Friday, December 14, 2007

make it stop...


For the most part I get along with electronics. I don't watch a lot of TV so I don't normally care when the remote is MIA. As long as my iPod doesn't get stuck in the same ten song loop (like it did recently), I have no complaints. My household appliances are behaving at the moment, my car is running well and I'm no more digital camera challenged than I was a week ago.


But my computer is trying to kill me. And sadly for me, with the advent of blogging in my life, it has the power to do it. Wednesday morning my entire desktop was gone. My screen saver - the southern leaning beach shot - was still there, but all my files, photos, bookmarks and tool bar were gone. Bloglines was gone. Vanished in a puff of smoke. I couldn't even exit off the page since there was nothing to click on. I had to shut down the computer and do a restart.


At first I blamed this on an overindulgence in Champagne at Bunco the night before, so I went to lie down until my vision cleared. When I got the courage up to look again it was unchanged. All my stuff was gone. My headache, however, was still there. And growing by the minute.


The FG tried to figure out what was going on and was unable to. He thought he had at least found my files drifting through the computer cosmos, but they were jacked up, too. Every time I tried to comment on a blog it came out on the FG's account no matter what I did. So I spent the morning trying to comment and then deleting because it looked a little odd when this guy no one had ever heard of started saying things in my voice. Capiche? You've gotta kind of have a history with people before you start abusing them, so this would never work. He'd just look like a stalker, and a mean spirited one at that.


And then there's Bloglines. That wonderful, fabulous invention that keeps all your regularly read blogs in one place so when there's a new post you know it ASAP. Then, one click later, you can read and comment and do all those fun things. I'd resisted Bloglines for a long time, but when laurie and willowtree told me (relatively) nicely to grow up, I gave it a try. And my life was changed. For the better. But now it's gone. And I miss it dreadfully. I can get to it, but if I try to comment off of it it shows up in my husband's name and he doesn't even use Bloglines.


So, back to my blog. Since I'm making Gumby's page my new home base, every time I want to go to my Blogger dashboard I have to google Blogger, then put in my password and navigate that way. The passwords aren't saved because I don't want my kids to be able to easily access composing on my blog. If they could you might one day find an entire post of fart jokes and pictures of dog butts, and we all know where you would go first if you wanted that. Every now and then something he has set up on his page (like a World of Warcraft icon) bursts out of nowhere and scares the hell out of me. Or Neopets. It's like a home invasion gone computer generated.


All the things that were so easy before (because I had everything bookmarked) now take forever. Hyperlinks. Inserting photos. Simply finding a specific blog. I have to stop. I'm tearing up and scaring the dogs.


So...If I seem a little absent, it isn't on purpose. I'm trying. Hopefully we'll get it figured out and my life can continue on its own peculiar course. We may have to get someone in to look at it, but at this point I don't even care. What did Santa bring you, honey? He brought me bookmarks! And files! And comments in my own name!


Hell, at least coal in your stocking is useful.


I'm leaving you with a "video" of my favorite non life or death trouble song. I've sung this through a boatload of trouble and it's bursting forth now, too. I say "video" because there's no stinkin' picture, just music. How very appropriate that there should be a problem. I sang this song so often for so long that my Amazon parrot also sang it. It was cute from him. We even made up a special version that we sang on the way to the vet. (It isn't mandatory to be a dork if you're blogging - but it helps).

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds very, very frustrating!! I hate computer problems, cause I stink at figuring them out. Luckily, Daddy Dave is a computer geek and can usually fix it (while making me feel pretty stupid the whole time, but who cares, just give me my blog back). Hopefully, you will get it all working again, to your liking, soon!
Your Bunko games sound like too much fun. I have never played, but I may start if you can have some bubbly.
Take care.
XOXO

willowtree said...

I vote for fart jokes and pictures of dog butts.

Have you tried restoring your computer to a previous checkpoint?

willowtree said...

Ah yes, Allan Sherman, that song was HUGE when I was a kid! How come you didn't pick a clip with images?

Susan said...

That song is worse than it's a small world!

Hope your computer problems are fixed SOON. You poor thing.

Corey~living and loving said...

oh no....THAT would send my into a panica attack. I really really really hope it gets better.

oh and I am dying to know how the lice thing is going...I really thought that was what this post was going to be about. LOL

ps....I am just now second guessing myself, and alittle scared to post this comment, as I fear you aren't the one with lice trouble and I will confuse the hell out of you....oh well. If I am wrong...just ignore me. lol

ped crossing said...

There are just some days when technology is not your friend. So sorry it is giving you grief. I would help if I could, but I don't know a thing about PC's. I am a Mac girl through and through. That computer science degree doesn't help either.

And I don't know what 2 cents is talking about. I will listen to Camp Grenada a thousand times over listening to Small World.

I'll send you good tech kharma!

Flowerpot said...

computer problems drive me up the wall. and yes, what's with all these blogger things by everyone's name?

Beth said...

I hear you loud and clear, RC. When my PC implodes or otherwise refuses to play nice, I turn it off and give it a time out. Then I turn it back on and see if it's playing nice. No? OK. Turn off and return to time out, and wait for Mr. Pi to get home and fix it.

