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16 Hours from Cyberspace
I just spent 16 hours without access to the internet. It was an interesting experience. It has taught me how dependent I am on something that just a few years ago I easily did without. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
When I woke up at 6 o'clock Tuesday morning I followed my usual routine: read the Press-Republican (Alex, my newspaper carrier, makes sure I have it every day by 5:30am) and then head downstairs to my den to check my e-mail. Uh-oh ... no connection. Tried a few times, but definitely no connection, so I put in a call to my internet provider to check on the status. Sure enough, I hear, "We are currently experiencing outages in Plattsburgh, New York." Click. I'll have time for some early breakfast and check back in 30 minutes.
Much to my chagrin, there was still no internet connection by 7am, nor by 8am, and I was beginning to wonder how long I would be without my e-mail. Who knows? Maybe somebody important had e-mailed me! Plus, I do a lot of selling on eBay, and how in the world can I go several hours without checking the bids on my items and adding more items up for auction? At 8:30am I checked one more time and still no internet connection. What in the world would I do with the time on my hands that is usually spent online?
Ah, the laundry! I am now entirely caught up on my laundry, thanks to my internet provider. I also resigned myself to watching some early-morning television. I half expected CNN to be reporting, "Internet service is out in Plattsburgh, New York, throwing the city into turmoil." By 10am I was getting the itchy-twitchy feeling without my internet. How in the world can we go 4 hours without being online?
Thank goodness a friend came over to visit at 11am, giving me a reprieve from my blank computer screen and from Judge Joe Brown and Judge Mathis. When she left at 2pm, I was certain that my life would be back to normal, and I could check my e-mail and play at eBay. I hurried to my computer, but still no connection. What was I to do? As a last resort I read an article about John Lennon in Rolling Stone magazine and then read a few chapters from a book I'd been trying to finish. All the while, I would intermittently check to find that my internet provider was not yet providing.
As darkness fell on Plattsburgh I spoke by phone with a few friends who were in a similar situation. They seemed to be dealing with this issue much better than I. However, I was at the point where I was thinking of a law suit against the company for possible money lost on eBay. After all, an entire business day had gone by. I found out that some local businesses couldn't operate their computers and provide their usual service due to the outage. I took a short trip downtown to use my bank's ATM and instead of being able to withdraw a few bucks I saw the message on the screen: OFF LINE.
More hours passed, and I checked my computer another fifty times, and by 9pm, still no connection. I want a day's credit to my account! Or else, I will sue! Finally at 10:30pm ... a connection. All is suddenly well with the world. As it turned out there were no important e-mails. No job offers from ESPN. No blog comments waiting in limbo for my approval. I had somehow survived 16 hours without the internet. I can go to bed a happy man. How did I ever manage the first 50 years of my life without the internet?
Comments
i have not checked the blog in a while, but when i do i know i am in for some good tear jerking laughter.
i just sit and laugh outloud and Don thinks i have lost it. you can make anybody's day better.
glad you're feeling better. any time you want to pick up a fly and grounder game give us a call.
Posted by: Cricket | April 16, 2006 9:57 PM
Foxy, I have to agree with Sandi. Plattsburgh is where I grew up and will always be HOME! But living in Kansas now the very first thing I do in the morning is read the Press and and your blog. If I lost my internet I would surely be lost!!
Posted by: Randy Vaughn | March 30, 2006 8:15 AM
yes no internet for a whole day! How did we ever manage without it? (quite well if I recall) I propose the following:
2 days per week all internet connections would be shut down....but let me warn you this could lead to the following:
A) kids actually getting outside and playing "pick up games" in their neighborhood parks.
B) Adults taking walks and waving (in person!) to the neighbors they haven't seen in years.
C) all of us supporting out local stores and shops by actually purchasing goods and services right here in our own little town... face to face!
Ah, what other terrible things might this lead to??? Could even lead to the return of the "Nickname" instead of "Screen name"
Posted by: carver | March 30, 2006 7:59 AM
I'm in the same boat as Sandi M & Steve P! Living in Austin TX for the past 19 years, I rely on the internet to keep me in touch with what's going on in the North Country. A part of my morning is devoted to reading the latest news, your blogs, checking the weather, and yes, even the obituaries. Much of my business relies on internet connection so I freak out when it's down for even a few hours. I remember when I used to laugh at folks who were tied to their computers and the internet, and now I'm one of them!
Hmmmm. I didn't know WIRY was on the web....
Oh no, not another addiction!
Posted by: Dianne Scott | March 29, 2006 3:33 PM
Foxy, You are so right, that it's human nature to freak out a little when your normal routine brings you out of your comfort zone. The internet, cable or satellite TV, cell phones, and even electric outages, will get most people a little anxious, especially if it last a long period of time.
The internet became somewhat of a necessity, when I had a part time business, when I lived in the North Country. Today, I use it for alot of things, and as Sandi Mueller writes, like reading your local newspaper and your blog. I also wouldn't be able to listen to the WIRY local news in the morning, or listen to the N.Y. Yankee games, or Cardinal Hockey, without it, here in West Central Wisconsin.
Oh yes, My new Wife and I will be out there in August. Can't wait to see my family, especially my grand daughters, friends, and of course a claire&carls red hot!!
Posted by: Steve P. | March 29, 2006 10:01 AM
Oh my gosh - I can only imagine how you felt - no internet! If I didn't have my morning fix of the Press-Republican online I would go crazy. I would be wondering what was happening in my favorite little town. I would not know if it were snowing, raining or Spring was in the air. But more importantly I wouldn't be able to read "Fox on the Sly." At that point I might as well go back to bed and get up on the other side - or life would just be plain miserable!
(Foxy's note: Wow, my blog is having an impact from Clinton County all the way to Texas! Hope you'll be visiting the North Country soon!)
Posted by: Sandi Mueller | March 29, 2006 9:11 AM
When you have computer or internet problems, run over to the Plattsburgh Public Library. They have computers with high speed internet connections. They are a very friendly bunch over there; you can also check out a book.
Posted by: carolek | March 29, 2006 6:22 AM