Technology challenges

Thursday 1st October, 2020.

Yesterday it was arranged by a friend that Sky engineers should come to sort out the wifi. This had been initiated because my basement television did not work...." No signal" or "no connection " coming on screen. All sorts of buttons and knobs pressed without success etc as this has happened before. Anyway I was told the engineer would come between 8am and 1pm. 

I woke with a start at 7.58am. And jumped out of bed. Well, not quite jumped but it was a rough and dazed scrambling. In pyjamas and dressing gown I was in the sitting room by 8.03am and able to answer friend's email saying "are you up?" Then another email arrived shortly after saying ' engineer, Owen, has texted to say he is on the way'. 

Owen arrived at 8.27am. I was impressed. He looked 16 to my aged eyes. He had a mask  and wore it. He had over shoes and wore them. He was very polite and positive. Off and on he asked questions and fielded mine. By 11.30am he reported that it was all sorted and he was off. I spluttered a little and told him my television was not working! He replied that he was not the television engineer but the internet engineer and the fault reported had been about the wifi mega wattage! Does that make sense? He muttered something about checking the main terminal in the local High Street and he'd pop back. Sadly he did not pop back. Also I had another email from my friend reporting that she had received a text,

" internet sorted. Owen has gone to next appointment". I replied...he may have sorted the Internet ( and it is working) but not the television. 

I screamed. I stamped my foot and chuntered about the world of technology, internet, gadgets and business etc. Years ago I recall the Bishop of Leeds noting that he would, ' not sully my lips with the word but it rhymes with sugar'. 

The friend invited me to the solution. So off I went to the allotment. Trimmed the edges of it. Cut the French beans. Covered the brussel sprouts. Cut more sweet peas. Picked a few tomatoes. Dug up carrots. My mind left the 'sugar' situation as my muscles ached and my back stretched and the earth smelt and the other allotments looked just so good. The rain of the previous day had stopped and it was dry and autumnal and mellow.

Then back to three cups of tea and when I have written this I will have a hot bath. I also have a racy novel to read. I will leave the novel I am currently reading of a world altering pandemic to another day when I am stronger. 

After the bath I will heat a beef pie and cook leeks taken from the allotment skip, my own courgettes and then maybe a 'Catch up' on my iPad! I just hope I do not dream of Artificial Intelligence consuming the world....either 1984 or The Time Machine!