Monday 15 September 2008

ONE OF THOSE DAYS

Today is turning out to be “One Of Those Days”. They are so, SO frustrating. The problem started at about 8am but I had to take Troy Junior to school so I left home just hoping for the best. I collected my newspaper from the village store and walked back home in the sunshine. How was the morning going to turn out? A quick nervous look on my return home confirmed the worse!

I phoned my wife at her office – “We’ve got a complete disaster here at home”

“What’s the matter, what’s happened?” she responded, full of concern.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do – I can’t seem to fix it”

“Tell me what’s wrong!” she demanded.

I couldn’t hold back, I had to give it to her straight - “The internet is down, it’s been down since 8am!”

East Anglian Troy is a man of habit. That habit is seriously tested when the internet is down. And today of all days; with Lehman Bros. going into bankruptcy protection and stockmarkets around the world going into freefall. It’s no time to be cut off from the information superhighway. Had I been a little calmer I suppose I could have looked on Teletext, but that now seems so 20th Century.

I fiddled around rebooting the BT Hub – nothing. I unplugged the mains lead – nothing. I just need that one particular light to be green – it isn’t. It’s completely ungreen.

Then it turned green. I hurried off an e-mail to Mrs Troy at her office. Subject heading – “Life Just Got Better”. She should be the first to know I’m back online. It’s sent, it went!.

Then that truly awful click sound – and all the lights are flashing on the BT Hub, and then they all go out. Spoke too soon. Yes, it is going to be “One Of Those Days”. I left my study, went over to the Hi-Fi and put on Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” CD, closed my eyes and enjoyed her melodic voice (Mrs Troy calls it a screech). Several times I checked back into my study – no internet – so I rebooted or unplugged/replugged the box. Quickly between each CD track.

The relevant light finally came back on. I’m no longer alone – I’m reconnected. Quick check on my e-mails. Mrs Troy has replied to mine. It reads:-

“Oh thank God for that. I was very close to calling 999, but wasn't sure whether to ask for an ambulance for you...or the police to investigate the matter!”

And so, dear readers and fellow bloggers, it seems I must turn to you for a little sympathy…….

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lots of sympathy from this corner of the globe. I can't manage without my internet connection, I go into a complete panic and start thinking about housework.

CJ xx

Dave said...

Arrived via Black Boxes - delighted to make your acquaintance.

DJ Kirkby said...

I'd go nuts...oh wait a sec...many would say I already am...well anyway...even so...I still wouldn't be happy without broadband! So huge sympathy from me.

Troy said...

Thanks CJ and DJ for the sympathy. And hello to dave - I wonder what strange Black Box choices brought you here?

I had about 10 minutes broadband connection in total on Monday. Just enough to cut, paste then upload by blog posting. Today has been not much better - staying online for about 5 minutes before it drops out and then takes ages to restore the link.

Hopefully I'll be okay for DJ's WW on Wednesday.

Trixie said...

Oh you've got MY sympathy that's for sure! If I lost my internet access, I'd be forced to do some housework!

Heather Bestel said...

It's amazing how lost we all are without it.
My blog was down all weekend with techie problems.
Thanks EAT for checking up on me.
Everything seems back to normal now.
Phew!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

You certainly have my sympathy, I can't cope if there's a problem with my computer.

Recently, just as I was finishing work for one weeks worth of writing at home, I switched on the computer and found that it had a trojan (!) thanks to daughter downloading some game or something and had nearly my entire week of being off-line. Horrors.

All sorted now, thankfully, and daughter told off.

Carol said...

From one who's internet connection is ALWAYS sporadic I can completely empathise!!! I just can't function properly without it....how did I ever cope before?

C x

Troy said...

Your expressions of sympathy are very gratefully received. Ya Boo! to Mrs Troy.

I spent 35 minutes talking to BT yesterday. At least now its an 0800 number rather than 0845 so they are paying. So far - touch wood - things have been okay by moving my BT Hub into the hallway, but that is an unsightly solution, wires everywhere.