FRUSTRATING DAY TRYING TO SET UP OUR SATELLITE DISH AGAIN

My favorite time in the desert is sunrise.  I like how the soft pastel light creeps down the western mountain slopes to the valley floor.  Long Saguaro shadows from the East inch across the sleepy desert floor.  There is not a sound and the brisk air is still.  I am generally outside in my pajamas with the Pheebs as we both take in the enchantment of the awakening Sonoran desert.

Our day topped out at a sunny 73F with a light cooling breeze.  Wispy clouds added character to the sky and all was well Cactus Land.  Well, that is until we decided to have another go at setting up our Shaw Direct TV satellite system.

The majority of our day ended up being chewed to bits with our wrestling and tussling with our Shaw Direct satellite dish.  After 5 years of fighting with various satellite systems I can tell you I am no fan of satellite technology.  When it works, it works fine but I think any honest satellite user would have to admit they certainly have had their trials and tribulations with the darn things!!  It’s not that we are new at it and don’t know anything about setting these things up etc.  This time we just ran into a perfect storm of difficulties.

We came south this winter with a new tripod which in itself is a total exercise in frustration.  We also came with a new Star Choice receiver, dish and LMB.  I’m not going to bore you with all the technical stuff but luckily we brought our old receiver along too.  We finally got all the bugs ironed out about 4 this afternoon using our new LMB with our old receiver.  We did briefly manage to finally get everything working right but then because of the poor tripod set up we lost the signal.  It was at this point we just simply threw in the towel and called it a day.  Until we can get ourselves some kind of solid base for the dish we’ll just continue watching the TV stations we can pull in with the rig’s antennae.

Except for a few, you folks out here in Blog Land and all the readers of my blog sure have been a patient and understanding bunch over the years.  I have never had the luxury of self confidence like many and have been plagued with self doubt for as long as I can remember.  Doesn’t take much for something to knock me off kilter.  That’s not an excuse it’s just a simple fact of how it is.   Some folks will understand what I am talking about and some will not.  What is unfortunate is that my self doubts show up in my posts from time to time and that doesn’t make for good reading.  The last paragraph of Tuesday’s blog is an example of that.

Thanks to everyone for your comments and emails today.  Some emails were constructively sharp about my waffling ways and I appreciate the honesty and time it took for people to send me their thoughts.   

COULD THIS BE THE DESERT’S ELUSIVE TEDDY BEAR FOX OR JUST A BUNCH OF DRIED OUT CACTUS
This whole blogging phenomenon is proving to be a real eye opening and learning experience for me.  You people have helped me more over these past few years than you will ever know.

Awhile back I was looking for some blogger oriented jokes for Groaner’s Corner when I came across this site which I thought might be interesting to all Bloggers out here.  It’s short, it’s interesting, and it fits right in with what I have just been talking about .  And, after reading it I must admit I am very guilty of number 3 as you shall see.  THE TOP 4 BLOGGING CLICHÉS THAT JUST HAVE TO DIE. 

A TALL SAGUARO SKELETON STANDS SILENTLY IN THE DESERT
I do firmly believe in all the opinions I state but I do have a bad habit of backtracking and apologizing for those opinions.  I think the guy ahead of me in the Gene pool line-up years ago didn’t want his ‘sensitivity gene’ and I ended up with an extra one.  Sorry about my wishy washy way folks….Awwwwww Geeeeezzzz, there I go again!!!!

GROANER’S CORNER:((
A minister dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a man who’s dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket and jeans.
Saint Peter turns to the first man and asks, Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?
I’m Joe Jones, says the man, and I was a taxi driver in New York City.
Saint Peter consults his list and says, Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter.
When it’s the ministers turn, he stands erect and booms out, I am Joseph Snow, Pastor of New Covenant Tabernacle for the last 37 years.
Saint Peter consults his list and says, Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter.
Just a minute, says the minister. That man was a taxi driver and he gets a silken robe and golden staff.  How can this be?
Up here, we go by results, says Saint Peter.  While you preached, people slept; while he drove, people prayed.