Internet
My internet is down at home--something about the DNS server. Comcast is sending a technician out to fix it, but they can't come until Thursday. Very frustrating!! I wanted to upload the pictures I took of my new apartment (they let us look at it yesterday). Plus, it is so weird not to be able to access the internet. It makes me think about how technologically dependant our society really is. When I was little, and we first got the internet, checking my email was a PROCESS--you had to turn the modem on, open up Prodigy (yes, we had Prodigy) put in your password, and wait for it to connect. (Which took about a year and a half.) And you couldn't do it whenever you wanted to--if someone was on the phone or expecting an important phone call, forget about it. Then we got a second phone line dedicated to the internet, and that was easier. Still had to wait forever to dial in though. Now, with DSL or high speed internet or whatever you have, all you have to do is click the little internet icon and you're online. You don't need to be connected to your mail provider in order to surf the web. And if you have to go 10 minutes without checking your email you have a heart attack. Its the same thing with cell phones. Every week at orientation I give the new hires a speech about how cell phone usage at work is stealing company time, because we did not hire them to send text messages or play games or whatever, and the customers need their full attention. Then I tell them their best bet is to not have their phone on them. It never fails that at least one person says something along the lines of "but my kids/babysitter/partner/whatever need to be able to reach me!!" Now, I do understand that need. But I remember back to when almost NO ONE had cell phones. Parents were still reachable at work--you just called the work phone and someone got them for you.
Don't get me wrong, I think that cell phones are great, especially in an emergency. I don't know what I would have done without my cell phone when my car died in the middle of the highway. I am currently sitting here looking at my 2 cell phones--no I did not get a work phone, I am just in the middle of transitioning between 2 cell phone contracts--and I know I would feel naked without my phone. But there is a time and a place to be using it. Out on the sales floor, in front of the customers is neither the time nor the place. Doing that can also cause you to make some pretty serious cash handling mistakes as well.
In other news, Hawaii in less than 3 days!! I fly out Friday morning, and I am so excited!!!! Mom and dad are already there, and mom has been keeping me updated with pictures and video messaging. (see, cell phones again.) I can't wait to go, and I only wish I could stay longer. Then I come back, work for 4 days, and go on vacation so we can move. Then I come back from vacation, work for a day, then take 2 days off for Rosh Hashana. My boss agreed to let me take the 2 days off and work 10 hour shifts for the rest of the week, which is really nice of him--I am using my personal for this quarter for Hawaii so I did not have any extra time off to use for the holiday.
Alright time to get some work done!!
Don't get me wrong, I think that cell phones are great, especially in an emergency. I don't know what I would have done without my cell phone when my car died in the middle of the highway. I am currently sitting here looking at my 2 cell phones--no I did not get a work phone, I am just in the middle of transitioning between 2 cell phone contracts--and I know I would feel naked without my phone. But there is a time and a place to be using it. Out on the sales floor, in front of the customers is neither the time nor the place. Doing that can also cause you to make some pretty serious cash handling mistakes as well.
In other news, Hawaii in less than 3 days!! I fly out Friday morning, and I am so excited!!!! Mom and dad are already there, and mom has been keeping me updated with pictures and video messaging. (see, cell phones again.) I can't wait to go, and I only wish I could stay longer. Then I come back, work for 4 days, and go on vacation so we can move. Then I come back from vacation, work for a day, then take 2 days off for Rosh Hashana. My boss agreed to let me take the 2 days off and work 10 hour shifts for the rest of the week, which is really nice of him--I am using my personal for this quarter for Hawaii so I did not have any extra time off to use for the holiday.
Alright time to get some work done!!