Never Say, "The Worst is Over"

 

In my previous post, I said,  "The Worst is Over."   I will never say that again. (Never say never.)  On Christmas morning, AT&T and the 911 emergency hub in downtown Nashville, Tennesse were blown up. 

December 25, 2020. Second Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee

I am located 50 miles south of Nashville and my internet service is through AT&T.  We lost both internet and phone service. It appears, our phone carrier is leasing their cell tower space from AT&T so it has been unreliable. We don't have television because it is, in my humble opinion, boring, vulgar, and a waste of my time.  Within seconds, we were hurled back to the stone age.

The cell tower closest to my house.

Our internet is provided by Bill's company so he requested they handle the problem, but of course, the technician was on vacation.  No problem, we would enjoy the peace and quiet.  My men headed to the library and loaded up on action-packed guy movies full of fight scenes and explosions.  They were happy.

My guilty pleasure is library books full of pictures of gardens enjoyed with a cup of hot tea while watching snow fall outside.  I was happy.

Scooter's favorite pastime is sniffing a skunk's track and then coming into the house with a stinky face.  He is happy - we are not.

Shoo wee!

We are all introverts who are content to spend time relaxed at home.

The calm was shattered on New Year's Eve when I received a message from Mom's assisted living facility via my sister.  We tried to return the call but the phone didn't work.  My sister called Joshua and he was able to text us. Joshua and I could text back and forth, he could text others, but no one could text me.  Without the internet, we couldn't even send emails. The important message that had to be handled, was that earlier that day Nana had tested positive for the coronavirus and was feeling bad.  

Sometimes life spills out of control.

It became necessary for us to reach the outside world and so the "where is a signal dance" began.  We drove around town searching for businesses with free wifi whose signals could be reached from the parking lot because everyone was closed for New Years'.  We hunted down the local cell towers and parked under them to use their signals. We finally discovered we could check out a hot spot from our local library and tether the phone to it.  I now know: exactly how long my computer and phone batteries will last plus where all the strongest wifi and dead spots are around my house. The last few weeks have not been easy.

As of today, there is much good news. Our internet is repaired and our new speed has increased from 1 to 30 megabits per second!  More than one person at a time can watch Youtube videos. We are in the space age! This morning Nana tested negative and has beaten the coronavirus. She is tired and weak but will be fine.  Lastly, my favorite good news - we stopped by GoodWill and donated Bill's crutches, walker, and potty chair.  He is still improving.

Standing tall and proud.

I really want to say life is good and 2021 will be better than 2020...but I know better than to say anything. Now that 2020 is in hindsight, hindsight is 20/20.