Bump in the Road

We woke up Monday morning to an unexpected bump in the road.

When i cranked up Ol' Bessy, she wouldn't connect to the internet.  Not unusual, at least once a day i have to disconnect and reconnect.

Yet i have learned to go look at the wi-fi modem first, make sure it's not a bigger problem.

It was a bigger problem.

Back when we got our current system of phone/internet/tv, it worked well for a couple of months.

Then, about once a month, i would have to call the company because we had no internet.  After doing this each month for 6 months, a rep told me over the phone how to reboot for myself.

Ever since then, if we have a problem, i turn the modem off, then on.  If that doesn't fix it, i reboot the gateway.  That has always worked.

Until now.  So a call to customer service, which always includes telling the automated whatever-it-is over and over that i want to speak to a representative, and they cannot figure out what the problem is, either.

A repair person is supposed to come to our home today, and i hope we can actually get it fixed.

Meanwhile, i have packed Ol' Bessy and all of her accoutrements (cooling pad, power cord, wireless card) into a bag and decamped to a local coffee house with free wi-fi.

Until we are back on at home, i will have to decamp to such locations to check in.

It's just a bump in the road, though.  A first world problem.  Having to worry about whether you can feed your children is a real problem.  Having to worry about the fact that they have to do without electronic entertainment is trifling.


Today is:

Answer Your Cat's Questions Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays; meditate on what your cat's question might be, then answer it

Celebration of Life Day

Come in From the Cold Day -- somebody at an ecard company decided today would be a good day to do that

Day of Unity and Liberty of Ukraine -- Ukraine

Dia de la Fundacion del Estado Pluinacional de Bolivia -- Bolivia

National Blonde Brownie Day -- i thought these were just called "blondies."

National Speak Up and Succeed Day -- become one of those people who aren't afraid of public speaking, practice! sponsored by Polished Presentations International

Rid The World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day -- always the Tuesday of Healthy Weight Week and announcement of the Slim Chance Awards, highlighting the worst fad diets of the prior year; healthyweight.net

Sioux Empire Farm Show -- Sioux Falls, SD, US (great winter farm show, since you can't be planting, come out and have fun; through Saturday)

St. Vincent of Zaragoza's Day (Spanish martyr and Patron of vine dressers, vinegar makers, vintners; Lisbon, Portugal; Portugal; vicenza, Italy; Vilamalla, Catalonia, Spain)
     a sunny day today indicates a good wine crop next season


Birthdays Today:

Steven Adler, 1965
Diane Lane, 1965
Michael Kelland Hutchence, 1960
Linda Blair, 1959
Steve Perry, 1949
John Hurt, 1940
Joseph Wambaugh, 1937
Sam Cooke, 1935
Bill Bixby, 1934
Piper Laurie, 1932
Ann Sothern, 1909
George Balanchine, 1904
D.W. Griffith, 1875
Grigori Rasputin, 1869
Nat Turner, 1800
Lord Byron, 1788
Sir Francis Bacon, 1561


Today in History:

The first contingent of Swiss Guards arrive at the Vatican, 1506
Postal service between NYC and Boston is inaugurated, 1673
The Native American Iroquois tribes renew their allegiance to the British against the French, 1690
Spain ceded the Falkland Islands to Britain, 1771
A severe earthquake in southern Syria kills thousands, 1837
The Zulus attack the British Army camp in Isandhlwana, South Africa, 1879
The Ancient Egyptian obelisk "Cleopatra's Needle" is erected in Central Park, 1881
After 63 years, England stops the sale of Queen Victoria postage stamps series and begins King Edward VII series, 1901
First live radio commentary of a football match anywhere in the world, between Arsenal F.C. and Sheffield United at Highbury, 1927
KTLA, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, begins operation in Hollywood, California, 1947
Apollo 5 lifts off carrying the first Lunar module into space, 1968
The Boeing 747, the world's first "jumbo jet", enters commercial service, 1970
The Singapore Declaration, one of the two most important documents to the uncodified constitution of the Commonwealth of Nations, is issued, 1971
The Apple Macintosh, the first consumer computer to popularize the computer mouse and the graphical user interface, is introduced during Super Bowl XVIII with its famous "1984" television commercial, 1984
Robert Tappan Morris, Jr. is convicted of releasing the 1988 Internet Computer worm, 1990
Kmart becomes the largest retailer in United States history to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, 2002
Evo Morales is inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country's first indigenous president, 2006