It's came to that time when I change is as good as a holiday. The change is I'm going to be using my MobileMe blog. I wish I could download all my posts from here but VOX doesn't allow this, which is a pain in the ass. I have read a few posts of late where people are leaving VOX because it's too restrictive. This is not why I'm moving but for the fact I'm paying for a MobileMe serivce and I may as well get my money's worth out it. I've started uploading my photos to the MobileMe gallery from Flickr but I'm not going to be getting rid of Flickr any day soon. I'm doing that move because I have an iPhone and I may as well MobileMe for more that just email, address book and calendar. MobileMe is not cheap so it's time to use it a bit more. My website, paulsplace.id.au is hosted by the service and it has a blog on it so why not use it instead of letting it sit there doing nothing.
So check it at Paul's Place, you'll find all my services in one easy place.
It’s not Summer yet but it’s getting bloody hot over the next few days. Last weekend we had 3 days of temps above 35 and again this weekend and week we’re heading for temps hitting the 40 mark. It’s still only Spring and Summer is only almost a month away from starting and we’re having these high temps already.
I think we’re going to be in for a very long and hot Summer this year and this can not be good. It’s funny thou, a couple of months ago we were complaining about how cold it is and not we’re complaining about how hot it is and going to be. Are we ever happy? I’m just so glad I’m in a better house than I was last Summer. There is no way I could have lived in that old house again this Summer.
Apple at the end of August released their new OS, Snow Leopard (10.6) and it’s now the start of November and I can still not use my Bigpond USB Wireless modem.
See my problem is not with Apple, it’s with Telstra. Now I know I’m not the only person that is not happy with this company, in fact I’ve never been happy with them ever since they took my money by saying I made calls to a 1900 service. Over $850 worth of calls to these services in just over 4 hours, the only problem with this is, I was NOT at home and in fact I was not even in the same state when these so called calls were meant to have been made but this is not my issue at the moment even thou it’s my on going issue with this company. My issue is that I have a Bigpond Wireless service (you know the one! it’s uses that so called wonderful Next G network) that I can not use and it’s not my fault. Well it is my fault because I upgraded my OS, that’s what they’re saying anyhow.
Now since upgrading to Snow Leopard I have not been able to use this service because Telstra has not released updated drivers and software for Snow Leopard and their current version of drivers do not work. I have contacted Telstra about this and all I get from them is they are working on it. This is all well and good but have they stopped billing me, NO they haven’t. So at the moment I’m paying for a service I can not use. Is this fair? again, NO it’s not fair. I’m starting to think it’s time I should pack up the modem and send it to Telstra’s CEO and he can use it and then at the same time they can credit my account and cancel my contract. I have less than 12 months left out of a 36 month contract. This is another issue, when I purchased the modem I signed up for a 24 month contract but for some reason it turned into a 36 month contract. Good one Telstra. I have moved my mobile service from Telstra as they say their Next G network has great coverage, well my main mobile has better coverage and it’s with Vodafone, so much for their better and bigger coverage (this is in my area, a major Australian highway).
It’s going to be a great day when Telstra is made to split in two, they need to sit there, shut up and listen to their customers instead of telling their customers what to do. If Telstra was to do this then people wouldn’t be taking there business elsewhere. Telstra are so costly, they overcharge for their services and then give their customers crap to no customer service when things go wrong. Just have a look at their data costs, who gives a shit if they are the fastest, it’s pointless being the fastest if no one can afford to use your services. Telstra it’s time for you to stop and start listening to the people that pay you, YOUR CUSTOMERS. Without them your shareholders would have nothing. This is the same thing for the banks. Without customers you don’t have a business and your shareholders have nothing either.
I really hope Telstra reads this and acts on it and while I’m about it, put ADSL2+ services in the exchange I get my internet off (Balranald) and stop treating us country people like total idiots because we’re NOT.
