So good with technology

NOT!!!  At least not any longer.  When I was an active duty teacher, I was a whiz.  I was the one who my colleagues would call to fix their a/v stuff and consult with about the computers.

Now?  Now I am lucky to get on line.  I have been left in the dust.  If something goes awry with this little gem, I am up the proverbial creek without that blasted paddle.

So now I am the one talking about getting a sling box to go on the cable box here, installing internet at the SSB, putting in two new routers, buying a computer for the SSB, and slinging my tv signal from here to there thus getting rid of the satellite (which has gone up yet again).  Have I lost my everlovin' mind?  I do believe so.

So now we bought a new vehicle that does everything but drive us to out destination while we party in the back.  It has taken me this week of reading and trying to find out how things work.

With my points from my credit card, I got a Blue Tooth a few years ago.  My son helped me to get it to work.  It did a good job, but the battery died.  It, of course in this age of disposable everything, cannot have a new battery put in.  Here in Swampland, if we are on the phone in a school zone - it is a huge fine.  Therefore - must have hands free.  I know you are asking what this has to do with the new vehicle.  Simple!

I have Blue Tooth in the new vehicle.  What does that have to do with my techlessness (love that non-word)?  I got it to work today!


There is hope, there is hope, there is hope!

Peace.

People are just amazing - not!

Yesterday we ventured out to buy a small vacuum cleaner for upstairs.  We have a canister vac - one that uses water for its filter.  It is too heavy to lug up and down the stairs.  So I wanted something other than the one that is up there.  It is really just a hand vac that has a handle that goes in it and a stupid little thingy for using on the floor.  Doesn't work well especially in a world of threads and bits of fabric because try as I might - those things are on that floor.  Plus when anything has to be done in the attic recesses,  crud gets pulled out and deposited on the carpet.

So we went to the store that replaced Mervyn's here in Swampland.  The K**l's store.  I found a vacuum that I THOUGHT was $99.  This was after  my $10 card for their anniversary.  When we checked out - no it was $159 - on sale and minus the $10. Well - OK.  I did like the machine.  So we loaded it up and headed out for the rest of our shopping trip.

When I got it out and put it together, I was wondering why the top of the canister for the dirt didn't fit properly.  As I turned it over and over, the HEPA filter fell out.  It. Was. Filthy.  That machine had been used.  A lot!

I was so upset (use your own word here - they will all fit the situation).  So I repacked it.  G came in, and I told him what had happened.  I expected a real storm of words - especially with his moods of late!  He was calmer than I.  So I called the store and was assured they would make it right.

We took it back this morning.  I had my credit card credited, and got another $10 store card.  We went back to look at the machines, but there was nothing I really wanted.  I don't want the $500+ nice one.  I want something that is fairly powerful, bagless, and above all - inexpensive!  They didn't have it.

I had already looked at their add.  I knew they had one for $80.  I ordered it to be delivered.  Of course - it will be next week, and we all know where we will be next week!  Joy.

The real upshot of this whole thing is I honestly believe that machine will go back out on the floor for some poor soul to buy - again.  It is filthy, and I told the woman at the returns that the power attachment was not there.  I saw her write no information about that thing.  I am really upset with them - I thought they were VERY reputable.   I just don't know.

Peace.

I think they need to fire him

I really hate to say that - especially in this time of jobs being difficult to find. I went to the pain clinic today, but that's only to set the locale. When I went to pick up my drugs, the guy picked up a packet, and told me it was $20. That is far less than I usually pay, but the amount does change. I didn't think anything of it.

I got home after the marathon appointment (2 hours). I got my lunch together, and thought I would take two of the pills like I should. I picked up the bag, and there were four bottles there. Mine is three. Then I looked at the name. It. Was. Not. My. Prescriptions!

Fortunately, or not, I have to go back at 4 for PT (I hate it that late) So I can take that poor woman"s back and get mine - IF they haven't been given to someone else.

I was surprised that VISA didn't spot it when he read the wrong name. I heard the name, but thought it could be the pharmacist's name. Didn't happen. I should have snapped to the charge. I didn't.

Every time I go to pick up the meds, it is a complete circus. Normally, there are three or more in there. He grins all the time, and I don't know how he could cause all these problems. A lot of the problems I simply don't know how he screwed up.

