sideways pink lightning and other disturbances

August 3, 2001

This Year's Bird List:
Plum Island Bird List

Today's Reading:
The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan

This Year's Reading:
2001 Book List

Today's Starting Pitcher:
Tim Wakefield - well he will be if the thunderstorms stop - rain delay segues into rain out - sigh

Computers are overrated. Highly overrated. I mean the entire company at Starship Startup is totally dependent on Outlook, not just for email but for scheduling meetings, booking conference rooms, remembering meetings that have already been scheduled, putting in requests at the IT help desk, just about everything. On Monday the network went down. It was just like the olden days when everybody was connected to the big mainframe through terminals. All work stopped. A guy I'd scheduled a meeting with (confirmed verbally too) forgot because Outlook was down. Conference rooms went into free for all mode - first come first served whether you reserved it or not because of course Outlook was down.

Adding to that, when I came in on Monday the lights were not on. People were toiling away in the dark. No, not because Outlook controls the lights, but because nobody knows where the light switches are. I felt proud of myself for intrepidly exploring the dark reaches of a dead end hallway to locate the light switches. Of course, I didn't do this until I'd been sitting trying to work in the dark for two hours. But I did it. It was all I could do not to proclaim "Let there be light!"

The problem with the network turned out not to be the dreaded worm or anything, but a bug in our simulator. Poor simulator guy took a ribbing. That wasn't the end of the Outlook problems though. First it was there, then it wasn't, then it was, then it really really wasn't. How did people live before email?

Actually, I think all of western civilization is collapsing. I dropped off my car at the Honda Barn this morning for its 60,000 mile maintenance, having arranged for a rental car for 8:00 AM. I discussed it with the car rental place in detail ahead of time and reminded them I really needed the car at 8:00. So there I am at the Honda Barn watching some morning TV show (are all the AM shows the same? they sure look it) with the time ticking away. At 8:40 I am seriously worried about being late for a 10:00 meeting. I go back downstairs to the service desk and ask "Have you seen [car rental], they were supposed to be here at 8:00?" Nope. They haven't seen hide nor hair of them. The service desk calls them. They're on their way. I watch TV some more. Person from [car rental] arrives. She's very sorry -- very sorry -- but ... drum roll please.... THE COMPUTER WAS DOWN!

Western Civilization in Decline... right there in North Reading, Massachusetts... oh, and Outlook wasn't working too well when I finally got to work either... but I have a good old paper planner and a pen ... I pity today's kids who can't write without a keyboard....

Periodic downpours and rolling thunder punctuate the afternoon. The Honda Barn calls and says they'll call when my car is ready. They never call back but I head out on the highway anyway. Not that the highway is moving or anything. Traffic, traffic, an more traffic. I might as well just never try to go home on Friday nights. Some time later around 7:00 or so I arrive. Honda Barn closed oops. I look at my watch and the sign on the door. Yup. Closed. For some reason, I decide to try the door anyway. Door open. I let myself in and ring the bell at the cashier's window. This scares the heck out of the woman who's there. Her family accidentally left the door open moments ago. I tell her about the traffic. I get my car. Happy ending.

Now I get to watch the spectacular lightning display in peace. Jagged pink lightning streaks sideways across the sky. No computer required, just plain old New England weather puttin' on a show.