Power Trip

I sincerely hope you all aren't getting tired of my recurrent ramblings and grousing about my laptop adventures. You all stood by me when I first got Internet access on the laptop (thank you Wayne!) and the subsequent blogging addiction that bloomed like a poisonous flower, and the recent saga of the AC adapter search. If you are tired of this subject, you may as well click on one of the more interesting blogs over there on your left. If you're not, and choose to stick around - I sincerely love you and thank you profusely.

Yes, I did buy the universal adapter from Guy #2 (scroll down and read the Laptop = Crack post if you don't know what I'm talking about) who was not only nice enough to make sure it worked when I first purchased it, but was nice enough to fiddle with it again when I returned to the store later than night when I was having problems. Those problems? Those were omens, baby.

I discovered over the last couple of days that the universal charger DID charge both mine and the bankruptcy laptop - but only if I plugged the cord into the port just right and propped a book or something heavy up against it to hold it in place. If it slipped, well ... woe is me. I'd find something else to distract myself when my laptop was charging, only to return and discover the magical orange light was NOT lit - therefore there was no charging going on. There were many muttered swear words.

Then there was the thrilling realization that the charger needed one full hour (at least) to charge my laptop. Once it was done, I would then have less than one hour of battery power in which to do my research and hopefully get an article done. Did I mention the tiny hindrance that I wasn't able to work on the laptop while it was charging because something strange happened during that process that seemed to give my cursor a sort of epilepsy? It just blinked and trembled at first, then shook and shimmied like a burlesque stripper. (You can see where my research has taken me of late, can't you? Hint ... pasties!!! ) So, I could work for an hour, then had to stop and charge for an hour, and then repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

After a full day and a half of this torture - I had had enough. I roped Anne into going out on an expedition this afternoon, leaving The Boys in Katie's charge - and man, oh man, was she thrilled. (Can you hear the sarcasm?)

The plan was to return the piece-of-crap universal adapter to Guy #2 and then venture on and purchase an authentic, honest-to-God Toshiba adapter. I called the Toshiba shop at 1:30 to check that the correct model was in stock, got the closest cross streets, verify the store hours (8 to 4) and rejoiced in the fact that we didn't have to set foot in some (Guy #1's) dilapidated, stinky old mobile home - excuse me - home office.

Guy #2 was not very happy with my return request, and subsequently pawned me off on Guy #3. Guy #3 proceeded to tell me that the problem was with my laptop's battery, which I countered with the observation that said battery was fine and gave me 2 to 3 hours of work time when charged with my original adapter - three frickin' days ago. My theory? If it worked fine with the other adapter, but Sucks Big Toe with the universal adapter, and you factor in that short time period of change - the universal adapter has got to go. Period. Give me my freakin' refund, man.

Anyhoo ... I got my money (less the 20% restocking fee - crooks) and pointed my car's nose toward the Real Toshiba Store.

We arrived at 3:20 - and discovered the frickin' lights were off and the front door was locked.

I called the main number, and got the answering machine.

Frick, frickitty, frick frick frick.

Mild, early panic set in.

We climbed back in my car and I re-read the list I'd made (from the phone calls of a few days ago - yes, I still had the list - and yes, my OCD is in high gear) of other options in town. The other Toshiba store was relatively close, but they charged $20 more for the same item. I checked my wallet and saw that I didn't have that much cash on me. FRICK.

I was just about to call it a day, head home and deal with a laptop-less weekend (pain and agony) when an ANGEL in the form of a young man poked his head out the door. Turns out, he was a tech that worked in the back. He didn't know everyone from the front office had locked up and gone home, but had heard us at the front door and took pity on us and opened the store back up. He repeatedly apologized for the delay as he got the front computer up and running, got the adapter from the stock room, and then processed my purchase. I assured him that he could take his sweet time - I was so happy to have the real adapter, not that crap universal thing. Anne chimed in that I would not be a happy person if I had to go the whole weekend without my laptop. She is so right.

Yes, we had to deal with one slightly creepy older guy and his much nicer friend - customers who had arrived a few minutes after the tech-angel let us in ... making uncomfortable small-talk until our transaction was complete. But it was so freakin' worth it. I could have kissed that tech guy - I was so grateful. (And yeah, he was cute. But also about 10 years younger than me.)

And the bonus? Once we were done we still had time to run by the library and meander and stroll the shelves, and I came home with a (well, another) stack of books.

We returned to our neighborhood to discover Anne's hubby Wayne wasn't home from work yet, which is good - I hate to monopolize her time when he's home. Sadly, at my house we found one seriously exasperated 12 year old who was at the end of her rope and about to mummify two little boys (7 and 8 year olds) in several rolls of duct tape, no doubt the result of a last-ditch effort to find some peace and quiet. And then down the stairs came my hubby, moaning and groaning - in the throes of battle with a raging sinus infection.

Anne took her son home to visit with the just-arrived hubby/dad of her house, I borrowed some over-the-counter sinus medication from her, and dosed my hubby - while Katie sat on the couch and heaved a sigh of relief.

I am writing this now with my laptop plugged into the AC adapter, without so much as a twitch from my cursor. The kids are out front playing with neighborhood friends, and the medicated hubby is unconscious next to me, snoring loud enough to rattle the window blinds.

It's hard to be so happy for myself with so much mean and misery around, but somehow I manage.

To borrow an expression from my authentic cowboy relatives ... Yee-Haw !!!