It’s been a tough week at work. There’s a monthly project that I’ve taken on, and in all honesty—it’s the cause of frustration and stress. Nonetheless it has to be done.
My eyes. They burn. They hurt. I’m seeing triple! I’m so stressed!
And that’s what happened this past Thursday. And it rained. No! It freaking poured. Add to the rain, thanks to daylight saving time, the sky was dark when I left the office and my commute home was treacherous.
Add rain, darkness and glare to this mess. And me driving one mile an hour! But at least I had the Christmas music on!
I don’t even want to think about what those who were driving behind me were thinking because when driving around the bends and curves, I must’ve been going five miles an hour. Then there’s the glare from oncoming traffic (I have non-glare glasses. There’s still glare). And the bozos who drive at twilight with their damned brights on.
Yeah. This is me all bent out of shape because oncoming traffic lighting is too bright!
Suffice it to say, when I arrived home, I broke down in tears. Night driving is very challenging for me due to my horrific eyesight and I cannot change my work hours.
Let’s just say I wasn’t in the best of moods. And leave it at that.
It’s kind of a bitchy story…..
And so, I was too spent to sit downand write a blog post. I was too stressed to do much of anything.
All I wanted to do after dinner was to relax and watch a TV Show. A particular TV Show.
Ok. So I don’t have a reclining chair. But I did want to chill and watch TV!
I just wanted to watch “The Righteous Gemstones”!
After a taxing day and a horrific drive home, I can relax and have a good laugh by watching this show!
Earlier in the week, my daughter, Oona, called me to extol the greatness of this HBO series.
She said it was the funniest show ever and that Bonaparte would love it because it broaches the subject of religion. Now understand. Both of us were born Roman Catholic. I’m still very-much into my Catholic roots. Bonaparte is not.
As a Catholic, I’m not particularly fond of priests but the nuns…I love these women. Two of my aunts were nuns and The Sisters of Mercy taught me. I honestly love the nuns!
However, we are not fans of the religious extremists. Evangelicals top that list. Anyway, the description from HBO’s site is below:
You had me at John Goodman!
This comedy series tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work. John Goodman, Danny McBride, Edi Patterson, Adam Devine, Cassidy Freeman, Tony Cavalero, Tim Baltz and Greg Alan Williams star.
And the sons! Adam Devine from Pitch Perfect!!
The Father, The Sons, and the Holy Spirit! I’m blessing myself already!
This show is right up my comedic alley. And considering all the political garbage that I’m subjected to every night –a leader with no moral compass, I welcome a show that’ll make me laugh.
And music about the evils of Satan are included! I’m shook!
And as we settled upstairs in our comfy bed, me in my toasty pajamas nestled between Bonaparte and Chippy, I anticipated an evening of fun and laughs.
I was already smiling–but it was to be premature…
That did not happen.
What ensued, however, was an hour-and-a half of frustration, anger, cursing and threats to Verizon Fios and HBO!
That’s correct. My happiness quickly evolved into distorted frustration..
Remotes, yes, the plural. Remotes in hand, we headed to “On Demand.” First off, the Verizon Fios On Demand is challenging and a great pain-in-the-ass. The process to even get to the show you want takes at the least, fifteen minutes. And that’s when you know what you want!
And these are just the master bedroom remotes. There’s more downstairs and on the ground level of our home!
You have to press the “On Demand” button on the remote. And then you have to wait for On Demand to load.
On Demand. It should be renamed “On Anti-anxiety Meds”!
Then once there, you must choose a particular category. Sounds easy—right? Wrong because the friggin’ remote either jumps categories or a window for movies automatically pops up that you can exit out of.
Really? Trying to watch your damned TV show is giving ME anxiety flashes!
So, after about ten minutes, we reached the “Premium” channel category and started to peruse through the never-ending sea of offerings of the Home Box Office. When we finally found The Righteous Gemstones, all frustration was gone because, by now, both of us were eager to watch the first episode.
Thank you Jesus. I was finally going to see The Righteous Gemstones. Or was I?
And then the frustration really began to hit us. The series just ended it’s first season (it has been renewed for a second). With that, you would think this series would be readily available for viewing. Well……it is but you have to pay!
