Monday, March 31, 2008

How Do I Love Thee My Hp, Let Me Count The Ways

The deep silence here, as you have probably figured out, is due to a relapse of my computer's virus. It has now been symptom free for 48 hours so hopefully it is really cured this time.

I have never thought of myself as being dependent on technology. My cell phone and I are often estranged from one another; at the moment my PDA is MIA; though I love my iPod, we are not joined at the hip, or the ear as the case may be; and, I do not spend hours each day at my computer. But, boy did I miss it these last few weeks! I am amazed at how dependent I really am.

My email was working peripatetically. Receiving messages was not so bad, but sending them was another story. Every time I tried to type something, the screen was overtaken by pop-ups and bogus warning messages. Outlook would randomly shut down, sometimes to music that started playing from a rock band whose primary venue seems to be cyberspace. I was able to communicate just well enough to tell everyone the things I was not able to do because of my ailing computer.

The Dallas Hand Knitters Guild newsletter fell victim to this recent viral outbreak. This is not a great tragedy: there was nothing noteworthy to report anyway.

I was in charge of collecting money and ordering information for the Sound of Music T-shirts. Not a problem. I'll just make a chart on the computer. S@*!, no computer. I had to do it all the old fashioned way by engaging paper, pencil, and a ruler to make the table. It was not so bad. Truth to tell, I probably spent less time drawing this by hand than I would have if I had done it on the computer. I am both amazed and ashamed at the amount of time that can be spent (wasted?) searching for "just the right font". When you do it by hand, the choices are greatly reduced. Only one exists.

My lack of Microsoft Word became problematic when it came to preparing for my classes. Here again, what absolutely had to be included as a handout, I wrote by hand. This may have been a futile effort since my handwriting is terrible. It has not improved since I was traumatized by Mrs. Humphries, who gave me a "D" in handwriting, back in the second grade. She did not like the fact that though I am right handed, but had a left handed slant. At least then it was legible! ANd, if she had let me write with a ball pointpen like everyone else, I'm sure it would have been really legible! (Maybe this explains my obsession with pens!?)

Something else that I discovered about myself over these past two weeks is that I am addicted to daily blog reading. I feel disconnected having been away for so long. I suppose I could go back into the archives and catch up, but I really don't have time to do that. I will have to hope that if the information that I missed is integral to my understanding of later posts, my fellow bloggers will include a link to the pertinent information.

I have also missed writing here. The sad thing for me is that the last few weeks have been a whirlwind because of the DCT production of The Sound of Music, spring breaks, and Easter. All is a blur. If only I had my blog posts to remind me of how I spent the month of March. On the other hand, many of those March days included late night rehearsals. Since I usually write late at night, the fact the I could not post encouraged me to go to bed a little earlier than I might have had my computer not been sick. Perhaps this whole ordeal was a blessing in disguise. Nah . . .

Another favorite late night pastime is a few rounds of my favorite computer games - Zuma and Puzzle Inlay. Again, no computer so off to bed instead of staying up late playing.

Another positive aspect of this long technological hiatus, I have "1-click" free at Amazon.com for three weeks. That may be a personal record, though I did fall off the wagon tonight when I ordered the soundtrack to Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, which Erin hopes to audition for at the end of April.

Had a cooked a single meal at home over the last few weeks, I also would have missed my access to the millions of recipes on the Internet. Since nearly every meal I have eaten has been served out a windo and on paper, there was no need for recipes that involved healthy ingrdients and fancy culinary skills. The only skills necessary for March's dining delicassies were how to eat without dripping grease or ketchup in my lap. (The lack of cooking had to do with the theater profuction, not my computer.)

I must admit that I am glad to be back in the computer business. I have read blogs, ordered on amazon, done a little safe retail therapy (just looking), edted some pictures, and posted here. My day is now complete.

It is 11:59 pm. I am off to bed earlier than I have been with no computer to distract me. Perhaps I will go to bed and read for a little while!