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I came ***very*** close to pulling out the ball peen hammer yesterday. The Frontier rep came out and at least fixed the phone (I still had to call tech support for help in setting up a PIN number for my voice mail). However, after doing "everything he knew how to do," he and his manager were about to dismiss the problem as an issue on my end, even with proof in the form of a slow download on my screen. I told him that he was very close to losing a customer. He apologized and tried six ways to Sunday to explain how it wasn't Frontier's problem. Then he said the magic word: traceroute. He started doing a few hops on my system. He even got his manager on the phone for me. Then I pulled out a diagnostic tool called PingPlotter. It's a graphical interface to traceroute. It showed exactly where the problems were occurring. There were some problems within Frontier's system, but the biggest problem was a huge delay between Frontier and someone else's NOC (Network Operations Center) with whom Frontier had a contract. Bingo. To paraphrase the tech, I convinced his manager that there was indeed a problem. I now have the manager's phone number and an appointment for another tech to come out and gather data via a hardwired connection today. I may see a very faint light at the end of this incredibly long tunnel that I've been stuck in for the past few weeks.

She can't summon another Sword right now, as Dan states in the commentary: So she's currently unable to kill any vampires whether she wants to or not, besides, she's already killed one in this battle so that should negate the question of her being squeamish.

No, it's actually a PIN number. I had to sort through this big box of PINs, you see. Terribly painful if you're not careful. Hard to read the number printed on the PINhead, too, what with all the angels dancing on top of it.

If that isn't already a euphemism, it should be.

Here's Loudmouth, enjoying the first day (that we know of) of a new year as an inside cat: Mrs' Prof took a good picture here, IMHO. If anyone would like a larger resolution for desktops or just for the hell of it, let me know. I shall gladly oblige, although we might have to go outside of the confines of the forum due to size limitations. No worries—I'll get it to you somehow, if you want it.

After a lot of arguing between Baker and Loudmouth in the mornings, we finally got them to have a moment of peace during a football bowl game this evening:

6:03 a.m. CST 20180103. Here I am, flooding the thread I started again. Moan and complain. Didn't get too much sleep last night. Got plenty during the day yesterday, but that's only part of the problem. My right ankle—the one that still has all of the stainless steel hardware in it, holding the bones together—it's been hurting like hell, thanks to the cold temperatures (I guess). However, the rest of my right outer side of my right leg is pulling a 7.0 on the one-to-ten scale as well. It's not like I've been getting outside in the cold and aggravating it. It just hurts. I'm not going to be able to get a ton of sleep during the day today. For why, switch to the Computer Problems thread.