Monday, March 26, 2012

More than a coincidence...or... I'm the only Bozo on this bus

This day needs to be memorialized so that if ever I start feeling like things are going wrong, I can look here and remember what that really means.
It started early. Time to run charges before shipping orders. No problem, right? Wrong. The internet program needed to be updated. It's the only thing the Ipod Touch is used for, so it took a few (panic-filled) moments to think of doing a reboot. Okay, onward.
Got a notice for State Sales Tax the other day, so that's a 10 minute job to do right quick before printing mail labels. Hop on the big computer, and it turns out the virus protection is expired.
No problem, there's an auto-renewal. But for some reason I couldn't access the file. After over 1/2 hour of searching for a contact # and nearly beating my head on the desk several times, my first question is about the extra $20 they charged me. The guy on the phone and I both laughed heartily when he told me that was the charge for the renewal notices they've been sending me! Hahahaha - cancel that, give me a refund, I can remind myself.
The next hour was spent getting the program loaded onto the computers. Quick and easy sure means something different to me than it does to the virus protection company, but in the meantime there's time to print out those mailing labels.
Oh-oh, the USPS site is down. Dang!
Okay, okay... I'll just pay those Sales Taxes and maybe it will come back up. Where the heck did that file with ALL the sales for 2011 go? Search, search, search... oh look, somehow that was deleted last week!
Fortunately, my website held all the info so that I could recreate the file... because, you know... I've got nuthin' but time.
Finally success - taxes paid.
Now let's get back to those labels. Oh look! The Post Office is closed now, so it's too late for today - but the site is up, and I ripped through those labels and hit "print". And waited for the wireless printer to start spitting them out. And waited... nothing.
Ah hahahaha! The update to the virus protection must have taken the printer offline. hahahahaha.... look at all my hair on the floor! hahahaha. There's another half hour of fumbling around. And then they print.
So now it is 6:04 in the evening, and I've eaten my first meal of the day while typing this out.
In a minute, I'll head down to make a couple batches of soap (that should go well...) and finish the last details of the magazine to send to the printer tomorrow.
Self-employment is fun!

7 comments:

Faith said...

It was one of THOSE day eh? How did the soap come out...hoping all is better now....

Tina Sams said...

*whispering and looking over my shoulder*
I think the cloud has passed! Soap went smoothly :-)

marge Clark said...

On a day like that you played with LYE??? you are a braver woman than I am!!!

Granny Sue said...

Oh, feeling your pain! And laughing only because I've been there too, when the simplest thing requires endless hours and headaches and heartache and near-vandalism on my own machines. Wasn't it simpler without all this stuff? It took longer (think typewriter and carbon paper!) but in the end, maybe really it took no more time at all.

I hope the soap-making was soothing, creative time after so much stress.

Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh said...

Seriously I cannot believe you made soap after that, but I've been on that bus and you just reminded me I need to pay my taxes!

Tina Sams said...

Everything that happened yesterday had to do with computers, really. Making soap with Maryanne last night was so simple and predictable in comparison. It really brought me back to earth - and every batch turned out just right. It seemed to *re-set* me.

Heather said...

Just found your site and, of course, was drawn to the title of this story immediately. I don't have my own business but raise and homeschool three boys. I feel your pain. Most of my days kind of follow the crazy pattern until thier dad comes home and I escape for an hour or two in my garden to "re-set" myself.