The Phone Saga on Tuesday

Eurasian Collared Dove

At first glance, it might look like a mourning dove, but, the dark ring on the neck and the more squared tail reveals that this is an Eurasian Collared Dove.  Apparently as happy to eat the cat kibbles as Chicken Little and Rocky Raccoon!  I don't put out birdseeds to feed the birds, with garden cats around (although Mama Cat tends to ignore the birds for the most part), but, the birds don't seem to mind the lack of birdseeds!

Tuesday didn't go quite as planned.  For one thing, I couldn't fall asleep until 5:00 a.m.  As a result, I changed my plans to get up at 9:00 a.m. to call the phone company and went back to bed until 10:00 a.m.  I had a cup of tea and called the phone company about the home phone.

To give a little background about my home phone:  It used to be that I had a regular landline for the home phone.  Then, I switched to a phone/cable/internet bundle, back in the early 2000s, and I was told that the phone company was replacing wired landlines with fiber optics.  So, we switched to a fiber optics home phone, with a service box that the phone plugged into.  Then, in 2022, that box needed to be replaced and they were no longer doing fiber optics, it was replaced by a wireless phone service and we received a new, smaller, sleeker box to be plugged into an outlet and the phone plugged into that.  I know it was in January 2022 because I have the invoice for the new box.  That is the box that was showing that there was no service signal.  

Anyway, I called the phone company and asked to be transferred to a service agent and after a wait of less than 5 minutes, was connected through to Salvador in Mexico City.  I explained the situation with the phone, what daughter and I tried to do (reset it, plug it to another outlet, etc.) described which lights were green, which lights were either flashing red (battery, indicating that the backup battery was at 20% charge or less) or solid red (service status, indicating that there was no service) and the total lack of signal strength lights.  We went through the routines of unplugging and plugging in the device, turning it on and off, removing the battering and inserting it again, pressing a reset button with a paper clip (as it was inside a small hole), then, when nothing changed, taking the battery out, removing the SIM card, wiping it with a tissue, and replacing the SIM card "exactly how it was placed before" and the battery and pressing the reset button again.  And, hurray!  The battery light changed to green!  Woo hoo! 

But, the service status light remained stubbornly red and there were no signal strength lights.  

After over one hour of being on the phone with Salvador and fiddling with the box, he said that the phone company no longer serviced this model of wireless phone service boxes.  Had I been thinking a little clearer, I might have asked him if they could replace the box with a newer model, but, I didn't ask him that and he didn't mention anything about replacement equipment.  According to him, I had two options.  Cancel the home phone and get a new cell phone line or get a new landline (which would cost double what I am currently paying, of course).   But, wait, I thought I had to switch to wireless phone service because they no longer provided landlines?  Well, apparently they do still provide landlines!  Really?

I found the whole thing to be rather stressful and I no longer like to make quick decisions about such things as which phone service option to pick.  I told Salvador that I wanted to discuss the options with my daughter and he said he'll call me back in the evening, around 7:30 p.m., my time.  I discussed things with my daughter after she got off work and I decided that I would get a landline with the most basic of services at the higher rate (the more comprehensive phone package cost three times as much as what I'm paying now), if I could keep the same phone number.  I use my home phone number for most of my contact information and giving it up and using my cell phone number would mean notifying so many people and businesses, and making changes to documents, etc.  It seems overwhelming.  

However, Salvador didn't call me back in the evening.  So, I am wondering if he would call me back in the morning, instead?  If not, I want to call the phone company again (but, I don't want to go through the whole rigmarole of unplugging, plugging, resetting, etc., of the phone service box!)  Another option might be to go to the phone store and ask if they have a newer, replacement box that they do service and see if that works! Or, switch my cell phone number to the home phone number and use that for all my phone uses?  If not, I'll get the new landline, provided I can keep the same phone number!  

After I got off the phone with Salvador, I had a long chat with my aunt who called me on my cell phone since the home phone is out, brought the trash cans back in, checked the mail, etc., and had a cup of tea.  Then, called Dancer's pharmacy and left a message giving them my cell phone number to call me when the new prescription is ready for pick up, because they won't be able to reach me through my home phone!  

Later, I watched the news and chatted with my daughter.  Then, chatted with friend R.  Somehow, I feel that the day got away from me!

Brunch had been a piece of the raisin bun.  For dinner, I warmed up leftovers from the Easter dinner that neighbor S gave.  

On Tuesday, I was grateful for:

- Having a cell phone!  
- Getting a service agent who talked me through the steps to reset the battery part of the phone box
- Daughter helping me with discussing the various options available for the phone service
- Phone calls with family and friends
- Leftovers!

Tuesday's joyful activity was playing come computer games.

Plans for Wednesday include hopefully talking to Salvador or someone new at the phone company to discuss my options, maybe going to the phone store to see if they can help me, tending to the garden with M, maybe pick up Dancer's medication if ready, and drop off a few things for friend R.  I also want to do some cleaning and tidying.

How was your Tuesday?  What are your plans for Wednesday?  Do you still have a landline or home phone?  Or, do you use your cell phone only?