Farewell to Freeserve/Wanadoo/Orange email

I thought I'd take the opportunity to mention this as we are just days away from the end of an era.

In 1998, I finally took my first steps on the information superhighway, as it was popularly known at that time.  I wasn't really interested in the internet to start with, but eventually my curiosity got the better of me.  My first internet experiences were at my local library in 1998, although it would be fair to say that the staff were not prepared for this new technological revolution!  Then I reached a stage where I had enough money to buy my own computer.  In those days, Freeserve was bringing internet access to the masses - for free, all you needed was to pay your phone company's dial-up costs - so I signed up with them, and got my original email address, which has (free)served me well since 1998. I'm proud to be "old school" :)))

Freeserve, which subsequently became Wanadoo, which subsequently became Orange and finally EE.
But one thing remained the same: my "Freeserve" email address.  Along the way, I also got myself a couple of Googlemail (Gmail) addresses after I started blogging, but that Freeserve email address was my main contact.  Considering how fast things move in the world of technology it should be very surprising that something should stay the same for so long.  But finally, a couple of months ago, I received notification that all those Freeserve/Wanadoo/Orange email accounts are finally closing down at the end of this month.  In the meantime, I've set up yet another Gmail address which will replace that much-loved Freeserve address.  It's been a lot of work and a long process having to notify all the companies I deal with, about my new email address - it certainly brings into focus just how much we use our email on a day to day basis.

If you are reading this and still have one of those email addresses, you only have a few days left to change it over; unless you have a forwarding arrangement to another email address, you will also lose all Freeserve/Wanadoo/Orange emails as well.

Those pre-switching blues

Forgive me for feeling more than a little agitated tonight, but as the date of the "big switch" is approaching I thought it was worth a blog post.

Having recently made the decision to "future-proof" my television, phone and broadband service, I'm also well aware that I'm taking a bit of a risk.  If mum was still here she would be fighting this with a vengeance.  She was always of the view that you should have separate services rather than combine all services from one provider.  However I have had problems with my TV recordings over recent months and after years of a good-but-not-great broadband service, I felt that the time was right to move on.

I want to embrace new ways of watching television and recently realised that my broadband was clearly not up to the job, so after 18 years (!) I'm finally parting with my ISP and going with a new provider.  It's a bittersweet parting of the ways as I can honestly say that over that time I've been lucky enough to have a very reliable internet connection, firstly as dial-up and then on to broadband, with only a couple of exceptions. Which isn't bad for 18 years.  But I now need to upgrade.

Long before "on demand" viewing became a thing, I was recording TV shows and watching them at a more suitable time, firstly on video and then on HDD and TV recorder.  Now, I'm impressed by the idea of watching TV on demand in new ways: either via the internet or on catch-up - with a view towards eventually subscribing to Netflix - and I'll get the best out of that with a high-speed broadband connection.  And then of course there is the highlight of every year, Eurovision national finals season, so I'm making sure that my high speed broadband is up to scratch before the 2017 adventure begins.

But my life being what it is, I'm well aware that the course of installation doesn't always run smoothly. In the bigger scheme of things I suppose this is a pretty irrelevant thing to get worried about but I'm naturally feeling very anxious. Being late to the "switching" party, with the same providers for years, I can only hope that in these "always on" days that there are no problems and I'm not left without a service for too long.

I've spend recent weeks getting my backlog of recordings down and realised that I need to get better at not letting recordings mount up.  And for everything else, that will be taken care of by my DVD box set Christmas wish list :)  So much for reducing the backlog!

Anyway I will see you on the other side, hopefully in a few days all being well!

So that was January...

At the end of that horrible nightmare which was 2014, I decided to throw that year in the dustbin and start 2015 with a blank sheet.  2015 already seems to be an improvement on 2014.

The best thing of all was that I started working part-time.  It immediately had a great impact on my mood, mental health and home life.  Long-neglected tasks are now being seen to at home, I'm managing my day to day work more effectively, it's all good so far.  It's my day off today, so I've had a lie-in! I'm typing this blog post and catching up with a few jobs at home. 

I guess the only down side is the financial aspect, as the pay cut has forced me to do some serious budgeting. However there comes a time when you realise that there are other important priorities, and I'm quite happy as long as I have enough to live on and save up for holidays of course!

I have had to make some big sacrifices in other areas, cutting unnecessary spending and stepping up bargain hunting to a new level.  I used to be a compulsive shopper but this habit has now been well and truly curbed!

Last year I gained just over two stones in weight in the space of 9 months.  That's a pretty frightening statistic, but I didn't feel that it was the right time to throw myself into a fitness regime until a few days ago.  Hello again to the exercise bike, weights, mini stepper and walking to and from work.  I'm beginning to feel the benefit already, although there is still a long, long way to go.  I'm not dieting but slowly reintroducing healthier eating back into my life.  The other reason why dieting isn't really happening is that one of my plans for this year was to learn to bake and my first attempt was pretty successful.  I made cupcakes on a day off in January using my brand new food mixer and it went well.  (I'll post the pictures on here later once I upload them from my phone).  Assignment no.2 turned out to be the Great Meringue Disaster.  I guess that's one for a later date.  Meringue fail aside, I'm planning the next instalment.  Be very afraid *evil laugh*.

