technogeekery fail

Brain status: still not as such. Went through to visit my dad, taking him his new electric blanket and a dial-up modem, which is our latest stop-gap measure to fill the void while Telkom demands we fill out ADSL forms in quadruplicate and under three different names so it can capture them incorrectly, lose them, translate them into Japanese, put them through a paper shredder and then file them under "Pending" while it re-invents ADSL from first principles using only two bits of twig and an elderly avocado pear. I refuse to believe it's the Evil Telkommish Miasma which is affecting me, I stoutly maintain it's the 'flu which caused me to forget the following:

1. To check for a dedicated Imaginet dial-up client. (In fact, there isn't one as far as I can see, so Windows it is).
   
2. The power cable for the modem. (Cannibalised the telephone one temporarily).
   
3. The modem drivers. (Alternatively, failure of forethought in realising that it's an elderly modem and Plug and Play won't cut it).
   
4. A two-pin adaptor for the electric blanket.

These last two were final fails, couldn't circumnavigate, had to leave sadly and uselessly with zero goals accomplished, papa still disconnected and with cold feet for another night. Daughterly fail on all fronts. Did papa's washing up in penance. It strikes me, though, that it's a good thing I've taken the last three days off work, the thought of what kind of advice I could have been randomly giving students is actively horrifying. On the upside, my nice doctor has given me Giant Antibiotic Horse-Pills of Doom and the usual Sid-bashing cortizone, so hopefully the end is in sight.