Netless

We are so going through withdrawl. We've been without Internet connectivity for days now, and I've not had luck finding wifi. We can pirate from a couple of neighbors (unsecured systems), but that's so not nice nor legal. And they aren't particularly strong signals; I've been known to switch from our connection to theirs and back again to make the iPhone recognize our own system again. But by and large, I've been having to use the iPhone to get the net. The iPhone also doesn't read Flash (my biggest gripe, the one thing that knocks iPhone just a notch or two away from perfection), and that means no school, since it's all Flash-based.

I went to the library yesterday to remedy this. I couldn't connect to their wifi. I went through my settings, rebooted on the remote chance that would work, attempted to connect with the phone to confirm it was a problem with the wifi and not the MacBook. I was able to maintain a connection on both devices for two or three seconds, but then it died every time. In irritation I finally went to the front counter to learn the Great And Glorious Secret of Connection. The librarian looks me over, sighs heavily and says, "Well, do you have a laptop?"

This activated my Sarcasm Circuits, which struggled mightily with my need for information.
"Yesssss...I have a laptop and can maintain a connection for only a few seconds."
She eventually determines that the problem is my location. "It doesn't work in the kids section of the library,"
Blink.
"But I have kids."
She shrugs and draws herself up. "Well, it's meant for out here." She flicks a hand towards the periodicals and reference materials, folds her arms and stares at me.

We left. Not before checking out a kajillion books, but I thought her complete attitude (at the MK branch of the St Charles County Library System, for any supervisory people) was totally uncalled for and unprofessional. Why didn't I move? Silly me, I neither wanted to leave two kids unattended in the kids area, nor interrupt the quiet and sanctity of the reading and reference area by taking the kids through their math and science lessons.

Why on earth would you restrict access in the kids library? What did they think we were going to do, play loud video games? We were actually going to cover ocean currents, tide pools and coral reefs, and look for related books.