I'm trying to throw myself into mindfulness, which appears to be working for me most of the time.  Even the below-freezing temperatures haven't got me down!  Last week we had a lot of snow which still hasn't melted.  Anyway I'm taking everything one day at a time, but I'd be a liar if I said there hadn't been dark days over the past month: there have been more good days than bad days though, and the old 'January blues' thing didn't really happen as I was actually relieved to get Christmas, and all that surrounds it, out of the way.  One very positive thing was that I managed to overcome my terrifying social anxiety to go to what turned out to be a very enjoyable evening last Friday with faithful travelling companion and his lovely friends. 

I took a month out of blogging and tweeting, although the planned internet detox didn't quite get off the ground.  (Will maybe try that again in the summer, the way I did a couple of years back).   I finally got round to getting my laptop screen fixed as well.  Just in time for throwing myself wholeheartedly into Eurovision season of course!

What part of 'I'm not interested' don't you understand?

Cold calling is a menace these days.  As if all the usual PPI/double glazing/conservatory nonsense isn't bad enough, it's even worse when you're being constantly harassed by a company which you receive a service from. My ISP in this instance.

Persistent calling about the same thing.  "You receive this service from us, but did you know that you could save blah blah blah per cent if you switch your phone/TV etc....".

Now times are hard these days and everyone's out to save money wherever they can, but do we really need reminding 3 or 4 times a day that "if you switch....."?  I know from talking to some other people that they've had some negative experiences when they switched phone/internet/TV services.

Even though you tell the caller that you're not interested in changing at this time and you will contact them should you change your mind, that's not enough for them.  They will call and call and call until they break you down.  But I've got news for them - this is just making me more and more determined not to take what they're offering.  I've even made a complaint to the ISP about it.  Which is presumably going straight to Deleted Items. 

Strangely, since I made that complaint there has been a noticeable drop in my internet connection speed....

Happy birthday Google.

Two big significant birthdays this week: Google's and mine ;))

Anyway Google is 12 today, which means it was born in 1998, which was my first year on the internet too, which therefore means I can't remember web-life without Google in it.

Happy birthday Google, and don't get too stroppy now you're a teenager!

Windows 2010 / Frozen Britain / Buffering / Phone....

Taking a bit of "chill out" time which in these temperatures takes on a new meaning!

I'm not referring to some new operating system, but actually to the new windows at EuropeCrazy HQ which are very nice and functional and ...new, but there is so much else to be done, involving continued upheaval over the space of the coming week which means normality and blogging and stuff is on hold yet again.

FROZEN BRITAIN! yells the headline scrolling across the screen of all our news channels. As this country is totally rubbish and can't get anything right, we're therefore subject to salt shortages. (I wonder what the implications are for chip shops across the UK???? What will you have with your vinegar??) Anyway there's a grit shortage, cars are skidding and crashing, people are falling and fracturing limbs, and we've been looking out at the same snow/ice which has refused to shift since about mid-December. Still, it could be so much worse. You could live in a part of Russia which is -40 degrees. Wonder how they cope? Better than us, I should imagine.

What's been annoying me today? Constant buffering on YouTube, and not being able to watch the Norsk Melodi Grand Prix because I don't have this super-duper-fast internet connection.

On the plus side, I got my new touch screen phone on Friday, which is going to take me about 5 years to actually learn how it works, ha ha.

And one more thing: woolly hats with pom-poms totally rule.

A year of Sitemeter.

A year ago today I got Sitemeter, and things have never been the same since.

Purely because I realised very quickly that a) more than 4 or 5 people were reading my blog(s); and b) with blogging you reach a truly worldwide audience.

So, at the end of Sitemeter Year 1, I give you my visitor numbers.

EuropeCrazy: 30606.

Planet Salem: 10400.

Random Ramblings: 396.

Thanks to each and every one of you who's ever accidentally stumbled across, or deliberately made a point of visiting, any of the above - much, much appreciated, I love having you all to visit - it goes without saying.

Now, off to Sitemeter for just one more check...!

Another four hours later...

Ladies and gentlemen, after yet another four hours tonight...

EuropeCrazy HQ finally has wireless broadband!!! We have a "network"!

(However I will need extra hair dye for all the grey hairs which this whole experience has given me, and trauma counselling to deal with night after night of frustration trying to get the thing installed).

I got those wireless broadband blues :(

Three hours last night, almost another three hours tonight and still no joy.

I almost made it only for the whole thing to crash on me again. Wireless adaptor is not compatible with Jurassic computer and all-singing all-dancing wireless box thingy.

So it's going back to the shop tomorrow, and I'll get a better one at the weekend.

You know me by now, where there's a will there's a way. As usual there's lots of will but in this instance not much way :(

So I'm sticking with the wire-y broadband, at least till Sunday when I will once again attempt the impossible!!!!!

Three hours.

Yes, it's taken me three hours to set up my wireless broadband...and still nothing.

As my computer is of the pre-wi-fi Jurassic variety, I have been trying to install a wireless adaptor so that this will speak to my wireless box and everyone will live happily ever after in 8 meg unlimited surfing harmony.

Uh-uh.

Wireless adaptor and Jurassic computer have not seen eye-to-eye for past three hours so am officially on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Have now given up and gone back to the glory days of trailing wires across the floor (eyes already glazing over nostalgically).

Will try again tomorrow.

AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even broader-band

Within the next two weeks I should have wireless broadband, which should improve the health and safety rating no end at EuropeCrazy HQ as there will be no trailing wires to trip/somersault over any more :)