Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Google Voice Disaster Continues - On Our Land Day 10

We wake up bright and early, and now that it's light enough to drive the mess that is our road, Quantum heads towards cell phone range to retrieve the text message from Google - a 20 minute drive each way.

He comes back with the code they've sent us, and we cross our fingers and plug it in. Oh but it can't be that easy. Google seems to have wanted INSTANT verification. We no longer have an account (since I guess it timed out) and we have to set it up all over again. At one point where you have to do the verification thingie and type in whatever word you see on the screen, Quantum calls me over. The word they want us to type in is "loser." Okay now you're just messing with us! We do a screen capture but then the computer cuts out before we have a chance to save it.

Next he tries the generator. The seal is gorgeous and it's no longer leaking. However you seem to need to be a body builder to get the damn thing started, and after an hour of trying, he still can't get it to fire up. We're going to need to find a small engine mechanic to look at it. But the modem is being freaky and we don't have a phone.

Realizing that there's no easy way to do all this from the middle of nowhere, Quantum recalls a little internet cafe (in Hicksville, believe it or not!) and decides to go to town with the laptop and try to work it out there. Besides, he hasn't taken the time to get a shower in a week (feeling that he needed to rush back to work on the corral) and he's feeling the effects. He packs up a towel, shampoo and gets ready to head out.)

One of the perks of having CK mad at me is that I get to spend the day in glorious silence. I dig out my book on gardening and look up some of the information I need to get our garden started - even if it's a minimal winter garden. I do some digging under the tires of our trailer. It's listing to the south, and we realize that a truly strong wind could blow it over. We're going to need to lower the wheels on the north side, and probably also brace it on the south.

Quantum returns. He thinks he's got the Google thing set up okay now. Maybe. Kinda. Sorta. We at least seem to have an account, and maybe even a phone number.

I take the puppy out for a short walk, and as I'm returning the sky darkens and gets misty and the wind picks up. In the distance, the Spanish Peaks are almost invisible. Big storm coming. Quantum and I dash to get the tarps. At least half of our possessions are spread out on a tarp near our trailer and if we don't cover them, much could be ruined. We fight the tarps and the now-heavy wind, trying to batten everything down.

Dark comes and the storm isn't here yet. Then finally about 20 drops of water on the windows and its all over.

I go to sleep while Quantum tries to make some test calls. As I'm dozing off, I hear his mom's voice coming from the computer. She can barely hear him. Out of the load of headphone/microphone sets we've got, not one of them seems to work.

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