Keep on the Sunny Side

 I have computer woes.  I live in a Mac environment.  Like many people, I started with it long ago because it was easy.  You didn't need to be a techie to use Apple products.  Tech people hated Apple, but creative people loved them.  Over the years, however. . . now you need an IT department to keep things running.  What happened?

Two days ago, I was asked to log into my Apple account on my iMac.  I couldn't.  None of the passwords I used worked, not even the one that was stored on my computer.  WTF?  I had to hit the idiot tab that says I forgot everything.  I was, however, successful at changing my password.  Yay! 

Not quite.  After that, my iPhone and MacBook and iMac were no longer synched.  Replies to text messages would only come into the device from which they were sent, and suddenly the responses were most often, "Who is this?"  Apparently something switched and now texts were coming from my email account rather than my phone number.  

Blah, blah, blah.  

I spent much of yesterday updating all my operating systems.  Grand.  But that meant I had to download drivers for many of my other devices.  There is no end to it all, it seems.  But Apple has its hooks in us now, don't they?  And they keep upping the prices for their services.  I am going to cancel all my subscriptions to anything Apple, I think.  

But surely there is not a good alternative.  I'm sure that all companies are difficult, devious, and full of shit.  I am simply angry at Apple's fall from grace.  

If I were a kid, I probably wouldn't be having these problems.  

No matter.  I have many other problems, too.  Many.  Many many.  

This may come as a shock to those of you who believed my life was as casual and problem free as your own.  Your luxury cars start every time and run without issue.  The tires are new and the paint is waxed.  Your houses are made of some super products that never need maintenance, but if they ever do, you have home warranties that take care of it almost without charge.  Your stock portfolios have been making you rich and your cupboard of tinctures and supplements keeps you healthy and young.  Your personal trainer has you gently cross training, meditating, doing yoga, and eating an antibiotic and hormone free diet.  

And there are plenty of Goop products in your house to keep you. . . happy.  

In stark relief, my yard has been taken over by exotic weeds.  My new-ish deck is rotting because I ignorantly painted the pressure treated wood.  My horrendous problems with water and plumbing have not yet abated, and I still need someone to replace some wood siding on the exterior of the house.  My stock portfolio is nil, and my 2005 Xterra is showing its age.  

And every night, I eat alone but for the feral cat who has no affection for me at all.  

There are upsides, however.  The food is often very, very good, and my hundred year old house is in a good location.  I really don't have to drive more than a few miles in any direction to get to all the things people desire, and I'm a mere .5 miles from the Boulevard.  

Keep on the sunny side.  That is what my old college room mate keeps telling me.  I think he has drugs for that, though.  Still, such a thing could have its upside.  

Today I will tackle my big Epson printer issue.  One of the ink heads is blocked, so today I will try the last ditch Hail Mary fix.  I am pessimistic about the outcome, but I have to give it a shot.  I have about $3,000 dollars worth of inks that only work on this printer edition, and a new head would cost approximately $1,800 plus technician, so more like $2,100.  A new printer of the same size would only cost $3,000 or so, but then I would need to buy all the inks as the old ones would be useless.  So today, with trembling knees, I will try to clean the heads with fluids that have a small chance of working.  

There are the gripes.  I blame today's picture for the tone and mood of this post.  Dark clouds and a troubled look.  But I don't think I have any happy pictures.  

I'm going to go now and check my horoscope.  I'm certain the planets are crossed.  Then I'll eat some live-long food, take some get-young supplements, and meditate.  The sun is shining on all sides of the street.  Once I light my Gwyneth Paltrow candle, I'm sure things will become wonderful.  

If I can only find my Book of Scientology. . . .