Home-working lost its lustre

Home-working lost its lustre briefly when technology left me all flustered and very hot and very unnecessary.
I have been a great exponent of working from home for many years, but I have to admit there can be certain times - albeit rarely - when I wish I was working in an office instead.
The day before I went on holiday was one of these days.  I had timed everything to perfection.  Drop off one and only son at his cricket camp and return home to complete two things before I could jet off on holiday the next day. 
I was three quarters of the way through my penultimate task, when horrors of all horrors the Internet went down. 
''Not to worry,' I thought to myself calmly. ''I'll just re-arrange and will complete my tasks later on this afternoon.''
But when I had been back to cricket camp, picked up one and only son and returned home, the orange light that shows the Internet is working was still not flashing on my cable modem.  I felt the first bead of sweat for the day.
''I'll leave it for another hour,'' I reasoned.  ''Still got plenty time to finish everything.''
But an hour later and there was still no sign of life on the Internet front.  Another bead of sweat appeared.
I took decisive action and rang the Internet helpline whatsit.  ''Fault in your area'', intoned a recorded message. 
''Ah well, at least they're working on it,'' I thought.  ''I'll hang on and speak to someone to see how long it's going to take.''
After five minutes someone deigned to answer the phone to me.  When I'd finished speaking, I wish I'd never rung.  My blood pressure would have been better off in ignorance.  ''Two days,'' said the voice at the other end, when I inquired how long it would take to mend the fault.  ''There has been an emergency incident.  But keep looking, it might come back earlier.''
If I'd been working in an office at this point, instead of fearing the sack, I'd have sat back, had a chat, had a good old moan, put the kettle on and talked about  the Natasha-Nick-Leanne triangle in Coronation Street.  And hasn't Audrey been wearing some nice tops these last few weeks? These options do not apply when you work from home.  Instead, you panic. And then panic some more.   
I was the only one not working.  I was letting the side down.  No matter that it wasn't my fault, I was the one shouldering the blame.  Why hadn't I finished my work the day before? 
In between breathing heavily, I gave myself a stern talking-to.  If this was happening to someone else, what would I advise them to do?
Yes, pick the phone up and let the boss know what has happened. 
So I did that, and left a garbled message explaining how my world had temporarily come to an end.
I took my mind off the situation by doing some last-minute ironing and making the tea. 
Two hours later I plucked up the courage to peep at the Internet light.  Hooray, it was flashing.  In a flurry of rapturous activity, I pressed the 'on' button.  I clicked as quickly as possible and soon the inbox flashed up.  I replied to one e-mail, then turned to my pending tasks.  I got my brain into gear and the sentences began to flow.  I felt that tense feeling start to dissipate.
But...then...it....went...off...again.  
And that was that.  
I wished it hadn't come back in the first place - false dawns, etc.
The feeling of desolation was worse then the ''two days'' effect.  Hope had been granted and then cruelly taken away again.
At that point, I decided I was an adult and was not going to burrow deeply inside myself to mutter inconsolably.  ''I'm sure the boss will believe me,'' I thought. 
I was still spinning the same line to myself as the engines of the planes whirred and I fastened my seat belt.  If I'd worked in an office, I'd have been in the clear!