Every time I check the internet connection it has slowed ; starting at 56Mbps, then down to 28, then 16, 8, 5.5 ... soon it will be 2 and the connection will be functionally useless. Also the wi-fi signal has declined from excellent, to very good, all the way down to very poor, but now hovers somewhere around good. I put this down to the wind direction, as the internet connection, for the apartment block I am holidaying in, is across the way on an opposite building. From where I am sat, leisurely typing on the balcony, I can see the green of grass, the blue of the circular pool, and the yellow of patio and apartments. I can hear the splash and play of children and adults gabbing away in a variety of European languages and accents. I put the declining speed of the internet connection down to the encroaching midday sun and siesta time sending a few fellow sun haters indoors to the friendly gentle glow of the computer screen.
With my hat, my bare chest, burnt skin/patches of tan/pale, and my can of beer I feel like a real writer. Sitting in the sun, shaded from it by a friendly patio parasol, tapping away at my laptop ; this is almost that beautiful, simple, perfect life described by Hunter S. Thompson in The Rum Diaries. I could stay here forever, drinking alcohol and cooking spiced meat on the barbeque behind me. My skin would become think and tan like an old wallet, and I would gradually become more and more relaxed, yet conversely more focused and productive. Forget notions of buzzing about like a bee at work. Sitting, sweating and scribing is where it's at. Nothing else matters.
As well as the up/down annoyance of the strength and speed, there is the threat that every time I move my laptop a millimetre, the power cable will finally give up the ghost. Currently it takes the most minute of adjustments just to allow it to conduct electricity. One way or the other it does not work, and now it must be twisted in just the right way to make the connection. Soon the moment will pass whereby it will never work again, regardless of the amount of twiddles and turns.
Some sticky tape of some description will prolong the life shortly, but not indefinately. Eventually I will have to part with the few quid needed to by an unofficial hp laptop charger and, if I'm feeling especially fruity, a new battery, and the same for the other laptop. Then it'll be like in the future where people have two old laptops that charge and hold the charge, but otherwise are sort of slow and glitchy. And wear silver helmets and eat pills instead of pasta.
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