Interruption of service

Since most everybody who communicates with me will see this eventually, I'm posting here.

My DSL went down yesterday and has not come back up. I'm on hold with Tech Support to find out whatthehell happened. I have a phone line but it's useless for me because I can't do voice phone.

One hopes I can get it fixed today. If not, my nearest wi-fi access is 12 miles away and it's too hot to leave the farm for more than an hour--horses need water and hosing.

I guess I'll be doing a lot of writing....

ETA It's the trunk line at the DSL station and they don't know when it will be fixed. Soon, I hope.

And we are back

Finally. Now I play catch-up.

Betas, you should all be on the filter now. If you still aren't, comment. I swear I did a Save on the thing this time. For reals. Dudes.

We are apparently having a sneak preview of the monsoon. Out of nowhere, clouds and wind have appeared. Temp has dropped 10 degrees, into mid-90s (we love that part). No rain; it's still too dry at ground level. And the Dragon will be back tomorrow. Still, nice job, weather gods.

Today's Whisky, Tango, Foxtrot, Over experience: Losing the DSL stressed me out unduly, because so much of my work is on the web. I did not want to go out in the heat and trek 12 miles to the coffee shop. But I did, and the iced tea was weak and the lighting was so bright I could barely see the screen. Then when I went to leave because I had to feed the horses, I couldn't find my keys. I had had them in my pocket when I came in. I thought I might have dropped them in the rest room--which was occupied for a solid 15 minutes by an older man who pushed past me without a glance. While I waited, I looked high and low.

I did finally find them, just as I was about to call the dealership (it's a computerized key and costs $135 to replace; I have not been able to afford a spare, none having been given to me when I bought the truck), and that was a vast relief. They had slipped down under the chair cushions.

But the WTF part? During the entire time I was looking, not one single person in that coffee shop so much as offered to move a chair to see if the keys had been kicked underneath. The staff glanced desultorily at the place where lost keys get dumped, didn't see them, then went on with their conversations. One did observe, "Well, you can look under the couch." No one expressed the slightest interest in my predicament. One person smiled when I found the keys, but she had otherwise not even glanced at me. Certainly not offered to help search.

The place wasn't busy. The staff were hanging out, talking or looking bored. People there were all ages from twentysomethings to late middle age. All ignored me.

This after they'd charged me over $5 for a cup of stale fruit and a small cup (labeled "Large") of weak-as-water iced tea. I needed the wi-fi, but next time? There's a McDonalds right there. And Safeway with Starbucks (and excellent iced tea in twice the size for a lower price), though you have to sit outside and at over 100 degrees, that's a bit much.

Java's Edge across from the Safeway at Valencia and Nexus in Rita Ranch. They won't be getting my business again.

Too bad, too. They used to be locally owned with good staff and tasty coffee. That's gone. It's a loss.