Cable TV is driving me to drink!

Evil, Charter Cable is pure evil. So Dh now has his BIG screen TV setup and running. Oh Yay! Whatever, I'm over that now. All excited, we'll get to watch the SuperBowl in High Definition TV! (Go Pats!!!)...

So we make an appt for the Charter latchkey to come out and "install" (used incredibly loosely here)our High Def/DVR cable box. First off, the guy somehow, KILLS DH's receiver. Dead, won't turn on, all she wrote. Unfortunately, its our word against his that it was working before he came, so there goes another $200, not even worth the aggrevation (and if we're keeping score, and I am, DH is up around $3000K now for this TV of his!). Hooks up the box and announces that it doesn't work, there's no sound (um, ya, maybe because you broke it?!) He then a just walks out of the house, leaving the door WIDE up...Um, hello??!! 3 INDOOR cats and a toddler??!! And, are ya done? Are you coming back? What do we do?

Back in he comes, toting another box. Phew. Installs that, nothing. Hmmmm, beginning to wonder if this guy actually works for Charter, or if we're just letting in any ole person off the street. Tells Dh that he'll either have to accept:
1) A HD Box without DVR
2) A DVR box with No HD
0r
3) Call and make another appt.....

Thanks, great...Ok, so we can either "accept" what we don't want or wait some more. Dh asks "Can I take an HD box now AND make an appt to have someone come out and bring an HD/DVR box" (How foreward thinking my DH is). This apparently blows this guys mind, looks at him like DH has a frog doing a soft-shoe performance on his head) "ug" That's the response we got "ug" What the hell does that mean???

Charlie "The Caveman" Installer leaves again (with the door wide open). While he's off at his truck doing lord only knows what, DH hits the POWER button on the supposedly "broken" box and VIOLA we have cable (no sound, cause ya know, he killed the receiver, but again, I'm not bitter). We thank the man, and send him packing.

DH leaves on his expedition to buy a new receiver (not hiding his glee at his unexpected good fortune of getting to go electronic shopping too well) and DD and I watch our new HD tv.

But wait...Where are the HD channels that we're paying $13.99/month more for...Call Charter. Listen to horrid music for 23 minutes...HD channels are in the 800's. Ok, go there, we get 3, yes 3!! HD channels..WTF??!! When DH talked to the Charter rep, who was very happy to upgrade our service, we were suppose to get HDNet, Discovery, PBS, NBC, CBS, ABC, ESPN, and Fox all in HD. What we actually get, that is ACTUALLY available in our area - Fox, ESPN, and Discovery (which plays Sunrise Earth approx 23 of the 24 hours each day).

No HD SuperBowl for us, or so I think!! No, no, no....DH is undetered...Off to Circuit City he goes again, this time to buy an HD antenna. Somehow this all seems very wrong to me. We've spent $3,000 to go back to rabbit ears????

That's not even the best of it. Ever since we've "upgraded" our digital channels have been whacked out. They'll work for while in the morning, then they'll start blacking out, eventually completely going black. This wouldn't be such a horrible thing except Noggin, as I've stated before, is god's gift to parents.

This is unacceptable, unimaginable, and been ongoing for over a week now. 2 calls (both with 30+ wait times) and where did we get......No cable.

Cables out, been out since last night. Not a single channel works, no analog, no digital, no HD. Thank God for rabbit ears.