My Wi-fi

As I went to bed, I resolved to switch off my wireless router, yet I panicked and decided to keep it on. I started my phone's browser and checked my flight information for the next day.

I had my Kindle on my nightstand, I checked that it had finished downloading the books that would be tomorrow's reading material. I slept easily, knowing I could double check anything early in the morning.

Woke up early in the morning, had my breakfast while I checked the flight on my laptop. I had the T.V on for background noise. The television set told me that there was something downloaded and ready for me to watch. I played the news instead and left the sitcom episode to look forward to.

Checking the flight for a pilot is different than for a traveller. I checked my departure airport, my destination airport and some airports near the destination which could serve as our alternate landing aerodrome. Knowing which bit of equipment is going to fail you today is essential. Is it a docking gate with a faulty guidance system or a strike by the air traffic controllers in Greece that's going to harass you? Is there going to be fog at my destination or is the usual plan-b frozen in? You can't rely on anyone to double check those things, it's your neck on the line.

While I was reading up on my destination, my phone rang, signalling a message. It was from the pilots' online group, a fellow pilot told us what the laptop was already telling me. There were delays in our departure airport; the plane was landing two hours behind schedule due to visibility issues in their destination, which just happens to be our departure airport. They had our aircraft with them in their alternate.

I knew this meant a delay in my schedule and therefore garnered a call from rostering staff to keep me up with the plan. Before I was done with my sandwich and coffee; I got that dreaded phone-call. I hate it but its part of the job; a delay of an hour and thirty minutes was in the works.

I started my PlayStation 3 since I had time to kill and put on my favorite soccer game, it needed a wireless update from the software mother-ship. I waited those two minutes before I could score a few goals. For an hour my laptop automatically called its own mothership every minute to keep me abreast of the weather. My phone buzzed and flashed with all sorts of software and application updating. My Kindle called its Amazonian mothership to make sure no new deliveries are on the way.

I checked back to see that poor little wireless router, still hard at work, trying to find a mothership of its own that will relay to me that it deserved a break. I empathized, really, but I can't turn my connection off. What if my wife got home and tried to send me a message online? She won't know I turned it off.

I love you, wireless connection, but I'm not letting you go!