As I said, I think he should be fired. He doesn't seem to be able to handle it!

Peace be with you.

Should I post right now?

I had the injections yesterday, so I was out of commission due to the few minutes Dr Moreno send me to happy land. Today I am suffering the after effects. I have the headache from hell because I didn't sleep the rest of the day away, but I hate losing two days after returning from the SSB. I also still feel out of it! Someone is messing with this keyboard. They are moving the keys all around so it is taking me twice as long to type. I have never said I was a typist - thanks Mom who wouldn't let me take typing - but today is really bad.

I took Money Pit number one (Simone) to have a check of her lesions checked again. There is some improvement, but we are sending a sample to the lab for a more definite explanation - hopefully. There is no guarantee.

I am trying to get all the Christmas stuff done. Tree is up and has some garland. That's it. No decorations. The kidlets presents are here - waiting for wrapping. Son and SIL presents are here - somewhere awaiting wrapping. I knew I was too drugged to remember where they are right now. It is Daughter and DIL I have to get. I have no idea! Then is Lady Bug's birthday in January and Wiggle Worm in February. Oh my!

I was going through my blogs I read. I got through some of them. I have an order memorized. Guess what - memory failed me today. Signs that I need to have a close eye on me!

So before I reveal where the gold is hidden - I better sign off for today. I am not responsible for anything I say or do today!!

We're back - and to a mess

It was a fairly quiet weekend at the SSB. G shot a doe, and he is finished until it is Spike season. We have some mighty long spikes running about. Those will never sprout a full blown rack, and they are three or four years old. We don't want them entering the breeding there. That will mean none of the bucks will have any horns.

I forgot to check the home voice mail Sunday afternoon/evening. It was our renters. They had a sewage backup. I found the message Monday morning, and began calling. We had to leave the house, so that meant cell phone. We had cell phone + hills = no service.

Before we left, I got the voice mail of the renter. I left a message. On the road, I finally got the plumber in Llano. I kept calling the renter and leaving messages.

I got home, and renter called. She is really not the sharpest knife in the drawer! She hesitated, and I asked if they had gotten with the plumber, and had it come to fix the problem. No - she just got home. That phone was at home. She sees I have called multiple times. So talking top the plumber. She said they did a stop gap - the sewage is flowing into the back yard. Gasp!!

Then the way she does things, she adds that the heater "isn't putting out a lot of hot air." Ok - I gave her the HVAC people's number to call. She calls it in that evening as an emergency. That is an additional $78 thank you very much!

I am going to send an email, as I promised, but with all my numbers, not the contractors numbers as I had said before. They were so concerned before signing the lease that we would just enter the property without notice. I was trying to respect their privacy. So I have tried to let them schedule meeting with the contractors. Well that is OVER. I am no longer careful about their privacy except to give them notice. You either be there at that time or I will. Simple. Like the apartments do it.

Bright as a burned out bulb.

Not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Bring on those sayings. They fit me to a tee!

You see - when my trusty Gateway crashed, I lost a lot of bookmarked sites. The more I think about them, the worse I feel. There were so many that I visited infrequently, but they were, non the less, important to me. They are gone. Some of those sites were places where I found items for the business. I may not need them right away, but down the road ...

In addition, I lost my list of blogs. With my terrible memory, I was able to remember a few - but that was all. I have thought of looking at other bloggers' blogrolls with the hopes of finding those blogs that I enjoyed, but are lost in cyberspace and in some dry, dusty, dungy place in my memory. Now that's a really scary place. I try not to dig too deeply in this brain of mine! Who knows what will happen.

Then this evening it hit me like a load of bricks. Come here to my very own blog. There are 99% of my dead blogsphere friends. So I looked at my blogroll and there they were. My beloved blogs. So if you haven't heard from me in several months - this is why.

Now I know I can be a silent lurker. I will read but not comment. Shame on me. I am trying to be better. I just cannot put my joy at finding these blogs once again into words. I will be seeing you again.

My stupidity!

I should have known better. I've been stung before. But I did it anyway. I was stupid enough to buy another Dell. I deserve all the hell I get, and it is happening already.

When the Gateway crashed, I lost a program that is so essential to me - my happiness at least. It is a little program that turns the program name of an embroidery program into an icon. Now to the average person, they would probably say "big deal - so what's the problem?" Well when you have several thousands of deigns, it really is a big deal.

