"When you try your best, but you don't succeed"

 "When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something, you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you"

Coldplay
Fix You
X&Y

2005

Okay... so I'm... in a way... taking a long shot at misquoting a Britband... but the song is stuck on repeat in my head at the moment and it halfway does work with the next adventure in the Comcast saga. 

As much as I've been trying to fix things to make them work, things just get weirder and weirder. 

Since I separated the two networks within the xFi modem, we've been noticing something interesting on our landline phone's caller ID. 

Every time someone calls, the caller ID has a"[V]" before the caller's name. 

Example: when my cell phone number shows up on the screen, it says "[V] Amy Ellison" on the first line, and the second line is my number. A cousin called from her cell phone, it's  "[V] Wireless caller" and number. Our upstairs neighbor calls from her landline? "[V] {neighbor's name}" and number. 

Random research as I type this, has Comcast's website saying the "[V]" stands for "Verified". So people are either getting the entire word spelled out before each person's name, or they're getting the shortened version. 

It's Comcast's way of helping reduce the spammy footprints of phishing calls. Comcast is letting you know, in their own way, that the person ringing you is legit and doesn't want you to send $10 to the High Prince of Nigeria in hopes you'll get whatever bank roll you're about to be offered. 

However, it's not with all numbers. The hospital system called the other day to confirm some things regarding an upcoming appointment, and there was no verification of the provider. All it said was the name of the office and the phone number. I think the verification depends on how frequent the number is called from your phone or how many times the number calls you... to prove it's real.

An interestingly weird coincidence about this, is that the ID readout wasn't doing this with the old surfboard modems, nor was it doing it prior to me splitting the 5G network down to 2.4 and 5.0.

So the question becomes: if the provider is telling us we can't use our printers on the new network, and they're not telling us they are now verifying numbers, what else is missing from any type of communication coming from this technological giant? 

On a completely different note, I have forgotten to add...

A couple weeks ago, my mom received Tavolozza 26 Pcs Acrylic Painting Supplies Kit in the mail. It was from her niece and nephew, as they were doing a Zoom birthday party for their father. 

Since my uncle currently has set a room up in his house and calls it his "studio", the kids thought the best birthday present this year would be to invite family to a video paint party, since no one could meet in person to celebrate. 

When the day came to have the party, my mom set up shop in the living room. 

Literally, she set up shop. 

She got into the garage and pulled out a 6 foot folding table, to then sit it in front of the couch. 

Might as well be comfortable.

Then she laid down an old Marlboro cigarettes beach towel over the table. 

Yes, we have some Marlboro swag... had to use miles somehow... shame I had to throw out the duffel bag couple years ago, as the airport ripped part of it to shreds during my last vacation... That suitcase was vintage and still in good use... until it died by airlines.

Meanwhile.. after making sure she was comfortable, she set the paint kit on top of the towel. 

What did I do, you ask?

I hooked up a computer to the TV so she can see everyone on the big screen (so she could paint a long with them). Can't really see everyone on an iPhone screen while painting.. plus.. she didn't want to risk coloring her phone. That, and I didn't want to sit there and paint myself... not my thing, especially on Zoom. I'm staying away from that video conference thing. 

After everything was done, she got to keep a new piece of artwork 2 hours later. 

So.... What's in the kit, you ask? 

The box labels it as follows:

• 12 Non Toxic Washable Paints
• 17" Beech Wood Table Easel
• 8 x 10 Stretched Canvas
• 5 x 7 Canvas
• 8 Brushes
• 2 Palette Knife
• 1 Palette

What was the result of the class? 

"Hawaiian Sunset"

Photo taken on an iPhone 11 and edited in Photoshop. Only thing I did this to picture was put my mom's name on it and crop it in so you wouldn't see the wall it's hanging on. 

The actual class was taught by some guy out of New York. For $18 on a private Vimeo (previously recorded) account. I guess one of my cousins knows of this guy - he works at one of those BYOB paint studios that are popping up like crazy... where you bring the adult beverage (or any beverage) of your choice, a couple friends, and you walk out with custom painted wall art. 

Not my thing.. I don't even go out to drink and drive. I'm not going out to share a bottle of wine with people and paint, if I refuse to go out and meet people as it is... why waste money on drunk coloring? Hell... I've got a collection of MC Escher art, college themed posters and other materials that have never seen the light of day in Florida... paint by alcohol is not going to hang out in my room before those do.

The day after the party, I joked that what my cousins should have done, was send an empty (postage paid) box to all the invited guests. The guests then mail my uncle the artwork they did, and he can hang everyone's work in his house... the best birthday card ever... making this day a good memory. But instead, it's sitting in the laundry room above the water heater closet because my mom couldn't find a place to put it... she's got a lot of art already hanging through out the house.