Perplexed Orange Independent Biker

I’ve re-read the entire trilogy in the last 6 months, in one outrageously large and expensive British paperback edition. Good fun, if a little hard to carry around. This was the best thing I could find to buy quickly at Gatwick late last summer. I still enjoy Ludlum a lot, but I missed the political and sociological sophistication of sci-fi.

Bourne Trilogy – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stopped at Condor Cycles to buy some chain lube. No, I have not lubed my chain since I moved here. Actually, I’m not even sure the last time I lubed it back home. I just took off the chain and packed it up with the bike. I cleaned the chain last weekend, finally, but I had no lube. So today I buy some lube, nice American checkout woman gives me a small rag for free, I go outside, I lube.

And the ride home is spectacular. So quiet, so smooth. Less resistance I’m sure, lots less, so much faster. I sure felt fast, and quiet, and smooth. Couldn’t stop humming my zen-like-peace-of-mind fixed gear riding chants…

Enough. Time will tell if Finish Line Wet Lubricant is really far better than Tri-Flow or whatever else, but it sure felt good the first day.

Had “lunch” at this pub for the second time. Excellent atmosphere, and they have really cheap hot-but-snack-like food — toasted sandwiches and the like. This kind of lunch is just an excuse to down a couple pints before the weekend really starts.

> ThereÂ’s a sense of discovery when you find the Olde Mitre Tavern. ItÂ’s hidden down an alleyway between 8 and 9 Hatton Garden, marked by an old crooked street lamp and a small sign in the shape of a bishop’s mitre, the arched alleyway entrance has a sign above stating “Ye Olde Mitre 1546″. Despite these clues many who work in the area don’t know it exists.

Olde Mitre Tavern Pub

Trying to get a broadband internet connection in the flat has truly exercised my patience and crushed my notion of customer service in the global economy. The best is that my provider in the end [be*](http://bethere.co.uk) truly rocks at customer service right down to sending me a text message on every step of activation & setup. The worst is that Virgin Media, British Telecom, and Tiscali truly suck rocks when it comes to customer service. They don’t seem to really want new customers, or really want to keep existing ones.

* 2007.09.05 20.00

Call Virgin Media to sign up for cable package including broadband, tv, and home phone. Installation scheduled for 12 Sep. One week!?

* 2007.09.12 20.00

Virgin were supposed to install today between 12.00 and 18.00. Nobody showed up. Nobody called.

* 2007.09.14 09.00

Call Virgin customer service. Rep says they have no record of why installation did not happen. Best he can offer is to reschedule installation for 22 Sep, over one week later. I tell him I’ve already waited one week and been treated horribly, and I’m inclined to cancel if they can’t install in next 3 business days. As I’m ranting (not too badly) he hangs up on me.

* 2007.09.14 19.00

Call BT to set up phone line. They say it will go live on 18 Sep.

* 2007.09.18 19.00

My new BT number is working for calls. Call Tiscali to set up broadband package. They can’t do because there is a “problem with my line.” They tell me I need to call BT to get my line sorted out.

* 2007.09.18 20.00

Call BT to try to get my line fixed. After 20-30 minutes on hold I hang up.

* 2007.09.20

Get disconnected. Twice. But the one guy said he put a ticket through to BT to have the situation corrected on 26 Sep.

* 2007.09.25 19.30

Call BT, can’t see anything. Need to call customer service at a different number. 45 minutes on hold, billing answers and says customer service have gone home for the day at 8pm and I’ll have to call back tomorrow.

* 2007.09.26 14.30

Try calling BT customer service but answer message says “sorry but we’re very busy and we can’t take your call. Please call back another time.”

* 2007.09.28 08.00

Call BT customer service. First gruff rep listens to my problem and transfers my call without telling me he’s doing so. After almost an hour on hold Emily tells me that she “can’t see anything” on my line like LLUSMPF or broadband, and I should call my new line & broadband provider to have them do all this legwork. She won’t do anything else, so I decide to try Tiscali again.

While I was on hold I tried to order Tiscali online and it didn’t work. I also compared other broadband providers.

* 2007.09.28 09.15

Tiscali sales rep tells me that previous line owner (my landlord I think) had Tiscali service but it wasn’t canceled properly. Gives me another Tiscali number to call to have service canceled.

* 2007.09.28 09.20

Call the Tiscali number given to me by sales rep. Press the cancel service option, which tells me to call another number.

