WARILY DOWN THE STREAM

 

As a senior citizen when I heard the word stream, I automatically thought of a flowing body water where salmon spawn. And as with anything that requires technology I'm among the last to get onboard.

As much as I hate ATT, I loved U-verse. Even the scaled down version was better than the cable I had with Comcast. And believe me I had plenty of issues with them too! Based on my experience one is incompetent and the other crooked. I won't say which is which.

Not being tech savvy, for a long-time streaming was out. My computer is migraine inducing enough.

Perhaps I should start baking again to lure someone's grandkid over here to help me. However that might not work with today's kids. They'd probably demand the gold in my back teeth, except that I don't have any.

My TV was old and starting to go. Since I don’t own a cellphone, this created problems with streaming. I was able to stream only free channels with Chromecast. And this required switching back & forth between 3 remotes!

I kept cable longer than I should because once my U-verse was gone I wouldn’t be able to get it back. – That’s ATT policy!  But then I received my last bill. Their prices don’t merely increase, each time the amount skyrockets! As much as I loved U-verse, I couldn’t afford to keep it any longer.

Unfortunately, switching was going to cost me plenty in order to start saving money.

I needed to purchase a smart TV. However, I had the good fortune of finding one online at Walmart with free shipping. It was 75 inches and cost me half of what I paid for my old 55 inch one. Thankfully, prices do come down over time with some items.

When VCR’s (not DVR’s) came out, they sold for $500 and I was unable to afford one. Fast-forward to the double zero decade. Now they sold for $35 and I owned 2.

Back to the present, my big new TV required a bigger table since my wall is divided. So I purchased the cheapest one for $100. – It arrived unassembled, I needed to hire someone. This dear young man also set up my TV at no extra cost.

Afterward, I paid a tech guy to come and teach me how to stream. There is definitely a learning curve here that I’m still adjusting to!

I only need one remote now, but (UGH) the remote is tiny! – Why is everything today made for elves! My vision is impaired due to posterior vitreous detachment, plus I can only enjoy TV in the dark! And trying to find the right button is always a hit or miss thing!

And due to expense, I must now suffer thru repeat commercials, plus introductions and recaps. -- Some let you skip the latter 2, but most don’t. I can actually feel my brain cells dying!

I miss my DVR, I recorded everything! It was wonderful fast-forwarding thru all that filler! Also what’s with actors today? They don’t speak, they mumble! Often, I had to rewind numerous times, plus raise the sound to decipher what was said. Now I’m left guessing!

If money was no object, I’d still have cable, but unfortunately that’s not the case.

I began streaming early in November. After Christmas, I discovered to my shock I’d been hacked! I didn’t know this was even possible until I googled it. But I knew something screwy was going on. There were too many “Continue Watching” on movies I never watched, along with films not my taste added to My List. -- It sure didn’t take long for the lowlife to find me!

I required the $130 an hour tech who set me up streaming to make an emergency trip before the scammers could upgrade the sites without my knowledge or lock me out altogether, which I learned they can do.

Streaming feels like a risky and backward step to me.

THE BROKEN YEAR

2024 will always go down in my history as the broken one; so many losses, and changes, along with one that was absolutely terrible!

It started early January, less than a week after New Year’s Day and over my birthday weekend. A dental crown (one in the front) came out in my breakfast. And my dentist was still closed for the holidays. He told me to buy Fixodent. I didn’t want to go out in public. I looked and felt like Grany Yokum.

After leaving the drugstore I discovered my car battery had died leaving me stranded in the parking lot. I don’t have a cellphone and never owned one. – Yes, I am one of those. This was the stuff of sitcoms, but in real life, it was NOT one bit funny! – I blogged about this.

Later I accidentally broke my favorite teacup, which was precious to me and irreplaceable. I bought it over 30 years ago from a thrift store. The cup was avocado green and went perfectly with most of my dishes.

Not long after, a wood paddle from my living room fan fell off. Had I been under it, I could have been seriously injured, if not killed. The fan needed replacing, that turned out to be far from simple!

Come Easter, my entire carton of eggs fell to the floor breaking every one! It was my first Easter without deviled eggs.

Then came the notorious internet passcode breach. Along with stress, this cost me a bundle since tech guys don’t come cheap!

Oh, and then I lost my Affordable Connectivity causing my ATT bill to skyrocket!

Next the umbrella I bought in the Galapagos Islands broke. I loved that umbrella! It had ears along with a painted cat face and was the same color as my teacup.

As summer was nearing its end, I knew my old computer would no longer be capable of updating after October. Another thing I was forced to replace! And I replaced my old printer as well. This had been broken for so many years I’d lost count.

Come October, Hurricane Milton now a tropical storm hit. However, the day before a tornado passed thru that was much worse. My neighbor called to inform me she’d received an alert. It was going to hit in 5 minutes and to take cover!

I’ve had plenty of experience with hurricanes but none with tornadoes. And the current ones striking Florida were whoppers! I heard a freight train sound along with near deafening booms!

The tornado tore up a mobile home park just 2 miles away! The following day, pieces of it were all the way over here!

At one point, due to increasing property taxes & obscenely high insurance, I considered selling my house and moving into a mobile home to have more disposable income. – Now I’ve discarded that idea!

Also, I had to discard my cable TV which I enjoyed, due to the now outrageous expense.  Streaming created issues with my old TV set, which was starting to go, anyway. One more thing I had to replace!

And WORST of all were the election results in November!!! Are the citizens of this country idiots or just fools? We’ve installed a dictator as president!!! Will the public eventually wise up and rise up, I’m not optimistic about this.

I am beyond disgusted as well as depressed.

I won’t even delve into all the health issues I’ve been experiencing. At my advanced age, every year I’m dealing with new ones adding to all my previous ailments.

I had decided no Christmas tree for 2024, I was in no mood to celebrate. Then, I realized that at my age, this might be my last Christmas without Trump as president. I refused to allow Trump to take this Christmas away from me! I erected a tree and celebrated my 2024 holiday to the hilt!