Apartment: August 2005 Archives

A ways back, I promised to post photos of the new abode, but laziness and lack of internet access got the best of me. I now feel energized and ready to get back to the now slightly less new abode. So check out the kitchen. When we moved in the whole thing was white--quite overwhelming--and we picked this charming shade of green to brighten things up a bit. We also changed out the hideous florescent fixture for a halogen one. That's precocious Winston peering outside in the last photo. And, yes, you can hate me for having a dishwasher. I've lived the last seven years of my life without one, and I feel rather deserving.

It's not an easy task, at least not when coupled with the incompetence of those working for Time Warner. We have been living in our new abode for six weeks, during which time we've had five separate people come to set up our cable and internet service. The breakdown:
    The first Time Warner employee (TWE #1) arrives and says he needs access to a pole two backyards away, but that we have to get permission from the people in the house for him to walk through. We ask for permission from said people, who refuse.
    TWE #2 arrives, and we explain that that he can not walk through the neighbor's house, but that he has to climb the two three-foot high fences. He refuses. We call Time Warner again, who say they will contact the people whose yard holds the coveted cable box, which of course does not happen.
    TWE #3 comes out, again looks at the fence, grimaces and seems unwilling. He at least pretends to check to see if the cable lines are live and claims they are not. We set up an appointment with a foreman.
    TWE #4, the foreman, who we are assured can help us get cable arrives. He says, "Yep, you can definitely get cable. All they need to do is climb the fence." After some spirited discussion he agrees to send an actual Time Warner staff member (TWE #1-3 were contractors) as he himself does not set up cable, but he promises to note that this true employee of TW *must* climb the fence.
    And so, today, TWE #5 (a real live TWE) comes out, and after it becomes clear we know the drill and will not tolerate the fence excuse, he does line testing with some fancy testing equipment. Turns out the cable lines are already live--no fence climbing was ever even necessary!!! So ...
1. Don't expect getting cable to be easy if you live in Brooklyn.
2. Ask for a real TWE, not a contractor.
3. Remind said employee that it is his/her job to climb fences. According to the foreman, the company has a right to access its property by walking through backyards and over fences if necessary.

The good news (if you've read this far) is that I will now be back to my regular posting schedule with lots of fun neighborhood photos, tids and bits.