bryan wann :: binary fury

Last month I finally decided to re-join the modern age and get cable. I’ve been waiting for FiOS from Frontier ever since I moved in, and my apartment building was finally wired up for it. I was flabbergasted when they told me the install charge for TV+internet over FiOS was $500, but if I just wanted internet, there was no install fee. It turns out, according to the internet, Frontier is losing money left and right on channels and desperately wants to get out of the cable TV business.

I flipped over to comcast.com. I didn’t have a high opinion of them because of the data caps, but just wanted cable. I was able to put in my order within a few minutes without having to call. When I got my DVR/cable box and hooked it up, it didn’t work. I spent a while troubleshooting and got nowhere. I dreaded having to call and wait around for a tech to be dispatched or something (and I was traveling a lot), so I put it off. I put it off for a couple of weeks.

When I finally called and navigated through the IVR tree, it was a surprisingly quick “oh let me send a reset signal” and that’s all it took to make it come to life. Less than three minutes on the phone. After a couple of hours I still wasn’t getting all of my channels. I needed to call again, but was still dreading hassle and put it off.

When I called again at 1 AM this morning, I got a female apparently in Seattle, who was very friendly and sincere. She reset my cable box and walked me through verifying channel subscriptions. Then she credited me a whole month of service because it had never worked since install. Less than ten minutes too, no too bad!

You win this time Comcast, but I’m keeping my eye on you.

Tags: redmond

This weekend it was 86-88 F outside (and inside), perfectly clear and sunny. Absolutely beautiful day, I felt fantastic! Seriously, I haven’t felt that happy and blissful in a while. Clear, warm night too, could see the stars from my balcony.

Today, it instantly turned .. October. Low hanging grey clouds, and everything is wet. It never really rained, but it’s just been a constant drizzle that’s soaked everything. At least it’s warm enough that I can have my door+windows open, but this weather is making me anxious and dreary of winter.

Tags: redmond

It’s awesome to sit on my balcony and be able to easily see the Big Dipper.

Tags: redmond

The rush of scale is often a potent and lethal addiction, for production engineering is a drug.

I always thought the Dyson ball was a gimmicky thing, but it’s totally legit. It’s so much easier to maneuver than a big clunky vacuum. It’s also quieter than my clunker, but the cat still hates it.

The weather is still pretty inconsistent here. On some days, it’s perfectly clear and warm, on other days it’s cloudy with a chilly breeze. I still occasionally pull out my space heater at night when kitty wants to stay out on the balcony for a long time.

It turns out it’s way easier to grow plants when it’s not 110 F outside. I decided I wanted my balcony to smell nice and vegetation-y, so I potted rosemary, lavender, petunias, mint, catnip, and azaleas. It’s tricky finding cat-friendly flowering plants. I bought patio furniture and have been using it fairly often.

Yesterday was the Redmond Derby Days. The parades happened right in front of my apartment complex and the all-day bicycle races were a block away at city hall. Redmond often feels like a big small town. All the Bing sponsorship in the parade made it seem like it was a hometown favorite invented by a few good o’ boys down the street. Older, skilled, third generation search engine workers who hand crafted it in their garage. They probably also cut hair and watch baseball on the weekends too.

YACHT’s new album, Shangri-La, is awesome! “Dystopia” and “Shangri-La” are by far my favorite tracks, I’ve listened to each dozens of times already. “If I can’t go to heaven, let me go to LA, or the west Texas desert or an Oregon summer day.“

Tags: redmond

Holy shit the weather is finally WARM.  We finally broke 70 F! I was at Alki Beach on Saturday afternoon and managed to properly sunburn my face. It was fantastic sitting on the sand, tons of people and cute girls wandering about.  Today is the first time I’ve ever been able to go all day without a hoodie and then comfortably sit outside on my balcony at night. There are people actually sitting outside enjoying the courtyard. Faaaaaantastic, I tell you.

It’s 10 PM and there’s still a shard of midnight blue light over the horizon. I pulled an all-nighter last night and I don’t think I ever saw it get dark.  Even at 3 AM it seemed just a little light out.

Tags: redmond

The rain stopped, the sun came out, and the days are longer FINALLY, thank god.  A couple of weekends ago it was ~60 F, clear and sunny. There were even girls in bikini playing volleyball on Alki Beach!  (How 60 F is bikini weather is beyond me.)  I’ve been so weather abused and tortured throughout the winter that by comparison this spring weather really is very amazing. It’s still cool enough to need to wear flannel+hoodie though.  It finally gets dark around 9:30, with a hint of sun over the mountains even at 10 PM.  I feel like I’m finally able to really enjoy the west coast now. Having the ocean by so close now is really cool, which is something I’ve never had. I’m never going to take a sunny day for granted anymore!

Tags: redmond

Some of my most favorite things: sparkling lemonade from Trader Joe’s, chicken coconut curry (extra hot) + garlic basil naan from Tandoori Fire. mmmm.

Tags: redmond