004.67 No Connnection...O My!

It is going on four days since I have not had an Internet connection at home. It is driving me crazy!

I have gone thru the painful process of having my service provider try to analyze the problem from a distance (a really long distance!) Finally, I was returned to local techs who have a series of steps for checking the actual lines and neighborhood routers they must also undergo and because it is the weekend, that process is not a first priority. I get mixed messages about when to call and ask for an update and whether or not to pay attention to automated phone calls that state the system is working.

I am trying to be patient. It is not a “do or die” situation. Yes, I have work I could be doing…my friends often tell me I work too much, so this “break” will please them I’m sure. I am remembering how to use a computer that is not internet-connected. You can do a lot…especially if you remember to download some files stored in email onto a thumb drive before leaving work! I am even writing this posting in a word document and will post it when I grab a few minutes from a wireless connection at my neighborhood’s center.

I have even managed to pay a little more attention to regular household chores like washing, vacuuming, and trashing junk mail. I have taken the dog on more and longer walks. I have gone to bed earlier. Not bad things at all!

But I am so connected, that when I am not connected, I miss out on other things not work related. I bank online and during this time of holiday shopping, I check my account every day. Although I do not embrace online shopping with the same fervor as several of my friends, I do “window-shop” a lot online, checking availability, prices, and ideas. Losing time for that at this time of year, I am even further behind completing my holiday tasks. Even though it is not my favorite method, but as part of managing my finances, I read the newspaper online. I read magazines…check the TV schedule…study recipes…learn…and communicate with long-distant family and friends ONLINE EVERY DAY.

Have you analyzed recently what you rely on from the Internet?

So, as I said…it is going on four days since I have not had an Internet connection at home. It is driving me crazy!