If we don't laugh we would all go insane

Jimmy Buffet said it! and boy, was he right. Sometimes you just have to laugh, especially when things just cant seem to get any worse.

A week ago Sunday i booted up my computer. typed half an email, and boom. Fade to black. nothing i did could make it work.

A neighbor had brought over a little emachine he no longer wanted. Get that baby out, do all the plug & cord things.. and what? nothing?

surely its the plug? try another outlet. nope. a second dead computer.

Monday morning i did the mad search. Computer "illiterate".. i depend on salesmen. After a rude experience at Walmart, i head to Best Buy where all those guys standing around aren't very helpful. Next door to Office Depot. A bit pricey.. and what? they don't MAKE computers with modems anymore? really? i happen to have recently googled this and know there are 33% of the world's population still on dial up.

So down to Sams. Bundles. don't need that. and the "tv guy" wasn't very knowledgeable with computers.

Back In the car, frustrated and with limited funds, i decide to take the forty-five minute trip to Goodwill headquarters & training center. They take donated computers, hire people that otherwise wouldn't have jobs and train and employ them building computers.

What? they only build them, they don't know much more about them.. can't advise or recommend. Least expensive ~ $300 with a 30 day warranty.

Its one of those 104 degree days. Stick me with a fork. i'm done ~ emotionally & physically. I head back to "mom and pop" computer repair shop where i should have went originally. the $50/ 30 thing and all. I explain to craig i sell on line. lots of pictures, i'm on line probably 10 hours a day. need lots of memory, and the key word ~ dial up.

So he sells me a re built computer, carries it to the car and i spend 5 days trying to figure it out. it refuses my pictures, the USB port doesn't work, my card reader won't get read. Back to Craig, who informs me its ME, not the computer, but leave it and let him look at it. I'm scheduled with his "picture pro" for the next day to help me with pictures.

This is the first "you gotta laugh" part... the picture pro? she's never used a card reader. she has no clue how to re-name files. she has no clue how to right-click save. Her solution is to use the camera cord and load directly to the computer. Not a viable option when you sell on line. I'm totally self taught, but those are some very vital skills for me. ITMT Craig's had enough. he goes out front, selects another computer and tries to compensate me for all the aggravation. Slams in a modem and sends me on my way, as he closes for the weekend.

Did you guess already? the modem doesn't work. i feel like i'm in a comedy of errors by now. Back to the store monday morning. And Craig's pissed at ME? what? you're kidding. why? because i have dial up. Mind you he KNOWS where i live, knows there is nothing short of satellite available.. and is just a grumbling away about never working on dial up again. I'm thinking i have a 6 month warranty on this sucker.. ha! if it breaks he won't be happy, but he will work on it.

New modem, computer back in the car, and i'm on my way home. Still can't right click. still having issues, but i'll get it. Of course lost tons of pictures, programs and information in the old hard drive that was not backed up.. But i will catch up on blogging, listing or working for a week. its one thing to take a vacation from working, another to be forced into it.

But hey.. the cd player in the new computer works, i'm listening to jimmy buffet "Changes in Latitude" ~ and you just gotta laugh at all this drama or we'd all go insane!