So it’s been a day!
Initially it was looking to be a pretty easy but fun day. I had a meeting scheduled with a bride and then bookkeeping to finish. No big deal. I might even have time to catch up on my photoediting and get a bit of blogging done (and there are lots of shoots that need to be blogged).
I should have been suspicious last night when Nathan’s computer started acting funky for no reason. It’s about 3 years old, but it’s generally well behaved so long as no one else uses it besides Nate and I have been very good and hands off. So that put a wrench in the plans last night and was the reason we got up extra early so he could get into the office and get started on some work. After I dropped him off and picked up the cat food I’ve been meaning to pick up since last Friday, I headed home to get a bit of work in before my meeting.
I sat down in front of my computer, hit the space bar and…NOTHING! I clicked it a few more times then the clicky thing on the track pad and still nothing. Perhaps I had turned it off and had forgotten. Nope. So maybe it froze up. I held down the power button and heard the “bewwwwww” of the hard power off, waited a bit then hit the on botton. There wasn’t a lot of noise and still no picture. Maybe I did that wrong too. Hit it again and got the “bew,” and now I’m confused.
On the next power up I get the “bahng” noise that means we’re in business. HURRAH! nevermind. The little light on the front is on when I close it. The keyboard lights up. The drive makes working noises. No picture. Maybe it’s the screen. So up the stairs we go to plug into my external monitor. No go. We restart. Now the keyboard is all lit up and is staying that way. I give up.
Back down the stairs with a copy of my Apple Care (after a bit of confusion at the expiration date but that was Nate’s Apple Care which is a year older) to pack up and let the dog in (who had been dancing by the door like he HAD TO GO! when I got home) only to discover the compost bucket lid open and carrot puree all in Alfred’s beard (and we had been blaming raccoons for getting into the bucket)! So now it’s time to be mad and wash his face and he doesn’t deal well with being in trouble so he’s shaking and acting like I’m going to skin him (which I might. Ok, I wouldn’t really, but boy was I peeved). He spends the rest of the time trying to make friends again and whacking me with his chewy rope.
We’re running out of time. I have to leave soon for my meeting, but Earth Fare just sent me a coupon for free blueberries & and I’m going past Earth Fare so I really want that coupon. Back up stairs to fish out my old Dell Inspiron 1100 (best $1000 I ever spent) from 2003 that was on sale for being not the newest technology even then but that has been very reliable except for that time I got a nasty virus doing Power Rangers research for a job Nathan was working on back in 2004 or early 05. I had to go plug into the router (no wireless since I misplaced the wireless card) to download the coupon then go around and use Nate’s printer (which was luckily installed on the Dell computer) through USB rather than over the network because Nathan’s computer is angry from last night. Of course, Nathan’s printer thinks that black ink is optional so there’s a good chance I’m going to get a blank sheet of paper. But I got it! And I got some free blueberries.
While en route, I called Robin (BFF) to vent and learned she had the same problem with her computer and it’s a secret recall with the video card. So that should be fun. But at least it sounds like the hard drive should be fine since I have to finish my bookkeeping so I can pay my 4th quarter sales tax by the 20th. WHEEEE!! Of course, I can’t do anything until I get my computer repaired OR Nathan lets me install my XP immolator, XP and Quickbooks on his laptop OR perhaps I can run it on the Dell. That thing always works. If I ever indicate that I am considering getting rid of it, please, remind me that it’s the only computer that ALWAYS works!
So the day is shot, but I had a great meeting with some lovely people and called Apple (I can’t see anyone until tomorrow although I’m at the store using their computer-I will definitely log out of my blog so no worries) and learned (thanks to Twitter & Facebook) that I can recover my files by plugging my computer into another computer (which Nathan took to work with him for some reason today. The only working computer in the house, other than the Dell, and it’s not at home. Sigh) so it’s not as bad as it could be, but SERIOUSLY! I think I’m going to go home and knit or read. I’m not sure which, but I’ll definitely keep you posted!
p.s. For anyone worried that my computer dying puts your pictures in danger, don’t. I have your pictures safe & sound on external drives (just need a computer to plug into to see them) & optical backups. This just killed my plans for today to get some editing done. Tomorrow I steal Nate’s laptop. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
