Celebrations: The one where I celebrate a technology glitch

"That's right, you got have friends."

...and thankfully, I do and they are not all gone. This week, one of those friends was just where I needed at the time that I needed. There was nothing terrible happening, I just needed some quick help.

Picture this:

It's 7:30 am, on a school day. I am in my library. I am setting up for a virtual visit with an author (see: yesterday's post). Although I tested EVERYTHING the day before (with said author), I want to retest it this morning.

I launch Skype and look through my contacts to see who is on at 7:30 am. I see the telltale green amoeba indicating that someone is on. It's my friend, Peter. I try him. No answer. I scroll back down the list and see another friend has just come on Skype. I give her a ring.

Across the oceans and continents arrives a beautiful, lilting voice and the warm and welcoming face of my friend Myriam, who is sitting in her flat in Paris. 

She can hear me but not see me, the video feed on my end is not working. We hang up. I play with the Skype settings, check the connections on my web cam and try again with the same results, no video. We hang up. I quit Skype and log back in and...no luck. I abandon my laptop, pick up a student one from my library tables, download Skype, connect it to the projector, Topcat, and web cam and then try again.

Which is about when my principal walks in.

I'm standing in my library having a wonderful conversation with Myriam and she is showing me a sculpture she has recently purchased. 

I turned to him and introduced them. 

Doesn't everyone begin their school day with a conversation with a friend in Paris?

The principal chuckled and greeted my friend, checked to see that I was all set for the author visit and went on his way.

Myriam brought the laptop over to the balcony so I could see the view at this time of year and remember our dinner sitting there two summers ago.  Although geography and busy lives keep us separate, I love that she was there when I needed her, just as any friend would be, and that we could pick up right where we left off when last we spoke. In precious few minutes, we caught up on family events and occurrences. 

We said our goodbyes and I went back to setting up for the author visit. Just the beginning of an awesome day, which is why I am celebrating friends, all my friends, both near and far, who are there when I need them.

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Celebrate This Week is a meme started by Ruth Ayres, over at Ruth Ayres Writes.