not my flowers,

My work computer has been wonky for the past 6, no, 8 months (since before August but they replaced it in August with a new one since I seem to have done something to cause a BSOD on my other one).

It shut down while I was in the middle of writing treatment plans or searching for a group topic or reading a blog.  Just any time it damn well felt like it really.  It would reboot itself but I lost work in the meantime.  It did nothing to endear itself to me.

I dutifully called the HELP desk and they would "create a ticket" and then call me.  I would describe the problem, "it's shutting down and rebooting in the middle of my work and oh, it sounds like there's a tiny dying moose inside the box". 

That last part I'm sure got me an asterix by my name that says "she's a nutcase, just humor her".  BUT, it did sound like a tiny moose was either in the throes of death or looking for a female tiny moose to mate with.

After several months of nice, young men (and it's ALWAYS young men) coming over and telling me that there's nothing wrong because the infernal machine worked quietly and perfectly for them, I was at the end of my rope.  I was tired of being verbally patted on the head as if I had no idea of what I was talking about.

(I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I live with a computer geek who has built many machines and fixed many many more.  You absorb some info through osmosis and I am naturally curious so I ask questions.  I do know some stuff.)

I suspected something was wrong with one of the thermal sensors that shuts down the machine when something is too warm.  And then Monday, one young man came and took the box away for "reimaging" because my Windows was probably "corrupt".  He would not even consider my theory.  "There is no hardware problem here."

He brought it back on Wednesday telling me it was all cleaned up and ready to go.  And it did go.  For about an hour when I heard an "pink!pop!" and got a black screen.  Heavy sigh.

I called the HELP desk again and told them not to close my ticket since the machine was out again.  And I told them I know they probably have me down as a nutcase (which they denied) but I really hadn't done anything but try to look up appointments (and replace my wall paper with the photo of Pk in the plane).

Nice young man comes over and spends an hour running diagnostics over and over and finally opens the case and starts poking around.  Lo and behold, the fan on the video card is not working (which causes it to duh, overheat and double duh, shut down).  HARDWARE problem. 

He tells me I need a new video card and he might have one.  In the meantime, I can restart the computer as often as I need to and get some work done.  He came back within a half hour and I have a new video card.  A silently running video card (I might miss the moose).

However, they cannot update the browsers or the software since it all has to play together and they're not ready to update our Electronic Medical Records program yet.  So, I am stuck with a really old browser that doesn't play well with internet sights like blogger.  BUT MY COMPUTER DOESN'T SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF WORKING!!!! This cannot be overemphasized.  So much less frustration.

I still cannot access my photos and import them since my browser is too old for blogger to play with anymore.  These are all someone else's flowers but they could, or rather should, be mine.  I say should because it is Spring here.  You wouldn't know it by the weather.  Yesterday I walked through snow thicker than I have all winter.  It didn't last and the sun is out today but the temps will not get much over 40 (4.4C) for the next week.  It's cold.  We have some crocuses but that's about it.

I also cannot show you the photo of Kylie having dinner at a NJ diner.  I started to do that last night at home but I was so tired from not sleeping all week (damn perimenopausal induced insomnia), I couldn't.  I'll share, I promise.

I also have made some good progress on my sweater.  The new color is much darker but texture wise, it's spot-on.  When I finish a certain handmade birthday gift, I can go back to it as long as the tendonitis in my hands doesn't act up.  It's a bit tingly today.

Pk and I are going to see Oz tonight and have dinner somewhere.  We should do the shopping but I think we deserve a date night.  I'll drop him off at the train tomorrow for his birthday date with Em and Jim and I'll do the shopping.   

So, that's my tale.  Otherwise things here are good.  Life in general is good.  I have no complaints, or none I'm willing to voice out loud.  I have a wonderful family, a roof over my head, food to eat, a hobby and supplies to engage in it with and work that gives me a sense of fulfillment.  I can't think of a single thing I need/want.

Happy Spring, Northern Hemisphere!  And Happy Fall, Southern Hemisphere!  I'm sure you're just as glad as we are to see the change of seasons.