Ok, so I leave work today, and go directly to the post office. I had my handly little card which had come in the mail on Saturday, ready to present and receive my stuff. After waiting in line for 20 fscking minutes (although I guess that part is understandable, given the time of day) I give the card to the clerk.

They go into the back, disappear for a few minutes, and return to tell me that the package is not there. Ok, now wait a second. They sent me the card. They have to have the package. They asked me about it, and I told them that I was getting two boxes, which had both come from the same place. One had arrived over a week ago. I presumed this was the other. They told me that this note was a second notice.

Wait a second! If this is the second notice, WHERE the fuck was the first notice?!?! Why wasn't my stuff there on Friday? And where the hell is it now?

Obviously, the clerk had no clue. They had me leave my number, so that the supervisor can call me. Oh joy.

I swear. This is THE LAST time I ever have anything shipped through the postal service. Any time in the future, whenever I order anything, if there is another option -- UPS, FedEx -- I avoid these idiots at all costs. It's just not worth the worry and headaches.

Meanwhile, back in DSL hell, I talked to some people at work about this today. It's looking more and more like it had nothing to do with the second line getting cancelled. That may have just been a Very Strange Coincidence [tm].

I spoke with somebody who has been through many a DSL woe, having had repeated problems over the course of many months in attempting to get a line (incidentally, the vast majority, if not all, of this person's problems were caused by US Pest's stupidity). Interesting how struggling and fighting through something tends to make one an expert on the subject. Much moreso than having it handed on a silver platter, as was the case with yours truly.

Anyway, if what this person said is true (and I have no reason to doubt it), there is no way the DSL line could have been cancelled by US West. The only way to have it disconnected would be to go through Covad. If US West did cancel it, that would in fact be (or have been?) illegal, since Covad is their competitor. The DSL does NOT ride on what was the second voice line, but on its own third line.

So anyway, I contacted someone at the SmartDSL group, and they said they'd look into it. Now, we might be getting somewhere.

When I got home, mom said I had had a call from someone at RMI (the actual ISP; ain't this all confusing as hell?) on the answering machine. She had attempted to call this person back, but gotten only their answering machine. Oh, joy! Wonder what info they had/wanted.

So now, here I sit, frustrated as hell. No new PC parts. No DSL line. No net. No soup for you.

Who knows who long it will even be until this thing gets posted. That's what? Three in the queue now? I believe it is. Well, it's all being recorded here anyway, so the content vultures can have a big feast when it's all over, even if the meal turns out to be a bit cold.

That's all. Bitscape's pissed. Bitscape will now go see about eating supper.