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Sunday, March 20, 2011

limping along in laptop land





Sorry I haven't been around much. I haven't been visiting my own blog let alone anyone else's. My excuse is a pretty good one. I am, as they say, technologically swamped.

1. I'm finally getting rid of a dinosaur desktop that still runs Windows 2000. The task of combing through old files and forgotten photos has given me headaches and backaches.

2. I moved the kids' defunct desktop out of their playroom. Whew, the dust that accumulates under those things. Dust allergies be damned, I'm looking into recycling or donating both computers if they're not too obsolete for charity.

3. I stepped on my laptop a few months ago. I've been watching it slowly succomb to the fuzzy electronic equivalent of an evil black spider daily growing larger on my screen and blocking my view.



If you've never been privvy to the cracked screen phenomenon, it's really quite fascinating. Eye strain not withstanding.

All of this to say, a new laptop for me. I'm in the middle of transferring files from the old laptop as we speak.

But oy, an ADD nightmare. So many files, so little short term memory. Should I save or should I trash, now? This indecision's killing me.

4. For too long we've been coping with a printer that drinks more ink than a barfly slurps cheap whiskey. After fully one year of researching asking my neighbor his opinion on laser printers, I broke down and bought one of those, too.

5. My daughter's cell phone and iPad were stolen out of her backpack at school. Thankfully her dad took care of that crisis though I was subject to the groans of a text-deprived adolescent.

6. My other daughter plus friend were playing Austin's Next Supermodel in our driveway. The camera was, apparently, left on the runway and stepped on. Or it was dropped (not that anyone has fessed up). The retractable lens is now jammed and stuck in permanently erect status (unlike other household playthings). Pliers to no avail, the camera is a goner. The family camera, i.e., the family's only camera. Still trying to figure out consequences for that mishap.

7. My office phone died. Bought a new one, installed it (crawling under my desk and detangling wires between client appointments), cursed it, returned it (ridiculously-over-complicated-programming-syndrome), and now have it's replacement sitting on my desk awaiting it's trial run.

Getting used to a new programmable phone is no small task. I don't know about you but I find it impossible to figure out if a gadget will meet my needs short of trial and error.

Ok, I think that about covers it.

When the file transfers, phone upgrades and wireless network adjustments are complete, I hope to resume blogging.

Until then, may the force of functional devices be with you.


Update: Confession extracted. The friend did it. Tripped and dropped it. Can't imagine why, running in the dark, in a long sundress and cowboy boots.

16 comments:

Lee said...

Whoa. You're really going through it. I'm no stranger to a bad technology day here and there, but I can completely understand where your blog perusing time is going. Toasting you with a small glass of tart cherry juice and wishing you better times ahead.

Jenn @ Youknow...that Blog? said...

Holy smokes! When it rains it pours!! ;)

The Teen's new iTouch was stolen out of her bag at school just before Christmas. We know who took it, but getting anything done about it has been an exercise in futility. The school and police simply don't care. Very frustrating!

Donate for sure, but make sure you don't give them the hard drives. Even if you delete everything before hand, it's recoverable if you know what you're doing. So anything you've ever saved passwords to is at risk unless you've also changed all of those... it's just not worth it. Yank the hdds and recycle or donate the rest. Oh, and for what you're trying to figure out saving, deleting... get yourself an external hard drive and just transfer everything but the program files over to that. I save everything... ;)

Twisted Raspberry Vodka time most definitely...!

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

Sometimes technology does seem more a cursing than a blessing. Can you just buy a cheap hard drive to put all those files on--save yourself from culling?

flutter said...

duuuuuude, you need a hug

Angeliki said...

Oh, no! So many tragedies all together. I always learn to use technology by trial and error, I never read manuals, maybe that's way it has taken me so long to figure out how to download a book at my new Kindle. Hope everything will be sorted and run smoothly again soon!

Vodka Mom said...

I have a desktop computer that has the spider web crap. Now I know to toss it.


xx

Jodi Pharo said...

I think I have been through every one of those situations. I'm not kidding.

So frustrating when our technology isn't working or is broken.

Good luck getting everything up and running!

hokgardner said...

Great googly mooglies - you seem to have a weird electronics curse going on over there.

Kathleen Scott said...

Oh my word. Any one make me flip out. You've now accumulated enough stress points for a hospital visit.

About cameras, I love my Canon Elph Powershot. Current version is SD1300. Easy, takes great pictures and good price @ Sears.

Anonymous said...

Oy. That's a lot of tech drama. Good luck finding a better laptop--I am feeling fortunate that my husband has a bevy of techs at his beck and call to fix my computer problems for me. I weep to think of figuring it out alone.

Reluctant Blogger said...

Oh crikey. Your family has really gone for it!

We have plenty of slightly disabled technology round here - the cat chews cables, the boys step on things - but so far it all works.

Hope you get some new toys to play with soon.

Susan said...

I can relate to many of the issues - the mysteriously broken cameras especially. Now that they have the elctronics so small, perhaps they can make them more tough?

Tammy said...

I just bought my first laptop! I feel free! We've had our share of techie disasters over the past couple years, so I feel your pain!

Aunt Snow said...

I'm with ya. I can't do a damn thing on my phone. My kid installed a Yelp app on it, though, and I use that more than anything else.

Anonymous said...

I hate the process of getting a new computer, but the end result is so wonderful! Good luck with all your technology adventures.

HP said...

I think from this point we will have to annoint you the Tech Guru. After all these things you've had to deal with and resolve, you must be the 'go to' person!