OK, so, maybe it doesn’t actually suck but it’s definitely NOT my friend today. Here’s the deal. I work virtually. That’s no secret. That means I work from my little office at home doing work — mostly bookkeeping for companies across the country. I have clients in many states. The majority of them I access via the internet. Sometimes it’s slow, but for the most part it works out really well. Everyone — my clients in California, Texas, etc can access the same files/documents that I access here in Idaho. It works out really well. Until today.

Now, let me tell you how today was supposed to go. I had planned on getting up and working on entering some invoices for a client so they would be able to cut their A/P checks by noon their time…which meant I had to be done by 10AM. No problem. I also had a rather large bank account to reconcile for three months. And, one of my manufacturing client’s year end is tomorrow so I needed to assist them (again, virtually) print out all their year-end reports that can’t be printed after the fact. Now, that may seem like a lot, but it’s all a normal days work.

But then I woke up. sigh I was working along just fine entering those invoices when all of a sudden nothing. Yeah, that’s right, my virtual desktop went blank. I tapped, I refreshed and nothing. I reset my modem. Nothing. I called my client and informed them of the problem honestly thinking I’d step away from my desk for a little bit and come back with everything OK. Nope, not the case today. I called my lovely ISP and get the recorded “we know there’s something wrong with our service we’re working on it” message. Great!

So, I start to panic. I take great pride in meeting my deadlines. I admit sometimes deadlines have to be changed but sometimes they can’t. Today they couldn’t. Luckily my sister-in-law reminded me of a new coffee cafe in town that has WIFI so I called them to make sure they aren’t using the same ISP I use and I was in luck. So, off I go to the coffee cafe.

On the way I realized that with all this work I needed to suck it up and purchase the 10-key and wireless mouse I’ve been needing to get for my laptop. So, I make a mad dash to Office Depot and purchase a sweet wireless 10-key and mouse. Then head to the coffee cafe for a day of work.

I arrive, purchase my lunch (cause if I’m going to have to work here I might as well indulge in the perk of eating lunch and a yummy coffee, right) then set-up my “desk”. Everything’s set-up but the stinking laptop is freaking out on my. Can you believe it? I was going mad. Finally I realized it was just downloading updates and stuff and it was ready to go. Only one problem. Remember that swee wireless 10-key and mouse? They don’t work!!!! Seriously, I can’t get the USB to accept the receiver.

Well, here it is five hours later. The wireless stuff is crap but I was able to accomplish my work. I only threatened the computer with being thrown out the window about five times. Three coffees and a yummy lunch later I think I’m ready to go. Only I’m afraid to leave because at home I have no internet awaiting me. sigh I guess I’ll have to find a hobby or something. But, this sucks. I had seriously planned on working all weekend. I have things I need to do. Oh well, I guess I’ll find something fun to do this weekend. Who knows what that will be.

Till later….either from a fixed ISP at home or from another visit to Kootenai Coffee.