We have been in San Anselmo (Northern CA) this past week, visiting our former neighbors and good friends. Until today, their internet has been mysteriously not working, hence my blogging silence.
It would be difficult for me to say enough enthusiastic things about our hosts, the Pult family. They are good, kind, people. Amazing hosts. Uniquely qualified (along with our other wonderful Texas friends the Savards) to handle the chaos of 7 Di Silvestris invading, for 10 days, their relatively peaceful family of 4. But for some reason I can't understand, these otherwise sane and loving people, did not find it troublesome in the slightest that their internet was not working!
By day 3 I was experiencing physical withdrawls. Twitching, tics, the shakes. Claustrophobia was setting in, the house walls were getting small all around me. At first I thought my wonderful hosts must not understand what I was saying. In our house, having the internet or cable go out is a far greater emergency than having the water shut off. But soon I came to the sinking realization that they understood alright. It just didn't bother them! They were on vacation and felt no need to connect to the outside world. True to who they are, all that really mattered was happening inside the house...friends, family, real life. This is something I can respect from afar but has no place in my day to day reality.
Every morning I would try, desparately, to connect. Sometimes I would get to the Yahoo home page, but then specific requests would time out. One time I got into my mail but could only read one message. It became an obsession of my week. Fix breakfast, check the internet. Fix lunches, check the internet. Get back from the grocery store, check the internet.
Jay flew up last night to join us for the weekend and I began to picture him as my knight in shining armor, who would arrive and fix this situation (a former network admin guy, he can fix just about anything!). I rushed in this morning to have him fix things up and, guess what? Of course you already know. The internet was working fine.
I'm sure there is a lesson here for me, but right now I am too busy on the internet to figure it out. Oh, wait. Could that be my lesson? Could it be that right this minute all the Pults and the Di Silvestris are gathered in the family room playing a game except for me, who is hunched over the computer separated from reality by technology? Should I be bothered by this? Hmmm. I'll think about that tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
how was your trip to texas? its pretty flat and ugly but cheap.
That wasn't me that posted the previous comment !! Just so you know ,,,, I'd never (!) make a comment like that about where someone would choose to live.... XO
I'm glad you posted that Ms.Lori because I was thinkin' it was y'all!!:) Just kidding.
Yeah, Ms. Lori: Not me either, why would anyone make a comment like that? hmm..
Brenda
Texas was great, thanks for asking. I've been meaning to write a post on how much we liked it. Parts of it are ugly, but not as ugly as where we live! In fact, we spent most of the time thinking how pretty it was, particularly the hill country.
By the way, for anyone who doesn't know Lori, she actually does love to make comments about places people choose to live...but we love her anyway!
Oh by the way Suz, my internet seems to working just fine now. It must have been the heat. And yes, I am in fact using it now that our friends have left and the kids are in bed. Go figure! It must be that I don't have a chick flick lover in the house with me - she went home. Lots of love. See you in two weeks!
Don't you just love addictions that teach you something -- NOT!! I don't know if you have this problem yet but be forewarned -- it is very difficult in my house to use the computer -- my computer, mind you! -- with 2 teenagers looming over me, hoping that I'll get out of my seat so they can swoop in and get on their email, etc. I have to remind them whose it is, rather forcefully sometimes. I am amused when I hear them quarreling about who's turn it is and who has been on so long or when one of them whines that they just got on (2 hours ago) and "So-and-So" was on it for much longer. . . And then there's the pre-teen hoping to get on at some point before it gets turned off for the night.
Be afraid, be very afraid!
I am afraid. Of teenagers in general!
Teenagers actually grow (or sneak up)on you -- just as you've discovered with your daughter and her new skills. Teens are a constant frustration and delight (all at the same time!). And when they grow up more and are parents themselves and you see your baby's babies. . .It's a great process!
Post a Comment