Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes

This morning, still shell shocked by the awful day I had yesterday, I hunted through Anita’s poems to find a little peace. Something to soothe the shambles in my head.

The morning wasn’t too bad, so my plan of installing the new desktop computer after lunch seemed all set. You must have heard about all those plans of mice and men, well, that’s my afternoon, in a nutshell.

As I unpacked the enormous box, I was pleased to see that the computer looked new and intact. It wasn’t new, of course, who can afford new technology these days?

So far so good. Then I began to dismantle my old faithful, and it felt rather sad. You see, I hate changing anything, as it’s never what you’re used to. And sometimes, if it turns out to be faulty, I can kiss goodbye to what’s left of my sanity!

I carefully built the new system, matching cables the best I could. They never send an instruction book with the refurbished pc’s, so it’s a bit hit and miss. Even though these systems are pretty much universal, if anyone can get it wrong, it’ll be me. Then I sat back, finger at the ready.

But where was the on button? This was when I should have known it would end badly.

What was I, the original bear with little brain doing, mucking about with a big boys toy?

The next hour was a nightmare. I did find the button, and I did press it. Flashing lights appeared and the screen lit up, showing the opening logo. And that, my friends, is as far as it went.

After trying every trick in the book, I even hunted down the instructions, I could not make it respond.

The tower kept playing this little tune, over and over again, and it was beginning to annoy me. The screen was now locked in Power Saving Mode. Lookng around the room, probably for inspiration, my gaze fell on my old faithful sitting in the corner, abandonned.

That was when my patience deserted me and I switched it off and packed it back in the box.

Would that be the end of my frustration? Not on anyone’s nelly.

I rescued my friend, the old faithful and performed the fastest assembly in history, grateful to feel a bit more normal. Only when I pressed that button, nothing happened. This was when I should have fled screaming from the building, but I didn’t have the energy.

Turns out, I had missed a cable, so eventually, normality was restored. I don’t think I can do any of that again, so when old faithful dies, I might have to do everything on my laptop!

Never again!