We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Even though I have convinced Mr. Fixit that I am THE COMPUTER WIZARD, I must admit (to everyone except him) that I am technologically challenged. I carry the manuals for my cell phone and my digital camera in my purse. I have learned over the years to keep the instructions for everything from my salad spinner to the computer. Today I even found the instruction sheet for using the paper cutter.

Yesterday morning I lost my DSL internet service. After performing a few tests (Actually, my computer automatically does the tests when the connection is lost. After running the tests the conclusion of the computer was that I had lost my connection to the internet. Brilliant!) and unplugging and re-connecting every cable on the computer, my service was restored.

During the time the computer was disconnected, I asked Mr. Fixit if he would change the DVD burner. Jason gave me a burner with Lightscribe, but I was experiencing a few problems with that, too. Armed with my Compaq manual, Mr. Fixit replaced the burner with the old one. He may have problems opening his email, but he can “work” on the innards of the computer. I don’t call him Mr. Fixit for nothin’.

Later on in the afternoon, when the bedroom phone rang, I noticed that the caller id wasn’t displayed. I thought it might have been a momentary glitch so I ignored the problem. This morning when the phone rang, I noticed that the caller id on the phone in the computer room was also on the blink. I concluded that the problem might be associated with the computer problem I experienced yesterday. I started going through the 8” stack of various instruction sheets and user manuals kept close at hand on a shelf on the computer desk. I thought that if I had the instruction sheet I could find the solution without waiting for Mr. Fixit to come home from work.

I found the 18-page booklet for the phone, but there is a little problem. It’s in Spanish. Thank goodness, Spanish is Mr. Fixit’s first language. He’s so handy to have around.