Internet and Food Update

Well on Friday, Steve had our driver go to the internet company to see if the broken power cord off of the modem could be replaced. The response our driver received is that the cord is "use and throw." They wouldn't give him a different cord. Of course, this really irks me. It's not like we had been using the cord for a long time...only a day and a half before it broke! Our driver offered to pick up a cord for us at a store. I thought it would be best first to check with the landlord on the situation...after all, the modem should still be under warranty. Well, the landlord responded back that we would be much better off just buying a new cord. So, when we were out and about on Saturday, we stopped and had the driver run into a local electronics store to get us a new cord. Well, the new cord doesn't fit exactly, but it fits enough that at least the modem will now power on.

Of course, you know that can't be the end to the internet problems. Remember me saying that the electrician was going to come back and rewire something doing with the phone/internet lines...and remember me saying, why fix something that isn't broke? Well, the electrician came and rewired...of course, since the power cord on the modem was broke, I couldn't test out the internet connection when the electrician got done. Now that the modem is working again...of course, we find out that something is screwed up with the wiring, so the internet still isn't working! Ugh...very frustrating! Anyway, the landlord is sending the electrician back out to the house tomorrow morning. Luckily, the electrician is always on time, so I am confident that he will actually show up and be on time...and with any more luck, he will quickly figure out what the problem is and get it fixed. Hopefully then, the internet will fully be up and running for good. Crossing fingers!

Well, if you have been following along with my blog, you will know that we have been waiting for our food shipment to arrive for like forever now. Well, being our first shipment, I really had no clue how long it should take to get here once it leaves the U.S. I was guessing a couple of weeks at the most. It still isn't here and being that it should have left Illinois on August 10, it did seem like it was taking a really long time. Well, I guess some of the other spouses (who have received food shipments before and know how long it should take) were thinking the same thing. So, finally someone e-mailed the shipping company about when the food would be arriving. The response received back is not good. Come to find out the food just left Illinois on Friday, and thus isn't due to arrive in India until around September 5. When it arrives it has to clear customs, which can take a few days, and then we have to continue to wait as the people with our company who live in Bangalore get their food first before our shipment comes to Chennai. I'm guessing we won't receive our food before we go to Dubai in a week and a half. I hope I'm wrong, but at this point, it's not looking too promising. I guess our meals of Frosted Flakes and spaghetti will continue for at least a few more days.

Anyway, Happy Labor Day to everyone in the U.S. Labor Day isn't recognized here, so Steve still had to work today. I went and picked up our tickets for our Dubai trip from the travel agency, and then hung out all afternoon with a friend. Ended up eating Pizza Hut with her, her husband, and son for dinner. I swear it was the best tasting pizza I've ever had! We haven't had pizza here since our Domino's experience. We did eat out Friday night at a great Indian kebab restaurant, and on Saturday, we tried out a Mexican restaurant. However, for the most part during the week, it isn't feasible for us to go out to eat. Almost all of the restaurants don't open until 7pm, and by the time we would get done eating, we would still have a minimum hour drive back to our house. I guess I really need to scope out some restaurants closer to us. There just aren't a lot to choose from...and I just haven't got brave enough yet to try the ones that are closer to where we live. India is by far a place that you really want to hear from someone else that a restaurant is OK before you go to it yourself.

Anyway, I hope everyone has the day off and is enjoying it by cooking out. From what I have heard, the weather is still pretty nice in Illinois to do this. Here, the weather is the same as always...HOT...90 degrees plus every day. I was so excited the other morning when I got up, and the temperature was only 78 degrees out with overcast skies. I put on jeans and a long sleeved shirt! I have determined that any day the temp is under 80...so meaning that we are having a rare day when the temps are in the 70s...that I'm going to wear jeans and a long sleeved shirt. If I did this in Illinois when the temp is in the 70s, everyone would think I was nuts. However, here in Chennai, it's a treat to be able to do this. Of course, on the day I did do this, within an hour, the skies had cleared and the temp rose to 90 plus again...but I was already dressed for the day and refused to change!

OK, enough rambling by me. I hope everyone enjoys the fall in the U.S. I for one will definitely miss not having the cooler temps and fall foliage. Of course, I promise not to rub it in when it is hot here in the dead of winter in Illinois!