So wait. We gotta PAY to watch this? We already DO pay…
Yeah. PAY! We already pay over $100 a month for Verizon Fios and for HBO. And we’re supposed to pay extra to view this series? From a premium channel that we pay for from a provider we pay for?
Lots of naughty language from both of us. Me, cursing in English, and Bonaparte saying very naughty words in French came next.
Actions speak louder than words so I flip to bird to both Verizon Fios AND HBO. Actually I got loud too!
A few moments later Bonaparte’s eyes lit up. He reached for yet another remote. This time it was the Roku remote. I don’t even want to think about what he paid for the Roku service but he went through a series of clicks and another screen popped up.
WTF? Where’s HBO? Where’s HBO NOW and HBO GO! Gone to hell I suppose!
This time with “HBO NOW”. It occurred to me that we probably received HBO NOW with our monthly subscription. We did not. We tried entering passwords and usernames to no avail.
Truth. I want my HBO NOW!!!
Then I realized we must have HBO GO; a service provided to HBO Subscribers.
The problem lies therein that we couldn’t reach anyone from HBO or Verizon to help us. The wait was over a half hour.
It was at this time, I nearly ended up in a straight jacket. After a taxing day, all I wanted to do was watch a damned TV show to make me happy. I wanted to smile. I wanted belly laughs. I wanted entertainment.
All I wanted was to be comfy in my pj’s, watch a TV show and have a happy laugh!
Instead I went to sleep exhausted from anger and frustration. My hysteria fatigued me. Where my husband is the calm one, I’m the crazy person. And trust me, I went to sleep a madwoman!
Yes. I’m the crazy lady. Thank you Verizon and HBO for my insanity!
And that’s what frustrates me. Everything these days has a price. Subscribing to a cable provider isn’t enough. You need the premium channels. Subscribing to a premium channel isn’t enough. You need to pay more if you want to watch a newer show.
It’s all about the Benjamins. Mo’ money. A Cable subscription isn’t enough. A premium channel isn’t enough. They want more and I bring home less.
Network TV sucks. Comedies are contrived and way too politically correct for my taste. If you want something along the lines of Norman Lear, you need cable. Network TV is for those who are easily offended.
Maude. Where are you? Network TV needs you back. God’ll get you for that! Oh how I miss great network TV!
A simple evening at home is no longer simple if you want to watch TV. I’m better off reading a book.
Perhaps I need to read The Count of Monte Cristo again. After all, it was entertaining and juicy and full of revenge!
Is it these times we live in? Technology, as great as it is, can be daunting and frustrating and cause for high blood pressure. Even the simplest of things, like setting a clock in your car can be difficult. It isn’t just TV. One of my sisters sent me this video the other day. I’ll tell you, no matter how many times, Bonaparte and I watch this, we bowl over from laughing so hard.
It’s so stinking funny and rings so true at the same time. Here it is for your entertainment. And if you are easily offended by naughty language please do NOT watch this. He drops the “f” bomb so if you are offended, this isn’t for you. I’m giving you fair warning. If you can relate to the frustrations of remotes, electronics, digital items and so on, you will be laughing at this guy and at yourself. Here goes!
As I said before. I’m better off reading a book. A novel if you will and not a manual!
Love your blog but please don’t talk about our President like that. Thank you!❤️
Hi Connie! Thank you so much for enjoying the blog I appreciate that–a lot! Look. We all have our opinions and what I respectfully find of interest is the fact I did not mention names but from the description, you were able to figure out who I was writing about. That speaks volumes. For me, it isn’t about policy but it is about the way people are treated. A president with no respect for his country or the people will never have my respect. It is earned and he hasn’t earned it. Anyway, I’m glad you gave a respectful comment and I do believe we can definitely agree to disagree! Thanks again, respectfully, Me! XOXOXOXO
Ha! I understand your frustration. The other night after a long day it was my turn to watch what I wanted. My husband had gone to bed and all I wanted to watch was TCM, which is “free” with our $300 a month cable subscription. No such luck, it kept telling me I needed to sign up for it on-line. So I called our cable company and found out that TCM was now part of a sports package and it cost extra. I woke my husband up because I decided this must be his fault! He immediately got up and told the cable company that we were canceling our subscription unless TCM was included in our package. He told them that I had watch the station for years and it had always been included in our standard package. Not only did we get TCM, plus more sports stations (just what we needed), but we got a reduction in our monthly subscription. My husband taught me to get on the phone and and let them know there are other options. He told them we would switch to a satellite dish unless! 😂
Cathe. THANK YOU! I couldn’t figure out why we “lost” TCM!! Now I know! This HBO conversation lingered at the dinner table last night and the Frenchman is calling Verizon today. We are both very disturbed by this HBO debacle. Technology. It’s such a double-edged sword!!!!! XOXOXOXO
Have you tried using “Menu” on the remote to get you to your On Demand options? I have Frontier FIOS (formerly Verizon until Verizon had to give up California). I use the remote to reach the Menu screen and use that to get where I want to go.
