Dependency on Techie.

(Photo credit: hjl)

I never knew I would be one of them.  I am wondering how did it happen this way.  I thought I was careful not to let this happen to me.  I thought I was old enough to know better but I wasn't.  I am just like everyone else in this country, and perhaps the world.  Today, I was heating up my lunch.  I had stopped working long enough to make lunch. Well actually, it was a frozen entree.  I had followed the instructions to the letter, "5 mins", that is all the package said.  I turned on the microwave, and before the lunch was finished, it happened.  My microwave oven quit on me.  It was over 10 years old, and I knew I had to replace it soon, but I was hoping for a nice Christmas present from the folks.  I could not ask them, because dad had just bought me an Ipad 2, and told me that it was my early Christmas present.  So I did what every too lazy to turn on the oven person would do, I ate it as is. Now I have an oversize timer, because that is the only thing that works on the microwave.  Yes, I am a dependent of the microwave.
About 2 hours ago, I was watching a you tube video when all of a sudden, Google Chrome quit on me.  Ok, I started it back up.  It would not connect to Facebook, which I use as my go to home page. Next, I tried to retrieve my email on Outlook, it would not connect either.  Skype crashed as well as Windows Live.  I got into a panic, which I quickly recovered, long enough to notice that my WiFi had crashed (tried it with my Ipad, and could not get connected).  I tried to call my cable company (I have Time Warner), but my home phone was disconnected, and I got a busy signal from my smartphone.  I thought they cut off my cable, but the television was working, and since when Verizon and Time Warner was one in the same company. (It could happen, but not that fast, unless I was asleep under a rock).  So I turn off the computer.  I shut it completely down, let it purge data (or whatever this thing does when it is in the off position), and then I restarted it.  Now it is acting like nothing happened.  I have my phones working perfectly, checked email, and of course I am writing this post.
I finished doing almost everything a few moments ago, decided that I was not sleepy, and wanted to play a game of Free cell solitaire on this machine.  As I reached up with the mouse pointer to grab the Ace of Diamonds, it dawned on me about the last few hours of technology disasters, the incident with the microwave and now my computer system, IPad, and phones, we depend too much on technology.   I am old enough to remember the phone attached to the wall, with an actual phone company servicing the phones, not a cable company.  My parents did not have bundled packages containing cable, phone and internet access when I was a child.  They do now.  Not only that, my grandparents, who are now gone, warmed stuff in a pan on the stove, that was gas powered.  I refuse to touch a gas stove, being afraid of leaving the pilot light on.  There was no such thing as a microwave oven in the house. If they wanted information, they turned to the local news, the library, or the next door neighbor.  Everyone had a nosy neighbor.  I can barely remember my neighbor's name and what shift she works.  We talk, but I am usually running out the door or in the door from somewhere.  I live in an all electric home, which is fine for me, until one winter 2006 when the lights went out, and I could not get any heat to save a life.  I had to have someone help me get my car out of the garage, because I have a door opener, and I am too short to reach up, pull the lever to release the door, so I can left it up manually, back the car out, and then let the door back down manually.
Do not get me wrong, I love technology, but sometimes I wonder if I love it too much.   I had problems this past weekend with same cable company.  They said they did not receive my payment, and they called to leave a message on my phone (home land line phone).  It was done electronically. I had to call some stupid 866 number, verified that I was the owner of the bill by pressing a number on the phone, enter the amount of the check on the phone and the date paid, which was the 17th.  Then I got back on the phone, called the number I usually dial when I am having tech problems, and told a human rep that I want a human being to call me next time they are having problems.  The reason?  In case I have questions.  No VRU (Voice Response Unit) will ever answer questions and help you understand the situation. It is always push 1 for this, push 2 for that.  I realize that they want to expedite problem questions to the right people, but when I worked in customer service call centers, I had to know everything.   Now if I have a question about something, if these people do not know the answer to that question, they will transfer you in a heartbeat, which is usually to someone else who does not does not know the answer either.
Well it if you do not mind, it is time for me to go for another round of solitaire or read a chapter of an ebook I downloaded with Ipad before I close my eyes in my non-tech bed.
Be blessed everyday.

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