Internet

We will have “permanent” internet installed on Monday.  It will have speeds that top out at 384 kb/s.  Now now, don’t go getting all jealous on me.  You, too, can have painfully slow internet.

Actually, no. 

You can’t.  

Because this is ludicrous.  And if you are reading this, you probably have speeds faster than dial up or even 384 kb/s DSL.  I know this because when you have slow internet, you don’t seem to “browse” the internet as you do when it’s super fast and readily available.  You get in, get out, and get the things you need done.

The sad truth is, I’m getting used to it.  Slow internet has made me more efficient.  It streamlines what I want to do and I get it done with minimal distractions.  (Distractions can be expensive when you pay-as-you-go.)

I almost appreciate the slowness.  It has freed up a lot of my time!  I’m wondering how well the DSL line to be hooked up will work, and if it will once again affect my internet usage.

The biggest downside, aside from not being able to IM with my friends, is research.  It’s the ultimate browsing activity!  And when we booked vacations and trips, 99-100% of this research was done online!  Here we are in Europe, filled with places I’ve wanted to visit, and limited access to research how to get places and what to do once we are there.  But at least it forces me to be organized with what I want to look up, and then to keep that information some other offline, but easy to access place.  Bookmarks do not work as well when internet access is limited.

So, I guess I should just stop whining and adapt.  It’s harder, and inconvenient, but possible.  And, with our new DSL package, comes a home phone line.  

With FREE calls to the US!  That should pay for itself with the international calling card minutes I’ve been using!