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My Absence Explained- and How You Can Avoid It!

Ok - so I've been gone for a couple of weeks... I have a really good excuse ---

I murdered my laptop ! Yes - you read it right--- murdered my laptop!!!!

Made a real mess of it to boot - not clean and totally bloodless like Dexter (for those of you who have read the books or watched the TV series on Showtime).

Noooooo, I really did it up goooood.

Three Sundays ago, I returned late from showing houses to a really nice client. We looked at or visited about 9 homes and I was tired (my excuse for this mess). It was about 6:30 in the evening and I still had 2-3 hours of computer work ahead of me, including my AR blog, etc.... so I thought to myself: enviro

"hum,,,, I think I'll fix a martini, salty, shaken - not stirred - with an olive, to sip on while I work!"

So I did. And I set it down - - - not on the side table where I ALWAYS put my beverages...

Noooooo. I put it right in front of me, and pushed the on button.

Well, that did it... I knocked the glass over on the laptop, BREAKING the glass and spilling the drink all over the keyboard!!! Disaster!

I grabbed the computer and turned it upside down, dumping the martini and broken glass all over my desk in the futile attempt to prevent the alcohol and salt (ugh!) from gettting onto the delicate components of the computer. I cleaned up the remnants of drink and glass while the computer rested on a towel. After about 10 minutes I shook it gently, and lots of drops fell from the board.... My heart sank. This was not good. I dried off as much as I could. When I pulled the wireless mouses' USB connector out of the port it was dripping wet. Things just kept getting worse. I couldn't stop the bleeding!

enviro

I finally put it to the test. I tried to shut it off, but the keys didn't work! Oh dear. What is a girl to do....I hit the power button, it worked and it shut down. During the visit to the computer Doc the next morning they threatened to throw me in jail! The best they could do was TRY to save my info on the hard drive!!!

enviro

So with the help of Joe Manausa from Century 21 (he is really good with computer stuff besides being a master of the Tallahassee Real Estate Market!), I now have a new, super charged laptop (that may have been my subconscious goal in all of this...?). But it has taken me extra time to get things reloaded, email accounts working right, and just catching up in general.

I do NOT recommend this as the normal course of business. If you want a new laptop - Go buy one!

So, lessons learned:

If you're tired - give it a rest!!!
Never, never , NEVER put liquids near your computer!!!
Backup the information on you computer at Least Weekly!!!

I hope you can avoid my mistake.....

PS - remember to take a sip of your Martini before you put it down!!!

Posted by Eva Armstrong - Environmental Visions on 11/13/2007 08:33 PM

Comments (16)

computers

This post has been included in Florida Information Leon County, FL Information Tallahassee, FL Information

16 Comments on My Absence Explained- and How You Can Avoid It!

Yup, did that before, well, mine was beer, i am not high society - lol

11/13/2007 08:38 PM

by Dave Woodson (Indigo Financial Group Inc.)

At least you were able to recove rmost of your stuff. Somethings we forget how delicated these things are. Once I was in such a hurry, I dropped my laptop because I forgot to close the laptop bag and picked it up upside down. You can guess what happened. Luckily it fell on the carpet but a few components were broken. Now I backup my laptop on a daily basis, sometimes 4 -5 times a day.

11/13/2007 08:47 PM

At least you were able to recover most of your stuff. Somethings we forget how delicate these things are. Once I was in such a hurry, I dropped my laptop because I forgot to close the laptop bag and picked it up upside down. You can guess what happened. Luckily it fell on the carpet but a few components were broken. Now I backup my laptop on a daily basis, sometimes 4 -5 times a day.

11/13/2007 08:49 PM

by Gail Reeves Reid (Keller Williams Real Estate Brokerage)

This all sounds very painful and sad. Glad you are now back and operating. But it had to be painful.

11/13/2007 08:57 PM

by Bob & Carolin Benjamin - E Phoenix Arizona Real Estate (The Benjamin Team - Keller Williams Integrity First Realty )

Dave--- Thank you--- it'a nice to know I'm not the only one to make what felt like a very silly mistake!!! I must admit, however, tht my new computer is much nicer than the one I did in....

