Connection Issues

I got a new laptop for Christmas. I'd been wanting one for years now. Primarily it's for the novels that I work on all the time (but don't really talk about all that much), but with technology the way it is, I wanted the laptop to be able to do other things.

Okay, so the new laptop should connect to the Internet, right?

I went out and bought a router. My brother was kind enough to try to hook up the router. Notice I said "try". Turns out the modem would not connect to said router.

Right, so I tried just connecting the laptop directly to the modem. No dice.

Well, I needed a new modem, so why not get a modem/router? I didn't know such a thing existed, but then again, the term "router" was new to me too. The place I bought the router was very nice about doing the exchange (I learned from my days in retail--always save receipts), and so I brought my new device home and tried to get it to work.

The problem with technology today is that many times they expect us to know more than we do. There was barely any paperwork/instructions in the box, so I was basically flying blind. I easily hooked the modem/router up, and my desktop connected to the Internet lickety-split. But connecting the laptop?

After trying everything I could think of, I frantically called my kind brother who told me what I had forgotten to do (set up the wireless connection). I got that up and running, but while the laptop could see my wireless connection and while it was actually connected to the network (or so the computer said) I could not get anything to come up in my browser. This is where I lost my mind.

After running everything I could think of (the "help" went through to diagnose the problem, told me that the problem was fixed, and then said that it would send something or other to somewhere or other when I was "connected to the Internet"...hmmm...I thought that's what the stupid thing was trying to fix!), I finally gave up and had dinner. I turned everything off.

Now, understand one thing. I did restart my systems over and over again. Really. That's the one trick I know--restart the system and magically bugs get worked out.

So, after advice from kind brother (to make sure that the computer could actually connect to the Internet), I plugged the modem directly into the computer. Voila! Internet.

Then, feeling adventurous, I unplugged the modem, and tried the Internet again. And it was still on! And it's still working now (I'm actually typing this on my new computer). Success?

Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed. Hopefully whatever glitch I hit has been cleared up.

Let the Child Win

I've had a few busy days. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Yesterday the family came over to belatedly celebrate my nephew's 3rd birthday. It was his nap time, so he was conked out on the couch, but my niece was bored. She's seven, and staying quiet is hard at seven.

I decided that it was high time to teach her how to play Pente. It was probably not the best idea. It was probably a bit old for her. But she was willing, so we tried it.

The first game was all about the rules. I'd place my stone and then explain where her best moves were. At some point she got annoyed at my advice and wanted to play on her own. That happened by the second game. I kept quiet a lot, but I'd point out when she made a move that was not in her best interest. By the third game I knew I was losing her.

It was time to let her win.

It wasn't that I was gunning for her. I wasn't playing my hardest. But I've been at the game a whole lot longer, so I know a few tricks. In the second game I won by accident. Really. The winning move appeared, and I couldn't not take it.

The best way to get good at a game is to play someone who is a whole lot better at it than you are. That's the way I learn. The more I play, the more I learn, and the better player I become. But that's only when a player is ready to dig in and learn. A beginner needs a win or two under her belt before she's confident enough to lose.

So, I wasn't playing my best. And I kept winning. But I was able to convince the niece to play one more game, and I was bound and determined to lose.

She kept racking up the twos. It was all I could do not to capture one or two of them. And while I was actually playing, I let a couple opportunities pass me by. Then I saw it. She had her winning move. She placed her stone...and she didn't realize that she had won. I had to point it out to her.

Yeah, I think I ruined Pente for her. Maybe she'll try again in a couple years.

Just Venting a Little

I spent all of today making this. Not for me. It's a Christmas present, obviously. But it took way too long to get done.

Every year I swear I'm going to start my Christmas knitting earlier, and every year I don't get around to starting anything until September. (The sweater I started in August won't be finished in time for Christmas. How's that for terrible planning?) So, instead of knitting everyone (who wants to be knitted for) something, I had to resort to buying presents for some on my list.

So, again I'm frantically working on a gift that should have been done weeks ago. And I've got to go out and get wrapping paper. Plus I was told that I am required to bake cookies. It's just too much. Something's not going to get done.

What am I doing here, writing? I should be prepping for Christmas. Bad me. I'd best get back to it.

Trapped in an Elevator

I went to see The Nutcracker today. We parked and headed for the elevator. A crowd got into the elevator; there was no room for another person. But none of us knew exactly where we were going.

We were on level A. I did not see the controls, but I heard that there were only buttons for levels A, B, and C. There was no marking as to where we needed to go to get to the theater. As we were debating, the elevator doors opened. Level B. There was a crowd outside waiting to get on the elevator. We had no room for any of them.

So, the elevator next opened on level C. It looked like parking, so no one got off. We kind of debated, but by the time a decision was made, the doors had closed again.

We went back down to level A. A couple more people squeezed on. Then at level B we had to admit that we were all idiots to the same crowd that was still waiting to get on the elevator. Once again at level C we decided that we'd best get off the contraption. We turned a corner and found the theater. I heard several complaints of how there should be signs and the elevator buttons should be labeled better.

Usually there's one person who knows where they're going in situations like that. They must have missed the elevator.

Scenes from Shopping

Unfortunately, I went out shopping today. Things weren't as crazy as expected, but I was expecting things to be pretty bad, so it wasn't a fun day hitting the stores. Well, it was. It was all how I looked at it.

The mall parking was as bad as expected. But unexpectedly we had some help finding a parking spot. This couple that had parked right in front of us walked back our direction to point to a parking spot soon to be vacated. At the same time, the fire department was blocking off the entrance to the aisle, so we had no competition for the spot. Just goes to show that there are some kind people out there, even in the Christmas shopping mess.

There was this huge line in a department store. I ended up waiting behind a nun. I don't often see nuns out and about, so this was noteworthy.

And of course, there were some major sales.

I usually try to get my shopping done online (or I make stuff). I prefer to avoid the crowds.

The Bad News

I am tired. I just did three days of 8th grade science, and I'm ready to collapse. Then this morning I found out that the teacher will be out the first week back from break, so I was asked to cover it.

On the one hand it's a very good thing. The first week back in January is traditionally light. There are some years when I don't work during that week at all. And 8th grade science is physical science. Take another look at the title of my blog. Notice anything? Yeah, I have a bit of an affinity for the physical sciences. I looked ahead in their book. The next chapter is on atoms. Score!

But now I feel like I have this thing hanging over my head, and not in a good way. I have to go back to those classes. Yikes! I may have mentioned my antipathy for 8th graders once or twice or thrice.

Although, it shouldn't be too bad. The other 8th grade science teacher is there to help with lesson plans (stuff I can actually teach as this is my field). And I only had issues with 4th period. Well, I had issues with 6th period, but they took their punishment on Thursday like good little kids, and today they were much better. Every teacher has one bad period, right?

I'm going to attempt to forget that I have an assignment to go back to after the break. I'm on vacation. I can worry about the 8th graders next year.

Stressed

It's been a bad day. A really bad day. I can't quite talk about it yet. (That seems to happen a lot at this time of year.) But I had to check in.

Did you check out the test from a couple days ago? I'm still plugging away at it. I got two more today. So now I've only got nine more to go. At some point I'm going to cut this off, but not quite yet. I'm sure I can figure out a couple more.

Two more days until winter break. Here's hoping I make it.