Chance of Connectivity: 35%

Turns out the entire condo complex has bad wiring. All the residents are having trouble with their cable and internet connectivity. There's a condo association meeting later this week, but historically, renters don't attend those meetings and that's what we are. With luck, the owners will be fed up enough to get the place rewired. It really is dismal. Wires strung outside the building, split randomly, exposed to the elements. The signal is so weak that anyone with digital cable can't even get a complete picture.

I think it's almost three weeks now since the trouble started. Three weeks of spotty internet access. It's maddening. No World of Warcraft for weeks and weeks. And to make matters worse, my employer is particularly strict about how I use the internet at work. No connection at home, and no freedom at work. How will I feed my addiction? I'm damn near fetal here, sweating through my chair as I go through withdrawal.

The negative still doesn't overshadow the positive, however. The view outside our living room window remains fantastic.

Next weekend Jer and I are off to Portland, OR to see a play and stay in a fancy hotel. And I bought tickets for next October to see the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Pacific Science Center. This is how I get my mind off the internet. I buy things that force me to leave the house and experience real life. Unfortunately, real life is usually a poor substitute for Warcraft. I guess it wouldn't be that way if I lowered my expectations.