Thursday Thirteen banner courtesy of Samulli.
13 THINGS TO DO WHEN THE NET IS DOWN
The internet is an outstanding resource for learning and entertainment I can’t imagine my life living without it. We have been unplugged at work and here’s some things to dooutside of the rabbit hole.
1. Clean out and categorize bookmarks. Sites that I haven’t visited for a month means it is not important anymore. Eliminate all bookmarks that are not necessary.
2. Go to Control Panel and uninstall programs that are not being used. Why deleting them is good even if there’s still plenty of space on the drive? Because it makes things like Scandisk and Defrag run faster and more effective.
3. Cleanup the office desk. You’ll never know what you might find in the dark corners. Diassemble the ball of cable behind the desk. Untangling a cable ball can induce a state of Zen and it’s rewarding when the mouse reaches as fas as it used to.
4. Unplug the PC and clean-out the dust. I have discovered that my fan has built up a rabbit hutch to keep all the dust bunnies fuzzy enough to dwell. Never forget to clean the keyboard just in case.
5. Talk to other people in the same room.
6. Look around and memorize the faces of the many Indians around. They all look the same, especially when I am looking at my system and just see them in the sidelines. Try to recall their full names and associate with the face. It is a good brain exercise!
7. Write blog posts using a blog client like BlogDesk or just the Notepad. Not being connected may force anyone to write about something different, like ranting or doing a Thursday Thirteen on things to do when you have no internet connection.
8. Write down logins and passwords for all my sites, blogs, email accounts, affiliate programs, webhost – - all information about my online life in a convenient but secure note.
9. Backup all important files and organize photos. Reminiscing on each memorable photo is a good way to while away the time.
10. Reacquaint with the good old bulky dictionary than just relying on online resources. Amuse yourself with the notes you scribbled when you can’t speak Nihongo at all 11 years ago.
11. Grab a notebook and a pen and write the meal plan for the week. This is a task you can also do even without internet connection with notepad or Word but sometimes, it is also good to check on how bad your handwriting got (after all those typing-only sessions).
12. If still bored, go through the temporary internet files and pretend the internet is still working!
13. Go out, see the sun, look up to appreciate the nice weather and pray that internet connection be back real SOON.
Can you suggest anything else?
If you’ve got time, you can check out another TT here.




{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
The nature of my job requires I have an internet connection. So #1 on my list would be: “either use dial up connection or relocate to a place with an internet connection.”
Happy TT. Hope they let you keep your connectivity. I’ve been following the saga on your blog.
Lots of good ideas. I would love to take the time to do a lot of these however (knock on wood) I am still connected.Happy TT
greatfullivin’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #7
I’m with Puss. I’d be out of a job without an internet connection. Yikes.
Robin’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen – Hannukah
At work I’m lost without the Internet. We send everything — both internally and to our clients — electronically. I don’t NEED it at home, but I admit I’d be lost without it there, too! (And thanks for visiting my TT, Ms. United Arab Emerites!)
The Gal Herself’s last blog post..THURSDAY THIRTEEN #43 — About a Blog …
Hi! Very helpful TT entry. I do write drafts whenever the internet is down.
Thanks for the visit a while ago.
Take care.
gellianne’s last blog post..Thursday Thirtten # 7
Lots of good ideas. I do always try to back up important files and photos. It’s one of my biggest fears that the computer will die taking that stuff with it.
I really should clear out my bookmarks though. There are way too many that I never even look at.
tanabata’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #9: Winter
LOL! I should do a lot of those, especially clearing out my bookmarks–I’ve transferred my packrat tendencies to the computer, and there are so many that I thought would be fun/interesting/useful but that I’ve never used.
Darla’s last blog post..TT #76
You really seem to have had a lot of time to think about such things lately. LOL
Good tips, though. I do most of that stuff anyway, even when my internet is working, mainly because my computers are al old-ish and need constant maintenance to keep working at all.
samulli’s last blog post..Feeling left behind
If I don’t have internet connection at work, I don’t work. My job requires me to have internet connection. At home, well, it gives me an excuse to write. Heh!
