The Day The Comcast Cable Died

Saturday, March 28, 2015, is a day that will live in infamy in our house. It's the day we cut the cord. We disconnected our four cable boxes and they were dropped off to Comcast yesterday.

While my 12 year history with Comcast is littered with battles, there's no big straw that broke the camel's back. I simply got tired of fighting about bills every other month. We desired liberty from years of sneaky and inexplicable bill raising in the middle of contracts (aren't we all tired of that, regardless of our provider?), getting the run around on the phone, and paying eleventy billion dollars even when watching TV is an increasingly rare event. I've wasted so much time arguing with Comcast people on the phone. So much time. I just don't want to spend my time like that anymore so we said enough and cut it. I figure only having them for Internet will make that less frequent.

We actually disconnected the cable box in the living room last Monday to see how we'd respond. At that time, the antenna was not hooked up but the Roku still was. I don't think I even turned the TV on until Thursday. Yet we pay all this money for cable! No more.

There was some dismantling...

Some antenna setup and channel searching (and cursing)

Some victory, receiving local channels live through a Mohu Flat Leaf HD Antenna (thanks Cheri for the recommendation)

Packaging up of the Comcast stuff. Like a petty bitch I removed all of the batteries from the remotes.

And that's that. We're saving $90/month. The Mohu antenna is a one time cost of $40, we had a Roku in the living room already (hand me down from Lori), and the second Roku upstairs was a birthday gift from Lori. We stream through Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus ($8/month) and Netflix ($9/month). After those expenses, we're still saving $70 a month. I don't count the Amazon Prime cost because I've paid that for years.

I rarely watch things in real time except for the news, Jeopardy, awards shows, and Downton Abbey, which I can still do via the antenna. I typically don't care if I'm on the current season of something.  Mad Men will be a must watch for us starting Sunday so we'll pay per episode to be able to watch it the next day on Amazon and the price to do that will still be far less than keeping cable for it.

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Haikuesday

Goodbye, wily foe.

Sayonara, Crappycast.

Freedom is so sweet.

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The thing I'm missing the most? The clock on the cable box in the living room. Really. Otherwise, nothing. The bulk of the bill is gone and so is a lot of the headache. I hate paying for something I feel like I'm not using. Hallelujah and amen.

TWTW-Last one of the birthday month

Last week was a busy one and I slacked off on my hausfrauing. I typically do a few tasks each weeknight so I don't have to clean on weekends, but this was a special case. Friday night I set the house to rights - two loads of laundry put away, two more done, fridge emptied and cleaned, dishwasher run and put away, kitchen cleaned and mopped, two bathrooms cleaned, house picked up, scarves/winter gear/pajamas purged, and car loaded up with crap to be donated. I didn't sit down all night and I was okay with that. I hate going into a weekend with the house in disarray.

Gus says, "We'll keep these scarves, mother. The rest of the shit can go."

Saturday morning I was out like a shout - filled the car up with gas, dropped books at the library, hit the gym for my 40, back home to shower and then back out to drop stuff off at Goodwill and get a treat yo'self pedicure (OPI Cha-Ching Cherry). I picked up veggies while my toes were drying. I know there are others of you out there who parade around with your feet like that after a pedicure. Raise your hands and show yourselves.

The afternoon found me at All Fired Up in Collingswood, NJ, to meet up with my friends Marla of Luck Fupus and Brie of A Breezy Life for some ceramics painting and dinner. I painted a coffee mug (are you surprised?) and required assistance from Brie after I fucked it up. Marla also needed her artsy influence so out of the three of us Brie is the painting queen. They treated me to Tortilla Press and got me a cute bag of gifts to boot. I'm lucky to call The Sisters Wexler friends. See you next month ladies!

Comcast got Das Boot Saturday night. More on that tomorrow.

Sunday morning I figured out how to stream YouTube and did my weights workout through the TV...behind the times, I know. After that french press coffee was on the agenda, as was lounging with the dogs.

Weekly food prep: scrambled eggs with sautéed mushrooms and spinach, green onions, and Havarti dill cheese for breakfasts; baby carrots and Granny Smith apples for snacks; and salads for lunch - I make them the night before so only one made Sunday. Dinners: baked burgers with spinach and goat cheese over a bed of lettuce, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed cauliflower, steamed veggies, and oven baked ribs (this pic is pre-baking, click here to see them out of the oven). 

Other weekend things:

-I finished the second season of The Fall. Jamie Dornan and Gillian Flynn are excellent. If you haven't watched this show, check it out!
-MFD is super busy work-wise, which is awesome for many reasons. I don't see him much, and when I do he's on the phone. LOL. No complaints though because I love my alone time. If you're looking to buy or sell in PA or NJ, get in touch with him!

