I spent the day today finding "fun and informative" links, trying (without success) to find online simulation labs, recording two Zoom lectures, a Zoom meeting about the prospective new colleague.....and then....then....
while the second Zoom lecture was "processing" in the cloud, my modem died. Started doing the flashy orange light cycling to green back to orange thing. Green is good. Orange is bad. It kept trying to reset.
I called the ISP, waited online approximately a millennium, finally talked to a guy. He tried a remote reset, no go. I told him tearfully I needed working internet to be able to do my work. He told me to go to the local office and "try" exchanging my modem. He warned me that it could be a week to get a tech out if that wasn't it. I tearfully told him my county was under an "essential businesses only" order and he said "internet service IS essential" but without a lot of faith in my heart, I went out there.
Yeah, they were open. The woman made soothing noises at me as I tried not to cry while I explained I needed to have Internet so I could work. She offered a faster modem for $5 more a month and what the hell, I'm not getting out to buy pizza or anything, so fine. I never noticed speed being an issue but whatever. Maybe now when I stream Amazon Prime it won't look pixelly at first?
I tried to social-distance but another woman with what I think (and hope and pray) was a smoker's cough came in. She stood at the other end of the room though. (I'll know in a week. If she had the virus, well, it was nice knowing y'all). She did make the comment, when the woman at the desk talked about it being hard times and "I can't believe we didn't see this coming" that "Oh, this is all in the Bible" and I was a good girl and bit my tongue hard but no, I cannot believe a loving God would specifically sent this thing because....why? There have been far more days I questioned my faith recently than in the past, I don't think extended hardship for "purification" or anything does ANYTHING and it would be needlessly cruel. I am no theodist but I don't think we're sent suffering to teach us stuff.
Anyway, I signed the paperwork and grabbed my modem and scuttled back home and plugged it in. (I washed my hands first but didn't shower until it was all over, I hope I don't wind up regretting that)
Plugged it in, the power light came on. Then the second light started flashing, went solid. Then the Internet light flashed for an agonizing long time, then went solid. I plugged in my router and...yup, there it is. Internet again.
I will say Vyve has always come through for me in cases like this. I was just worried it WASN'T the modem. I almost even walked out to the back yard do see if some idiot started trimming trees in my neighborhood and took down my cable line (cable tv was also briefly out but now it's back).
But yeah. I need, I desperately need, for us all to get to some place where we have even a few uneventful days. The failing modem just about undid me.
And I really hope I didn't get exposed to Coronavirus on my run out. It's in my county now, so I could have been. I should have showered immediately upon getting home but I was more worried about the modem.
I made it to dinner time, and relaxation time, but yikes has it been a long day.
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