No beer, no TV, make Homer something, something...

I got call from the parents on Thursdya night saying their DirectTV isn't working and if I had a chance could I come out and apply some of my "expertise" and look at it. I had some "business" to attend to out there anyways, so I swang through. The screen was saying it was not receiving a signal. I went outside and on the roof and looked at the satellite dish. All the wires (2 of them) were connected to the dish and were going down and into the house, so it appeared as if everything was connected. If my sciences classes were correct about how satellite dishes work; its all bout refracting a signal into a concave (or convex, I forget) dish. So my theory is all the snow and freezing we have gotten lately altered the dish or the receiving signal and it is no longer working.

Papa Chopper got on the phone with them and described what had happened, what the screen said, and what we saw with the dish. They proceeded to tell them they would have someone come out on Tuesday (5 days later) sometime between 1-7, and it would cost $75. WTF? Since I got my share of anger ranting from the pops, he used a bit of his own anger ranting on the phone. He told them that was ridiculous, and it that were the case they should bring their crew and take their equipment back because he was going to cancel. They then talked him into accepting them coming on Tuesday AT 5, no charge, and February free. He accepted.

I still can't believe that they can't have anyone out before Tuesday. Maybe they having a crazy amount of problems with all the weather happening. I doubt they are having that many new subscribers in the dead of winter. Or they only have one crew for the entire state. All they are going to have to do is go up there and put on a new dish, my bet is it take s 20 minutes.

Ridiculous.