Hi Jean. Don’t get me started on the “Menu” I use it. It isn’t much of a help. In fact, I’m longing for the days when we got up from the sofa, walked to the TV set and used our hands to change the channel. Not only was it easier but it was a source of exercise!! XOXOXOXO
Funny how you don’t like evangelicals, yet you embrace a religion that set the standard for sexual abuse of children. I guess pedophile priests don’t outdo “religious extremists” in your worldview! (Probably as long as the “extremists” are evil evangelicals; I bet you’re A-OK with Islamic extremists, though.) Stick to the cheap wigs and stay away from religion and politics, Methuselah.
Hi Tara! And Bless your heart for your comments. I can see from your email address that YOU are an extremist who veers toward the right. And Jesus wasn’t as judgemental as you are for your lack of education. You have no meaning of the word comprehend. If you read my post carefully, then you would see that I’m no fan of the priests who have abused children. But you lack the skill of understanding what you read (that’s to comprehend–I know, it’s a big word for you to absorb) You do realize that many of the evangelicals diddle with little boys and girls don’t you? They also denounced first lady Michelle Obama for wearing a sleeveless sweater whilst praising the porno model first lady we presently have in the white house.
And your ability to name-call is also underwhelming. Methuselah? Wow. That’s so creative. And sticking to cheap wigs? Wow. That’s so christian of you. Are you headed to your strip mall house of worship this morning? Might I suggest you get your GED or attend night school to acquire the ability of a better wit. And thank you so very much for proving how dangerous the extremists are. BTW, I wish you had a profile pic so we could all see if you need a cheap wig or not. Blessings and thoughts and prayers to you my friend!
Oh my God!!! I laughed so much reading this! I could literally ‘feel’ your frustration. I am going to try see if we can watch the show here in South Africa. I grew up in Evangelical church and swallowed that crap for over 30 years, so would love to have a laugh at it now. There was a time in the past 12 years, where I was very triggered by anyone from this ‘movement’, but I think I could handle this show right now. xoxo
Hi Belinda/Mathilda and welcome to my second attempt at answering because my laptop is just as bad as the clocks in the cars and the damned HBO subscription! I seriously hope you have better luck at viewing the show than I have because it is really getting on my last nerve. The husband is calling Verizon today with questions. And opinions. And more questions because he is getting tired of listening to me! LOL!!! XOXOXOXO
Oh technology…. sigh, I can’t even. I spend my day at a computer screen so when I come home in the evening I want peace. No brained peace. I want documentaries of pretty landscapes or history that I can do nothing about, I want Nigel Slater cooking his simple suppers, I want knitting and I want the fluffy end of the Internet. If things are too hard to download or too difficult to access or want too many passwords or money or extra money – they can get stuffed. I am not woke, I am not being mindful or being any other nonsense – no I am tired and cranky and don’t want stuffed about. If people want my attention by the time I’m home it had better be worth it 🙂
Ps word press want me to log in – can I remember my password- hmmmthis could take a while….
Hi Juliet! OMG do I hear you or what???!!! Thus the reason I’ve not been pounding out as many blog posts. I’m beat from sitting in front of a computer all day. I’ve even mentioned that I need a catheter because I don’t even have time to go to the ladies room! My Nigel is America’s Test Kitchen. I want my cooking shows too. LOL. I can’t get onto my own blog to reply from my phone due to the password brain fart!! XOXOXOXO
I think we are related lol, enjoying your responses to a couple of comments up there, where did this ladies come from I don’t think they are regulars are they? Don’t know if you have Nigel Skater over there but he is droolingly good, wanders around his sublime vegetable/fruit garden and then cooks delectable food I want to eat and he has the most calming voice – when I figure out how I can be adopted I’ll send for you and Bonaparte, as he probably can just tell the tv to behave and it will with his voice.
