I’m very good at procrastination. In fact it was almost my major in college. So when I look around and things aren’t getting done, I figure the cause is procrastination and speak sharply to myself about that. But sometimes there is an actual reason – not an excuse, mind you, but a reason.
This week I have several things hanging over my head that really should have been completed by now. I got off track last week what with the issues with my right hand taking an unjustified vacation during a holiday week. Still, I thought the decks were relatively clear and those undone projects from last week could easily be slotted into this week – ready to go after a holiday and fireworks and all that. Wonder where I got that delusion exactly.
Thus far I have done hours of research — some for actual paid work but by far the greater number for tangents and side roads. The ugliest of the side roads involves (surprise) computer hardware. I have spent more time than I care to count on two or three hardware issues that really shouldn’t have been on the agenda at all. Why exactly does the DVI cable not work – when it should just work right out of the box? Why does a “customer service” person insist that he can’t give me the secret code that will enable me to register online for an upgrade service – even though I know my mother’s maiden name and my first pet and the correct spelling of the town I was born in. Or at least I know the versions I told them because I have that written down. What I don’t have is this special code that “all customers” receive in the beginning. I have very serious doubts about my ever having such a code because I have codes from systems that have long ago bitten the dust. If there’d been another piece of paper for this one I have to believe it would be in one of these files. And yes, indeed, I’ve pulled out reams of paper and looked for it. No luck.
He could have the automated system call me with that info (why is that better than a person) but he can’t change the phone number that the automated system has listed for me – naturally a phone number that I had five years ago and no longer accurate. Apparently he’s not allowed to change it unless I give him the same secret code that’s the one I don’t know – which is why I’m calling him in the first place… Do you wonder why I’m refusing to be blamed for this round of insanity? So the final story on that issue is that they can mail me the secret code (no, not email but regular postal mail) which will take 7-10 days to get through their system, through the postal system, and into my mailbox. Then after that if I can’t register or have trouble with the new service, I will have the secret code.
The other issue has to do with another system’s software that I upgraded a few weeks ago, following instructions, and all seemed to go well. Then I noticed a behavior that had not been present before. Knowing better than to start with the company involved, I went online to various support groups, etc., to see if anybody else was having the problem. Best I can tell, everybody who’s mentioned it had the problem before this upgrade. In fact the upgrade was supposed to deal with this very issue – which I had been blissfully unaware of. I left a couple of posts about my version of the story but so far have not heard anything back. On the other hand, I also read some really ugly stories about things that could have happened to me during the upgrade but didn’t.
So that’s why it’s late Tuesday afternoon and I’m pretty sure I’ve done nothing really useful for days – the hardware rounds started on Sunday when I was optimistic enough to think I could just do one little connection and all would be well. Going off now to do something non-computerish, get some rest and try again tomorrow.
