Tag: internet

A Small Town Public Library

Our family is living in a small town public library. Not really. However here in Rice Lake Wisconsin Joel’s mom doesn’t have internet access in her apartment. Since we must have internet access in order to work, we just walk across the parking lot to the Rice Lake Public Library.

We’ve met some very friendly and helpful people here. We’ve spent the most of the last couple of days here and so it’s almost like home. Fiona has been able to play with lots of different kids of various ages. The top floor of the library is devoted to the children. At one end there are lots of activities for the children. There are puppets and a stage to put on puppet plays, a wooden doll house, lots of blocks and other activities. At the other end is a section specially set aside for the Teens. They even have a movie night.

The collection of DVDs for the kids to check out is great. Fiona checked out a movie with Piglet in it. Did you know that John Lithgow also writes children’s books? We checked one out today.

You can learn more about this small town library on Twitter, Facebook and at their website.

Where There’s Internet . . .

. . . work gets done. For us, at least.

The place we’re staying, we haven’t been able to connect to their wireless network. I have an idea what might be up, but it’d probably be more work to test than it’s worth for the 16 hours we’ll still be there.

So we’re in the WIred Monk coffee shop, using Mary-Lee and Cheri’s wireless and electricity and restroom.

We bought a cuppa tea and an Italian soda this morning. Since we’ve been back this afternoon (we walked home for lunch) we haven’t bought anything yet, but we will. They even came over and asked if we’d like cups and ice for the water we brought for ourselves. It definitely did not sound like “You’re using our free internet. You should buy something.”

I’m one of those people who stops at the fast food restaurant in the middle of nowhere to use the bathroom ’cause it’s the only one for miles, and I have to buy something from the dollar menu because it feels unfair to use their plumbing without giving them something in return.

Finding internet access isn’t too tough here in North America. I don’t expect to have to crawl under someone’s house and tap into their wiring or anything. Still, there are challenges, and they’re not only logistical.

As every adventurer discovers, the real challenges are inside us; the journey simply exposes them.