Somedays you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the squashed insect

Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, 2:26 a.m. — WARNING: BITCHY OM AHEAD!

If you’ve gotten this far you are either curious or a glutton for (more) punishing prose from yours truly.

My bitch session this Valentine’s morning is about the panadapter kit I purchased somewhat recently on eBay. After about 10 days and a still-empty mailbox, I decided to gently inquire as to the status of my purchase (I thought perhaps the kit was shipped to the man who held my call before I did or something equally as odd). No, the reason was simple — the seller had been hospitalized. He shipped my package out immediately, and POP! — it showed up on the USPS tracking system. Ah!! Success!

Sorta.

I tear open the box and the contents are exactly what is expected, including the CD. No written instructions included however; they have to be on the CD, right? Sure! Gotta be.

So far I can’t tell you what is on the CD; the CD won’t open on any of the five-and-counting PCs I tried it on. The drive tries to read it (and I mean that sucker spins and spins and spins), but nothing comes up. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch.

There’s a black dot on the bottom (business side) of the CD near the edge, and I’ve wondered if that’s causing the read error. I’ve wanted to have this thing installed and running a week ago, but after the seller’s hospital stay, now … this. I asked if he can email directions and point me to a download spot for the software. Right now this damn thing is already becoming too much trouble.

Yes, I’ll admit it, I’m impatient. After another setback, I considered just chucking the mess  in the garbage and acknowledging that I just paid $75 in stupid tax and go on. But readers who know me understand that the only thing that is stronger than my impatience is my cheapskateness.

Seriously, I do want the panadapter to function, I don’t want to keep whining about it. But if I can’t get my money’s worth out of a functioning product, I’ll get my money’s worth bitching and moaning about it, hi hi!

Sorry for the rant, guys and gals, but the frustration and my impatience are forces at work this morning.

73 es CUL … de KY4Z .. SK … dit dit …