Friday, October 22, 2004

Technology Meltdown

My apologies for the dearth of posts this week. I was betrayed by my technology. It all started last weekend. I decided to use my Saturday off to re-arrange the furniture configuration in my bedroom. I got an idea that I thought would give me some extra storage space, as well as get me away from sleeping in the direct path of my drafty windows and the accursed morning sun. The storage and sunlight idea worked, but I confess it was a sacrifice in terms of design. It's all a melange of exposed wires and power strips. Some things I'm able to reach more easily, others are no more accessible than before. The catalyst to my tech meltdown involved moving the DVD/Cable boxes to another wall, moving the TV set to the other side of the bed, (The most successful change I made. I'm able to lounge around in bed watching movies and ... doing...things ... all afternoon if I want. And I do.) as well as moving my computer/DSL/VOIP connection and various computer peripherals about four feet to the left. The TV/DVD adjustment appeared to go without incident. But by the next day the cable was no longer working and the connector wires between the DVD player and TV turned out to be about a foot shorter than I needed. To make a boring story at least mercifully shorter, after a couple of days thinking I had a service call from the cable company in my future I managed to dope out that I had re-attached a connection that had popped loose incorrectly. TV/VCR/Cable. Check. Not so my poor poor PC. After completing the adjustment and hooking everything back up and powering up my computer, ... nothing. Bupkiss. No power. I jiggled and wiggled (the computer). I hooked and unhooked. Finally I took the PC off the grid and confirmed that the machine itself was getting no power. Thankfully, whatever was wrong wasn't affecting my phone, router or DSL service. So I found a way to bypass the PC and press my poor damaged laptop into service. But it doesn't have the muscle of my PC. So internet porn is largely not an option. That chops my on-line life in half. I tried replacing the power supply as that seemed the obvious problem. It wasn't. I'm stumped. I may have to replace my computer and find a way to download the data on my hard drive. I got some good filth I refuse to lose.

Aside from that, I've been pretty busy getting up to speed in my new job. I'm not struggling. It's just a lot to absorb, as any new job is. I got my first new paycheck on Friday. It was only for half a week but when your sense of self is tied in with earning a living, even a little bit feels good. Besides, it looks like my pay will be equal to if not slightly more than I was making, and I'm back amongst the legally employed. So I'm paying back into my (probably non-existent) Social Security for the first time in about four years. But the new job has played havoc with my diet and my workout schedule. I feel sluggish and bloated. I'm planning on getting up tomorrow in time to get in a decent workout. In a perfect world I'll have time to drop off my laundry. For now, I think I'll walk the dog and take a hot bath. Oh and I imagine I'll watch ... movies ... in bed.

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