Laptops, Frustration and a Fish Story

I finally joined the "cool" crowd and purchased a laptop--my first ever. I've taken to carrying it with me everywhere...around the house...to meetings...I've even spent a couple afternoons working at Starbucks. I feel so relevant! (Who cares that I'm years behind.) My joy has quickly turned to frustration as the laptop has developed a nasty habit of crashing and freezing up several times a day. I finally called tech support and they discovered that a fatal flaw exists in the OS. Good news for the computer, but bad news for me. Since the laptop will be reformatted all the hours (days) I spent setting up the computer have been wasted and need to be done all over again! I love technology when it works, but when it doesn't...@*%$&^!@#*%$!

I'm trying to get "them" (aka, Dell) to send a tech to come to my house and take care of it all. I pushed the issue with the tech person and tossed around words like "loyal customer," "unacceptable" and the grand daddy of customer service complaints: "I want to escalate." I received sympathy, but the reply was, "We can't send someone. You can call and they'll walk you through the steps." 

*Argh!* I KNOW the steps, I just don't want to DO them again! Am I being unreasonable?


Sorry. Instead of a fresh, inspiring post this week you get a mini-rant. I guess I'll try for two entries next week.

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Today I have this devotion featured at Internet Cafe Devotions. Grab a cup of coffee and join me over there. Hope to see you at the Cafe!

A Fish Story

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:35-36)

Outside my kitchen is a small fish pond. Years ago we turned an overlooked corner into a cozy landscaped nook. Now my family enjoys peeking out the windows to watch the fish and listening to the trickling of the fountain. It’s surprising how much joy this spot brings us.

But once in a while, the pond needs some TLC. One summer afternoon, the pond was overgrown with algae and I couldn’t see the fish in the murky water. Clearly, they needed help. I decided it was time for an extreme pond makeover.

I emptied the pond, scrubbed the gunk off the walls and filter, added some decorative features and filled the pond with fresh, clear water. Patting myself on my back for a job well done, I re-introduced the fish to their sparkling new home.

The next day, I went back to admire my makeover. But instead of finding the fish swimming happily, I found them floating on the surface. [Read more...]