What We’ve Got Here is Failure to Communicate

The view yesterday from our front porch.

When we describe where we live, everyone assumes it is idyllic.  Don’t get us wrong, we love living here, but there are things that you have to learn to live with.  Unpaved roads.  Mud and rock slides.  Electricity that works MOST of the time.  And a lack of broadband internet.  Cable modems and DSL are simply not options.  Satellite internet is the only possible broadband option.

Our first satellite internet choice.

If you google satellite internet, you discover there are only a few options for home users (i.e., avoiding spending a few thousand dollars a month).  Our first satellite internet provider was fine when it worked, but it took three attempts to get it installed (the first two times, the installer never showed up).  And then, after a couple of years of service, the equipment broke down and we were told it would take 6 weeks for a repair person to show up.  We cancelled the service.

Can you hear me now?

Since then, we have been working with laptop cell phone technology.  The company we picked is the ONLY cell phone provider who’s signal actually reaches the house.  Some of the time, it is actually a 3G signal.  Not a lot, but some.

Deja vu all over again.

So yesterday, we had a new satellite internet provider installed.  This blog is being written on that signal.  May the signal last!

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Over the last several weeks, we have had several readers ask if there was a way to subscribe to this blog.  Using a tool like Google Reader, you only need to put the home address in, and the automatic feed will work.  But we have also added a “Feedburner” email alert at the top of the right column of this blog.  Simply enter your email address, and you will get an email from us every day letting you know what is new.  Try it out – top right column.

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Like our communication theme today?  Well, the last part of communication is talking to other pet blogs.  Today is Pet Blogger Hop day.  Review the list below, go exploring for other blogs, and hop around the web.  Oh, and make sure you join as well.

27 Comments

  1. The Luke on July 29, 2010 at 1:46 pm

    Must say that I love your title post… what is quote from likely THE BEST MOVIE EVER MADE.

    Just sayin.

    Next, I must say that I hate to be incommunicado, and I also hate it when my friends are! Long and consistent may your new satellite system serve you!

    wif love from the Luke

  2. Kari on July 25, 2010 at 4:49 pm

    I think it sound perfect. Having lived in Alaska before moving to California I have come to appreciate the interesting places 🙂

  3. Rachel on July 25, 2010 at 12:11 am

    Very excited to see the feed burner e-mail option. Google Reader is too much of a mess. I love your blog!

  4. Huffle Mawson on July 24, 2010 at 9:48 pm

    Well the post is up so I’m guessing the satellite did its job for at least a little bit!

  5. Kess & Her Mama on July 24, 2010 at 9:42 pm

    Hope your latest internet service will enable you to blog easily. It is annoying to lose service midway or to wait ages to upload photos! Now that we’ve subscribed to broadband, life on the net is so much smoother and faster!

  6. KB on July 24, 2010 at 8:25 pm

    Oh my, I can relate big time! I spent hours today trying use our very weak signal to upload a bunch of photos, trying not to let my anger at the slow web connection leak over into my post. And, we don’t have ANY cell phone reception at our house… which makes our city friends go truly insane – because they’re forced to “disconnect” while they’re here.

    Oh yes, and I love it when “blogger” informs that I made a “bad request” after I’ve waited 45 min for a photo to upload. Then, I have to start again. I’m pretty sure it’s just that it took too long so blogger gave up on it.

    So, I truly understand. I’m glad that you had SOME way to post!

  7. Mogley G. Retriever on July 24, 2010 at 8:24 pm

    Our human spends time in an area without a web or cell phone service. He thinks it is great, when the stress of the city begins to get too him we take the wire cutters away from him so he won’t kill our internet and TV. What would we do without The Dog Whisperer? It does make it hard to keep the blog up to date however. There again, we seldom have anything fun to tell you about anyway.

    Mogley G. Retriever

  8. Lorenza on July 24, 2010 at 8:06 pm

    I hope this one behaves!
    Happy Saturday!
    Kisses and hugs
    Lorenza

  9. syschoberians on July 24, 2010 at 7:16 pm

    Awesome post title, both for GNR and Cool Hand Luke which I am sure your pups can relate to the word cool and think of more comfotable times.

    Every time I think about leaving the traffic, sprawl, lame people and other issues of living in Southern Calif I will remember to think of this post among others ………. I still think you guys win.