Tempest Knight’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen
Wow. Look how many of us rely on the Net for work. Amazing, isn’t it? Ten years ago, who would have thought? (Well, the Tour Manager, since he builds this stuff…)
Happy TT, babe!!
Susan Helene Gottfried’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #56 — Trevor? Bored?
well…me only use internet when i am free..huhu..
soul_krasty’s last blog post..Free Ebooks Anyone?=)
I wish I could bring my USB flash drive to the office so that I could just type my draft in Notepad. Writing it down on the paper is really troublesome and painful to my wrist. Also, I couldn’t understand what I wrote when it’s time for me to type and post it! tsk tsk
shiera’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #3
No… internet… can’t imagine!!
Carrie Lofty’s last blog post..Life!!
These are some great ideas. I try to stay on top of deleting/organizing bookmarks on my work and home PC. The ones on my PC can get out of control because I am always adding stuff… but sometimes I forget to go back and visit the site one I bookmarked it.
By the way, thanks for stopping by and commenting on my post about the Ultimate Cheesy Ballad Playlist. In case you also wanted to weigh in on my Thursday Thirteen about actors/actresses whose nationalities may or may not surprise you, here is the link:
http://popculturedish.blogspot.com/2007/11/thursday-thirteen-23-13-actorsactresses.html
Malcolm’s last blog post..Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Current “Annoying TV Character” Poll… thank you.
What great ideas! You could always work on writing posts then bump them up to blogger. I do this sometimes. I’m amazed at how productive you are!
On a Limb with Claudia’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen: Experiences with Dead people.
It’s funny – I just commented to another TT’er that I don’t know what we could do without the internet at times!!! What a great list – I actually do a great many of your suggested items fairly frequently…I compulsively clean-up my bookmarks and programs and desktop items and such about once a month. For your number 13, if you’d send some hot sunshine-y days my way, I’d be eternally grateful! Texas doesn’t have the worst winters, but I sure hate when it gets cold-ish and dreary here!! Great TT – thanks for visiting mine, and I’m so happy I got to visit you back!
Tiffany’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #6
Internet working or not, I sooooo need to take care of that list too. Including going outside.
Great TT
Cindi
Cindi’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen – Glimpses at Tree #1
boy, do I need to clean off the computer desk! i just hope it doesn’t take broken internet to get me to do it…
Erin’s last blog post..13 Memories From My Childhood
Hang in there! It’s crazy how much we rely on the internet. Scary sometimes, I think in some ways it makes us “stupider!” Haha! Back to my computer now…
Jennifer in OR’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen: Holiday Giveaway of Sports Stuff
You make me laugh. Great list.
jennifer’s last blog post..Mint Candy Wreath
Not have the internet? Yikes! Then I’d have to do laundry.
Believer in Balance’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #12: Award Winning Family Games
#5 was awesome!!
Mom Not Mum’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #22
Isn’t work the place that you do most of your blogging? I don’t think I’d survive!
kailani’s last blog post..Giveaway: Planet Mom T-Shirts
And here I just whine and complain when my internet is down. I should make better use of the time.
Come visit my Thursday Thirteen if you get a chance.
Natalie’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen – What I Like About the Holidays
What a unique idea! I don’t want to think about the net not working though.
amy’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen: How Amy got her groove back!
#13 cracks me up because I just went out this evening and saw Christmas lights. I haven’t been out at night in a while. LOL – How lame am I??? Thanks for stopping by and Happy TT.
This is a brilliant list … I need to get on it .Thanks for the reminder and the laugh.
Babyamore’s last blog post..Topmomma
What a great list! I love number 5! LOL! My husband and I have actually IM’d each other when we’re in the same room! Thanks for visiting my T13!
Leslie Dicken’s last blog post..The body goes haywire
No Internet connection? When my ISP goes down on occasion I start to fret. During the day I have little else to do but run my business, and it usually happens when I have something important to do.
Michael Weir’s last blog post..The Design Dashboard
Thanks for visiting my magic quotes TT last week. Sorry I’m late with my return visit; I got the flu.
Tink’s last blog post..TT #66: animation movies