Random 3 for April 13, 2025 – Streaming services, costly dumb things, cranky

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Napping peacefully after causing chaos.

It’s a short one this week.

Cutting the cable, the continuing drama – Learning new techie stuff for us oldies is not easy. We cut the TV cable except for one TV (which will end in a week or so). When the techie was here, we had everything down pat. After he left, we couldn’t get to the screens we needed. There were tears, bad words and a beer but none of that helped. We may have to get him back (at his hourly rate!). We haven’t found a useful YouTube video either and that’s a first. If we ever figure this out, we may do one. We could call it “Cable cutting for old dummies.”

Stupid tax – I play mahjong with a marvelous group of women. I am one of the youngest and the tallest (at 5’2”). Don’t let that munchkin vision fool you. They are smart as a whip, and you can’t pull anything over on them. One of them has a phrase I love — “stupid tax.” Whenever you do something stupid and it costs you (time, money, whatever) she calls that stupid tax. I lost a game because of a stupid move and paid dearly (we play for quarters so not too dearly). Stupid tax was also what I paid to get my windshield wiper repaired after it went off in the car wash.  That tax pops up frequently here.

Things that make me cranky – snow in April (check), technology that doesn’t work (check), cats that wake me up an hour earlier than normal because they think they are hungry (check). All that happened this weekend. I’m hoping for a better week.

So how was your week?

57 thoughts on “Random 3 for April 13, 2025 – Streaming services, costly dumb things, cranky”

  2. Sympathies about your streaming situation. I get it. I don’t enjoy anything techie like figuring out new gadgets. Fingers crossed things go more smoothly in the future.

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    • We’ll catch on eventually. With fancy techie stuff we often don’t make use of all the features because it gets so overwhelming. I recently learned how to order Starbucks through Siri verbally on my iPhone. Baby steps.

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  3. I don’t have cats that wake me up in the middle of the night (does a snoring husband count in this category). Either way, snow in April and technology that doesn’t work is just plain wrong!! Wishing you a better week ahead!

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  5. Yep, all that makes me cranky. Along with long checkout lines because I refuse to do it myself if they aren’t going to pay me, and actual taxes!!! Hope your week gets better.

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    • Sadly no. All my nieces and nephews are in their 40s and 50s. I’m sure my granddaughters could do it but they live across the country. I remember when we bought my mother a portable phone (it was in the 80s). She had to press two buttons and got so confused she gave it back.

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  7. Have you tried Wikihowdotcom? They have simple explanations which I have resorted to if I can’t find an answer on YouTube. And they have videos and pictures (even better … less to read!!!) I’m going to try that site if YouTube doesn’t help on my computer issues this week. We have an ad running for the all-news AM radio station I listen to. I listen on the computer if I’m using it, or on the table radio. But the ad says “you can listen on your phone, tell Alexa to find WWJ or even program it through your fridge, if you are tech-savvy!” (Really – is that doable?)

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  9. My sympathies to you with the techie TV stuff. We have to have HotMess back because they replaced the box for the TV and knocked out all of our audio settings and we can’t follow the absurd trail to fix them. Now I have a cranky. Snow in April would definitely give me a cranky! Our week was beautiful but windy and still hoping for a better week too. I’m too old and short on patience!

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  10. I’m afraid I keep doing some things because I don’t want to deal with the technical aspects of a change. My cable deal for one.

    I just got off a Zoom call with my kids. One daughter moved across the country and showed us around her new house, boxes and all. She’s looking happy. Another daughter’s cat just died this morning, and she was in tears. He had kidney failure. I feel so bad for her.

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  11. Neither my husband nor I am very techie, but he has full control of the TV workings. If he ever can’t do it for whatever reason, I will simply stop watching TV. I long for the days of 3-4 channels and dials that you actually have to get up to turn. They’ve made cars and TVs way too complicated.

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    • This streaming is complicated to me compared to straight cable. They also have the front page too busy. There is supposed to be a way you can clear things off but I don’t know how! 🙂

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  13. I’ve been sick for a few days so that has sucked, and it snowed most of the day yesterday like it was the middle of December. I do okay with tech stuff, but then have a very techy daughter who supplements when I’m needing the dummy version. 🙂 Someone else mentioned this, but it is really crazy that if you have canceled a service and want it again you have to use another email address and set it up again. I wanted Paramount for a month to watch two series, but couldn’t use my previous account and had to start over. I know zero about using YouTube for tv so I can’t offer any assistance.

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  15. Good week and fun week-end here.

    Jess & Landon had lunch here yesterday (Nate was working). When I asked Landon if he would like some tossed salad.  He quickly covered his plate with his hand and said,  “No, thanks.  I’ll have salad when I’m 4.”  

    He turns 4 in a week ~ so we’ll see if he follows through on his plan to incorporate tossed salad into his diet.  I’m guessing NOT.  

    Emoji

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  17. Well you’ve got me beat with number of “frustrating events” that’s for sure. I did have problems finding a birthday present for an 18 year old neighbor – when I turned eighteen my big celebration was the drive-in movie with my boyfriend. Simple. Anyway, as for techie issues, we don’t have cable – just regular TV – which keeps things uncomplicated in the “tech” department. We have been concentrating on simplifying whenever possible – Hubby is turning 81 this year and I’m turning 78 and we say DECOMPLICATION is the name of the game. Good luck to you on the streaming project…..!

    Hugs, Pam

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    • Some relatives picked up stuff yesterday. It was great to downsize and also be able to give it to someone who wants it. I wouldn’t know what to give an 18 year old either.

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  20. I feel you. I literally just got off chat with ATT for the billionth time because their billing is wrong month after month. I replied to an earlier comment but wordpress said it couldn’t send. My thought was if you cancel and do nothing your old cable people will probably then offer you something even if you have to switch the spouse name it’s under. So many companies only try to get new customers instead of keeping the old ones happy. Good luck. We have ATT for internet and YouTube for TV because that’s about all that is offered other than Starlink.

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    • We just signed up with YouTube and are having issues trying to record our favorite programs. It seemed to work easily when the techie was here but now we can’t get to the right screens. We have RCN for internet because we are in an area where they are the only choice. We used them for cable TV for decades but the struggle with increasing prices and constant phone calls is annoying. If you talk to two different people there you get two different prices. That shouldn’t be.

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      • I agree. Today I got them to (say) they would just charge me for when we had service and apply the drafting discounts already in place, and they sounded like they were doing me a favor. On our youtube we hit 1 to save a series but it’s a little confusing where to go to watch it later. It also makes a difference if you are saving it after it’s aired or before it aired if you have to watch commercials. I honestly find adding the app to a phone and searching and adding stuff to record easier than on the TV. Although they just went up on us like everyone else.

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        • Maybe I should try the app on my phone approach. Today I was able to add to my library most of my favorite programs but I couldn’t find the guide. The screen is so busy that it’s confusing and I can’t always find where the cursor is. Argh!

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  21. Bummer that you got some snow. We didn’t get anything here, except drizzle all day Saturday, but at least snow this time of year goes away quickly, and doesn’t usually require shoveling! And I love the phrase “stupid tax.” Perfect description.

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