Internet Providers Suck

Our previous Internet provider said they wanted to start charging extra fees if we use too much Internet bandwidth. These are some crooks. I wish we could get a normal provider who just raises rates when they want more money. Instead they are doing some shady stuff trying to make us choose some higher packages.

My initial response was to use competition. So I went to another provider. I got the cheapest Internet they provide. They had a special rate if you do automatic billing. No thank you. I said I want to receive a paper bill in the mail that I pay via check. I had to pay an extra fee for that. But I was okay. I thought we were good. I got my first bill in the mail and paid it.

This week I got a call and an email. The new Internet Service Provider said they were going to suspend our service due to non-payment. I checked my records. It has been almost 2 months since my last bill. I called them up and said they have not sent me a paper bill in a while. They told me I am forced to do paper free billing. WTF?

Apparently the original sales person either lied or did not know what they were talking about. They won't send me a paper bill in the mail. I can only receive digital notices of a bill. Not sure how I am going to respond. I might have to regroup and find another Internet Service Provider.

Python Programming for Little Kat

Little Kat is taking a python programming language class at his community college. This is a worthwhile course. I am learn the programming language myself on the side. To ensure Little Kat is doing well, I read his textbook ahead of time and quiz him on the topics each week. This has led to identification of areas where he is week. Then he can do further study.

It is 2.5 months into the spring semester at college. There is only 1 month left before finals. Little Kat just took his midterm exam. I was hoping he would do well since I spend a lot of time drilling him to ensure he is not slacking off. Unfortunately he only got an 85% on his midterm. That brought his grade down in the course.

While reviewing the questions he missed, I saw that there are indeed some tough topics that Little Kat is still very weak on. There is not a lot of time before the final. I told Little Kat in the remaining weeks I would put together sample final questions and see if he can answer them. It is time to get Little Kat to really step up his game. Too bad it is taking a lot of my time.

The Passing of our Gerbil Morgan

Last night, Kit Kat found our gerbil Morgan having trouble breathing. So Kit Kat put her on a heating pad on her lap. Kit Kat thought the gerbil would probably not make it through the night. She was right. The kids buried Morgan today.

Morgan was acquired along with Bailey from one of Kit Kat's friends. Morgan had some mishap half way through her life. It resulted in her losing some of her balance. She also normally ran around with a tilted head. He real trouble was the tumor she had that kept growing.

Morgan was a gerbil that would bite a lot. She loved to come out of the cage. She would sit on the roof of her cardboard box to indicate she wanted to come out. She would crawl around our couch. The couch cover made that easy. She begged for human food from Momoko, and would eat is and stay under the covers.

Morgan would sometimes veer toward the edge of the couch and fall off. She normally would not run far. She loved to go onto the tables next to the couch. Early in her life, she would sneak through the curtains to the window ledge. This also would invariably lead to her falling on the floor. In her younger years, she was an avid wheel runner.

Little Kat Future Plans

Little Kat is poised to complete his Associate's college degree this summer. The question is what to do next. He had a lot of trouble during his college career. So I am not convinced that further college is worthwhile for him. He does want to complete his 2 year degree first.

One option is for Little Kat to get a job. If he wants to work in Information Technology, he could possibly get some credentials like industry certifications. A good start might be the A+ certification. That is an entry level one that I think he could pass with some study. A second cert could be a cloud or cybersecurity one. He already took a Python programming class at school. These might qualify him for a job.

The other option is to continue on to a four year college. He has already applied for a Computer Technology program at a local state school. He has been accepted and wants to start in the fall. I am hesitant. He already has debt from a lot of community college. It would not be optimal to get more into debt if he can't graduate from that four year college.

We are going to have him try an initial semester at the four year college. Prior to that, I will have him study and maybe sit for a certification. In the end, we need to get him some kind of career. I pay for his car and auto insurance as it stands. But that is getting old. It is time for him to earn and take over.