One Convoluted Tale and How One Thing Leads to Another

Pin It I'm a magnet for trouble. Like, for real. Nothing is ever simple. If I can break it, I will, and nine times out of ten, it will happen two days after the warranty expires. If there's a speed limit, I will exceed it.

I don't remember if I told you, but right before Thanksgiving, the phone rang. (Actually, I'm pretty sure I didn't tell you that.) I answered it, and it was for my husband, who had just left the house but was still standing in the driveway. I leapt up from the couch, determined to be a GREAT wife and get the phone to him before he left.

I sort of tripped over the cord to my laptop and did a faceplant on the den floor, along with my computer. Face was fine, as were the spectacles. Computer looked fine, although the little thingamajiggy where the power cord plugged into said laptop did look a little...different. I plugged it in anyway and went about my business.

Later that evening, I noticed sparks coming from the thingamajiggy. "Hmm. That can't be good."

Long story and one new useless power cord later, I learned from the "We Fix Stupid Computers" people that I had melted the power jack. I was handed my hard drive in a little silver box, told they may or may not be able to fix the problem, and I should probably buy a new computer, because "this is probably going to take some time."

So I bought a new computer. And new Word. And other new programs. I attempted to buy new CS4, my lovely photoediting software that typically costs the earth. I found an "unlicensed" version for only $149, and got REALLY excited. ("Why are we so cheap? Because we don't sell you the 'frilly' packaging for an additional $900 big ones, moron!") Yep. I bought it. Hook, line, and credit card. In my defense, it had worked with my prior CS3 program for $69.95.

At any rate, after something like twenty-two installation attempts later, I finally gave up. This was just not going to work. I was going to have to suck it up, and go back to Photoshop Elements or something. Waaaa.

Around that time, I happened to stumble upon an ad for a STUDENT edition of CS4, for only $199. WOW. Was I eligible? I had taken a couple of online classes just a summer or so ago through Northern VA Community College for recertification....can we do it? YES, WE CAN!

HOLY GUACAMOLE, as Skippy Jon Jones would say. That's awesome. All I have to do is click here, and then click there....and voila. CS4 on the way.

So I waited. And waited. And around a week later, my software arrived. And...uh, oh. It didn't actually have a complete installation key. Seems you have to provide proof of current enrollment to Amazon in order to receive that serial number. Huh. Why is life never SIMPLE??? I just want to play with my pictures.

Well, fortunately for me, I needed to take a couple of classes anyway for recertification points, and had no intention of waiting until the last minute like I did last time. So, I scanned the NVCC course catalog of online classes and decided upon Teaching Childrens' Literature. Lovely. It would only cost a few hundred more.

Lovely. Lovely. Lovely.

So, folks, this is how I got from busting up my computer to starting an online course today. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have some homework to do. (On my new computer, because my old computer is still over at "We Fix Stupid Computers." I'm not sure if it's actually fixable or not...)