Last week I had a hip arthroscopy to repair a torn labrum in my hip. Healing has gone well, with rest, excellent care by Henry and plenty of pain meds. Things were moving along peachy, with increased use of my hip and even some time on an exercise bike, when I started getting nauseated and having odd vision. I looked in a mirror and saw my left eye pupil entirely dilated, while my right was normal. I became worried.
A trip to the ER and an amused doctor later, we concluded that I got atropine in my eyeball, left over from a motion-sickness patch I had been wearing behind my ear. Atropine is a chemical also known as belladonna and has been used by women to dilate their eyes. The idea that women ever purposefully did this to their eyes for beauty amazes me. Of course, we also wear high heels.
There is nothing I can do but wait. I asked for an eye patch because one eye being dilated was too uncomfortable, and also because I've never had a valid reason to wear one. I've been hobbling around my house with an eye patch, on crutches, and anxiously waiting for my upgrade to a cane on Thursday. It doesn't get much cooler than this!
I just realised it's been almost two years since I posted here. Wow, so much has happened and I've been so slack.
Where to begin????
Hmmmm, last post was January 2008 - so, since then Katie's entered year 4 and is just thriving in her learning. She earned her "pen license" last week and was so proud of herself. She's participating in a lot of sporting activities at school, including "Minkey" (a modified version of hockey - they won the inter-school grand final last week), Tee Ball, and long distance running (in fact, I have to fight her for the treadmill). She's growing up so fast and sometimes it really scares me.
Here are a couple of recent photo's of her....
Sally has been in Pre-K (preschool) and just loves going to "school", she's been learning so much whilst there, including Mandarin Chinese, going to the library, music, reading, maths, painting, gardening, and all that. She's 4 nearly 5 and starts big school next year - we all can't wait for this to happen. She's grown so much in the last couple of months and is a little girl now, not a baby.
Here are a couple of recent photo's of her...
Ummm, me, well, I've been looking after myself, and have as at last week lost 12.3kg and I don't know how many cm's but it's at least 12 or 13. I'm feeling so much better about myself and I'm much fitter too - thanks to the treadmill we bought with some of Jon's payout from his last job, and eating much better food as well. I've not had soft drink in I don't know how long, and now will only eat a little crappy food. When I can get a current photo of me, then I'll post one up... but here's one I took of Jon and the girls yesterday.......
Firstly: It's Winter, in fact it's been Winter for a couple of months now. So for the last month or so I've been fighting to keep clear of the flu, both the normal flu and the Swine flu (H1N1). Well it's got me, I'm talking about the flu, I'm not a pig so that side of things I'm lucky with. having a heart condition I'm in the high risk area when it comes to the H1N1 flu so I really don't need that flu. So I'm now having to tablet even more pills to get rid of this bloody flu, happy days for me yet again.
Secondly: Last night I was getting ready for bed and was getting into my PJ's top and I noticed the area where my pacemaker is fitted was swollen and up like a balloon. So while at the doctors I thought I would ask him about it. I had an ultra sound done on the area and they found fluid there. So I now have to keep an eye on it and was told it should go down over the next couple of days, if not I'll have to have it looked at again. I'm thinking of ringing Melbourne tomorrow and speaking with them about it. I know this is going to be pointless because they are going to ask to me to come into them which I just can't do. So I can only speak to them and see what they say and hopefully they will work something out with my doctor here or wait until I'm down in Melbourne at the end of next month.
All this could only happen to me. You got to love my life.
I know I shouldve posted someting a lot sooner than this but I haven't been feeling the best and been fighting off the flu.
As you can see (below) I've received my new phone and have been having a lot of fun playing with it. I got hold of a very nice person in at Vodafone who helpped me out with my issues. As a result i got my new phone quicker than i wouldve if i had just sat around doing nothing about it. I've gotten a few apps on it, one paid and the rest free. I still have another app to come but the will be done when I'm down in Melbourne next month.
Other tha. Fighting off the flu there has not been much happening in my boring and stressed out life. So until next time be good.
