Musings of the Chronologically Challenged™ Fourth Generation

 
WHAT A DAY FOR A HURRICANE!

Have you ever needed a car repair done ASAP, and in an effort to circumvent the long delay at a reputable garage, allowed a "shade-tree mechanic" to work on your vehicle? Did it prove to be a huge mistake? It did for me on the one occasion I used this method of getting out of a jam. Eventually, I had to take the car in to a certified mechanic to get it fixed anyhow. IOW, I paid twice!!! Is hindsight wonderful, or what?

Reasoning would tell one that such a mistake would not be repeated, right? But noooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

When I made the decision in April to get a laptop to cut down on desk/chair time and relieve edema, resulting from too much sitting, I didn't do the smartest thing. I did the most expeditious thing, which was to call my friendly little neighborhood computer store, literally right around the corner from my house. It was one of those "seemed like a good idea at the time" moments. Close proximity would be a big plus to one who is housebound, I thought. On April 22 said laptop was delivered and installed. Cyber-hell began that day.

We won't go into all the sordid details of my near-nervous-breakdown over the last three months of intermittent internet connection; emailing material back and forth between the two computers in order to "share" files; incoming and outgoing E-mail dysfunction every day; triple time for blogging due to logistical fubars; etc., etc., plus a visit to the doctor for nervous exhaustion!! NK. (See here for the status as of last night. Scroll down to "Email From My Fairy Blogmother" and while you're there, leave a congrats to old GOC of Winston Salem. He deserves an Attaboy today.)

The "computer experts" from whom I purchased the laptop (right around the corner), and who installed the new equipment, came back to re-evaluate my problems twice, but they were unable to get the set-up working properly. Finally, last week, in a last desperate attempt to find a reason for the cyber insanity, I called Road Runner. The appointment for the repair tech was today. [aside: I didn't expect anyone to show up in the throws of a hurricane, but at promptly 9:00 he arrived. So much for hurricane scare. Many thanks to friends and bloggers who inquired today as to my safety. No worries. Alex was a wuss!]

End of story: The Time-Warner RR guy had diagnosed and fixed the problem in under 10 minutes and was on his way! He reconfigured the router, wiring it correctly, and VOILA! instant solution.

Moral of story: Stay away from Shade-Tree Experts.

(Oh, there's more! There's much more. But my genteel upbringing and Southern lady roots will not allow me to divulge anything further!)






posted by HCL at 7:50 PM