EN blogger finalist Yvette Seger is back with more Tips for Eventers Living in Itty-Bitty Apartments in the City. Yvette will always be remembered for the famous Insane Walmart Ride, and we welcome her contributions to Eventing Nation.
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From Yvette:
Tips for Eventers Living in Itty-Bitty Apartments in the City – The Burghley Hangover Edition
Hello there, Eventing Nation! I don’t know about you, but I know I spent a good deal of my holiday weekend happily glued to my two laptops and smartphone, tracking results and stalking video uploads from the Burghley CCI****. It was incredibly generous of the Brits to schedule the event on the same weekend as Labor Day, as this morning I felt worse than if I had gone out clubbing. OK, so the Burghley hangover usually lacks the throbbing cranium and room spinning special effects, but I was still grateful for the extra day to take my brain out of Discovery Valley and back into the real world…you know, the one in which we’re nearing the end of the U.S. fiscal year (super-busy time for government contracting types like yours truly) and the airwaves are consumed by coverage of the political conventions and the impending November elections.
Washington, D.C. is a wired town. The thought of going even a 5 minute Metro ride without email access makes many of us twitch. Lack of free WiFi is the kiss of death for any establishment. Over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed that Eventers have become nearly as spastic as my Beltway-bound neighbors about connectivity…hello EventEntries, CourseWalk app, and Eventing Nation (der). I remember the days when I had to send a self-addressed stamped postcard to get my ride times prior to an event. And if you lost your copy of the USEA Omnibus? Shame on you!!! But in today’s eventing world, reliable internet connectivity is as necessary and expected as say, showing up to the cross-country start box with an ASTM-SEI approved helmet, medical armband, and safety vest. Which brings me to this week’s tip:
Tip for Eventers Living in Itty-Bitty Apartments in the City #5
In general, I do not condone the pirating of your neighbors’ WiFi, except in the following (dire) situations:
- Give me Eventing Nation or give me death!!
- To double-check the Omnibus to make sure you’ve memorized the right test for your event.
- To place “emergency” orders of Cosequin, custom monogrammed equipment bags, or Anti-Monkey Butt powder from SmartPak, Dover Saddlery, Bit of Britain, or other suppliers.
- It’s been 5 minutes since you last checked Live Scores.
- It’s 12:01 pm and you might be missing out on a great deal at Tack of the Day.
- “I wonder if the photographer has posted pictures from XYZ event yet…”
If you find yourself in the position of needing to jack someone’s internet, I recommend choosing the WiFi with the “fun” name like “DR POONBALLS” or “wu tang lan” (two of my options, below), because clearly, they have a sense of humor and might be willing to kick back and have a beer with you after yelling at you about stealing their WiFi.
Remember Eventing Nation – Choose wisely when pirating internet!
Hey, that’s like TWO tips! How to jack internet and how to make non-horsey friends! SCORE!