If I want to know what a specific design looks like right now, I have to open a program that is meant to change the extension on that file that makes it work on my particular machine. Now why the different machines have to use different files, I don't know. I think it would be wonderful to just get a program and slap it into the sewing machine and go! But it is not to be.

And it appears me seeing the pictures of what that little file looks like when it is stitched out is not to be too. As soon as I start to download the file I get an error message, that on the information page of sites says, it is a problem with the wonderful, highly touted, lousy Windows 7.

So I wrote to the manufacturer of the program. He apparently believes that I can even get into the program, so to be sure, I erased the program and downloaded it again. Same problem, and I emailed him again.

Then I got the brilliant idea to email Dell. What. A. Joke. I got to the guts of the 5 page process, and got the message that process was down. Well, of course. So I guess I will have to call for help (India I'm sure). At least with the lap top they cannot put me down on the floor, dismantling the computer this time.

I guess there is a silver lining!

Peace

I'll be glad when people stop stomping on my life!

I know I have been a real grump about the computer issue(s). Something like this really can and does send me over the edge. I have ranted here for way too long!

But yesterday, it became something else! Our 42nd Anniversary was yesterday. G thought of something we both could use - one of those fancy-dancy Logitech TV remotes. We have three remotes flying around here, and when we need one of them, we ca find the other two - only. He even set the people (Geek Squad) to come out to install it. That carried their fee of an hour of their time.

I was delighted! I had two of the grandchildren here because SIL is on the road again, and all the vacation Bible schools are finished. Two weeks of day card is terribly expensive, and these two are really too old to fit in for just the two weeks. Lady Bug is easy to entertain. We share so many interests, but Monkey Boy is only six (the first problem), and has been treated like the Prince of the World for way too long. That is changing, but he still is hard to keep occupied - especially around here.

So for the rest of the story. The installer from Geek Squad was to be here between 12 and 4. Now that is a long time to start with. It is an eternity for a six year old! He really wanted to go out to swim. We couldn't leave the house.

About two, we heard the chirp of a car alarm. I went to the window to see that the truck from Geek Squad was here. I put Simone in the bedroom, rejoicing that I caught her BEFORE the door bell or knock.

We sat here waiting, and then we saw the Geek Squad van leaving. He left a note on the door that he was sorry he missed us. Missed us?? We were here - waiting with baited breath. Of course on the little door hanger, the "phone number" was listed as 800-GEEK SQUAD. I need new glasses so badly. It is difficult for me to see the little numbers on the phone. It took me about five tries to get the correct number. (An aside here - the first wrong had an answering machine. They apparently get the wrong number a lot, and they are a computer repair. Wish I knew what I had done wrong. The second wrong number was telling me that the number had been changed to something like 10- 10-342 -8000(not the correct numbers), but they had a new international number - gah!)

When I got through, they had to direct my call. Doing that they hung up. I was livid by that time. When I finally got trough to the Geek Squad installation, I was put on hold while they tried to reach the installer. The SOB didn't answer his phone - even when they again put me on hold while his manager tried to reach him to no avail.

So my new installation date is Saturday - between 12 and 4. Daughter said I should call back and tell them this is unacceptable. Did so. They agreed with me, but nothing is changed.

Do I like Geek Squad. Right now no. The service stinks. When the other guys came out to assemble the credenza and set up the home theater - they were great. They probably quit this Mickey Mouse operation because they were too good and responsible. What they have now are, in my opinion, is a bunch of slackards. I think this guy had a hot date. Our garage door was wide open (it is a yawning expanse of a double door garage), and he admitted it to the managers. So I guess he just wanted to quit at least an hour early.

Here is my scenario: he walked to the door (perhaps), and because I didn't throw it open after sitting there for hours waiting with baited breath, he walked back to the van. That was the tweet of the alarm. He was writing out the door tag. He tiptoed back to the door since we didn't throw the door open, and left the tag. If he had knocked or rang the bell, Simone would have gone bananas. Then it hurried back to get in the van. He was gone before we would throw the door open and get outside!

Will I use of recommend Geek Squad now. I don't think so. For us to waste 6-8 hours of our lives, terrible! This is a sad situation.