View from the Cottage

A technological nightmare

July 11, 2018

Today was a nice day at home, quietly at my computer, the day darkened only by sad, sad news about the health of someone special in a small writers group I am part of. But the day in general was a welcome respite from yesterday when the tech gods were after me.

My start to yesterday was iffy. Getting ready to drive myself to a breakfast meeting, I dropped my handicap parking tag, had to get the walker/chair to bend and get it. Got to the car and realized the car key was no longer on my key ring. Back into the house to retrieve the key. Then trouble backing out of the driveway—after my teasing about people who can’t do my skinny driveway, I’m getting payback. I have two excuses: I haven’t done it in a long time and am still getting my skill back, and—more pertinent—in case someone wants to park beside me, I have to park at an awkward angle, far to one side. By the time I got to breakfast, I thought maybe toast at home would have been easier.

But then real trouble started. I tried to figure out Skype so that I can talk to a book club tomorrow night. They’ve read my very first adult novel, Mattie, and I am looking forward to talking to them. Blessings on Sandra Siler who was patient beyond measure with my bumbling attempts to make it work. We tried more times than I can count, but neither of us could make it work. The effort consumed a couple of hours of my day and much of my energy. We finally gave up and will use Facebook tomorrow night.

Christian activated my new phone, but it said, “No service.” So I called AT&T on the old phone to fix that. The agent told me she’d call right back on the new phone. Everyone thinks she did and I missed it, but the truth is the phone was right next to me on the desk and it never rang or vibrated. Only thing that changed was that I lost service on the old phone. So there I was, with no way to contact the outer world except email which doesn’t get instant response. And no way to call AT&T.

My friend Linda came along about 4:30, called, did the talking because when those agents talk fast and a lot, my old ears lose it. Linda, with Jordan who wandered along, fixed it—except it still didn’t ring. I had it on vibrate, not ring. Christian fixed that. Today I still missed two calls. Somehow it was on “Do not disturb” which I swear I have never done. Oh me. I hope tonight it is all straightened out.

Linda took me to Hotel Madrid for supper last night—an advance birthday treat because she’ll be gone for my birthday. We both had white anchovies (so nice to have a friend who shares my taste). Shared fried goat cheese and a salad and had flan for dessert. Absolutely stuffed, mostly from the flan which is so rich. We ate on the patio and had the kind of visit, one on one, that longtime friends need from time to time. We’ve known each other at least forty years.

Tonight, to cap off my quiet day, I sautéed a lamb chop and some zucchini. Both meals so good. I’m getting lazy, writing less, following current events more. Surely this too is a phase that will pass.