Off The Grid

by Lori Dwyer on September 15, 2011 · 14 comments

I’ve been off the grid for three days now. It feels like longer.

I have no mobile reception, except when I stand under the carport in front yard. I’ve made the decision to go against my grain and am now, for the first time in ten years, the proud owner of a land line home phone number.

It’s kind of like anti-progress. Or something.

The fore-mentioned home phone line is currently running 48 hours in being connected. They tell me my Internet is 3-4 business days behind that, but I’m not holding my breath. You may remember when I moved last time and spent 4 long, lonely, net-less weeks waiting for my wifi.

I’ve become one of those people who go to Macca’s, buy a Coke and then sit and use their turtle-speed free wifi connection. Alternatively- I’m not sure which is worse- I’ll become one of those people who bombard my tech-savvy friends houses and force them to mind my kids for an hour while I get my web fix.

In all honesty, it’s not bothering me as much as imagined. No text, no phone calls, no Twitter, no FaceBook, no email. The only thing I’m desperately missing is my blog, which is why I’m punching out this post in Word.

Apart from my blog, the silence is not as deafening as I perceived. It’s been a refreshing reset, a little bit of space with no nagging emails to answer, to blog posts to write, to text messages to respond to. Kind of like a mental holiday.

I got so into the off-the-gird concept yesterday that we actually went timeless for 24 hours. I’ve been having the unique problem with my iPhone where every time I sync it, it resets the time forward by 15 hours. After synced it on Tuesday, I forgot to check and reset the time. And decided I wasn’t going to let it bother me.

My phone is the only clock I have. And that was OK. I could have, if I needed to, booted up the computer and reset the time. But I decided that we were on no schedule, and I really didn’t need to.
So we spent Thursday night and Wednesday with no idea of what the time was, except when PlaySchool came on at 4:30pm. I ended up resetting my clock late tonight- Wednesday- when I finally finished unpacking and turned on the computer.

Yep, I said ‘finished unpacking’. I know. Three days into our new house in the Tiny Train Town, and we are settled in, a place for everything and everything in its place, right down to those family portraits and happy snaps that are back up on the walls.

Pictures of our lovely, tiny, crooked new house to follow. Very soon, hopefully. Just as soon as my Internet connection is up.

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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }

Office Phone Systems September 17, 2011 at 6:04 pm

"Unpacked??? That's awesome! I moved in February and I'm still living with boxes :(" Your busy I guess.

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Shellye September 17, 2011 at 5:33 am

How awesome is that? Already being settled in? That's unheard of! Congrats to you, Lori! Can't wait to see the pictures!

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Crystal Goulding September 16, 2011 at 1:04 pm

Wow all unpacked already? Thats lightning speed!! Just want to thank you for your video on the RUOK? site, you have encouraged me to tell my story as i'm sure you have to many others! Such an important issue I dedicated my day to harrasssing Facebook friends and making sure they were all OK! I aim to continue to ask more regulalry now too! Hope you are OK xx

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Oscar’s Mum September 16, 2011 at 8:08 am

Sounds like the move went well and you're settling in. Great article on Essential Baby Lori.

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Melissa September 15, 2011 at 11:32 pm

Unpacked??? That's awesome! I moved in February and I'm still living with boxes :(

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Crystal September 16, 2011 at 7:41 am

I do that sometimes – just unplug for a day. It's awesome! I can't wait to see the pics of the new house – it sounds like you've made yourselves at home already! :-)

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Melissa September 15, 2011 at 8:09 pm

So glad you are getting settled – can't wait to see the pictures. Will cross my fingers for fast internet for you :) Perhaps you could email via smoke signals? Carrier pigeons?

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Miss Cinders September 15, 2011 at 6:22 pm

OMG Lori! You have got to come unpack for me! 9 months and I am STILL not unpacked fully!!

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Lady Koukou September 15, 2011 at 2:06 pm

you are unpacked after 3 days? wow I still have crap in boxes after 3 years. Enjoy the mental break – sometimes they are the best ones x

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Steph(anie) September 15, 2011 at 1:49 pm

I can't wait to see it. Thank you for giving us our fix of RRSAHM.

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Miss Pink September 15, 2011 at 1:14 pm

I turned my phone off and kept all social networks closed (I believe I did take a couple of peeks into people's blogs) on Saturday and it was lovely. The kids were at my parents so I was really just "doing nothing" as opposed to easily being distracted by them.
It's nice to be able to just stop for a bit. The time thing sounds like a fun idea (I'd have to do it on a weekend, because I sorta need to get Bluey to and from school which is a tad time sensitive, lol.)

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Hespera’s Garden September 15, 2011 at 11:47 am

Don't forget your local library… free wifi there generally too ;)

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kelly@tearinguphouses September 15, 2011 at 11:29 am

i love going off the grid like that now and again. refreshing.

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Good Golly Miss Holly! September 15, 2011 at 11:45 am

So glad to hear you're settling in, my love! Enjoy being off the grid, we miss you x

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