FIVE days later...

I knew when I moved to New York that I would be sharing the city with 8 million people.

But I foolishly thought that since there's more people, there would be more repairmen.

That was a stupid assumption.

As you all obviously know, I have a blog, I am a freelance writer, I'm trying to find a writing job.... etc. All of this requires me to be on the Internet. So when it started acting up, meaning I could go online at some points during the day and other times I could not, I called the cable company.

Their first question?

"Is the cable plugged in?"

Um, I might be a little naive at times, but I'm not an idiot.

So four people later, they said they would send out a repairman. In six days.

SIX days?!?!

Here's where I begrudgingly admit that the Internet has become like my cell phone - I feel completely lost if I don't have the technology at my fingertips WORKING properly!

A friend and former colleague who grew up in New York warned me that it takes FOREVER for repairmen to show up, but I thought "forever" meant, like, a whole day later. Man!

So I told the IT guy that I am a freelance writer and needed the Internet to do my job (which is technically true. They didn't need to know taht I don't have any assignments due this week.)

The guy paused, then said he'd talk to his supervisor and get back with me in five minutes.

This was satisfying... for five minutes.

Then he called back and said that the earliest appointment they had was in FIVE days. Gee. Thanks.

Guess I'll be spending a lot more time at the Columbus branch of the New York Public Library!