Slow Start

Getting started yesterday took longer than usual.  Computer problems continued, to the point I put in a call to my service provider.  The little cookie with whom I was connected did some tippy-tapping and decided it was my computer and not their problem.  Let me say from the git-go that I try to stay patient and maintain a sense of humor when dealing with tech support because, after all, I'm asking for their help and need them on my side.  In this case, that wasn't working so well.  Over the years, I've found there is one phrase that will break such an impasse, "Let me speak to your supervisor."  That is not something a junior tech wants to hear.  "Why?"  "Because we are not communicating."  From that point, regardless of her balking, I stopped talking and only repeated the phrase, "Let me speak to your supervisor."  Supervisor Lady came on, did some checking, discovered there was, indeed, a significant problem on their side, and passed me forward to a tech support honcho.  Honcho found out that the system should have been reconfigured to adapt to the new modem.  Two and a half hours from the first call, I was back up in running order.  Whew.

Either Thing has expanded his territory or senseless destruction is built in to the ground squirrel genes. Cohabiting with wild life here is, for the most part, truly enjoyable.  Between booby traps and bunkers in the pathways and yards, grain thievery in the barn, and this kind of mess, ground squirrels, cute as they may be, are not my favorites.

The blessed delta breezes kicked in at last.  What a difference the wind coming in from the coast makes.  After the heat of the last few days and starting out getting hot under the collar, a drop in temperature was just what I needed.

All's well that ends well.