The Ethernet-USB adapter arrived, and I plugged it into the back
of the TIVO. Worked fine, right out of the box. I went to the TIVO
setup screen and it had already realized there was an Ethernet adapter,
and posted a message to the effect that it would use that, rather than
the phone line. Fine, fine. However the video-on-demand wasn't
available, a message about that stating that I had to go to the TIVO
web page and turn it on there, and that it would then activate in the
next day or so. I went to the web page, and that option was already
set. Went back and checked: still no video-on-demand.
Several hours later there is still no video-on-demand. Odd. I assumed
that it was a disclaimer and that the actual service would be available
as soon as the database was updated, likely a matter of a few seconds
or minutes. Apparently not.
Hmmm.
Well, we'll see tomorrow. There really isn't that much I want to watch, but I figure...why not?
Update 7pm:
Well, it works. It's a bit slow, compared with my fathers' cable modem,
but I was able to download a video (not the one I wanted, but what the
heck) and watch it.
Movies are apparently through Amazon.com, and, if you like, you can
also subscribe to Netflix. They don't have all their stuff online, but
some is.
Friday
- another warm day. I was working the east end of Simi Valley, and the
winds weren't too bad. A solid eight hours, though my helper did not
show up and did not call or respond to a message left at his work phone.
After work I met with the boss, got some more stuff to look at over the
weekend. But it's Super Bowl weekend, so I don't suppose I'll get much
done on Sunday afternoon.
Traffic on the drive home was rather horrible. I'd met Dave at the REI in Reseda.
Somehow I made a wrong turn heading back to the 118, realized I was lost and pulled out the
GPS, and it decided to take me east
via side streets directly to the 405, rather than return me to the
118. I knew it was doing something weird, I should have been
going north,
not east - but when I zoomed out the GPS to check on things it
would immediately
zoom back in to a close street view.
I hate smartass machines that think they know what you want and refuse to do what you ask them to.
Reseda, I might say, is full of punks in little rat cars with loud
stereo's, flaunting the law, politeness and common sense at every
possible opportunity. I decided not to take my attention off the road
and just follow the GPS. Eventually it came through, but the TomTom One
has given me this sort of weirdness before - miles of city streets when
there is a freeway just a few blocks away. Oh well.
Then there was freeway traffic as well. After 7:00pm it should have
been past rush hour, but there were the remnants of an accident being
cleared up at the I-5---I-14---CA-210 junction. What moron thought
putting so many interchanges into a one mile stretch was a good idea?
After the slowdown of about 45 minutes, the weirdness continued, people
whizzing by at 90mph, passing on the shoulder, driving 50mph in the #1
lane, you name it. Friday nights aren't usually that bad.
Riley stalking the laptop.
Thursday 29 January
2009
Thursday
- a brilliant crescent moon and Venus, close the evening, but not a
conjunction. The weather is wonderful, in the 70's all day, and though
windy on occasion, the feared Santa Ana's didn't arrive. At least not
where I was.
Wednesday 28 January 2009
Wednesday
- an old moon, in the new moon's arms, tonight. Also a very bright
Venus.
Ducks, 2009,
Tuesday 27 January 2009
Tuesday
- my landlord actually gave me a stamp. He's a cool guy.
Cool, almost cold. I think I wore a sweater all day, except perhaps an
hour or so after lunch.
A sliver of moon in the early evening sky.
Monday 26 January 2009
Monday
- back at work, a reasonable day. Cool, but sunny.
I sent myself a letter at the Ventura address last week, so that I
could show it to the librarian here and get a permanent library card.
Unfortunately the landlord picked it up, glanced at it, mistook my name
for a previous tenant, and wrote: "No
longer here, return to Sender!" on it, in ink. Thus
destroying the entire purpose of it. My room mate says he owes me 41
cents...
Sunday 25 January 2009
Sunday
- not a lot to say. A lot more errands, wrapping up late, for me.
While out running errands I saw a cheesy sign on a sidewalk billboard: "Paternity Testing, Fast &
Cheap, Call xxx-xxx-xDNA"
Bizarre. Lancaster and Palmdale continue their decline as decent places
to live.
