Help! I’m an addict!

On Wednesday  morning while I was trying to sort out the shambles that had been created between Amazon and the Kindle store (my paperbacks and kindle books all separate, as though different books not different versions of the same book) my internet went down.   It has done it before – each time I rebooted my router until it eventually came back.  However my service provider said there appeared to be a fault and that I was to call them next time it happened.   Which was Wednesday morning around 10 am.  The ISP checked and said the fault appeared to be with the line so they reported to fault to Telkom the state owned company who provide all the ADSL lines in South Africa.  Telkom said there was a fault in the whole area which would be looked into.

I waited and I waited.   Twelve o’clock came, then one o’clock then two o’clock.  I could feel myself getting more and more stressed.  By 2:15 I came to the conclusion that I am hopelessly addicted to the internet.  I feel cut off from the world, from my life when I don’t have it.   I know the first step is to admit one is an addict.  I have taken that step.  I admit it!  I am an internet addict!

On Friday my service was restored – after more than 48 hours later.   A long looooong 48 hours.  However I did find that I had far more time to do things without the distraction of emails and I actually finished the first draft of Rock-a-bye Baby.  I now have 11 days to proof it and get it ready for publishing.   What with last minute Christmas shopping, end of year/Christmas parties and preparing to go away time will be tight.  Perhaps the internet should go down again?  Could I turn off the router?   No, I couldn’t go that far!

But I have made a decision.  When we go away at Christmas I will not take my laptop with me.  I know it’ll be difficult – I know I’ll have withdrawal symptoms but I will do it, cold turkey!  I will take it one day at a time.   I will be strong.  Of course, as a very last resort, I will have my iphone!

Till next timeJ