    Remy and Flash

  10. Holly & Khady on July 24, 2010 at 4:09 pm

    We live in a big city and still lose our power. And, even with cable internet sometimes there are problems there too. I guess we just can’t have everything perfect everywhere.

    Hope the new satellite works better for you!!

    Holly and Khady

  11. Houndstooth on July 24, 2010 at 3:11 pm

    I feel your pain! We are the last to get electricity restored here when it goes out and internet and cell service is… less than desirable! I laugh everytime I see those AT&T ads about more bars in more places, and I’m not talking about Nigel’s black bars!

  12. Painter Pack on July 24, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    Mommy says she would love to be your neighbors! And I bet there is enough small furry creatures to give all us huskies (and non huskies) a good run!

    Mya Boo Boo

  13. Sallie on July 24, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    Alien knows all about Satellites.

  14. The OP Pack on July 24, 2010 at 1:40 pm

    We hope this one works well for you. Our Mom doesn’t like satellite because it goes out when there are storms. One of our human sisters has it because her husband loves all the sports he can watch. But when we have severe weather and they have no TV to warn them, it is not good.

    We catch you in GR and are so glad we can do it that way.

    Have a good weekend – is that field cut yet?

    Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

  15. Sagira on July 24, 2010 at 11:56 am

    Sometimes you never think about the conveniences that you have.

  16. Sam on July 24, 2010 at 11:30 am

    Good point, bringing up the things about your home that aren’t exactly ideal. So often, I envy you guys, and forget that there would be things out there that I wouldn’t like, too.

    Still think I’d rather be there than here, though. I’ve got internet troubles here, too!

  17. jack & moo on July 24, 2010 at 10:59 am

    Here on the island is the first place mom’s lived that doesn’t have those annoying power flickers that shut everything down, nor does she have to go shove the snow off a satellite disk, so we are experiencing internet heaven… at least for now. Hope your new system works out – we’d hate to lose woo!

    jack a-roo & miss moo

  18. Kit on July 24, 2010 at 10:55 am

    We finally got DSL last year, after begging the phone company to try!!!
    May the force be with you…
    ~K

  19. Sammie on July 24, 2010 at 10:36 am

    Paws crossed that Hughes keeps on keepin’ on fur you all! I’m thinking that as little as ten years ago (I’m late!), I didn’t have a cell phone and still used pay phones if I got stranded! How did we, as kids, ever get by without text machines hee hee! But I don’t like missing your posts, so I hope this satellite thingy works longtime!
    Hugs xoxoxo
    Sammie and the crew here

  20. Lu-Lu & Lucius on July 24, 2010 at 10:19 am

    Hopped on over from the Blog Hop.

    We live out in the country also so I can relate to some of your communication woes…and the dirt roads too!

  21. Sam on July 24, 2010 at 9:39 am

    Aaron and I want to move out too. This is good information to know, as this has been one of our chief concerns. We haven’t had television for years, so we are not worried about that, but we would really like to be able to have the internet!

    Sam

  22. Mike Criss on July 24, 2010 at 9:03 am

    Ah yes, we install Hughsnet all over remote Alaska. Works well actually, hope it works as well for you.

  23. The Army of Four on July 24, 2010 at 8:21 am

    We don’t have 3G here. Sigh. OK, we do have cable…. but not 3G service.
    Go, signal, go!
    Tail wags,
    Storms

  24. tula on July 24, 2010 at 7:45 am

    satellite don’t fail woo now- or woo’ll have the t-herd to answer to!

    scratchies,
    tula

  25. the booker man on July 24, 2010 at 5:36 am

    i’ve got my paws crossed that your new interwebs keep workin’!! 🙂
    *woof*
    the booker man

  26. Khumbu on July 24, 2010 at 4:44 am

    Wooo we too have to use satellite internet, its worked great for the Hu’mans and us to do our blog, just the occasional hicup. Will keep paws crossed it works well for you too.

    Khumbu

  27. Khyra on July 24, 2010 at 1:12 am

    I khan hear woo!

    But then again, Mom has been with THEM since December of 2004 –

    Mom says THANKS fur the ear worm about failure to khommunikhate –

    Something about GNR –

    Hugz&Khysses,
    Khyra

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