The network at work died today, along with any remaining sanity I once had. The outage meant that the phones were busy – very busy. I think I logged 80+ calls in the space of two hours. By lunchtime, the door to my brain had slammed shut, and I was unable to take in anymore information. I was useless.

Unlike most IT problems I normally have to deal with, today’s requests required no thought process whatsoever – I didn’t even need to ask the users to “turn the PC off and on again”. My responses were along the lines of “The network is fucked. Nothing can be done. Get some paper and a pen. Tough shit!” although in a somewhat more diplomatic manner (to most customers, anyway).

I believe the problem was caused by somebody plugging both ends of an Ethernet cable into a mini-switch. To put that in non-technical terms, remember that episode of The Simpson’s where Marge makes Bart a living digestive system, and Nelson Muntz plugs the rectum into the mouth “to solve world hunger”. Well, the result of that was kind of what happened to our system – messy.

I left work early to go shopping in town, and ended up getting soaked in the rain – rather predictable really. Not because I am unluckily, but because it’s been pissing it down for the last week. Things had to be purchased though, including birthday and Father’s Day presents, food, and Hot Fuzz on DVD.

Finally, for the first Friday in what seems like months, I am going to spend an evening in my flat by myself, and not go out. I will eat curry, I may have a drink, watch a DVD, all in time for The Friday Night Project, before going to bed. Rock and roll.