Disconnected

Ugh. I found out last night that my phone and internet connection at home are down. I rang my phone service provider and it seems that somehow my phone line has been 'earthed'. In layman's terms, something has reached out and touched my phone line in a close up and personal way. So consequently I'm at the grubby but cheap internet cafe again. Not looking too closely at the keyboard. Ooops I just did. Gross.

The 2 storey house next door to me is currently being renovated and largely rebuilt, and recently the phone company (or whomever) has sheathed the wires in a protective cover as workmen are working very close to the lines. So I suspect that has somehow been the cause, or maybe one of the workmen accidentally touched something against the unprotected bit. Sadly, them next door look nothing like this.

Anyhoo, the upshot is no phone and internet until probably Monday. Grrr. Fortunately I have a very busy and fun weekend ahead, and Tall & Handsome gets here again on Sunday, so I won't be mourning all the good time on the internet I might be missing too badly. I just won't be able to tell you about it. See you Monday (I hope)!

[Updated: I take back the nasty thoughts I had about Telstra, and the workmen next door. (But I don't take back the hot linesman fantasy.) It's Saturday morning and I'm back on the grid! It turns out that the problem was with an underground connection just in front of my house. During the last rainstorm we had water got into the manhole cover thingy, and into a connection that wasn't as watertight as it should have been. George The Technician has just been and greased the join, for good measure. If he was hotter he could have greased my join, but sadly he was employed for his skills, not looks.]