Jeffersonville, OH

Well, after waiting four days and being told by my service-point technicians that finally their calls were returned by the warrantee people, and that their supervisor would get back to them...I emailed the Corporate bosses myself and told them I was on the verge of smearing them all over the internet and reporting them to the CA and US Attorneys General for their bad faith.

They're sending a new engine. That will take about a week. I was at Jamestown saturday morning looking for a load, but got none. Things are tight freight-wise. So I checked into this hotel nearby, where I'm taking it easy and will watch the Browns game.

The rib joint/bar next door has several screens, and the owner said that I could have one for the Browns game. I'll see if I can tune it in here (where I can smoke cigarettes), but probably watch the first half and get buzzed over there.

HAL refuses to recognize the Wi-Fi signal here, which is a problem. It's a problem because every time I try to download anything using my aircard, I get a "Cannot blahblah the connection to the server was reset".

In re the other issues, none of my three advisors (inc. Jeff, the guy who fixed HAL), has gotten back to me. The Wi-Fi thing is inexplicable. I have the software and reciever, looked for a new driver, adjusted settings, and tried my aircard Wi-Fi function as well, and it says "no signals".

The server-reset thing every two minutes is, I hope, not one of my deeply-hidden idiot-proof settings, but rather some idiotic protocol of the local ISP's. (I tried three locations in a twenty-mile radius). The problem is, I WAS able to download Full-Tilt Poker, which took about ten minutes.

But I got Ole Reliable here out and got the Wi-Fi signal. I downloaded (and saved to my memory stick) the install program for DAP (Download Accellerator Plus) which is an excellent free product. It uses four sources simultaneously to literally speed up the download 400%, and (more importantly for me) has a resume function to counter "connection resets".

I used this on old reliable to download the install programs for the other stuff I needed. Later, I'll plug the stick into HAL and attempt to install at least DAP. I'm afraid to try, though. I've come to expect that "bloop" sound, the red exes, and some excuse for why I'm getting the middle digital message yet again. (Sometimes, I could swear I hear HAL's maniacal laughter).

And of course naturally, when I tried to eject the memory stick, an error occurred. After about nine attempts, I just shut Ole Reliable down and then pulled it out. The install programs were definitely still there...one can only hope. But since I'm terrified of getting dicked again, I'm procrastinating on the rest. I mean, I'm just sort of beat down.

Between HAL and the APU, I've been Murphy personified for the last three weeks. Every time I think I'm out from behind the woodshed, I get yanked right back for some more stomping. Every time I see a light at the end of the tunnel, it's an oncoming train.

But my internet signal amplifier works great. The truck feels and sounds better after the ceramic treatment, though I haven't calculated fuel economy on it yet.

But what the hell. Here I am loafing in a hotel room, about to watch the Browns whup the Redskins...I think...and I can actually afford it.

Could be...no I don't dare say that.

Okbye.