Dept...to which I said, 'do you actually have a Connectivity Dept as it really doesn't seem as if it's connected at all?" Anyway she put me through and hey ho I was back in Hardware. They said they couldn't help but said my call had been elevated and that I would receive a call back in the next 24 hours....It's now Sunday (3 days later) and no one has called.

In the meantime I went back to Netflix and explained the whole situation to them again. I am not known for my patience, so I was somewhat terse by this point. Anyway an hour later they said I need to contact my Internet service provider and get them to do a hard reset on my Internet...It sounded dodgy to me.

So next I phoned Eastlink, they laughed with me and said they had never heard of a hard reset and the Internet was not a black box sitting in the corner of the room they they could hit a reset button on...I knew this of course. Anyway I did decide to get a new modem and router installed and up my Internet speed.
The chap arrived on Saturday, installed the new router/modem (all in one unit) and hey presto Netflix works.
So the moral of this story is, if Netflix does an update which is a total suck on your Internet speed and connectivity and can't make the connection from your modem to router to Xbox, up your Internet speed and get a router/modem in one.

In other news I paid a visit to an event called A Victorian Christmas at the Citadel in Halifax on Saturday, I had not been to it before, but knew there would be period costumes a plenty and perhaps some other interesting shots to be had. It was quite nice, with an old fashioned Santa, and little morsels of living history scattered around in the various rooms off the main courtyard and some lovely fiddle music. It was however bloody cold, the rain just about held off, but the wind was biting, far too cold to spend too much time there. It's always cold on Citadel Hill. Below are 3 of my favourite shots.

Ho, Ho, Ho

Victorian Food by lantern light in the Barracks

Could be Baker Street?

Bleak Weekend

Well so much for the weather forecast that predicted a sunny and warm weekend, instead it has been foggy gray and damp.

I don't really have a whole lot to write about this week. It was only four days of work thanks to the long weekend last week, but boy those 4 days went slow.

Based on the weather forecast I got up early yesterday and Rachael and I headed out to Ross Farm. Considering it was pretty bleak we did actually spend quite a bot of time there. We were lucky enough to see some Ox getting their pedicures. At one point we were busy taking photos from just outside the blacksmith's door as the chap clipped away at the feet, suddenly and without warning the ox decided it was time for a poo....Out it came at full force, splashing down and bouncing up, Rachael and I copped for some of the blast (only a little thankfully) in our hair and down our sleeves...lol...It was funny.

We went to see the sheep and the pigs in the barn...Rachael didn't last long in there, the fumes were too much for her as she hurried out gagging...which also amused me. We spent much of the time chatting with Matthew, one of the blacksmiths who also runs all their social media online, I have become quite well acquainted with him over my many visits to the farm. I told him about the incident with the ox and he recounted a story from years ago when pant suits were in fashion. A local school came for a visit led by a teacher in a white pant suit, as they watched the ox getting their new feet on, the same thing happened, but she was much nearer the line of fire and apparently the pant suit was completely ruined by the end of the bowel movement. They had to try so hard not to laugh. I am pretty sure I would not have been able to contain myself.

I will leave you with images from the farm yesterday and another brilliant advertisement for a Samsung washing machine I cam across....Enjoy!

Ox Pedi...Stand well back :o)

Gorgeous Lamb, Loved being fussed

Gray day on the Farm

In the Cooperage...He assured us he wasn't depressed :o)

Gray, but none the less picturesque

It's Got Cold!

Yes that's right the weather has turned cold, as soon as the clocks went back the rain started and the then the lower temperatures kicked in. Most of this weekend it has been around 4 degrees and very chilly with the wind.

Due to the weather and lack of interest in going outside I have done nothing really. This weekend is a a long weekend so I have tomorrow off as well for Remembrance Day.

I tortured myself yesterday and went to view a house with Rob. We are thinking more and more about buying somewhere and I have started to look at a few places again. This one I loved the look of but realistically it is out of our price range, but it is way over priced so I will keep my eye on it. The owners don't stand a hope in hell of selling it unless the price drops, there are too many upgrades that need doing and on the inside in some areas it was showing it's 20 year age. On the plus side it has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, double garage, and sits on an acre lot.

In other news I did my back in this week. I was cleaning my teeth and something popped. I think it's some kind of muscle spasm, I was in total agony when it happened on Friday morning and headed straight to the doc to get some pain killers and muscle relaxants. I made it through the rest of the day at work before popping the muscle relaxant when I got home, after which I couldn't keep my eyes open, I think I slept from 9.30 Friday night for a whole 15 hours straight. I was quite disorientated when I did finally open my crusty eyes!

I bought a new cat nest bed thing yesterday for the front room and last night was pure entertainment as the boys jostled for control of it. Hamish got in first and claimed it and then later on while Hamish wandered out to the kitchen Shakespeare ventured in and settled down. Our cats are so spoiled honestly!

This week was the open competition at my old camera club in Wincanton. I sent over 3 images for the digital category and was pleased to hear I came top with one of them (the jars of preserves I posted a couple of weeks go on here).

Rob and I attended the camera club over here on Wednesday and it was by far the best meeting to date with interesting talks on camera maintenance and sensor cleaning. Probably not interesting for most of you reading this, but I definitely know I will never clean mine myself, far too risky. The chaps from the camera repair shop gave out vouchers for cleaning, so I think that is where I will head for when the time comes.

Autumn Light on Old Bones

Double the Pleasure

Autumn at The Old Mill

Trick or Treat?

Happy belated Halloween! I hope you all enjoyed the spookiest night of the year.
Rob and I decided to opt out this year. We were going to carve the pumpkin and do it again but we decided in the end, we would rather spend the money on a treat for us than a load of (rather costly) candy that we would get no benefit from. So we headed out after work to Woody's BBQ as we have wanted to try it for a while now and let's just say we weren't disappointed. Their corn nuggets are sublime as are the baby back ribs and the BBQ chicken...All smoked to perfection.

End of year at work went quite smoothly this week, it being Halloween as well a few of my co-workers made an effort and dressed up. The weather has taken a turn for the worse and has been fairly miserable all week with rain and high winds for some of it. Nearly all the leaves are gone now signalling the most depressing time of the year and the clocks went back last night.

The winter tires went on the car on Monday, and by Thursday I had a flat tire! I had to take it back to to have them look at it, turns out it was leaking round the rim so they sorted it out FOC.
Talking of this, I actually found myself coming out with something distinctly Canadian this week.
I got a lift in with our chap at the garage whilst the tires were being changed. When I got to work people asked me where my car was and I said 'it's in the shop getting the tires changed'...I surprised myself by not saying Garage....Perhaps I am developing a Canadian twang after all :o)

I have not been anywhere this weekend, so the news is a little thin on the ground. Until next time I will leave you with more Autumn shots taken over the past few weeks.



All Signs Point to Fall in the Garden

Pumpkin Steps

Fall Light at Blue Rocks

Weary Lanterns