Technology Is Not My Friend

I haven’t ranted about this yet, but the computers at work are on the brink of complete destruction.

Our e-mail has been hit-and-miss (at best) over the past two weeks (or longer) and our AP wire machine officially crashed in the middle of last week. We have a server that goes down (and definitely not in a good way!) every other week, for no apparent reason, and my own computer? Well, it has officially been designated as “the worst computer in the building.”

(I think I posted a picture of my new set-up a few months ago. There’s a very small part of me that takes pride in being able to put out a newspaper, day after day, on such crappy equipment … and then, there’s a huge part of me that wonders how much better our paper would be if we were ever allowed to use actual state-of-the-art equipment.)

Then, in today’s mail, I received a “blast from the past” DVD from a former co-worker. Kay and I worked together at the news office during the late 1980s; since that time, she has moved on to greener pastures (Vegas!) while I am still toiling away at the news office — probably on some of the same machines that were in use when Kay was there!

Anyhoo, I tried to play the DVD — which apparently contains some “too funny” commentary by me and my then-news editor, Kurt — on my DVD player, and of course it didn’t work. Nor did it work in my computer. I’m going to give it a whirl in a few other DVD players/computers; hopefully, it will work on something.

I could use a good laugh. You know?

Workstation

I had pretty much decided not to take and/or post a photo of my work computer ’cause … well, first of all, when I realized exactly how OLD my “new” computer happens to be, I found myself highly annoyed by the fact that we’re still using such ANCIENT technology, and secondly: Who wants to be reminded of work, outside of the workplace?

Then Sandy got to work today, and she had brought me daffodils to go with my not-so-new but definitely improved monitor! (Sandy ROCKS!)

I tried to do an outline thingie in PhotoShop, so I could number different what-nots and knickknacks on my desk, but then I realized there’s nothing all that mysterious. Still, see how many of the following items you can spot: reporter’s notebook (more than one), breakfast Coca-Cola, mouse, Library Badge (created for me by Lea), various sticky notes, photo of Lt. Joshua D. Lyons, USMC; beef/cheese snack stick, plastic soldiers wearing customized faces featuring local historian, coffee cup, daffodils, miniature Luke Skywalker and tiny piece of Adam’s grille from when he hit a deer.

Perhaps some of the items will be more recognizable from the side.

Sometimes, it makes me really, really happy that stuff like this amuses me so much!