End of Week Rants

Blogger – Oh my how blogger is beginning to drive me nuts.
It is always giving me the ole “Service Unavailable” on a white page.
Or I can't get into Blogger at all.
Also the same old issue of spacing, and other assorted post issues like that.
Is it time for a change? I may need to do something other than tear out my hair.
Anyone else having issues or is this black cloud just over me?

Fall – I love the lower temps in the 80’s and the cooler nights but really I am ready for 55 degrees as a high. C’mon hurry up already!! And then stay around for a very long time.

Computers – They are supposed to make your life easier.
Has any of this technology done that for us? I think not.
Tuesday, I was working and typing some customer information into our calendar and then switched to a power point I needed to finish for a meeting.
The computer froze. I did the ole “end task” on my PC but nada.
The music in the background sounded like a 1970’s LP skipping.
I could not get any of the programs to shut down. Instant panic set in.
So I just finally turned it off.
When I opened it back up a black screen told me that my Windows had a corrupt or broken file.  Did you hear me scream?

While I do back up weekly it had been a week. (external back up no less but not now)
My calendar is the business life line without this we are metaphorically dead.
So I call Dell, my support line, to help stop the panic attacks that just begun.
TWO hours later we still were not up and running.
All the while they tell me that I may have lost everything on this computer.
This is a brand new computer just bought last year after a horrific virus gotten through Skype no less. Now I have anti-virus that I pay for - no free stuff for me. I learned that doesn't do the trick. How dumb of us huh?

So after the diagnostic tests were run it was determined that this was not anything on my hard drive but a Windows issue.
That meant a transfer to another department and to a very nice man who lives in India.
He was competent and spoke so fast I had to embarrass myself and ask that he please slow down for me. He laughed.
I am sure he was thinking, “Dumb American!”
But it was difficult to understand him slowly and speaking rapid fire only confused dumb ole Margaret even more.

We spent another lovely 2 hours together. At one point he said that he had to set my expectations. He said that at this point after what we had done if it is not running the likelihood of having any of my data were slim to none but “let’s continue”.
He said those last two words like it was going to be fun, like “let’s open your presents”.

I was feeling nothing but dread and just wanted to cry.
I have been through this nightmare once before.
Even having everything in your backup it still sucks to lose it all and start again.
It is a major ordeal and takes a lot of your time.
I don’t have time now I couldn’t imagine what this was going to do to us and the business. Hell, I am writing blog posts at 2:41 a.m. so what time do I have?

Finally the familiar sound of MS Windows came on and that familiar blue screen and I was ready to fly to India to kiss this man.
After close inspection my data was all there too! YIPPEE.
He left me with the strong recommendation to use Firefox instead of Internet explorer and to get Windows 7 and get off Windows XP.  Jeez, more money, more learning. 
Can't I just be old and dumb, it seems to work for so many others?

So right now in the green glow of my computer in the wee hours of the morning I am able to see my photo’s, view all my business important information as well as blog.
I hope this "glow" lasts forever.