2005-04-23 - 4:49 p.m.

I am happy to have my computer set up again! We have a whole new and improved set up thanks to a BIG job perk from Westley's new employer. For the first time in a LONG time we have RELIABLE PHONE service! It actually WORKS! But even better than that its NEARLY FREE for me to call anywhere in the US. My MOM SHOULD FINALLY be happy and less worried. She worried that Westely had some evil controlling plot to keep me out of touch with friends and family as our phone we set up over the past two years with a two year contract JUST SUCKED.... It was so unreliable and a pain so we really did talk less than we would have liked and instead tried to use E-Mail more. My mom took offense.

We also found out a nice surprise... as we set up a new alarm system... that Westley gets an employee discount for that as well! And we almost went with a competetive company thinking they'd be cheaper... and Westley was interested in the new technology for self home monitoring through the computer bypassing a company altogether. Basically the Security company was a spinoff started by the big media conglomerate Westely is now working for, so its not really even the same company. And techinically I think its not a standard job perk, but the sales rep they sent out to us hooked us up! He basically said "Oh- you get all the employee discounts on phone, cable and internet.... hmmm, let me see what I can do" To our amazement he then called into his boss and in the ultimate smooth salesman voice and scmoozer way informed his boss we were entitled to the employee discount! To our utter amazement the bill was then re-calculated from $120 for each door chime to $20, and monitoring is $1 a month! We can't believe all the job perks Westley has received! Basically our internet and cable service are FREE and theres a minimal monthy fee for the phone which is VOIP that WORKS! (I think 19.95 a month) So this week I actually enjoyed doing something I haven't done IN YEARS!! I WATCHED TV!! Ok- so I won't become a TV junkie. The kids don't know we get any TV at all and Westely and I intend to keep it that way as long as we can. Seriously we think it makes parenting EASIER. We believe in use of selected videos and "recorded" programs for them. AHH the DVR we have will be nice once I figure out how that works. That too was a perk. So for the first time in five years of being friends with my neighbor Bettina I watched her on TV More later... kids awake!

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