Lughnasa Waning Summer Moon
Weird issue. I couldn’t get an internet connection. At first only on this desktop. Then, the TV I watch during exercise went. And the second computer I have set up. I reset the router, did all the tricks I know from now over 30 years of messing with computers as a semi-literate end user. No joy.
I did have the occasional blip of magical thinking. Perhaps this will just solve itself. That does sometimes happen with electronics. Not this time. I knew it was not the router because the downstairs TV worked as did wifi. I set it aside because it was evening and my brain is not too crisp later in the day. The computer itself had failed to turn on and that was too much.
Got up this morning even earlier than usual, around 5:15, fed the dogs, came up to the loft. What the hell could be going on? I looked at things, unplugged and replugged ethernet cords. Then, I decided to try the light next to my reading chair. It didn’t turn on. Hmmm.
Looking behind the computer I noticed my UPS unit was dark. Now that’s really weird. It’s the backup to my backups. Never supposed to go dark unless there’s a power outage. In that case it has a battery that allows powering things down up to a couple of hours after a power loss.
OK. What about the surge protector? I looked at it, didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but it is below a table in the shade. I might be missing something. I bent down. Nothing. Got my flashlight. Checked that all the plugs were tight. They were.
Wait. Those little green led lights. Are they lit or not? I turned off the flashlight. Nope the surge protector led’s were not lit. What the? Flashlight. Looking around. There, hidden under a lip of plastic was a red button, probably a fuse or a circuit breaker? Anyhow I flipped it. And, voila, let there be bytes! Everything returned to normal. Second computer connected. Yes. TV. Yes.
Best guess? A doggy induced power outage. Gertie loves to go underneath my computer table as a shortcut. And, no, I have no idea why. She must have somehow bumped it and tripped the circuit breaker? Really, I have no clue. Occupied a good part of the day yesterday and this morning.
I had a vague sense of panic at being disconnected. Oh, that’s a strange feeling. What will I do? Read? Heaven forfend. I like to read by choice, not by lack of choice. I could have adapted, I’m sure, since I’m of the precomputer revolution era, but I sure didn’t want to.
Which made me wonder if what I’ve gained with all the electronic whizbangs is really a distraction, an electrical haze between me and the world. Probably. At least to some extent. But, then, so is reading. So is spending time at the library. Ink and paper haze. Or, taking care of machines. An oil and gasoline haze. Movies. Television. The issue is not the medium, but the user. Me.
