I'm thinking that there's another epidemic started. My friend and fellow blogger Connie had a sick 'puter a couple of weeks ago. Apparently, it has recovered cuz she has some nice fall photos on her ( www.livelovelaughhope.blogspot.com) this morning.
And, this morning, I'm using my old 1998 Hewlett Packard to post my thoughts. I use it for most of my writing assignments and use my downstairs laptop for all the fun stuff, including posting photos. This old desktop has been limping along and hanging in there for me for years. So, I'm most appreciative.
And, now my Gateway laptop is getting old and catching old-age diseases. Maybe it is an epidemic; maybe not. Still, having a sick computer these days is akin to having a houseful of sick kids. Can be just as miserable.
The laptop has been hinting at symptoms lately---all having to do with its lifeline aka power cord. "My power cord is tired," it's been telling me. "My battery doesn't want to work."
Ya know how we tend to react when the symptoms seem fairly mild. Let's do anything to avoid spending a buck. With a computer, you tinker a bit and when it starts working again, you quit worrying about all the warning signs.
Well, last night it just plain died on me. The power cord is not sending any juice to the laptop. I'm hoping we don't have a permanent flatline, and I'll find out soon when I take it down to a computer doctor and see if a new $100 universal power cord will do the trick.
I've been encountering a lot of limping along lately, all the way from Lefty and his trailer trauma on Saturday to my rototiller, which quit running after dozens of attempts to start it last week. I knew it was cold and that the motor would probably like a little heat to help it fire up.
So, I moved it to the cement slab in front of the shop where the sun was beating down and creating warmth even in the frigid air. I went about my business of picking apples and came back later to try the rototiller. A couple of pulls and it came to life, but ever so briefly.
As I began directing it to the back garden, I noticed that the gas tank and all its hardware wiggling along the side of the motor. Not a good sign. It had done that last summer and refused to run until I went to Co-Op and found a crew to secure it back to where it belonged.
Apparently the screw had worked its way out and soon the gas tank was wobbling wildly, threatening to fly off the machine. The machine stopped dead before that happened. I tried another screw but couldn't get maneuver it into the tight spot.
So, my rototiller/lawnmower doctor Tony will come sometime this week and see if he can bandage the thing together long enough for me to do the fall tilling.
Actually, it looks like that flu epidemic is hitting both humans and their machines. Are we unwittingly spreading the flu germs to our machines by touching doorknobs touched by sick people? Are our contagious hands igniting the flu by touching our computer keyboards and handlebars to our garden equipment.
Is the nasty germ much stronger than earlier suspected?
Imagine what will happen if it is! A bunch of sick people with a bunch of dead equipment trying to function in a world where both are of the essence to get anything done. I wonder if the world could possibly quit turning if this spreads as far as they have predicted.
In the meantime, I'll rely on the specialists to figure out what the problems are, hopefully fix them and get me back on track with my life. I'm already pretty happy with Dr. Neu who came to fix Lefty's left leg, battered up in the horse trailer when he had a panic attack the other day.
That situation turned positive. I pulled Lefty from his cart lesson but took him to my sisters' anyway, along with Miss Heather who's been standing out in the pasture wishing that someone would allow her a Cinderella moment.
Well, she got it yesterday when she replaced Lefty at the clinic. People thought she was cute, and she demonstrated on the longe line that she's also smart and reliable.
The best part of the whole day, however, was that Lefty rode to and from my sisters' in the trailer and had no panic attacks. That was good for Lefty and especially good for me cuz if we hadn't taken that step to get him right back in the trailer, I probably would have worried all winter about ever putting him in a horse trailer again.
And, sure enough, all that worry would give me a case of the flu, and I'd have to go to the doctor, and I wouldn't like the experience or the pricetag one bit.
Happy Monday to all. Whatever you do, don't sneeze on your 'puter keyboard.
1 comment:
My computer is still on it's sick bed. It's a tiny bit better, but still not up to par! I think you are on to something here, my friend! =)
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