I took care of setting up our electric, water, gas, and rubbish collection (which, it turns out, is free, which is just strange to me), but I gave the responsibility of setting up our phone and internet to my husband.
He was micromanaging my decision-making process and was trying to convince me that we ought to get pay television for the first time in ten years, so I handed the task over to him (after telling him just how much I hate pay television and don’t want it in my home. That’s a blog post in itself, but until I can do it in a funny way rather than a ranty way, I’ll simply say that I hate pay TV).
It was after we returned from closing on the house yesterday that I learned that my husband had not yet set up our phone and internet. So, I went online and did it, and discovered that the earliest install date was August 11.
We’re moving in on the 1st.
I’ve requested expedited installation, but I won’t learn if that’s gone through for 1 to 2 business days.
As of now, I’m planning to be without phone or internet and with limited cell phone use, since my phone gets spotty reception at our new home, until August 11th.
What does this mean for you, dear blog readers?
It means that, if I can’t get to free wifi on a regular basis, my blogging will be sporadic for the next 11 days.
What does this mean for me?
It means that it’s good that the people who are giving us their pool table for free also gave us their old GPS for free because I won’t be able to get online directions before heading out the door.
It means that, if I don’t go absolutely crazy in the process, I should have plenty of time to unpack without the distraction of online or phone communication.
It means that I’ll be blogging every day in preparation for the time when I’ll be able to log in and publish posts.
It means I’ll be screwing up the courage to ask our very friendly new neighbors if we can use their wifi for a couple of days.
It means that I’ll be stowing my laptop in the diaper bag and frequenting coffee shops and libraries when I’m not unpacking. (“Hey kids! How about we go for some more hot cocoa?” “Oh, Mom! Do we have to?”)
So, stay tuned for details about our move and our new home and what I’m planning for the next year now that my happiness project is just about over (I’m not even sure yet, but I think it involves a lot of reading on my part since I’ve already joined two book clubs and am thinking of starting a third). It might be good to check back every day, just in case I get to post.
You could also “like” my Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/imperfecthappy) or follow me on Twitter (@imperfecthappy) or subscribe to the blog (using the “Subscribe” function on the right sidebar) and be alerted the moment I’ve published a new post.
I’ll try to post once more tomorrow evening to close out my Happiness Project year. After that, I make no promises. I really should have set up some guest bloggers.
If you want to guest blog, send your posts by carrier pigeon or smoke signal, as it appears that’s the only way you’ll be able to reach me for a while.
Imperfect Happiness 
Glad to see someone else who doesn’t feel the need to have “pay TV.” Every time I tell someone that we don’t have cable, they look at me and think that I mean something like “we don’t have the ultra premium cable” or something. Nope, nothing at all…
Very glad to hear that you have nice neighbors!!
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Now if only I could break the kids of the tv habit entirely. People told me the second would start watching earlier and watch more than the first did, but I’m not sure I believed them until I experienced it. I attribute it to my own weakness, but I try to comfort myself by saying things like, “Well, sounding out words didn’t click for my daughter until she saw it on SuperWhy!” as if that justifies the Curious George marathon. I don’t like it when I don’t live up to the unrealistic and (often) arbitrary standards I’ve set for myself.
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Wow, that’s fantastic! Sounds like you’ll fit right in 🙂
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All I can say is, enjoy your time away! Congrats on the beautiful home!
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Thanks, Heidi! I was feeling ambivalent even up through closing, but after visiting again yesterday and planning out where to put things, I feel much more enthusiastic. These first couple of “where the heck is that thing that I desperately need?” are going to be a challenge, but it will be nice to be back in our own place again. And we met some of our neighbors yesterday, and they’re phenomenally friendly. One couple invited us over to their house and gave us fruit plates and seltzer water and they’re giving the kids the plastic play house and sandbox their daughter’s grown out of. The other neighbor has two teenaged daughters who want to babysit, which is, of course, awesome!
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haha nice! good luck on your new home! anyways what’s “pay tv”? did you mean cable/dish tv? about the wifi, check first if there’s some neighbor who has no idea about the word wifi, they probably don’t have security and you can use it for free haha…
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By “pay tv” I did, in fact, mean cable/dish. In conversation, I usually refer to it generically as “cable,” but I thought that might imply a preference for satellite tv that I don’t have. I’m sure I’ll find some way to access the internet during this blackout time.
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