Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Morning roll call

I don't suppose I'm the only senior citizen who, upon awakening each morning, proceeds with a roll call of her body parts to find out how they're going to perform that day.  
The knees receive attention the minute I get out of bed and start to walk.  This morning, after several days of pretty bad pain, they didn't have much to say; I guess I'll forget about the call I had planned to make to my orthopedist.
  Taking my daily walk in the snow has not been easy on those poor knees; you're probably thinking, "So, why are you walking?"
As long as I can limp along, I will walk; it's good for body and spirit to get outside and move each day, even if the weather isn't great.  Worst case scenario, I will wear my knees out to the point where I'll get knee replacements.   
This morning's roll call received feedback from a normally non-complaining member, my throat; it was raw and burning.  Cliff has managed to pass his cold along to me, the first cold I've had in two years.  After gargling with warm salt water and taking a couple of Arthritis-strength Tylenol, I believe I'll make it through the day.  
All other body parts seem to be present and accounted for with no feedback, so I'll call it a good day.  
Our Dish satellite receiver began throwing fits on us just before Superbowl Sunday.  It would suddenly lose signal, reboot itself (I know that isn't the term, but you know what I mean) and start working again after ten or fifteen minutes.  It did this once a day, at different times of day, for three days.  I called Dish after the second incident and was told I'd have to call while it was actually happening.  Next day, it happened and I called:  I was put on hold for ten minutes, and by the time someone got to me, the problem was over.  The fellow talked to me awhile and asked various questions, finally deciding to send us a new receiver, for which we'll pay the postage.  
I let the box set on the couch for three days after it came, and finally decided yesterday to tackle it.  I couldn't make heads or tails of the instructions, so I called for assistance after hooking up all the wires.  With the tech guy's help, I got the receiver and remotes working.  
Afterward, though, Cliff and I noticed that the picture doesn't cover the full screen of the TV; there's a black area on all sides of the picture.  What's up with that?  I'm sure I could call and get help with it, but I think I'll just wait till our next-door neighbor's day off; he installs Dish systems for a living.  
Oh, and after I talked to Dish and they said they would send a new receiver?  The problem we were having never happened again.  I'd probably have been better off just sending them back their new receiver and keeping the one I had.
I hate trying to figure out technical stuff; it stresses me out.  
Oh, by the way:  Eight O'Clock Coffee still tested best in a Consumer Reports taste test.  Yes, they even beat out Starbucks.  

11 comments:

  1. During the last "big" snow storm we had...our DISH went out and we called the service tech....we had to de-ice the silly thing...so now when i sweep the front porch...i just lean over the rail and sweep the DISH, too!!

    Stay safe and warm....LindaMay

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  2. Hope you are feeling better and that nasty bug you've got goes away soon. I does do us good to get out every day. The sun even though it isn't shining still sends some rays through the clouds they say. I've noticed that shoveling the snow is something my knee doesn't like. Usually it is just the right one that bothers me.

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  3. Lindie9:01 AM

    Technical things stress me out too. I think you manage them better than I do! I hate reading manuals and sometimes I never do more than the basics with new equipment! For instance I can never get the picture in a picture to work on my tv!

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  4. I carry a brown bag at all times so that when a body part falls off I can keep it for my next visit to the doctor.

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  5. Glad all you parts are counted for & not too much feed back other than the throat. Maybe it will better tomorrow.

    I hate technical stuff too.

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  6. It may not be the dish. When you were resetting everything (including your remotes), you may have just changed the zoom setting on your TV. Find the TV remote and see if there is a zoom or picture button. Try changing the zoom settings, it might fix it :)

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  7. Good attitude you have! Keep those parts moving. You've inspired me to do my planned (almost canceled) walk on the treadmill today. :)

    the technical stuff...let's see...I have an external hard drive as a back up that's not working, a new cell phone that I have to figure out, some virus software to install, an old computer that I need to get its contents from, a VCR that doesn't record anymore after the tech put digital boxes on all the TVs, a decision to make on buying a new camera, and so on.
    Technology - bittersweet.

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  8. Astaryth, you hit the nail on the head about the remote; I broke down and called Dish; the lady told me to hit the "star" button, and lo and behold, everything was back to normal.

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  9. Anonymous2:38 PM

    MY COMMENTS ARE NOT BEING POSTED. COMMENTS ON 'MOTHER'S STORIES' OF TIMES WHEN YOUNG, GETTING MARRIED AND TEN STORIES OF YESTERYEAR.
    SO DISAPOINTING FOR COMMENTS TO NOT GO THROUGH.
    SUCH WONDERFUL STORIES OF YESTERYEAR AND SHEDDING A TEAR NOW AND THEN WHILE READING THE STORIES AND OBSERVING THE PHOTOS.
    BEING BORN IN 1920 I CAN RELATE TO THE STORIES OF TIMES BACK THEN.
    WILL THIS COMMENT FAIL ? sam

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  10. Sometimes I wake up with my back so stiff it feels like it will break when I move. Once I get moving around it gets better. That is the body part that bothers me most.
    We tried out the dish TV for a few months. It was always going on the blink. The tech that installed it said sometimes it went blank for a while when bad weather is around. With Kens' eyes being like they are he had problems resetting the thing. I wanted no part of it. He had it taken out and went back to cable but I understand lots of people in the country can't get cable access. My son can't. Helen

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  11. Wonder if the weather was effecting the receiver? Anyway I see from the comments you got if figured out : )

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