An Accidental Experiment

A few weeks ago on a holiday weekend, we lost our internet on Friday, after 5 of course. We did what everyone does - shut it off, unplug, reset, reboot, shut it off again, again again. Nothing. Most frustrating was it would say connected, but no internet - that didn't even make sense!! We called and sat through a bit of Musak and of course the tech person wanted us to shut it off, unplug, reboot... they checked it from their end - nothing. So then they did the unthinkable and scheduled us for a service visit- for Wednesday. Of next week. Five days and no amount of cajoling and whining changed that. That we are good customers that pay our bill on time, we had never had a service call - even pulling out the pediatric nurse that NEEDS internet card did nothing. 

I could still do a little facebook and check my email from my phone, but after having an 18 inch tablet to dork around on, my wee little phone screen sucked. The thing is, even 5 or 6 years ago I would have been annoyed, but not SOL. Because things have changed. Alexa would no longer talk to me and sat silent on my dresser. No news brief, no weather report, No Rock Lobsters or Love Shacks to get dressed to in the morning. Her little pal Dot down in the kitchen just sat like a lump and was no fun. I could still watch TV - but satellite, no Netflix or Hulu. The Great British Baking Show was dead to me, no Archer, no movies that I like. The internet on my phone was even a bit sketchy, coming and going as it pleased like a morose teenager. Isn't it weird how we don't notice how much our day relies on it til it's gone? I could still knit of course watching Stinky Ass TV and read - but I hadn't downloaded my new books yet so they remained drifting in the morass while I sifted through what I did have and did find a few things to read. We did find other things to do, watched The Classic Movie Channel in the morning instead of surfing, read in the evening, used the music channels on our Dish TV. But it not as much fun, it was more work and it was sort of boring. 

The service person showed up a day early which would have been super had we known they were going to be here a day early - no one was home of course.But he did leave a filter and instructions on how to hook it up and Eureka!! We were back on the grid, Alexa and Dot started singing Take On Me and playing Lie Swatter.David was back to looking at the market place on Facebook (his new obsession and yes, we have already gotten stuff from it, that's where the six foot windows in our new sun room came from) and I quickie downloaded my new books just in case. We did not learn anything from this adventure, it did not open our eyes- just sort of annoyed everyone. We are internet people, no shame in that. We do know how to get along without it, but I also know how to get along without coffee. I CAN,but who wants to?

A Life Well Lived

We had to put our Vincent to sleep today. A couple of days ago we came home to find him staggering a little, looking down and distressed. He was eating, so we put him to bed with us hoping he would get past it. The next day he went out, but hid under the deck and would not come out. He slept with us again, but did not move during the night. Today David took him to the vet and it was not fixable - he stayed with him and held him - Vincent passed peacefully with someone that loved him holding him - what more can you ask?

I'm sad, but because I miss him, not because of our decision. Vincent arrived on our front door step almost 15 years ago, about 2 or 3years old,starving and abandoned - his wounds were terrible. We had a wonderful, old school vet who worked on him after we agreed he would have a home with us and only charged us $64. Vincent spent the next few weeks recovering on our couch, so weak and in pain we carried him until he regained his strength. I would carry him in the laundry basket while I did stuff in the house with him peeping over the edge at everything around him. When he got well enough to climb the stairs he would come up in the middle of the night makng a lot of noise and drama and would park himself right between us, purring like a steam engine and marching around until he got yelled at and stuffed under the covers. He was Jackson's cat, how he loved him. Everywhere Jackson went so did Vincent, he would park himself everytime Jackson did. It took a long time for him to get used to Jackson being gone after his boy joined the Navy - but he did. He moved from house to house with us, he never strayed, was always home at night for dinner. From the day we picked him up off our porch he never suffered again, he was always fed, loved like he deserved, his life was sunshine and cat treats. When he took a turn for the worse the other night, we had him between us and it reminded me so much of when we first got him and he was finally recovered - the cold winter stars outside and Vincent happily purring, snuggled deep in the covers - just so glad to be there, it remains one of my favorite and fondest memories. And then I thought the other night - here we are again, Vincent between us. But he was not snuggling or purring, he was tucked up and leaving me. But as sad as that makes me - it's ok.  I am so glad we found him before it was too late  - I hope tonight he is with my Pearl, eating whatever he wants and running the Elysian fields til I get there. I miss you friend.