Monopolies by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images
Starting off Lent with an electronic blues progression
by Eric Jackson
Wednesday:
Will this be a full day off, or just half a day? They buried the sardine about midnight last night and now it’s early afternoon, and my +móvil nanochip has turned into a pumpkin. Just need to charge it, I have a couple of cards, but if I have a cell phone that might charge it I don’t have a cell phone that I know how to use to charge it.
Easy enough to give a standard answer, but this is Ash Wednesday. This morning the guy in Anton to whom I would go was not there. If I go back in, will he be working a half-day?
~~
He was there, and uploaded my dongle stick chip for me. A temporary fix, requiring more inquiries. I dread the thought.
Along the way to Anton and back twice on Ash Wednesday, I noticed the aqueduct crew working, as they did all through Carnival.
Thursday:
Woke up this morning and…
A quarter of a tank of water! More than I have had in weeks!
For one thing, it calms me down about Clark, the wise guy runt, tipping the water bowls with his paw and as often as not ending dumping them out.
I can more easily bathe myself, and the prospect of doing laundry by hand at home, as it has been my general custom to do, brightens considerably.
The truly thorough cleaning of my house? There is promise of sufficient mop water, at least. You’re still dealing with a scruffy old hippie living the rustic life in a guy cave, with too many animals.
~~
Into Penonome, to check about the transition from Claro to +móvil.
,
By THIS monopolistic merger, I can’t get the $46 or so monthly rate for wireless Internet service. Actually they offer no such service at any price. I can keep charging that chip and at a much higher price get comparable connections.
This comes at a time when for me, with a laptop that has a dead battery, free or reasonably inexpensive places to plug in and log onto WiFi are ever fewer. There are hardly any Internet cafes anymore. Last time I went to the InfoPlaza in Anton, the guy said they don’t have WiFi. A lot of places where you can get free WiFi, you can’t find a place to plug in anymore.
I have some Plans C, D and E, but one expectation is that for the time being I am less connected than I want to be. It especially hampers the burning of the midnight and pre-dawn oil.
The more long-term solution is going to have to be installing StarLink. I expect that this will entail the construction of a tower. I hope that it does not entail the cutting of my majestic bamboo stand, but SOME cutting and use of that material is definitely called for, no matter the Internet connectivity issue.
Anyway, now to get down to brass tacks about dealing with the apartheid emerald mining heir’s competition from above and abroad.
As the drought eases a bit, rampaging puppies knocking over the water bowl becomes less of an issue. Photo by your editor. Wanna adopt a cute puppy?
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