Funny Thing, That
7 hours ago
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Communication issues
Last night a utility pole was taken out by a logging truck. Crews needed most of the evening to restore services. The fiber optic cable for my Internet connection was one of the casualties. So much for e-mail, social media, and all that. Since my phone service is also over the 'net, that was gone too. Just to make things interesting, cell phones don't get reception in my area.
So what does that leave? Shortwave radio? That would work, but I'm not interested in getting into the hobby. Of course, there are satellite phones that get reception almost everywhere. While the cost of satphone communication has gone down, I can't really justify it.
Here's what we did. Nothing. We were out of contact with the world. Twenty years ago it was normal to not be connected 24/7. People had phones in their houses, not in their pockets. Being out of reach happened all the time in day to day life. Now if someone sends a text message and doesn't get a reply right away they get upset.
My lovely wife just popped a DVD in the player and we relaxed. We even got to watch it without interruption. It was nice.
-Sixbears
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Thanks Gorges!
ReplyDeleteHaha, wasn't it wonderful when life was simpler...
ReplyDeleteYes it was and I do miss it. You could even fix your own car, imagine that! :-)
DeleteThere are downsides to new technology that we rarely see coming.
DeleteQuiet time is so very good. Sometimes I just shut down the electronic do-dads and sit outside and read a book.
ReplyDeleteThe sound of the birds is my listen to music.
How wise of you. It's good to be able to turn them off. They are not our masters.
DeleteWe don't own a cell phone and our phone system has 3 phones to pick up, we garden and weed, and walk and I bike it everywhere..I get pissed in a grocery line trying to get frozen foods and perishables when a person takes a call in front of me, I just go to another line, I am on a bike and I can't wait to get out of the store with my insulated carrier and home to the fridge and freezer, it saves us tons of money, gasoline is about $4.19 a gallon for God's sake, I also dry almost all our clothing after a minute in the dryer on clothes racks I got that are wooden at a garage sale made by an architect lady & I got 6 for only $2.00 all I had in my pocket she dropped them off to our home it was a big way from our home but she sold everything and is living in colorful Colorado in a lovely area and did not need them anymore my big big gain, I use them in the winter in our garage we have a two car garage with only one car, plenty of space to hang up clothes and they dry well..Why oh why do people think electronic doodads are so damn important, we take the Amtrak to seattle to see our only child for near nothing it is nearly 260 miles of shit highway to get there and the Amtrak is cheaper cost effective nice to read our books and our only is at the train station via lightrail to fetch us when she gets to the emerald city..We save our sanity with cost effective living and actually enjoy our time on this terrestrial! Love your blog, if my hubs would ever enjoy a sail boat or boat we would sell our home and sail forever, but alas he just enjoys the beach in an old house with no electronics our best friend owns and doesn't get down to much at all, we feel like we are in heaven but no doctors live there and no hospital so we cannot live there full time!
ReplyDeleteLife can be just fine without a cell phone. You seem to be doing great with the way you are living. Stress is for other people.
DeleteGood practice for when the SHTF!!
ReplyDeleteBeing out of touch will panic a lot of people.
DeleteSort of reminds you of the days of more "sanity", right?
ReplyDelete