Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
My computer has been resurrected. It now has a new hard drive, larger memory, and faster capability overall. Hooray!
Monday, March 7, 2011
But, but what does it mean?!
I work online, as I have mentioned several times. My whole professional existence lives in my computer--my classes, my ability to log on to campuses, my teaching files, PowerPoints, old grading information, and on and on. The last time I had actually backed all of this up was when we left Chicago. This proved to be a very bad decision when I awoke Thursday morning in San Francisco at 8am, began working and by 10am the computer locked up. Not a bit deal, a hard shut down usually fixes this. Not this time. Oh no, instead, I received the folder with a question mark icon:
Scott looked at it, fiddled around with it, opened it up. I did research on the internet. The diagnosis: dead hard drive. Noooooo! my little heart cried. Impossible! my brain said. And deep down in the pit of me, I knew it was true. But the ever optimist Sagittarian that I am refused to believe it couldn't be resurrected. Perhaps if we let it die like we do my iPod it will come back to life--at least so I can get my important files. I switched to Scott's computer while he ran out for an ever-so-needed cup of coffee. Even from Starbuck's this cup of coffee was happiness in a cup. Being the ever wise man that he is, Scott left for a day out on the town while I tried to figure out how to tackle my much handicapped day.
Luckily, Scott and Mom both had computers with them. I sent a frantic voicemail to the guy above me explaining that grades would be in late and that I was having some serious technical setbacks; he was quite understanding, which relieved some of the stress and panic I was feeling. However, I still had three lectures that evening, grades still to do, and I had homework due myself (I am currently taking classes for my Master of Online Teaching certification--as one friend, in quite a snarky tone replied, "Of course you are"). Somewhere between working on two computers, I was able to create a new PowerPoint for lecture that I used across all three classes. The first lecture I pulled off beautifully, even if my voice was a bit shrill and shaky after the day. The second lecture failed miserably. I couldn't get the room to open, the internet was no longer cooperating, and once I did get into the room I couldn't share my lecture PowerPoint or my computer screen. I shot out an email to the class explaining that the lecture would be bumped back to 9:30 and would be the full time. Scott ran down to the front desk, let them have it, they comped the week of internet we had been struggling with, called wherever their Tech Support is (not on location), and got it up and running. I switched computers again in the hopes that it would allow me to share my chats and got the campus open so I could upload my files to a main sharing location for the online campus. That computer did not care for the chat, locked up, and refused to cooperate. Switch computers again. Got the third class going with very few hiccups. Got the last, rescheduled chat going with many apologies and few glitches. Once it was over, I pulled the headset off and slumped into my chair. I was utterly and absolutely exhausted and realized that I had stayed in my pajamas all day.
Scott and Mom had gone out to the tiny, family owned Italian restaurant Il Borgo on a recommendation from a fellow customer at Giant Robot. Scott said they only have house wines; you ask for red, they brings you red. He and Mom had so thoughtfully returned with lobster ravioli that was simply amazing. It was food for the soul. Scott had picked up small gifts at Giant Robot for us. I received the Working Stiff vinyl toy from Vinyl Graffiti (we have a smattering of these types of vinyls around the house):
He now sits on my computer and watches me work. I ate and visited for a bit and then returned to work. At 4:50AM, I finally closed the computer, with my grades fully updated, and fell into bed utterly and absolutely exhausted. I had pulled a 21.5 hour work day, with no overtime, time and half, or anything of the sort. Be kind to adjunct instructors; we work hard, we love what we do, but it isn't always kind to us.
Scott looked at it, fiddled around with it, opened it up. I did research on the internet. The diagnosis: dead hard drive. Noooooo! my little heart cried. Impossible! my brain said. And deep down in the pit of me, I knew it was true. But the ever optimist Sagittarian that I am refused to believe it couldn't be resurrected. Perhaps if we let it die like we do my iPod it will come back to life--at least so I can get my important files. I switched to Scott's computer while he ran out for an ever-so-needed cup of coffee. Even from Starbuck's this cup of coffee was happiness in a cup. Being the ever wise man that he is, Scott left for a day out on the town while I tried to figure out how to tackle my much handicapped day.
Luckily, Scott and Mom both had computers with them. I sent a frantic voicemail to the guy above me explaining that grades would be in late and that I was having some serious technical setbacks; he was quite understanding, which relieved some of the stress and panic I was feeling. However, I still had three lectures that evening, grades still to do, and I had homework due myself (I am currently taking classes for my Master of Online Teaching certification--as one friend, in quite a snarky tone replied, "Of course you are"). Somewhere between working on two computers, I was able to create a new PowerPoint for lecture that I used across all three classes. The first lecture I pulled off beautifully, even if my voice was a bit shrill and shaky after the day. The second lecture failed miserably. I couldn't get the room to open, the internet was no longer cooperating, and once I did get into the room I couldn't share my lecture PowerPoint or my computer screen. I shot out an email to the class explaining that the lecture would be bumped back to 9:30 and would be the full time. Scott ran down to the front desk, let them have it, they comped the week of internet we had been struggling with, called wherever their Tech Support is (not on location), and got it up and running. I switched computers again in the hopes that it would allow me to share my chats and got the campus open so I could upload my files to a main sharing location for the online campus. That computer did not care for the chat, locked up, and refused to cooperate. Switch computers again. Got the third class going with very few hiccups. Got the last, rescheduled chat going with many apologies and few glitches. Once it was over, I pulled the headset off and slumped into my chair. I was utterly and absolutely exhausted and realized that I had stayed in my pajamas all day.
Scott and Mom had gone out to the tiny, family owned Italian restaurant Il Borgo on a recommendation from a fellow customer at Giant Robot. Scott said they only have house wines; you ask for red, they brings you red. He and Mom had so thoughtfully returned with lobster ravioli that was simply amazing. It was food for the soul. Scott had picked up small gifts at Giant Robot for us. I received the Working Stiff vinyl toy from Vinyl Graffiti (we have a smattering of these types of vinyls around the house):
He now sits on my computer and watches me work. I ate and visited for a bit and then returned to work. At 4:50AM, I finally closed the computer, with my grades fully updated, and fell into bed utterly and absolutely exhausted. I had pulled a 21.5 hour work day, with no overtime, time and half, or anything of the sort. Be kind to adjunct instructors; we work hard, we love what we do, but it isn't always kind to us.
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