WHAT REMAINS OF SANITY MUST BE PRESERVED

When people of good will work together and you still can't fix a simple problem, the best response is probably heavy drinking. When the victim doesn't drink, the problems takes on a more philosophical coloration. It gets a bit strange, even surreal.

This entire disaster is most likely rooted in a router that needs to be rebooted by a woman protected from everything by a determined ignorance I cannot breach. If she had a symbol, it would be the three monkeys, paws over eyes, ears, and mouth. Skip the mouth. She talks, but does not hear or see.

Her name is Front Desk.

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IT BEGINS WITH ME (10-13-2013)

I cannot publish or save a post since this morning. It was fine yesterday. Other people's WordPress blogs also display in plain text with missing graphics. I have cleaned out cookies and cache. I've signed in. I get messages that I'm unable to connect, but I can connect to Google, Facebook, Gmail, Blogger ... but I can't get my own blog to open properly. I can respond to some comments on other blogs, but not in the normal format. All formatting is gone.

Please help. I don't know what to do. I have gotten emails that my site looks normal to others, but not to me. Nor do their sites look normal. I have no idea what to do, but I can't edit, save, publish or even view my site. Can get to dashboard, but not the blog. Have cleared cookies and cache, but no improvement. All since this morning. Was OK yesterday.

The blog I need help with is teepee12.com.

IT CONTINUES WITH A SENSIBLE RESPONSE FROM WORDPRESS (10-14-2013)

Hi there,

I want to assure you that there aren't any issues with your blog itself. It sounds like there may be a problem with your connection to WordPress.com. This is most often caused by either security/firewall software on your computer or your ISP blocking the connection to WordPress.com.

Please make sure that any firewall software on your computer has the addresses wordpress.com and wp.com white-listed. You can also contact your ISP and request that these addresses be white-listed on their end, as well.

If you have any questions or further trouble with this, please let me know!

MY RESPONSE TO EVER INCREASING INSANITY (ROUND 2) (10-14-2013)

I tried accessing WordPress with all virus protection off and the firewall down. No change. Things keep getting worse. It must be the ISP since my husband's laptop has identical problems. We aren't at home. The "resort" at which we are staying has ComCast and they want a zillion forms filled out and Front Desk is clueless about what they want from her. Frankly, so am I. This should be simple, but apparently not if you are either Front Desk or ComCast. It's not worth making myself crazy trying to fix this when we will be home 10/19. Where hopefully everything will be normal. 

Since you assure me everything is really okay, at least I know I can take care of it then. It's very frustrating. The fix is so simple, but there's nothing more I can do, or nothing I can think of. If you think of anything, let me know.

Why would Comcast DO this? I don't understand. But there are many things I do not understand.

IN DEFENSE OF MY REMAINING SANITY (GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS) (10-15-2013)

This does sound to me like an ISP issue at your resort. Since you'll be home again at the end of the week, it sounds like a good idea to unplug and ignore it, for your own sanity. :)

If you do want to work on it, and you aren't able to get Comcast to white-list wordpress.com and wp.com, you might want to ask the resort if they will reset their modem and router. Sometimes resetting those will help resolve connection issues like this.

Good luck, and enjoy the rest of your time away from home! Let me know if I can do anything more to help.

THE NON-RESOLUTION (10-15-2013)

Ironically, when I first got here, my computer told me the router needs rebooting. Front Desk did NOT know what a router is. She didn't know where the router might be. I said "Surely someone knows ... you MUST have one."

She said "There's a guy who takes care of this, but he's only here ... (long pause) ..."

"Call him. Ask him where the router is. All you have to do is unplug the modem and router, count to 20, then plug them back in. It's simple."

"I can't do that."

And there it has lain, like a dead fish rotting on the wharf. I would not be surprised if the entire problem is that the router needs rebooting. A problem is only simple to those who wish to understand.

My sanity is seriously in jeopardy. This is supposed to be my VACATION. I am not vacating. I am stewing, brooding, simmering and occasionally, crying. I wish I were a drinker. I would start chugging tequila now and not stop until coma sets in. Alas, I don't drink. Bummer.

Or, in other words, ARRGH!