Marooned

Well, not exactly marooned, but it sure felt like it. There I was, a constant user of computers and electronic tools for 30 years or more, and suddenly my computer was in the shop for a checkup and maintenance. Geek Squad offered to do this for me and included Rocky’s computer as well. So here we were both without our laptops. At least Rocky had his Apple I-pad.

I relied heavily on my android phone. Got it to do routine incoming emails with short responses when needed. I even kept up with my Facebook and news flashes. But real communication stopped, including this blog.

I discovered my Microsoft Surface gathering dust on the office bookcase. I dusted it off and tried to remember my password and other protocols. I had forgotten the Surface came without an owners manual; all instructions were online, but to access them your surface had to work! It didn’t because I couldn’t remember the password.

After 30 hours of thinking, I remembered the password and fired up the minicomputer. I couldn’t do Facebook; it said an outdated version of something or other was blocking current use. I was able to get my normal news feeds but forgot how small all the print fonts were. I managed to keep abreast of the breaking news and soon found myself withdrawing from constant news following.

A sense of freedom began to grow. I was not a fan of being disconnected from the world, but I reminded myself that some people spend tens of thousands of dollars to get away from it all for a week or 10 days. Here I was getting the same result at no cost! Except, my inner self did not relax. I was anxious about what I was missing. I wondered how many clients and family would think I’d dropped off the face of the earth.

Tracking the repairs and progress toward computer return was easy with Geek Squad. They sent reminders to me and even called twice. We arranged the pickup appointment for Sunday afternoon, and they reported both computers were fit for continued use. Rocky’s is about to bite the dust, but they backed up all of his memory with a terabyte thingy and we bought the appliance as well. So, we are ready to back up his machine and replace it with my old machine should his drop dead suddenly. That would mean I would have to replace mine, but we could limp through with a rebuilt computer on the cheap. I am ready for that eventuality and preparing my mind for it.

It took me one hour and fifteen minutes Sunday afternoon to set up my computer, reboot it, and catch up on all the work missed in the last three days. I even had time to write this blog post and will publish it Monday morning.

The marooned feeling is already ebbing. Quickly. I am most grateful.

We will now make an appointment for more work with Geek Squad. Next time at the house. The TV surround sound and stereo system needs coordination. I think the techs will fix it up for us in no time. Then, there’s the TV remote issue, a streamlined computer set up, and oh, another thing……

June 28, 2021