Life without internet

Former foster dog, Roscoe, co-existing peaceably with their cat

Thursday morning the internet service started going out.  By noon it was pretty much dead.  I called for service, but it would be the next day.  I struggled with it throughout the day.  Sometimes it would come on, but not for long.  I finally did get my work completed for the day but a dark cloud of fear and foreboding was on the horizon.  It never came back on Thursday evening and it was dead as a doornail Friday morning.

Another former foster, Shadow, looking good

Being without internet isn't quite as bad as being without electricity, but it's bad enough.  I'm addicted to email, Facebook, and general surfing.  And of course I need it for work.  I discovered that there is no local phone company anymore.  You can't call Century Link (formerly Sprint, formerly Embarq...) and talk to a local person.  No matter who you call, you get a call center who can't tell you when an actual live person will call or come.  All they can tell you is that there's an open ticket and someone will come.  That's not reassuring to someone suffering withdrawal symptoms. 


When I hadn't heard from anyone by noon on Friday I began calling.  My third call connected with a guy who actually made an effort behind the scenes to find out what was going on.  He left me on hold for far too long but when he came back he actually had an answer, sort of.  It wasn't too long after that when the service was restored, all without anyone coming out or bothering to call. 

Dixie with her prize in her mouth

Spartan, after losing the prize to Dixie

I was pretty much stuck at home waiting for someone to call or come out so I couldn't get out for a hike on this pretty day.  With nothing to do but sit and wait, I even resorted to a little house cleaning, so you know things were desperate.  After service was restored I really needed to work, and then we had a spring-like thunderstorm followed by increasingly strong winds.  I did get some dogs out to the pasture for a romp late in the afternoon at least. 

Max, Spartan, and Dixie are sharing the big kennel adjacent to Nero.  I took all four of them out to the pasture together.  Nero's initial greeting the Max was a little aggressive but he backs off pretty well when I yell at him.  Basically they all got along fine.  Nero is mostly interested in and protective of his tennis ball, but it wasn't long before Max was trying his best to engage him in play.  Spartan went off by himself and found something dead, gross, and disgusting, which Dixie then appropriated.  I think it was the remains of deer skull but I didn't want to investigate too closely. 

They had a good hard run which was good for all of them.  Max really needs the exercise especially. 

Max and Dixie

Max and Nero

Heading back up to the house