Terlingua Dreams

Terlingua Dreams
Governors Landing Campground - Lake Amistad - Del Rio, Texas

Thursday, July 20, 2017

The extra mile

I have been putting off pulling the plug on Dish TV and Internet. First because of the NBA Finals, then the NBA Summer League and now because my Colombian Series (no longer called telenovela) begins its second season next week.

I tried to make a post two days ago and kept on getting disconnected, what gives?  Being only three days into the new billing cycle I learned that I was already out of data.  I was furious, how can this be?  It is not like I am on my computer all day, I even turned off WiFi on my cell phone. I unplug my modem and router after I turn off my computer or tablet just in case someone hacked my WiFi password which I doubt since I had Dashlane choose one for me and they are very secure.

Called Dish and got a nice young guy who told me that since I do not go online on a daily basis when I do, Windows 10 runs updates in the background that eat up a lot of data. He asked me what I used my computer for and I told him, blogging and e-mails.  He was excited to learn I was a blogger as he was one as well but his blog was in Phillipino. He asked for my blogs name and I gave it to him. He offered to give me 5 GB's. Suspiciously. I asked him on account of what? He replied, just to be nice. Asked him how much it was going to cost me and he said it was free for being a Dish customer. I secretly think as mad as I was, he probably thought I was going to dump Dish right then and there.

Actually, I have no problem getting rid of my Internet service as I can go to the County Library. The problem is my addiction to basketball, foreign soap operas, HGTV and CNN.

Stopped at the local MetroPCS store to inquire about their cell phone plans that will let me use my phone as a hotspot. They are my current cell phone service provider, I am on the $30.00 plan that gives me 1 GB of data. I like them because I am not tied down to a two-year contract...you know how I hate commitments of any type.

The service guy upon learning why I wanted more data offered to give me 2 GB's for the same price but it did not take, the offer had expired. I did thank him for his good intentions. I will mull over if I want to pay $60.00 for 8GB, seems a bit on the high side.  It made my day that two employees were willing to go the extra mile to satisfy a customer. Kudos to both!

I went to Ross to purchase a Universal Tablet Mount so I can clip my tablet to just about any surface, raise it or lower it without having to hold it.  I have seen them online but with the cost of shipping and handling, it was cheaper to purchase it here. I could not believe that I waited 20 minutes in line just to check out. They only had one cashier and a bunch of unhappy customers. The guy in back of me was pretty irate. Had it been any other item, I would have walked out.


The store that sells Betty Boop stuff is close by so paid them a visit.  I found three things I could not live without but.....shhhhhhhh...do not tell my mother.....:D

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Spurs Corner

I am still hot under the collar about the Spurs not matching The Orlando Magic's offer of 20 million for Jonathan Simmons. The guy is great and he is just going to get better. He is my second favorite player after Kawhi Leonard. I wish him the very best and I hope the Spurs do not live to regret it.

This afternoon NBA TV was showing Hardwood Classics that was replaying Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals between the Spurs and Miami Heat.  I guess I am a glutton for punishment as it is a series I will never forget. It took me four years to put it behind me and here it was rearing its ugly head today and like an idiot I watched it!

11 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. There are a number of no commitment cell places around. Find out which system MetroPCS uses and see if any of the others can give you a better deal.
    Ok, MetroPCS is part of T-mobile. The last time I looked T-Mobile had no commitment plans and they offered lot's of data... as I recall.
    It's worth it to go ask.

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    1. Most plans now days give you lots of data but you have to have at least two lines and it becomes even more affordable if you have four. I am going to have to go check it out. Thank you for your input Rob.

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    2. https://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/t-mobile-one?icid=WMD_PD_Q217PREPAI_QGMEFOO8TXE8819

      This is supposed to be unlimited data & no contract for just one line. I didn't study any of the details...

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    3. Thanks for the link Rob. It does show that you can use your phone as a hotspot but it does not mention how many GB's are available to you. Many plans cap you at 8GB's. I think I need to go pay them a visit.

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  3. Trac Phone has some good deals, very cheap phones and pay as you go for minutes. I keep one around for a spare phone.
    We pulled the plug on our cable TV, but keeping the unlimited internet svc. There is truly NOTHING on the cable channels worth watching, and I'm not much of a sports nut. Saves $100 per month. Looking into Hulu. We do have Amazon Prime with tons of free movies and TV series.

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    1. It was at your suggestion a couple of years ago when we were going back and forth to San Angelo that I purchased a Tracfone since it is not a very transited road. I liked it because it was simple and I controlled the cost.

      They upgraded their network and even though they provided me with a free cheap smartphone they spread the cost to cover data, texts and airtime minutes. I still have it as a backup but really only use it when I travel to Terlingua.

      Unfortunately in Del Rio and surrounding towns if you do not have cable you have a blank TV. Our programming comes from San Antonio 150 miles east of us so an outside antenna would not help much.

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  4. I am so glad I discontinued my TV service, and now pay just $50/month for unlimited internet. Of course living in a large metropolitan area gets me pretty good service. When I cancelled my TV I was also going to cancel the internet service because of what they were charging me. Like you, the salesperson got me the $50 deal for unlimited service. They can all do that rather than lose a customer, but the company will charge you whatever they can get out of you so it pays to say no, I'll go somewhere else for service. I think it's the biggest rip off there is.

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    1. I would gladly pay $50.00 per month for an unlimited and fast internet service from a reliable provider.

      I too think cable companies are the biggest rip offs there are but in small towns such as Del Rio we have no other choice because we do not get the free over the air channels that big cities get like ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, Telemundo, Univision and a few others.

      The last time I scanned my television set in Houston I had like 62 free channels. In Del Rio I found four and they are all beamed to the border from Mexico City.

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  5. Ahhhhh, that header picture looks so blissful. I crossed the Guadalupe below Canyon Dam this afternoon and it was packed with tubers wall-to-wall. Seriously, it was a massive traffic jam. That was my idea of fun when I was younger & wilder but the floater in your photo of San Felipe Creek has the better idea, definitely.

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    1. When I was younger I had several co-workers who loved to go tubing in the Guadalupe River. One got a head wound and another messed up her foot real bad. With my CRS I do not recall the exact circumstances but it scared me enough not to try it myself.

      I was walking down the Dora Alcalá bike trail that crosses three parks when I spotted this lone tuber. I asked him if the water was cold and he said it was. Of course this was taken during a week day.

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