Al and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

One of my Mom's favorite stories to read us as kids was Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  If I recall, Alexander keeps dreaming about going to Australia to escape his awful day, but at the end realizes that bad days happen even in Australia.

When I was home over Christmas, I ordered a 55 inch Multi-system LCD HD TV.  This is my first real luxury item I have bought myself since I started to earn a decent income.  Other than my car and some trips I have taken, it was by far the most I had ever spent on anything.  When it was delivered to my sister's house, the delivery guys were jealous.  Even the box looked beautiful.  I had specifically arranged for a second HHE shipment just to get this TV.  So, when our logistics guy told me they could deliver my shipment on Friday, I was super excited.

I must admit that the first half of my day was uneventful and not at all bad.  In fact, I got back the final version of the Post of the Month and the article is awesome and was barely changed at all.

I took off a half day so I could meet the shipment, as well as the guys removing my old entertainment center (too small), plus the guys who were coming to mount the TV on the wall.  Additionally, my internet hadn't been working right since I got back from DC.  The wireless modem wouldn't connect directly to the computer and the VPN wireless router wouldn't let me connect through the VPN, but I could still connect to the internet.  I had an online appt. with the VPN company to fix the router.  Not only was she unable to fix the VPN aspect of the router, but she managed to break it entirely, so that it would not send out any signal.  Aargh.  So two wireless signals and neither one would work.  Fortunately, I happen to own another wireless router, so I can connect through that.

Look at how beautiful this TV is.

When the TV and other HHE got here, there were no problems.  Everything was on the truck, even my beer. (Yes, I shipped a case of Natty Light.  I rule.)  Then, the guy came to mount it on the wall and we took it out of the box.  It was amazing, in all of its glory.  Bigger than I had even realized.

Unfortunately, as the guys were messing with the wall bracket, I noticed that their is no coaxial cable input.  Sure, most places have cable boxes or satellites and connect through A/V cables.  But Belize just uses the old fashioned coaxial, straight from the wall into the TV cable.  Somehow, I am completely oblivious to the fact that the plug is one of those weird three pronged ones like you have on your stove until the carpenters pointed it out.  Not only is the plug messed up, but the voltage is 220 only.  Belize is a 110 country like the US. FFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK.

Now, I spent weeks researching TVs, I knew what I cared about and what I didn't.  The thing I cared about most, more than anything else, was that I could take this TV around to post after post with me.  I paid quite a bit more for this TV so that it was multi-system and would work where ever I went.  Now, it won't even work where I am!!!!  I couldn't contact the seller because they were closed, so I vented on facebook.  Several people felt it necessary to mention that their houses (in Belmopan) are wired for both 110 and 220 and volunteered to take the TV off my hands.  The carpenters were more helpful and stated I may be able to get the electricians to come in and wire a 220 socket for me (I didn't know this was possible).  Someone else suggested that I could get a converter, which would be at least a temporary solution.  This being Belmopan, I tried two suggested stores, who were both out of stock.  Figures.

To add to my misery, when I got home I had a letter from my bank.  Now, I love my bank.  Not only do they not charge ATM fees for out of network ATMs and refund the fees charged by the out-of-network ATM, but they also refund the VISA transaction fee for international withdrawals.  Last year, I specifically did not switch to USAA because TD Bank was better.  So, now, of course, today's letter tells me that they are ending all of that.  Not only are they not refunding me other people's fees, but they are tacking on their own as well.  I now have to decide between being a smart customer (and leaving) and being lazy.  I will probably switch over to USAA, but if anyone else has an awesome bank out there, please let me know in the comments.

So, by 6 pm today, the internet broke, the TV won't plug in and my bank screwed me over.  Why should't I try to put together an IKEA TV stand.  There is no way that this will cause me any pain or frustration.  But, I need to put together the TV stand so I have something to put my old TV on until I get my new TV working.

So, even in Belize can you have a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day.