My dearest blogosphere,
In the words of a pen pal from my elementary days, how are you? I am fine. Mostly. I know that it has been ages since I’ve written, but I promise that there are reasons, many of which are even valid.
For one thing, blogging minus the internet doesn’t work so well. It’s been nearly a week since my (former) phone company, a bottomless reservoir of brilliant communicators, interpreted a clear request for ditching our land line as an order to disconnect all service, including our internet and every one of our well-established email accounts. ((That means that if you wrote to me in the past week, I may not have gotten it. And since I’m not about to post my shiny new gmail address online, you can use my contact form to try again.)) It’s possible it was an act of spite, brought about by their jealousy at our choosing somebody else’s cell service over their land line offerings. I, however, prefer to think of it as an honest mistake somehow perpetuated by, well, no fewer than six different customer service reps, four technical support gurus, and two managers. ((This is no exaggeration. I actually counted how many people couldn’t help me. I had to do something with all that time on hold.)) In an act of breathtaking incompetence, they managed to make the problem worse every time I called. While their communication skills may be lacking, their determination to screw things up is admirable.
Whatever the cause, this incident, as you may imagine, has not exactly filled my days with sunshine and rainbows. The good news is that I have now developed an exciting new hobby: unsuccessfully battling the company that ate my internet. Which is excuse number two for not having written. You know how hobbies can be, so all-consuming that at times they almost cease to be fun.
The public library, with its abundance of light, foliage, and wireless internet, is perhaps an obvious choice for those who find themselves marooned in a house without a workable way to surf the web. If only I hadn’t also been battling something mean and contagious, a fight I plan to win tomorrow, or maybe Friday.
Then there was the possibility of writing from work, with its many doors to all things online. Let’s just rule that option out now, though, shall we? I don’t typically blog about work, and I definitely don’t blog at work. The two entities go together like plaid and stripes.
I would like to think that my remaining time has been spent well, however. For example, I’ve attacked my new cell phone, associating different ring tones and photos with almost all of my contacts, a crucial first step in breaking in a new device. And then there are the book revisions. It’s astonishing how much less painful they can be without the worldly web tempting me at every turn.
All of this is to say that there is more coming soon, when I am less annoyed and more coherent. And to apologize for my lack of communication. A new company swooped in a few hours ago to hook us up to the rest of the world, which means I’ll be touring the blogosphere – and adding to it – in no time.
More soon,
Caryn
P.S. I think everyone should probably be without the internet for a while. At the very least they can rewnew their relationships with the dictionary and the phone book, two worthy publications that don’t see a lot of use these days.
Oh my, that sounds like a mess. Although I find it funny how backwards we are in our blogging schedules. I only blog at work. It’s the only time I can have peace and quiet, ironically enough.
Still. Cheers to internet connections!
I’m glad you’re back! Missed ya!
@Marilyn – You remember that name game where everyone sits in a circle and the first person says his/her name, and then the second person says his or her name plus the name of the first person, and so on? Well, it was like that. They didn’t put any notes in my file, so every time I called, I had to recount what every person I talked to told me. The story just grew and grew.
@Erin – How funny. Things get so busy at work that I wouldn’t have the opportunity. Even if I did carve out the time I’d feel guilty about it, since there’s always something work-related for me to do.
@Robin – I’m glad to be back, too! I definitely missed everyone. Thanks for the welcome. 🙂
No internet is probably the most conducive thing to writing I’ve found! Whenever I really want to crack the whip on myself, I need to go to a cafe or diner or somewhere similar where I can’t get online… Then I just put on some music and GO!
How are the rewrites going, then?
Definitely sucks to go so long without it, though. And no email?! Craziness, right there!
I am so addicted, I can’t get off the internet! It is nice to have a day without it. Seriously. I really have trouble doing without it, even when I want to. It, like, CALLS to me!
I would like to spend less time on the internet. And I really can’t remember what I DID before I spent hours on the internet every day.
Well, I’m glad to see you’re back online! We had our internet service go down without warning a couple of years ago (due to “upgrades,” naturally!) and I nearly chewed my arm off. So frustrating!
:/ So sorry you’ve been without internet! What a bummer. I also like your #2 – maybe I should count the doctors who can’t help me? I’ll keep a tally on my sidebar. 😉
@Kyle – I’ve found exactly the same thing! Of course, it seems like it’s easier and easier now to get internet when I escape my house, so sometimes I just unplug my modem and stay home. In fact, that’s my plan for the afternoon. 🙂 As for writing, it’s going well, though since I’ve been pretty sick I haven’t gotten as much done. I’m cracking the whip today, though!
@Spyscribbler – I’m exactly the same way – I have a lot of trouble going without the internet, and I just can’t remember how I survived before it came along!
@Katie – Wow! That does sound frustrating, especially when you lose service in the interest of making said service better. There’s some irony!
@Emily – Hey, wouldn’t hurt to keep a tally, though it’s kind of depressing and very frustrating every time you add a new one to the list – probably even more so in your case!
I’m glad you’re back among the internet users. I can’t survive without the internet but I can go a couple of hours with the computer off.
Yikes!! Glad you’re back. 🙂