Today is going to be a good day - when I left work on Friday everything got filed and I dealt with everything in my email inbox so I'm starting fresh this morning, Comcast cable boxes are being returned (more on that tomorrow), and tonight I have a 50 minute massage and a peppermint scalp massage. Monday, you'll do. You'll do.

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending

TWTW - the one that was freaking cold

Friday night I sage smudged Stephen & Aubrey's new house, then MFD and I met Mark & Nicole for dinner at Carlucci's. Good food and good catching up.

Saturday morning I headed to Stephen & Aubrey's to do some moving stuff, have lunch and a beer, and head home all by noon.

While waiting for Comcast, I walked and did weights, laid out my clothes for the week, and did some light hausfrauing. Once they came, the dogs joined the Comcast Hating Club because they had to be sequestered in the basement. Even though Comcast the corporation is an evil asslord, the tech guys were really nice and got our Internet fixed.

After the Comcast guys left, I met MFD at Hand & Stone and we got our monthly massage followed by Hong Luck for dinner. It was delicious.

We picked up dessert, went to Target, then came home to enjoy. This is my sweet ass brownie from Fritz's bakery and a side of Haagen Dazs Vanilla Bean.

Sunday I got groceries delivered before heading to Stephen & Aubrey's to do some little stuff for them.

When I got home, I was freaking spent. Extreme cold really takes it out of me. I fell into a L&O SVU marathon and didn't look back. Sunday in pugs:

Weekly food prep: savory oatmeal topped with EVOO and jalapeno cheese, spinach muffins to freeze, hard boiled eggs for snacks, baked chicken and roasted sweet potatoes for lunch, cod bouillabaisse for dinners, and salad and baked potato for Sunday dinner. Other dinners of the week are chicken and steak. I tried out Blue Apron because Stacey sent me a code. It was interesting. Have you heard of it/tried it?

Sunday night was reading and SNL 40th anniversary watching. I miss Maya Rudolph. I think she's hilarious. It felt like a long walk down memory lane and I didn't mind it. 

Was this boring? Sorry if it was. The negative windchills have frozen my brain and sapped my will to engage. Let's hope for better tomorrow, yes?

A big wet fart noise to everyone who has off for this bank holiday. As you may have surmised from my attitude, I'm not one of them.

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending

Netflix, shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

via

The Evil Asslord Comcast has chosen this week to fuck with me and raise my monthly payment for zero reason. Of course this is the week our Internet has been on the fritz nightly as well, requiring a technician to come out today. But back to the cable bill. 

 As you Comcast customers may be aware, this is nothing new and happens at least once a year. Two years ago I had a manager lock me into a rate only to have it go up before the time period was over. I called and had to bully them into keeping their word.

After 12 years, I've had it. Cable is being cancelled. MFD says he's with me, but he lingers long over My Strange Addiction instead of catching up on The Good Wife, which he says he wants to do before I pull the plug.

Get a move on, Mike. My rage is going to spontaneously combust to form a wrathful demon not unlike something one would see in Rosemary's Baby or The Exorcist if I don't get to spew it on them soon.

I am acquiring this antenna so I can watch Jeopardy, Channel 6 Action News, and awards shows. We have a Roku in the living room to stream Amazon, Netflix, Hulu (currently not subscribing to Hulu).

I don't watch a ton of TV. When I do, it's rarely in real time. Showtime and HBO are poised to offer standalone streaming service this year, as is CBS. It'll be all good and soon we will no longer be living under the thumb of Comcast, the shysters with black souls, for cable.

Last week Kelly at A Lovely Life, Indeed tagged me in a Netflix post. Timely, given the Comcast fuckery going down right now. Shows I've loved on Netflix:

House of Cards. Kevin Spacey is everything.

The Fall. Gillian Anderson and serial killers. Yes and yes.

The Killing. I will love Netflix forever for making this show stretch to a final season.

Orange is the New Black. I thought I wouldn't like this show, but I do.

Things I'm planning on watching in the future:
-The West Wing
-Peaky Blinders
-Call the Midwife
-Breaking Bad
-Luther
-Boss
-Lillyhammer
-Broadchurch

Due to my lack of Valentining, you might have surmised that I'm not a lover of the day, but I do love love and I also love a lot of other things. Like you, dear reader. And Netflix. If you've enjoyed this, perhaps you might enjoy my big love post from 2013.

Happy Friday. Damn the man! Save the Empire! 

Linking up with Amanda for Friday Favorites.