My luck in working with anything remotely sophisticated is very limited, and computers are no exception. I'm in Kansas City on a business trip and will have some free time to write, so I brought both my personal computer and my work computer. No problem, right?
I soon as I got to my room, I booted up my personal computer and prepared to spend some time working on my new novel when, much to my dismay, all that happened was the screen lit up bright blue and stared at me. I re-booted it - my favorite fix for computers, plus the only one I really know how to do - yet that technical sophistication didn't fix the problem. The laptop is about three and a half years old and has been slow for a while now and I figured that maybe it finally reached the end of it's run. Yes, I can probably get it fixed, but that won't solve my immediate problem of needing something to type on.
That was when I turned on my work computer. I'd emailed my novel to my work account for just such an emergency, so I was certain that my problems would be solved. Unfortunately, that wasn't to be the case.
My work computer takes a smart card to boot up(pretty high tech, isn't it?), and it asked for my PIN, which I was all too happy to provide. However, the screen informed me that I'd entered the wrong PIN and would have to do so again. Surely that can't be! I thought, but I went ahead and re-entered it, sure that I would soon be lost in the magical world I'd created.
That was when the damn machine informed me that my smart card had been locked and it was sorry to say that it wouldn't allow me access. Actually, it only said that my smart card was locked, but adding the second part makes me feel better. So I now have no way to write, and I won't be back to my home computer or able to get my work computer fixed until Friday night(late), and I'm stuck watching re-runs of The Big Bang Theory and griping about how computers in general are the spawn of Satan.
For those wondering how this is getting posted, I'm working on the lobby computer of the Best Western I'm staying in, so the hordes of humanity lean over my shoulder while I express myself, making this process that much more fun. Maybe I should fart and get their reaction - shouldn't be hard since the Taco Bell I ate at is one of the only ones I know of that still has the Chili Cheese Burrito.
Next post will be more productive, as I'll discuss writing distractions. Including this episode, I've had plenty of practice weeding them out.
Wrong!
I soon as I got to my room, I booted up my personal computer and prepared to spend some time working on my new novel when, much to my dismay, all that happened was the screen lit up bright blue and stared at me. I re-booted it - my favorite fix for computers, plus the only one I really know how to do - yet that technical sophistication didn't fix the problem. The laptop is about three and a half years old and has been slow for a while now and I figured that maybe it finally reached the end of it's run. Yes, I can probably get it fixed, but that won't solve my immediate problem of needing something to type on.
That was when I turned on my work computer. I'd emailed my novel to my work account for just such an emergency, so I was certain that my problems would be solved. Unfortunately, that wasn't to be the case.
My work computer takes a smart card to boot up(pretty high tech, isn't it?), and it asked for my PIN, which I was all too happy to provide. However, the screen informed me that I'd entered the wrong PIN and would have to do so again. Surely that can't be! I thought, but I went ahead and re-entered it, sure that I would soon be lost in the magical world I'd created.
Wrong!
That was when the damn machine informed me that my smart card had been locked and it was sorry to say that it wouldn't allow me access. Actually, it only said that my smart card was locked, but adding the second part makes me feel better. So I now have no way to write, and I won't be back to my home computer or able to get my work computer fixed until Friday night(late), and I'm stuck watching re-runs of The Big Bang Theory and griping about how computers in general are the spawn of Satan.
For those wondering how this is getting posted, I'm working on the lobby computer of the Best Western I'm staying in, so the hordes of humanity lean over my shoulder while I express myself, making this process that much more fun. Maybe I should fart and get their reaction - shouldn't be hard since the Taco Bell I ate at is one of the only ones I know of that still has the Chili Cheese Burrito.
Next post will be more productive, as I'll discuss writing distractions. Including this episode, I've had plenty of practice weeding them out.
Hey, next time you are in KC, let me know. We could have helped you with the computer issue.
ReplyDeleteGloria vF.
Unfortunately, I don't get back to the mainland all that often. Too expensive. ;-)
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