Technologically Challenged

We’re trying our best to get the telephone and internet system figured out here. We should have a regular house phone as well as a DSN phone line for my husband’s work purposes, and then of course we should have DSL internet service with a Vonage internet phone.

A couple of weeks ago two gentleman came to put in what they said was a DSL line. I must have asked them 10 times if they meant “DSL internet/computer” or “DSN work phone” and they kept saying “DSL.” Yes, there was a language barrier, which was expected, but one of the gentlemen spoke English fairly well, so I thought we understood one another. Uh... we didn’t.

After 3 1/2 weeks we still are unable to access the DSN phone line we’ve supposedly had all along. My husband has called the powers that be on base to inquire about this situation several times and each time they tell us that it should be working now. That’s great news, but the thing is… it ain’t workin’!

The other thing we couldn’t figure out was how to access voice mail on our regular house phone. People would call the house when we weren’t around and they’d get this voice mail that sounded like a little kid, only it wasn't one of ours. Perhaps this is a message the former occupants used, but we have no idea. What we need to know is how to put our own voice mail message on the phone and then how to retrieve the messages. Have mercy!

Someone came just this morning to install internet service. Yeah, baby! We were up and running and I was typing an email to my mom when the same two phone employees showed up to “fix” the DSN problem. Now we have no phone, no internet, no NOTHING! They’re still working, and thank God my husband is here with me, or else I’d probably be losing it. This is all confusing enough without the language barrier.

I suppose we’ll later look back on this experience and laugh about it. Let’s just say I’m looking forward to the day when I’ll feel like laughing about it, ‘cause right now… I’m not in the mood. For the love of God, just give me my phone and internet!

P.S. Just a quick update after this posting earlier today... WE NOW HAVE INTERNET SERVICE! Praise ye the Lord! I'm doin' my happy dance. See, I knew all it would take was for me to whine and complain about the situation and then I'd get what I wanted all along and feel immature for having made such a big deal out of it to begin with. Happens every time.