Because our home is out in the sticks, we have only had DSL internet service for about five months. We were the first home on our road to get DSL, prior to that, only dial-up was available. Of course, we were satisfied with dial-up back then, because we didn’t know any better. DSL has made schoolwork, research, and blogging at our home so much easier. Funny isn’t it, how after just five months of using something better, faster, and more reliable we feel almost paralyzed with it gone. We are suffering from the internet blues at our home this week.

One of the boys wanted to research something earlier today and I asked if he had forgotten that the DSL modem had died. His response, “Mom, we used dial-up for the past 10 years.” What could I say, he was right, I just didn’t realize how slow, and cumbersome it was until I tried something else.

I had to drop Lane off at the college early today and let him stay late so he could do his on-line psychology class there. He needed to upload a PowerPoint presentation he finished yesterday; we knew he couldn’t do that on dial-up. He did try to sign in to the college blackboard to take his weekly quiz, but the dial-up froze on him. Well that was one way to get him to do all of his work before midnight. Usually, with his ADHD he puts it off until the last possible minute, frying my nerves.

I guess if I want to consider the advantages of not having DSL then I could add in that Dani can’t sneak onto the internet. It is a bit more cumbersome and noisy to sign on with dial-up so maybe she won’t attempt it. Ty may have to give up trying to sabotage is older brothers until the new modem comes as well. When they aren’t looking, he opens a new tab on one of their computers and goes to the Runescape site. Then he tattles on them for playing games instead of doing their school.

Never a dull moment around here you know. We definitely have to keep on our toes to figure it all out. In the mean time, the siblings are getting their schoolwork done and, I am getting my blogs posted. I may not be so quick to respond to comments though until I get DSL back.

Photo Credit 2007 Julia Fuller