interrupt driven
isn't this why i left high tech?
So the other night I'm fixing the toilet - finally -
and the phone rings. I rush to answer it with wet hands
covered with rotted black junk from the tank flapper.
It's Martha from the Purrfect Companions committee. She
wants to fax me the press release. I rush into the other
room and turn on the computer and modem to receive the
fax. Martha wants me to beep her with comments. Why is
this so urgent? The thing isn't going out until next
Wednesday...
So this afternoon, I'm answering my e-mail minutes
before I have to leave to meet the kids. It's Roberta. I
tell her I can't talk now, I have to go. I feel bad.
My mind goes blank.
I rush down to the car and high tail it to Groton
feeling badly about not having time to talk to Roberta
about Purrfect Companions.
Isn't this why I left high tech?
Too many demands requiring instantaneous response. The
cover of Cosmodemonic's annual report shows some dude out
in the wilderness with his cell phone - checking his
voice mail - in constant touch with his office 24/7....
Exactly how is it that his cell phone works in the middle
of the high peaks of the Rockies? Where are the relay
thingies? Has Iridium finally been implemented and
satellites are relaying his call? There are no cellular
transmitters in the middle of nowhere. Well, maybe in the
Rockies there are. But there aren't in Siberia - the in
flight phones on Alaska Airlines don't even work over
Siberia... The other picture is of somebody on the beach
with his laptop. He's wearing a white shirt and dress
pants. I can't tell if he's wearing a tie because the
view is from the back so we can see his little laptop
screen glowing merrily. The beach is deserted. How long
has he been there? Is this Gilligan's Island? How long
will his battery last? Is he really reading e-mail? Why
is he dressed for the office if he's at the beach? Is it
a video conference?
I'm soooooo glad I'm not in that rat race anymore.
bank of Boston
credit card? what credit
card?
Meanwhile, my ISP notifies me that my credit card
charge didn't go thru. This is after I already
talked to Bank of Boston. I give them another credit card
number and look at my Baybank/Bank of Boston merger
packet. It says I can continue to use my credit card as
usual and they will send me one later in the year. Hmmmm.
I call them. They tell me they sent me a new one and I
have to activate it. Credit card? What credit card? I
haven't received any credit card in the mail. Surely I
would have noticed it! I activate it anyway. Big risk.
But what the hell!?!
keys ? what keys?
Ooops. I arrive at Kevin's moments before the
bus is due. I reach in my pocket. No keys! I my rush to
get out of the house and my interruption induced
stupidity I have forgotten the keys. I try the carriage
house door just in case that's open. It's not. Bertha
rubs against my legs imploringly...
nobody ever died from missing afternoon snack
The bus arrives. I tell the kids I've forgotten
the keys. Andrea insists she will die if she can't get in
the house immediately and eat her afternoon snack. Much
screaming and crying ensue. Andrea demands we all drive
to my house to get the keys. I explain that we can't miss
piano and we'll get the keys afterward. This does not go
over well.
it takes a kitten longer than 1 hour to starve to
death
Suddenly she plays the cat card. Jellybean (the
new kitten) is in there and he's all alone! He'll starve
to death (this is becoming a theme). More crying and
screaming. And crying and screaming. I am visualizing 20
years of therapy for each of them at my expense. Not to
mention therapy for Jellybean.
MCI
and Cellular One
So I try to call Kevin on my car phone. Hah! As
I discovered last week, it doesn't work in Groton or
Shirley. Between cells I guess. Andrea and Elizabeth
demand to know why I can't use the car phone. More
screaming and crying.
the brave new world d is not yet upon us
Between cells. What's a cell? Don't they have
satellites now? (Daddy is working on Iridium). I take the
phone out of the car hoping that putting it on the roof
will help. It doesn't. I am ready to call Cellular One
and tell them they can take their stupid phone and shove
it. But I have no phone on which to call them.
I vaguely remember a pay phone at a convenience store
near the bridge on the way to Mrs. Reed's. I order the
young 'uns into the car abruptly and drive to the pay
phone.
I dial the MCI number and enter my
account number. I get an operator who asks for my number
again. She says it won't go thru. She passes me to a
customer service rep who informs me I changed from MCI
back to MRP on May 21. I did not! Did not! Did not! She
switches me back to MCI and reactivates my card. Then she
puts the call through.
I am semi amazed that Kevin can hear me over the
traffic. He agrees to come home early. I tell him we'll
meet him outside after pinano.
Now, about those guys on the annual report cover? How
come their phones work in remote areas and mine doesn't ?
How can that guy on the beach be getting his e-mail via
wireless when I can't even dial my brother at work? Where
are those damned satellites? This is when I
want to be in touch, not when I'm backpacking or
beachcombing!
Jellybean
While we're waiting for Kevin after pinano,
Elizabeth asks me to buy a scratching post for Jellybean.
I say I will. Andrea describes to me that it has to be
white with light blue stripes. I don't know where I'll
find a blue and white striped scratching post. On the
other hand, the new kitten just had to be black
with white feet yet when Kevin arrives and I go inside
the house I discover that Jellybean is pale orange with a
white belly. And adorably kittenish.
Elizabeth asks if I'll stay for supper. I say no I'm
tired and in a bad mood and I have to buy a scratching
post for Jellybean.
Juliette
On the way home I call Nancy from the car as
soon as I get on the highway. I just want to:
a) see if the phone works
b) vent about what a horrible aunt I am
c) be reassured I have not developed some horrid
neurological disease overnight
I get home. I remember to call Roberta. We discuss the
problems with the press release. I'm just about to hang
up. Then she tells me Juliette has run away from her
adoptive home. The woman who adopted her is distraught.
Despite having given up several ounces of blood to
Juliette's claws I'm distressed. I want to drive to
Newburyport and look for her but it'll be dark
soon...
Roberta says she drove over the house and checked out
the neighborhood and it looks filled with dangers
including a huge dropoff onto Rt. 1 (those of you from
Massachusetts get the idea).
Stacy is making up flyers to post around town.
Juliette has one of our tattoos in her ear, so if
Animal Control picked her up they would've called us. We
make a lifetime commitment to any cat we take in. I sure
hope she's alive and she finds her way back.
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