Trust me, you do not appreciate the godsend a broadband internet pipe is, until it is gone. Then, I suppose that is the case with most things, the heart always longs for something that is no longer there. It has been nearly exactly three days without the broadband at home and I am truly suffering, particularly on a Friday night. Normally I would blog, download some new tunes, read up all the latest news on various blogs, forums and discussion groups and generally look forward to whatever the weekend has in store. Instead I find myself on the computer as usual, but very much offline. A strange experience, particularly for me, as I have been online in some shape or form for the past five years and before that, would always hog the phone line with dial up. Pav mentioned that it was a viable option (while on MSN at work this morning) but I prefer to continue cold turkey. Once you have broadband, going back to dial up would be a killer and there is very little I could achieve on 56k, apart from perhaps checking my e-mail. I wonder how long my counter will have to clock up before I am switched onto to Sky broadband. The latest update is that Orange still have a tag or marker on my line and it takes them up to ten days to get this removed by BT Wholesale. My discussions with BT Wholesale have proved the most shocking, from their records Orange have not even been in touch to have the tag removed. When I go back to my former ISP, I am told that it takes up to five days for it to appear on their systems. Strange how in 2007, the digital age, I am stuck between two different stories and more crucially no online access. I am sure I will survive but it is hard work, a tough test.

Left work at 5pm this afternoon and headed over to Pav’s place. He was not there, and as I pulled up on his drive, it started to rain. Great(!) I had booked in the A3 for a full auto detail this weekend and was handed the keys to the trusty and rusty Rover. How do I even begin to describe driving the dark blue, M-reg car from Caversham back to Wycombe. The steering is feather touch light, the clutch loose and the brake squeaky but somehow I made it back home in one piece. You could tell the original engine had been replaced by a Honda model, it over revved at the finest of touches on the gas pedal. I am really looking forward to picking up my clean car on Sunday evening. Plans for the weekend? Not much really, FA Cup final tomorrow but beyond that nothing really exciting.