Wednesday, June 27, 2012

First World Problems

That's what my sister tells me I have. And she's absolutely correct. But I'm getting tired of having them.

For example, Saturday night my computer got all "Oh, hey, guess what? I'm just going to not do certain things anymore. No reason. You won't be able to figure out why. You won't have a virus or malware, and I'll still function for the most part. But that thing you wanted to download and install? Forget it." I did a ton of research, and I have no idea what the issue could be as the fixes don't work or won't install. So I backed up all my data, and tonight I'm going to venture into the land of using the recovery disk to completely reload everything. And then I'm going to take a long trip to the town of Putting Everything Back Where it Belongs. Population: me. Super frustrating because I've only had it a few months. But with my last laptop I had it a few months and it overheated, frying everything, so HP had to rebuild certain parts. This is a lovely pattern I seem to have developed with PCs--to have them for a brief period before they mutiny.


My new Kindle arrived yesterday. I have a pile of old-fashioned paperbacks I'm working through, but I wanted to set it up anyway. I was ready to take a hammer to it--the WiFi would not connect, so I couldn't register it. Turns out I had 2 numbers switched in the password. OK, that's my fault, but it was still extremely frustrating, and not helped by the frame of mind I was already in with my laptop. It's actually my dad's fault for coming up with an insane password. Oh, and Jeff Bezos? Sorry for the evil thoughts I sent your way. My bad (insert nervous laugh).


The other day I bit the bullet and signed up for online bill-pay. Everything in one easy location. The first time I do things like this I get nervous that it won't work and then I'll be in lala land thinking all is well as they repossess my goods. So I went to check things out, and right there on my credit card, first time ever, were 2 unrecogized charges. Not that the two events are related. Just that I'm glad I'm neurotic and was making sure one thing worked, so that I could find that someone wants me to pay for their $h*@. Now I get to wait and see what happens with my dispute claims.


What else...this week's (final) quilt block had paper templates to print. I go to do that so I can cut them and get started, and lo and behold--the printer doesn't work. I finally was able to use a printer that functioned, but the way the pattern is designed (I believe) only some of the cut lines showed up and I had to sketch the rest in. Luckily I didn't flub that part....


Last week I was on my way to the hospital to see sissie and the wee one, and I was trying to call my mother to find out where they were within the hospital. My Bluetooth was all synced up and everything, but every time I tried to call the calls would disconnect after a few rings. Then Car Guy Voice kept saying "Connect device." I must have looked like a crazy lady, screaming in my car, shaking my phone like I was going to heave it into the street. I finally found them. Throughout the day some of my apps wouldn't work and would force close. Factor in that it was about 100 degrees (which right away makes me feel sour) and I was all set to put my phone under the back wheels and put it in reverse.  


Why I am telling you all this? No reason. Just needed to vent. Oh, it's also why I have nothing creative to share with you, except one measly quilt block. I know, I know, get some real problems, lady, right?? I am supremely fortunate that my complaints have to do with luxuries like my laptop, Bluetooth, an e-reader, and crazy printers. I would just be much happier if things would spread out a bit more. I am almost now afraid to touch anything to do with technology. I declared I was going to go live in a cave, to which my brother started making Unabomber references, so I probably won't do that. Besides, they have spiders and bats, and I don't like that. But maybe it's the world's way of telling me to turn it off and do something productive. 

6 comments:

  1. Oh Bethany, you are so funny I but do sympathize. My computer died on me and it took two tries and nearly 2 weeks for the computer guy to fix it. It was a virus that knocked out my hard drive completely. Good luck with fixing yours. You're very brave. I hope we don't loose you altogether. LOLLL

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    1. Hahaha! Apparently it's contagious! My boss yelled out to me earlier that he couldn't approve an order I made because the links weren't working (and it's something we do all the time). I also called my credit card company to cancel the charges, and they had to send me a form via email. I can hear her clicking and she goes "I don't know why this won't send." I almost started laughing thinking "It's me. It's gotta be me." I finally get the form, and it won't send back to her. The tech gods are having a REAL good time at my expense this week :)

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  2. Bethany, my mother-in-law just had this problem. Try reloading or resetting your browser first before you go to to much trouble. Maybe it will help and save you some time! (You can try a different browser and see if it will let you do stuff.)

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  3. Dunno about a cave, I was thinking maybe you needed to be alone on top of a mountain or something lol Personally I've killed 2 work PCs in 2 weeks, and lets not go there on my company's annual tax screw up that has so far cost me over $1500. I'm taking lots of deep breaths...

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  4. When my computer doesn't work, I restore to a previous checkpoint. Recently I admitted defeat when my firefox refused to work for picmonkey and youtube. It seems to be a windows update that causes it. Until Firefox figures it out, I have switched to IE which I hate. It has stupid navigations.

    I'm also terrified my blog gets deleted by blogger. I still don't know how to import my blog to a backup blog.

    Your printer sounds like my printer. It must be an Epson just off anti-depressants. After 2 rounds of sending it back to the service centre, I've decided to cremate it.

    If your printout doesn't show up, it could be your printer setting. Check that you print actual size and also not set to graying something.

    When your phones don't work, remember the world we used to live in? Before handphones? Once I waited an hour for hubs (then boyfriend) at a train station because he decided to travel by bus and it went via a very, very long way. With no way of contacting him, I had no idea if he would show. And I kept waiting and waiting hoping he would show so I could kill him.

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  5. Bethany - 0 / Technology - 1 gazillion.
    I am not teasing. I get these days, too. The only difference is that you tell your stories funnier than I do.

    Do you know what we need? ASSISTANTS! :D

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