Gail--My fear has been I will drop one, so my heart goes out to you on that one! - but 4-5 times a day? you must have a lot of data you input! Thanks!!!

Bob & Carolin- It was awful when it happened - but far more frustrating waiting to get this one up and running... I felt like I was running in slow motion! Says something for my inability to slow down and smell the roses??? Thank you.....

11/14/2007 05:47 AM

by Eva Armstrong - Environmental Visions (Environmental Visions)

welcome back! I destroyed a laptop this year too.. i feel your pain. oh yes, i like the new one better :)

11/14/2007 08:02 AM

by Gail Tassey (Keller Williams Realty)

Great post Eva. So what was it that hurt your computer? Too much Vermouth?

11/14/2007 09:41 AM

by Century 21 First Realty

Gail--- uh huh - see what I mean about that subconcious intent!!! a little mischieviousness on our part!

Joe--- I 'm not sure - but apparently I''m not the first person to bring in a laptop for this problem!!! The repairman had faced this problem a number of times before - with very limited success in fixing them...oh well. I'm happy now :) Thank you!

11/14/2007 07:53 PM

by Eva Armstrong - Environmental Visions (Environmental Visions)

Eva ...

Earlier this year - my new laptop crashed - literally CRASHED. Our Great Dane in all of his grace - went tearing after the cat - his paw caught my power cord - and pulled my 'puter from the table - CRASH! Destroyed my hard drive - UGH!! I lost everything! I had to get a new hard drive and the computer company kept the old one. The only redeeming thing on that was they didn't charge me for the new drive.

Then a month later, my desktop which I've had for about 5 years (with 5 years of information, documents, etc.) went crash!! I had to replace that hard drive!!!! Fortunately, I was able to retrieve most of that information.

The lesson I learned - BACK-UP, BACK-UP, BACK-UP ... and make sure the power cords not near the dog :)

Glad to hear you got the new improved laptop.

11/14/2007 08:02 PM

by Rita Gibbons Virginia Hometown Realtors (Linton Hall Realtors)

WOW Rita--- I don't know how I would survive 2 computer deaths over a one month span! that would drive me to the nut house!!! :) thanks...

11/15/2007 06:04 AM

by Eva Armstrong - Environmental Visions (Environmental Visions)

Coffe right onto the laptop keyboard here.

I was lucky. It still worked after I let it dry for two days.

Fortunately, it wasn't my main computer, just a backup old one I was working with at the time.

Though it had a ton of data I didn't want to lose.

Fortune was smiling the day I turned it back on.

11/15/2007 07:21 AM

by Erby Crofutt, Central Kentucky Home Inspector (B4U Close Home Inspections & Radon Testing)

I was victim to a large gatorade, knocked over by loving cats that were chasing a fly...The fly got away....nice post, sorry about your laptop...

11/15/2007 07:59 AM

by Mike Norvell Sr., Developers Capital Realty (Developers Capital Realty, LLC)

What a mess!!! Amazing what we do when we are tired - at least you are back up and running -

11/15/2007 10:22 AM

by Barbara-Jo & Bill - - Florida Realty Professional - AHWD (Charles Rutenberg Realty)

ooooo Erby-- Good for you! I was not that lucky! Thanks...

Thanks Mike, it actully helped to write about it... quite frustring actually,..,

Hi Barbara-Jo--- Yes --- it was a Mess!!! and I am up and running, although it still takes some tweaking and I'm still adding programs... good to hear from you again!!!

11/19/2007 06:45 AM

by Eva Armstrong - Environmental Visions (Environmental Visions)

Eva~That is a nightmare. I would have a breakdown myself if my computer went out. I'm glad you were able to get a new one though. Enjoy your week!

01/28/2008 07:43 AM

by Julie Neerings~Lifting Hearts ♥ Building Dreams~Utah REALTOR® (Keller Williams Salt Lake City)

Julie-- And I was close to it! the silver lining was the wonderful new laptop I now have!!! good week to you too!

01/28/2008 01:33 PM

by Eva Armstrong - Environmental Visions (Environmental Visions)