Oh there is another issue I'm having but I'm waiting for some further info before starting on the bastards but this is for another time and not now. Keep checking.
Sent from Paul's iPhone
Today I decided to contact Vodafone again after a friend of mine emailed them to see if they had any 32Gb iPhone 3GS' in stock. He forwarded me the email reply (see below) as they said they had limited stock of them. Limited stock? So why haven't I got mine seeing I ordered it over a week ago now.
On the phone I got and I got a guy by the name of Peter (I think that's was it was) and he looked into it and yep they have stock, about 1500 units but I'm still on back order. I asked this guy I hope that people that went court up in Vodafone's system fault are on top of the list seeing it's not the customers fault their orders were delayed and the fact that some of them, including myself have already received their bills and are not paying for their iPhone. He said he was sorry about it and that I should have my phone next week as it looked like I was on top of the list. I told him I'll believe it when I have my iPhone in my hot little hands.
So this is the latest update. Still no iPhone and it's a wait and even more wait for it. One day this year I'll have it. I just won't be paying Vodafone a cent until I receive it, that's very simple.
On the 26th of June, when the iPhone 3GS launched here in Australia, I rang my phone carrier Vodafone to upgrade my phone. I was out of contract and was getting phone calls every month asking me to sign another one, which I told them I'm waiting for the new iPhone.
Anyhow that day came and on the phone I get, I got a nice gentleman who I could understand and I asked him I would like the new iPhone 3GS. He said great lets do it and I said ok. Anyhow we got through a few things but everything stopped because Vodafone's system that handles their MPP (Mobile Payment Plan) went down and because I was wanting the iPhone 3GS 32Gb on their $59 cap plan with handset payments of $15 per month they couldn't go any further with my order. The gentlemen said he would keep my deals and ring me back as soon as it came back up. I thought great no iPhone for me but I had been without one for this long whats a few more days wait?
Anyhow Monday came and no phone call so I got onto the phone to find out why, I got onto the gentlemen that was looking after me and he told me the system was still down. Now this got me thinking, what is going on with all the people that had walked into a Vodafone dealer/shop? Are they too not getting their iPhones if they pick this plan? So anyhow he said he would call be back at around 2pm on that day, he called back at just before 3pm, anyhow we were able to get the plan and upgrade going and was told I have my new iPhone 3GS on the way. Woohoo I thought and then it hit me, when am I getting it, when did they send it and do I have to sitting around at home waiting for it. It's a new phone and I want to play, and want to have some fun with it so any wait was going to be a very long wait.
It' now Friday and I'm sitting here with still no iPhone and wondering where it is. Vodafone have changed my plan so I'm now paying for it but I don't have a phone to play and use. Now I hear you saying why didn't I just go into a Vodafone store and get one? There is a simple answer to this question, I don't have a Vodafone store/dealer near me for over 450kms or a 5 hour drive. So this is why it was done over the phone.
Decided to give Vodafone a call to see what is going on with my iPhone and I was told they have ran out of stock and it's gone onto back order. This would be fine seeing it is an iPhone and everyone wants one but Vodafone have changed my plan and is now charging me for this phone, a phone I'm not going to see or have in my hands for a few weeks. I think this is very wrong because I'm paying for something I don't have and paying a higher price, some $25 more a month for something I'm not getting. They should not have changed my plan until they shipped the phone out, at the moment, like I said, I'm paying for a phone and service I can not use and I'm not happy. They should have not taken orders for a product if they could not supply in the first place. Yet Vodafone is still taking orders for the iPhone and at the same time not telling people they don't have them in stock. This is wrong and misleading.
So if your with Vodafone and you want an iPhone 3GS don't call them because they have none but will be very happy to take your money and leave you hanging. Not good customer service in my books.
My letter to the CEO of Vodafone is now in the mail. Lets see what happens as in the past he's been very good at fixing problems and getting things done.
