Jigging the Printer

Okay, my printer/scanner/copier is getting old. I do not recall when I bought it, but I it may have been as long ago as 2001, or much later. I just do not know.

What I do know, is that every time I have to load a new color cartridge in the printer, I have to "jig" the printer. Although I now buy HP brand name cartridges (I have actually bought off brand cartridges, and that is when the trouble started), I have to go through all kinds of machinations to get the printer to work.  I have to shut down the printer, unplug it, replug it, turn it back on, take the cartridge out, put it back in, take it out, shut off the printer, turn it back on, etc, etc, etc until finally, the printer decides I do not have a bad cartridge, and it will do the self test and alignment.  I spent 45 minutes doing that today. 

But success at last!

Resetting the clocks

After the power outage, I have to go around resetting the clocks.  I do not like this chore, but it is made easier because my cell phone has time on it.  It is easier to get all the clocks set with the same time.  Where I work, it seems like every clock is different, and that DRIVES ME NUTS!

So, when I reset the alarm clock time, I forgot to reset the alarm itself... I never remember if the dot is for AM or PM, but that was easy enough to determine.  I just set the time, and when it rolled around yesterday evening, the alarm went off.  So, now I know and fixed it.

The microwave drove me nuts.  Somehow, I could not get the clock to reset.  I even tried unplugging it, but still could not get the clock to reset.  So, I ignored it. Until I used it.  Then, it let me reset the clock.  I do not understand.

The Radio

I know you experience this.  You set the radio just right, get the tuning just right, the antenna just right, sit down, and it seems the tuning is off...Grrr.  I have several dial tune radios, and this is very frustrating to me.   I like the digital tuners better, simply because this is less of an issue...

Staying Connected

When I moved to Texas in 1977, I rarely made long distance phone calls, due to the expense.  They were saved for special occasions or holidays.  Night and weekend rates made them less expensive, but letters were a big part of staying connected.  And, I love to send cards.

Then cell phones and emails came into being.  Cell phones were great.  I had a plan for unlimited calling that made calls to the East and, especially, my parents possible.  I called more and more often...

Emails also made unlimited access possible.

Recently, I have commented several times that I am so glad the my stepdaughter asked me to join Facebook, because she posted family activities and pictures.  I have been able to not only keep up with her family, but many of my nieces and other family members post regularly on Facebook.

One of my nieces told me today that she was very glad that we can stay connected on Facebook.  It made me feel very special and close to her...That is very special to me.

Today is a holiday, I am very grateful at the multiple media that allow me to stay connected to my friends and family.  

Technical Help

I recently purchased a Crosley turntable that allows me to record music from vinyl or cassettes to CDs.  This has been fun, but then, the equipment started malfunctioning. I was able to coax it to work, until enough was enough, and I finally called the 24/7 help line.  The person I spoke to was very nice, but her suggestions were all I had tried.  She referred me to a "technical support person" who, of course, is only available during regular business hours.

I received a call during business hours yesterday, so today, I took some time off from work, and called back.  I spent more time (maybe 10 or 15 minutes) on hold than talking to the tech helper.  It turns out, based on questions asked about my purchase date and manufactured on date, that I need a software update.   So, I will be receiving a CD with instructions, and was encouraged to call if I needed help installing the new software.

So, why did the 24/7 technical help person not have this information?

In October, I wrote about the fact that my network went down...Well, it was really due to the upgrades by my internet service provider .  The modem I had, which I purchased in 2003, was out of date, and could not handle the updates by the ISP.

When I called for help, I was told I would have to wait 4 days for service.  I extended it a day on my convenience, and used public wifi to keep up with computering while my network was down.  The technician who came to my home did ABSOLUTELY nothing but look on the numbers on my modem.  I felt bad for him:  he was the bearer of bad news, and I am sure he took the brunt of a lot of angry comments, as he said he had seen this over and over.  He said he almost asked on the phone about my modem, but was required to make a home visit, so he did.

I responded to the ISP satisfaction survey and complained that the on call technician could have asked about the numbers on my modem, the in home technician did no other work, and I lost service unnecessarily because of the delay at getting the technician to my home.  I actually received a response, that acknowledged they could have the phone help people ask about numbers on modems.  Additionally, my bill was adjusted for the service time I lost.  The amount was small, but the principle was that my ISP is trying to provide good customer service.

Taking Care of Colleagues

We recently went through some major computer upgrades of our electronic medical record, at work.  I was asked to be on the committee, serving as a liaison between the software people and staff.  It was a really good experience for me:  I learned a lot about the program we are using, it reduced MY anxiety about the change, many folks asked me about it and I could share information (and hopefully, reduce their anxiety) and it was a good change of pace for me.

Many of my colleagues are computer-challenged.  So things that someone else might experiment or explore are not tried, and they become stuck in difficult or unproductive ways of using the computer.  The fall out of my being the liaison has been that I am being asked questions that really do not have to do with the computer upgrade.  But, I am glad to be able to answer the questions, or at least seek out answers, when I do not know...Mostly, I am hopeful that I can help people use the electronic medical record more efficiently and effectively...

And, I will admit it, it is an ego boost for me... We all need ego boosts....

Power Source

If you use a laptop computer, and your power cord seems to have gone out, try this:  unplug the cord from your laptop, and also from the electric socket.  Let it be unplugged for 2-3 hours minimum, and for sure, until the transformer is room temperature.

I have done that several times with the power cord for my laptop...

Batteries

One of my many remote controls was not working properly.  I groused and grumbled for a couple of days, then did the simple thing: I changed the batteries.  Isn't it amazing what a difference a fresh set of batteries makes for electronics?