R.I.P., Laptop...

 As our dear, old friend, Ray Sommers used to say, "Some days it 

just don't go by the book." Today, my friends, was one of those days.

The day started innocently enough. I went to the studio with the intention of

finishing writing my Summertime Quilt pattern. I loaded my DVD into the

player to upload more photographs, only to find that it wouldn't spool up.

To make matters worse, it wouldn't eject either. I was more than a little

frustrated, so I figured that if I restarted the computer, it would behave.

I was wrong.

I've been pampering this for a few months, hoping to limp along for a few

more months. (Remember when I went to see Genius Ben at the Apple store?)

Nothing I did would eject the DVD, and the computer wouldn't boot because it

was trying to read the DVD. I had a "Catch 22" and I started talking to myself.

 If you ever wonder which keyboard keys get the most use, my six year

old MacBook Pro can help answer that question for you. Let's look a

little closer...E...R...A...S...D...F...C...

 M...K...and we have a winner!...N. Can we have a little applause for

the letter "N"? When the computer was on, this key actually just lit

up, with no indication of which letter it was. This old paralegal doesn't

have to actually look at the keyboard to type, so it didn't slow me down,
but the poor keyboard sure looked ever day of its age. Poor thing.

l-r: 13", 2.9 GH NEW MacBook Pro; 6 yr. old 15" MacBook Pro doorstop.

 Handsome and I packed up the laptop, hoping that it was only ill

and not deceased. I really wanted to transfer the information on it

to a newer model. No luck. No Last Rites. No "Goodbye and Thanks".

It's not "mostly dead"...it's "dead dead". No CPR wouldn't help. Dang! 

So, it was a bittersweet day. I purchased a brand new, smaller, lighter

leaner laptop, but I lost most of what I had on my old sweetheart. All

I'll be able to retrieve is what I managed to save on my last backup...

45 days ago. It's the old, "You ought to know better" story. I'll pull up 

my socks, take a deep breath and just do what I have to do. I'll be fine.

After all, I was able to write this post on my new baby, wasn't I?

My old laptop computer will join the ranks of all our previous Apple
"war horses". I may still contact one more individual who might be able
to retrieve the information on its hard drive, but for now, I'll tuck it into
a safe place and get to work on the newest addition to our stable of Apples.

He's A Genius...

 No, really. That's what Apple calls their associates. 

My genius was Ben.

He's British, personable as all get-out, and best of all...

He's a genius around anything Apple!

He's worked for Apple for four years, and Handsome and I

spent all afternoon with him yesterday while he fixed my laptop.

I found out that my MacBook Pro is considered "vintage" at a mere six years

 old. Ben told me that in two years it will be "obsolete" and I'll no longer be

 able to get parts for it. I assured him that it would be "retired" long before then.

The best part was that "vintage" Macs are serviced at no charge.

So, after two days of changing critical passwords, subscribing to LifeLock,

changing my phone number and finally visiting the Genius Bar at Apple,

my laptop has been declared malware-free and our privacy has been restored.

I can finally welcome in the New Year and turn my focus to the studio.

I promise that tomorrow I'll write a creative post...and isn't it about time?

Thanks, Ben!

I Don't Know What I Was Thinking...

"King of Richmond Park" - Daily Mail UK.com

 Well, I have to say that this year started off with a real...bang.

I don't know what I was thinking. Really.

I was grazing around on Facebook on New Year's Eve,  when a blog friend

  "posted" that she'd just won two FREE airline tickets on SW Airlines, and the

 link appeared. (I already know what you're all thinking. Don't say it, please.)

The only reason I even considered it is because Handsome and I are

planning another trip north in the near future and FREE sounded good.

I clicked on the link. Shared my name and cell number and then typed in

the "code" that arrived within seconds on my cell phone. Next thing I know,

the app does a little post of its own...to ALL my FB friends, saying that

I just got two free tickets! (Forget that it started to smell funny before I

completed the process and I closed the app sans tickets.) As soon as I saw

that, I went into the app files on FB and removed the offender...too late.

Oh, yeah! "King of Richmond Park" - Daily Mail UK.com

 Before I could warn all my friends, I got a pop-up that said my "session

had timed out" and I needed to sign back in to Facebook. You guessed it.

"You've been locked out of your account because your browser has been

infected by malware." Then, it directed me to go through a process to 

unlock my account, which I followed to. the. letter. AARROOOOOOOO!

It. didn't. work.

(Take a moment to insert all your favorite naughty words here. I did!)

And, to top it off...other things are acting funny on my MacBook Pro now.

It's a good thing I have my iMac desktop to write this or you'd all be sending

out the bloodhounds to find out what happened to me overnight!

I just know that my blog friend is going through the same thing I am right now.

(Wish I could send her a hug, because I know just how pissed peeved 

vexed frustrated hot homicidal cheesed she must be now, too!)

 

I'll be making a telephone call to the Apple store in Naples this morning.

I need to go find a "genius" to help me untangle the mess I've managed to

get my New Year's self into...and perhaps he or she can give me the little

reminder kick in the pants to never open an ad link...on FB or anywhere else.

There really is no such thing as FREE.

I'm sure that "genius" isn't going to come free, and neither will the "fix".

Happy New Year To Me.