* 2007.09.28 09.22

Call the Tiscali “cancellation centre.” Very nice man tells me the process is that to prove I’m now the line holder I need to mail them a BT bill with a note asking to release the line. Should take no more than 5 days. They will notify me by post of completion. Then I can go back to Tiscali sales and start over…

* 2007.09.28 09.30

Call Virgin Media to finish up cancellation. When I get through to a rep, he says “sorry our systems are down right now can you call back between 12 and 2?” I say no, explain that I simply won’t pay them anything. He offers to put me through to pre-installs, does so, that option ends me up asked to leave a message on an answer phone so I hang up.

“Virgin Media, consider me cancelled!” he shouted.

Still need to get this credited — 09/05/07 Virgin Media Pymts Ltd – Gb $51.86.

* 2007.09.28 09.54

Write an email to the landlord as follows. “Niall- Assuming you were the account holder on the Tiscali service attached to 0208 341 2821, could you please give Tiscali a call on 0845 077 4488 to properly cancel the service? They won’t let me do it without sending them a BT bill in writing, but it needs to be properly canceled before I can get internet service… Thanks. -Dan”

* 2007.09.28 10.00

Spoke to be* (bethere.co.uk) and rep said all looked ok. I signed up online. We’ll see what happens.

* 2007.09.28 12.00

My landlord writes that he wasn’t the account holder for the BT number I have, he thinks it was previous owner. Gave me some details but I’m not going to follow up unless I have to.

* 2007.09.28 12.10

Made a copy of my BT bill and put in an envelope to Tiscali with a note asking them to release the line.

* 2007.09.28 14.00

My be* account page says they are scheduling activation. Since Tiscali explained that it is them who have the previous service problem for my BT number, I’m hopeful that a different broadband provider can use the line.

* 2007.09.30 14.10

SMS from be* says “Your welcome pack including DSL modem is on its way.”

* 2007.10.04 19.31

SMS from be* says “Great news. Our records show you have been connected.” And they’re right!

Has it only been two weeks?

* School is off to a great start
* Ride to work is hilly, but I feel great
* Why is it so difficult and does it take so long to get a home broadband connection set up here? We’re giving a lot of money to hotspot providers
* IKEA is fabulous, except when they cancel your online bunk bed order and don’t do anything to fix it
* Work is good, I don’t mind wearing a suit as much as I thought I would
* Did I mention the fabulous ride to work, through Arsenal territory and Upper Street in Islington?
* Q said at the park “Elliot, are you quite alright?”

We’ve arrived. What a weekend. (What a month, really.) No time to post as I’m headed into my first day at client office. Highlights:

* Boys chose not to sleep on flight over. Ouch.
* Moved into our flat, everything happened just in time. Nice but pretty bare.
* Shops in Crouch End are a LONG walk from the flat. #41 bus, definitely.
* No internet in flat sucks!
* Tube strike sucks!

Yesterday morning I took a run from the flat up to Alexandra Palace. The grounds are a lovely huge park, a giant hill climb to the palace steps. From there I had the most excellent view of the City and Docklands skyline.

We had a family meal out at our local pizza joint, Mauro’s. Mauro himself made Elliot’s penne with butter and Parmesan, and played very load happy birthday music for another party. It was the best family time so far.

We’re moving to London for a year.

There, now I’ve written it for the whole world to see. After a week of consideration, and working through solutions to all tangible concerns, the decision is done. Nothing left but intangible fear of the unknown.

Now, which bicycles should I take with me?

Svetya

Originally uploaded by dansteeves68.

Today I took the wrong bus. Instead of going from SVO Terminal 1 to 2, I went from SVO into Moscow. I spent about an hour in complete panic. This lovely woman, my favorite person in all of Russia, spoke English to me, helped me calm down, and got me on the quickest mini-bus back to the airport. I made my flight, barely, thanks to her. I leave with warm feelings for Russia, and nothing good to say about SVO airport.

Sorry that my comment settings were such that nobody could leave comments. I’m especially jones-ing for feedback on this long trip. I just fixed the problem. Comment away, please!

Quinton swim

Originally uploaded by dansteeves68.

This picture explains why I can’t travel much, even though I love new places and working with clients. I missed my son’s first swimming lesson today. My wonderful understanding wife sent this cameraphone picture. Staying in touch is great, but I’m about to cry.