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Thursday, February 09, 2012

What do you depend on?

I had a heck of a Tuesday. Not sure if I woke up with some sort of magnetic force-field but the day started with my computer crashing. Not just a hiccough but a full-on, mega, catastrophic fail. Corrupted everything. My first reaction was, 'I have a book due in a week!!!!!'  My second thought was, 'Thank goodness for Dropbox' and my third was, 'Crap, I have no clue about the password.' .

 I rushed the computer to the 'computer doctor' and then tried to ring my husband from the shop. My phone said, 'No SIM card.' Hello? My SIM card was in the phone. I rebooted the phone three times and then trudged home only to find the brand new home phone wasn't doing its job either!  So obviously I was supposed to be out of communication with the world, and with a deadline I am usually happy with that but I didn't even have my computer  :-(

I tried to find my husband's desk under the mountains of paper and turn on his computer. I was being thankful that we had a spare computer (Ahem or two) in the house until I discovered that my version of 'Word' and his version are not the same. Still,trying to be Pollyanna, I reasoned  I could read my manuscript and still write, even though it involved making copious notes to insert into my version later.

The computer shop marked me as urgent (sweet!) and 30 hours later I had my computer back except it isn't really back as nothing is on it. It is a shell of its former shelf and I see hours and hours of work trying to restore it all. Actually I see hours and hours of my husband's time, installing it all. Still, I have my data so YAY on that as it could have been so much worse.

Anyway, I am hoping next Tuesday, Valentine's Day  is going to be a better day for me. Maybe flowers or chocolates rather than failed technology? And to celebrate that thought and earnest hope, I'm having a little competition.

The last time I was really at sea with failed technology was when my washing machine died. We really do get attached to our machines!  What do you miss the most when it fails?




Fiona Lowe is an award-winning, multi-published author with Harlequin and Carina Press. Whether her books are set in outback Australia or in the mid-west of the USA, they feature small towns with big hearts, and warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she's not writing stories, she's a weekend wife, mother of two 'ginger' teenage boys, guardian of 80 rose bushes and often found collapsed on the couch. A current RT Book Reviwers' Choice Award nominee, you  can find her at her website, facebookTwitter and Goodreads.

Boomerang Bride is available now from Carina Press,Amazon Kindle, Nook and all other online book stores. 
Her medical romances are available from The Book Depository and harlequin.com

15 comments:

Melissas Midnight Musings said...

Yikes, that sounds like a Monday set of events that forgot what day it was! Thank goodness you backed up all your data. :) I hope the rest of your week is much better.

Pamela Moran said...

Definitely the computer ... and there are times I can't believe how dependent I've become on my cell phone!

Laney4 said...

Ohhh, so many choices.
My dryer recently went, so I had to lug 10 heavy loads to the laundromat. The good news is that dryers were available, so I was back home with them all folded/hung in just less than 2 hours....
My washer went last year, but I was able to wait the week for the new part to come in before catching up. I probably could have hand washed the needed items and still used the dryer....
The microwave is about to die. It is 26 years old. I would be lost without it and its timer....
Our deep freeze is 31 years old and crammed to the limit. I pray that when it dies, it dies in the wintertime. Luckily, we have great neighbours and an extra fridge in the garage where we can keep some of the items cold before we buy another one....
I hate it when the vacuum goes and I must sweep our wall-to-wall carpeted house, but it is doable in the short run....
Yeah, the computer is the biggest one. I communicate via email with lots of my friends, I blog (naturally!), and I suppose I should mention that typing is my job, so I wouldn't be able to earn money without a usable computer. The break would be lovely at first, as I'm sure I'd get lots done around the house instead, but I would be amassing several reasons to log on as soon as possible, as I also check web sites for dozens of things daily.

Renee said...

I miss my microwave!!! It crashed this morning. (By the way, it is a full moon!) I have to say that I don't miss it until I don't have it. Why is that? I went to heat water for coffee in the microwave only to discover that the whole thing was off. We have several computers in the house, but like you, I can't remember passwords. I will have to start my password pal list somewhere.

Mary Preston said...

I know what you mean about machine machines. Mine is old, but it washes beautifully. I have probably jinxed it now.

TashNz said...

Oh my gosh! What a day!
I have to agree with the washing machine. When mine died it's like the world falls apart! I can not say how much I love my new one. The microwave at work only has 6 of the 9 buttons working... the middle verticle row doesnt work hahaha. very frustrating... and on my microwave the button that you push for pasta potatoe or rice to cook doesnt work eeeeeek

Fiona Lowe said...

Melissa, the rest of the week has been fine but it will take a other two before the computer is set to rights!

Fiona Lowe said...

Pamela, as ai type this on my iPad I agree how scary it is that we depend so much icon technology that we are bereft whe it breaks!

Fiona Lowe said...

Oh, Laney! I'd be holding my breath and making sure there is some backup funds in the bank!

Fiona Lowe said...

Renee, we get so used to having things we don't realize how handy they are until they stop! Hve fun shopping for a new microwave.

Fiona Lowe said...

Marybelle, I hope your machine didn't hear you! I dare not say how old my microwave is for the same reason!

Fiona Lowe said...

Tash, I think the fridge and the washing machine and hot water systems and electricity are all the worst things to break down. I also LOVE my new washer! It even sings to me whenthe cycle is done.

JeanMP said...

Well I miss the computer, last week our's died, then 2 days ago my email app on my phone disappeared and I couldn't retrieve any emails. Luckily we had a laptop, so back on the computer and my phone is fixed, so everything is skipping along.

Linda Henderson said...

When I lost my new computer, I was really lost. I had got so dependent on it that it was hard to be without one for a while. I now have a new one, again, and I'm loving it. My poor daughter is going through a everything that can break down will right now. First they had to replace the refrigerator, then the stove, then the dishwasher, then the kitchen sink, now the clothes dryer and tv is acting up. She swears that every year at tax time something quits so they have to spend their tax return on appliances.

seriousreader at live dot com

Eli Yanti said...

i miss my computer and mobile phone either