Technology. Sometimes we can’t live without it and at other times, we can’t live with it.
I love my computer. I have a desktop and a laptop. Recently, due to health reasons, I have been using mostly my laptop, mostly in bed. I began to write my NaNoWriMo novel on the laptop. It has seen better days. It’s not new. It’s almost three years old. But I love it. It’s small and light and full of neat features. However, after the past almost three years, it has gotten very slow and I have put a lot of programs on it that I end up not using. I also download a lot so I end up with a lot of adware and spyware. Recently, my browser was hijacked and even though I cleared it of all the adware and spyware and it checked out as not having any viruses or worms, I could not use Firefox. I would uninstall it, reinstall it, but it would not load. Not at all. I hate IE. I can’t browse without my Firefox. I tried. I tried for two weeks.
Finally I ended up reformatting my laptop. I backed everything up. Then I began the process. No biggie. That is, until I tried to reinstall my programs. Even some of the ones that came pre-installed were asking me for product keys and serial numbers that I didn’t have. It has taken me four days to find everything and get it near the way I like it. It is definitely working much better than it was before the reformat but it’s a little strange to have to type in my passwords on every site I use. I have had to have my passwords reset and emailed to me and in some cases I got away with just answering the security question.
Then there was the cat. He jumped on my laptop keyboard to be with me. He’s my daughter’s cat and although I don’t like him, he seems to love me. I can’t shake him. So when I tried to take him off of the laptop, he managed to come away with one of my keys in his claw. It was the “c” key. I have three “c’s” in my name. I can’t type without that letter. I tried. My daughter tried. Then daughter number two tried. No luck. We couldn’t get the key back on. For two days I tried. I borrowed my daughter’s extra laptop (her old one) but my hands are small and I couldn’t type on her keyboard.
Finally, today, in total desperation because I am way behind in my word count for NaNoWriMo, I did what I hate to do most in life. I went to Best Buy to see if the Geeks could save my laptop, my sanity, and my Nanowrimo novel. I had visions of them charging me enough to buy a new laptop. It’s still under the extended warranty but if they had to send it in, they said it would be eight to ten weeks before I would get it back! Nanowrimo is only one month. The Geek Guy tried to get it on. Then he tried again. A few minutes later, he tried a third time but the key stubbornly kept popping off. Luckily, he kept trying. He didn’t ask any of the other eight Geeks running around back there. Instead, he tried and tried and tried again and again and again. Then he looked at me and said, “I think I did it!” We powered it up and I typed and I typed and I typed and the key stayed and stayed and stayed. I was soooo happy. I think the Geek Guy understood just how happy I was and he was equally happy that he had done it. It took him about forty minutes of trying but he had met with success and I had met with my working laptop once again.
I love technology … when it works!
I suppose that explains the paucity of posts lately — even more than the NaNoWriMo.
I thought a little more about NaNoWriMo. I’m not in the US. So, I can’t write a novel this coming month. It is just as well. I don’t want to write one this coming month. I have some other things I want to do. Besides that, I’m not a writer.
I’m still not quite ready for bed. But, that’s all I have to say here right now.
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My computer conked out on my last years’ NaNo and i ended up writing it by hand.
I just hit 9031 today! I haven’t finished any chapters yet, I’m jumping around all over the place. Good luck! Here’s My NaNoWriMo Profile if you want to find me on the forums.
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I love technology too … and geek guys with determination! Glad your laptop is back up and running.
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Technology… it’s nice until it gives you a problem. Then you feel like throwing the damned computer out of the window and writing with pen and paper. I can certainly relate.
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Hi! I came over from NaBloPoMo. I’m challenging myself to comment on as many blogs as possible this month as well as post.
When my computer breaks, I usually just hand it over to my boyfriend and he fixes it for me. I’m not so good with the technology, but luckily for me I’m in love with someone who is! So glad the Geek got your C fixed! I don’t think there’s a way around a missing C… No L337 fix, anyway.
Happy Posting!
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Cats have a way of zooming in on people who don’t like them. They’re passive-aggressive that way.
I’m glad you got your C back.
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long live the geek guy!
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Ack! I’m glad the geek was helpful.
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Love Geeks, hate it when the computer breaks.
I couldn’t do the Nanowrimo, too many things on my plate already. Maybe next year.
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Wonderful to hear that you can type your name again (and, you know, a whole bunch of other words too).
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Yay Geek Guy! Geek is the new sexy, you know. So I hear.
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