I don’t know them, Connie was at least respectful in her comment but Tara–what a rightie extremists. They are the most dangerous because their lack of intelligence subjects them to name-calling and bullying, albiet they are the biggest cowards on the face of the earth. “Tara” doesn’t even have a profile pic. People like that are insignificant–but worth reminding how undereducated they areXOXOXOX
I totally feel the frustration with the night driving and more so with rain. My anxiety about it was hitting me a week before the time change. The only good thing for me is that I only live 1 mile from where I work. So after 5 pm I don’t go to far!
Rita. Even when it isn’t raining I stress from night driving. My evening commute is a half hour at best and it is thirty minutes of stress. During the summer months, it’s an absolute pleasure but during the winter……………..XOXOXOXO
Have you watched Derry Girls on Netflix yet? You’ll love it.
Patricia! I LOVE THAT SHOW and so does my daughter, Oona!!! XOXOXO
I love your blog and your response to the two gals challenging you and just everything about you. Hope this week is less frustrating and more fun!
Thank you Debin!!!!! I so appreciate that very much. You know, I try to not politize my blog but every now and then, I gotta voice my opinion. My blueness is rising to the top like a beautiful cream. Thank you! XOXOXOXO
Loved the utube about setting the clock. My husband and I went all year mentally adjusting the time in the car because we could not figure out how to reset the damn clock!
Jean. I’ve done the same thing!!!!!! That video just hits my funny bone every time I view it! XOXOXOXO
I so agree with you (and the video) about technology. We got a new oven and I tried to change the clock on it for daylight savings. I knew I hadn’t got it right so I gave up; little did I know that I’d set the alarm for 23 hours! I was pretty surprised the next day. (at least it didn’t go off in the middle of the night!) Luckily my 18-year-old son fixed it. Don’t know what I’ll do when he goes to university!
I can think of a lot worse things you could have said about the person currently occupying the Oval Office. And all of them would be justified.
Be well!
Ali
Oh Ali. We are waiting for next month when the kids all come home. They will handle the HBO situation like pros! It’s incredible how technology comes second-hand to our kids and we struggle. LOL. THANk YOU. There were a TON of things I could have written. A TON. You have no idea what I rant on about every evening. My husband has had to shut the TV off at times due to my distain. I still cannot wrap my head around the support given to a man with absolutely no moral compass, he doesn’t even have a dog!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ugh. I can’t even!! XOXOXOXOX
I am thinking about dropping cable tv and only having Netflix. The cost is ridiculous and, I agree, On Demand has been hopeless lately.
I see Tara can’t be respectful of other opinions, unlike Tara above. Does she think she is going to change anyone’s mind by hurling ridiculous insults? That is just hateful, and not compassionate in any way. Her comment is a reflection of her character and view of the world, nothing more.
Hi Leah. Well….I was privy to her email address and I can tell you, she is an extreme right persona. And the sad elements in connection with that are those types are vicious, angry, racist, supremist bullies who hide behind their keyboard. If I ran into her IRL, she would be running away like a dog with it’s tail between it’s legs. You cannot fix ignorant nor can you change those who lack intelligence. I’m sure she is nestled in mommy’s basement with nowhere to go except to the computer to try to bully those who think differently. Thank you so much for your support! I appreciate it! XXOXOXOXOXO
First time I’ve commented on one of your posts but have to say that I enjoyed that wee video so much I ended up watching a load more of his. I’d never heard of him but am now a fan. There’s a Scottish stand-up, Gary Meikle, who you might enjoy watching on You Tube. He basically shot to fame because of a video he did about women’s eyebrows. He’s recently been touring in the USA, and was apparently loved just as much as he is over here in Scotland. I saw him live this year and really enjoyed him.
Re your comment about the current occupant of the White House, I still can’t believe that man is President. That so many people could have voted for him is beyond belief. Not that the UK is much better just now, our current bunch of Westminster incumbents makes you want to weep. Brexit has become such a divisive issue in the country and there is no end in sight, whether the UK stays in the EU or leaves.
I could go on about a pile of other stuff, but will finish by saying how much I enjoy your posts. I found you through Penny (frugalfashionshopper).