Alternatives include beating it up with a sledgehammer or filling up the tank with Kool-Aid.

laurie said...

poor you. i would be lost without this little laptop. i'd have to use doug's computer.

but you know, if you post a comment and it comes out as your husband's account, DON'T DELETE IT. we crave comments. just sign your name. we'll understand.

and i hope your computer is restored soon.

bloglines still has all of your feeds waiting for you, you know. just go to bloglines.com and log in. (sometimes i do that at work, though furtively...)

Swearing Mother said...

But I like fart jokes, not sure about pictures of dog butts though. Loved the song, I've used that tune many times and added my own words appropriate to whatever occasion.

I wished I could get the hang of this blog technology thing, will have a go at getting a blogroll going over the holidays. Can I put you on it if I manage to do one?

Diana said...

So frustrating! I hate it when my computer acts up. I don't know the least thing about how to fix anything aside from re-booting.

Potty Mummy said...

I love that song! I haven't heard it since I was around 12 years old, so thanks RC for transporting me back to simpler times. Sorry to hear about your computer problems, by the way. Hope you can get it sorted soon and can consequently escape Neopets etc...

Teresa said...

I'm a Mac gal and nothing like this EVER happens to me! Now my PC at work...that's another story. I've wanted to pick it up and throw it more than a few times. Fortunately our tech support is quite prompt in solving our snaffus.

Kim said...

Bless your heart. That would make me crazy. I hope it gets cleared up soon.

I'm with Laurie, come see us anyway and just sign your name to your comments. We'll miss ya too much if you don't.

the rotten correspondent said...

eileen - Bunco is a blast. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs to cut loose for a night.

WT - I passed your suggestion on to the FG and hopefully it will help. Thanks for the thought. As far as Camp Granada, I couldn't FIND anything on YouTube that had pictures that weren't somebody's stupid summer vacation that they set to that song. So, to keep the original intent, I just went with the black screen.

my two cents - I first heard that song on Dr. Demento on K-Earth when I was younger. I just love it.

corey - no, sadly, you have the right person. But...it seems better. I've tried a combo of everything that has been suggested. If you've suggested it, I've done it - tea tree oil, combing with conditioner on, mousse, special nit combs, olive oil - I've even used the special nasty shampoo. The last time I combed people out there was virtually nothing to be found. I'm hoping (hard) that tonight will be nit-free. Because that will give me more time to worry about my computer.

ped crossing - we have a Mac downstairs but it's really slow and for some reason I can't compose on Blogger with it. Grr...

flowerpot - well, they're bright, gotta give 'em that...

pixelpi - um, what's Mr. Pi doing tonight?

laurie - I came right back on yours and wrote the comment I intended to post the first time. And I did figure out the Bloglines thing and am now using it. I've actually taken over the guest page on our computer and am bookmarking my stuff, which makes me feel a little better. Only half naked at the moment.

swearing mother - if you need help with a blog roll let me know. It took a while, but I finally figured it out. And I would be honored to be on your roll. Thanks!

diana - yep, that's me too. I can reboot, I can threaten and I can cry. After that I'm done. And the computer remains supremely unmoved by my routine.

potty mummy - you're so right. I feel about 12 again every time I hear that song. And you can do so many fun things with the words. My kids all go "uh oh" as soon as I start singing "hello mudda, hello fadda..."

teresa - welcome! And thanks for your comments yesterday as well. My husband is a Mac guy, so I'm still not sure how we ended up with a Dell. I'm just so frustrated because it's totally out of my realm.

kaycie - well, I've figured out Bloglines, thank goodness. Yesterday I kind of poked and ass backwarded myself to my usual blogs I read. Didn't get to all of them, but I'm working on it.

aims said...

Blogline? What's a blogline?

Have been reading your comments all over blogland and thought I'd drop in for a visit.

I know nothing about fixing computers - I have The Man for that.

Good luck - I'll drop by to see if you got it sorted out.

Beth said...

RC: Mr. Pi is working tonight, but I'm sure he'd love to make up a family emergency in Kansas. Just make sure he comes back with something bandaged and in a sling. Of course, he cannot come to Kansas unless FG is there to chaperone.

Susan said...

Every time my husband starts to sing that song, I do what the boys do...Also I went to camp, once, and I despised it, so that my help explain it.

the rotten correspondent said...

aims - thanks for following my trail and stopping by! Bloglines is something that keeps all the blogs you read in your personal file and tells you when someone posts something new. It saves a lot of time checking back over and over again for new posts. I took some convincing, but I'm totally hooked. Come back by anytime. I'm gonna get this figured out!

pixelpi - FG says fine by him. I'm preparing a sling and a guest room. I'm assuming he doesn't mind pets. We'll call when he gets here. Thanks!!

my two cents - see, I liked camp, although I only went to day camp not sleepover camp. Try as I might I can't imagine the Mr. singing this song!

laurie said...

hey girl, i have an award for you over at the dog blog.

Jo Beaufoix said...

RC I am so pi**ed off for you. Ive had a few 'technical' problems recently and it is bloody awful.
Do what Laurie says though (she's a clever lady Miss Laurie is) and just sign your comment.
And I have something to admit...
I do not have a reader.
I've thought about it,but I didn't know what to go for. So I'm going to try bloglines like you, Laurie and Willowtree.