Blog Bites Butt

To say that I've been technologically challenged the last few days sums it up pretty well. The key word here is "challenged", because, up to this point anyway, I've come out on top. Eventually. The computer hasn't actually crashed, it's just being very temperamental. The Mac, our backup computer, has developed some strange personality disorder, and without its meds pretty much does what it wants to do . What it wants to do bears no resemblance to what I need it to do. Last night one of my best friends emailed to tell me my blog was down. Luckily it was back up fast. Then the wireless connect wasn't plugged in all the way and we couldn't get online. The dishwasher is making odd noises and all the phones in the house have this funky static thing going on. It's enough to make me consider an Amish lifestyle. Briefly. Thank god my kids are techno nerds.


This all reminds me of the year the Film Geek went away to teach and I stayed in LA with the kids. In the time he was gone virtually every piece of electronics we owned went down the crapper. It started with the computer and moved through kitchen appliances and VCRs. Next came my car. Then came the television set. There was something else big but I've blocked it. Absolutely on purpose. (There were other things too, like backed up plumbing and meningitis, but for now I'll stick to techno stuff).


The low point was the night I was woken up by an ungodly screech in my kitchen. The closer I got the louder it became. It seemed to be coming from the fridge, but I couldn't figure out why. Then it started flapping, so help me. I considered a poltergeist with an off sense of humor, but we lived in a 1960's ranch, and who ever heard of a ghost in a ranch? (Now that we live in an 1880's Victorian I've decided that our family is just not the ghost type, as the decibel level in my house can give commercial aircraft a run for it's money. Even poltergeists need to be able to hear themselves think occasionally).


Barring any other options I unplugged the fridge and the noise stopped instantly. I hazarded a hope that the damned thing wasn't going to explode on me and went back to bed. The next day when the repair guy got there he moved the fridge out from the wall and within about three seconds pulled out a piece of paper that had slid off the top and gotten half sucked into a fan or something. Problem solved. I can't recall exactly how much that little adventure cost me, but I do remember thinking that I could feel like a fool for free.


The funny thing is that even if my husband were home he wouldn't have been able to fix a quarter of these things. We'd still have had to have someone else come out and do it for us. For a price, of course. It's just that it's good to have moral support when the TV is on the fritz and three little Power Ranger hungry rugrats are in withdrawal and attacking their stuffed Barneys in a rage. It would have been nice to not creep into a dark, screaming kitchen alone. It would have been nice to have someone else who didn't see the damned paper either.


I'll manage just fine. As long as the computer works.


I think I'll go light some incense. Just to hedge my bets.