Inbox

The Internet was on the fritz all over the dorms this past weekend – or so I heard.  All I know is that from Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening, my computer would not connect to the Internet.

I am an obsessive e-mail-checker.  I know this and I’ve given up fighting it; the computer wins every time.  If I’m in between activities – if I’m in room – if I’m even the slightest bit bored, I automatically take to checking my e-mail, even if I just checked it five minutes before.  I didn’t realize how dependent I had become on the Internet until it wasn’t there.  Losing that connection, even just for a day, was difficult.  I guess it’s true that most of the time you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone.

So, for about a day, I was at my wit’s end trying to decide what to do with myself.  I don’t like checking my e-mail on public computers, so I had refrained from using the ones in the library, even though I felt certain I would have a million e-mails in my inbox when I did finally get to check it.  On Sunday afternoon my Internet withdrawal reached a peak; I actually began fearing for my sanity (what little of it I have left).  Later in the evening, however, I had almost forgotten about the Internet because I was having such a great time at Celtic Fest*.  But when I flipped open my laptop after getting back to the dorm, I saw that my computer was now recognizing that the Internet really was there and I was overcome with ecstasy.

Without wasting a second I opened Internet Explorer and navigated to the page where I could sign in to check my e-mail.  My fingers raced across the keyboard and I waited impatiently for the window to load.  As the screen came into view, I waited with baited breath.  This was the moment I’d been awaiting for almost a day and a half now.  I looked at the screen and saw…

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*Author’s Note:  Celtic Fest is a local festival every fall that celebrates the Celtic heritage.  It includes authentic clothing and song and dance and not-so-authentic pretzels and nachos and cotton candy.  But I’m not complaining.
**Originally written 10-10-07