The End Of The Internet

Last year, my immense frustration with my Internet situation was well documented (The Internet Box Hates My Computer).  The awful clicking noises, the absolute refusal of the Livebox to work anytime after 7pm, etc.  This year, all has been pretty peachy in regards to Internet usage.  I was able (thanks to another assistant) to obtain the universal login name and password for the Neuf Wifi hotspot near my apartment.  And while the only slightly frustrating thing was having to log in every 2 hours to refresh the connection.  But I had reliable Internet that worked at a time convenient for me and my family and friends across the Atlantic. All was good.  Until last Tuesday.

Over the past week or so, the network would stop working for random 5-minute periods.  I hadn't thought anything of it; there must've been a lot of people trying to access it.  No big deal.  But on Tuesday, the network disappeared (for what I thought was a 5-minute period)...and never returned.  After talking to other friends who've been employing the same "free Internet" method as me, we've realized that this is likely the end of our usage.  All of their networks have stopped working as well, leaving us stranded, with no connection to our lives back in other places.  Blurg.

I'm planning on asking the intimidating principal who lives across from me if I can get her network password and use her Internet service (of course, paying for a portion of her monthly bill).  Until I'm able to track her down, however, there is no Skype, no Facebook, no LOST, nothing.  Luckily, I have a large collection of DVDs with me to keep me company on the long, Internet-less nights (Lord of the Rings or Indiana Jones marathon, anyone?).  I couldn't even check the Super Bowl score until 2pm today.  On that note: I hope my brother is not lying in a gutter on Bourbon Street, screaming "Who Dat!" to passing stray cats.

Clearly, the Internetz hate me.