Triumphant return!!

I'm back!  Online that is.  My internet finally started working yesterday, after being installed Wednesday and then a two day wait for it to be activated.

While I had been worried I wouldn't have internet until November, not having it for these few weeks has really been killing me.  In addition to the sites I visit regularly for distractions, news, and funny things I found the most annoying aspects of not having internet:

Not being able to check my bank account.  I don't get statements here so I've been completely in the dark and unwilling to check it via a public network.

Not having Google maps to find places I'm supposed to go.  I always have to take the children to random places and I've mostly been going by my map of Paris and luck.  Google maps is so awesome I definitely was taking it for granted.

Not having weather info.  Paris weather changes so quickly it's been frustrating to not have a forecast.  Luckily, though, we were having a bit of an Indian summer here - it was absolutely gorgeous, around 80 every day, and no rain and little humidity, for almost 2 weeks!  That rarely happens here even in the height of summer so this was a strange occurrence indeed.

Not having Skype, Gchat, etc.  I've been so cut off from everyone!  I missed news on a lot of things and have only had hit or miss communication with my friends.  Over the summer I felt like I was able to keep in touch with people very easily and it wasn't so bad to be so far away.  Without internet access I've definitely been more lonely.

Not being able to download new music.  I LOVE new music.  A lot.  I had the foresight to get a bunch of new albums before I left my old apartment but I've been getting restless with my current library.

Many people (mostly of my generation of course!) have been asking me what on earth I do all day without internet or TV and not having my normal endless supply but books.  The first thing is - I haven't had all that much free time.  With the school year starting I was working a lot, well into the evening and part of the weekends for the first two weeks I was back.  And part of the time I did have was devoted to settling into my new apartment - unpacking, going out and getting things.

Other than that: in the evenings I've been repeatedly watching some movies I have on my computer, playing Angry Birds, and I downloaded a Kindle app on my Blackberry and read books on that.  It's rather frustrating to read on such a tiny (and broken, since I dropped it a couple weeks ago) screen but it's all I had!  Additionally I was reading historical fiction (something I probably haven't done in like 10 years or more) and ghost stories, because they were super cheap to buy for the Kindle.  Not my usual academic and/or classic literature fare, but it's been rather entertaining in that I don't have to think.

You'll probably be getting a small barrage of posts within the next few days as I already have a few ready to go or at least planned out.  I hope everyone finds their way back here after my hiatus!