A computer lament ...

Well, I've done it this time ... I guess I have broken my computer ... somehow. I don't know HOW it happened, but early yesterday when I was getting ready to upload some gorgeous autumn pictures to this blog, I got a security alert that my computer was infected and I needed to "protect" it by running a program, etc. I tried to exit out of that security alert screen, but wasn't allowed to ... that screen kept coming back! So since my personal computer guru (that would be Mr. Jones) was gone for the day, I got myself into big fat trouble!

Presently, I am sitting at the very old computer in our basement, on the opposite side of our playroom, by the train stuff. We actually have FIVE computers in this house but most of them belong to Mr. Jones. The computer I use in my office is really old, but I love it, and it was given to me first by Sabrina and then Adam gave me parts of his old computer, and Shane gave me some out of an old computer of his, and Dylan did too ... and Adam put those parts together and fashioned a homemade computer for me that I have gotten rather attached to and very dependent upon. I have somewhere in the area of 25,000 pictures on it that I cannot access right now. Actually, the only reason I use my computer is because it allows me to "play" with my photographs and fashion them into cards and posters and such. I do use the internet now and then, but not really very often. I don't have any financial software programs that I use, because quite frankly, I have never balanced my checkbook ... even once! I have an external hard drive on the computer, but I haven't really the faintest notion what that means! Most of the pictures I have taken in the last three years are stored there, not even half of which have been backed up onto CD's. I have beautiful lighthouse photographs and extremely precious grandchildren pictures ... and a copy of every single card I have ever made (practically) all on a computer that is NOT working!

I admit I am computer challenged. A few months ago, I got frustrated with the photo editing program I was using (Picnik) because it was so slow to access. I researched a different photo program that could be downloaded onto my PC for FREE, at least that's what it claimed. So I decided to go ahead and upload Photoscape, but somehow it ended up cosing me $55.37 (if I remember correctly) for three years. The program works wonderfully, and I'm happy with it, but I was a little bit miffed that it wasn't free. I told Mr. Jones about it, who then proceeded to upload Photoscape to every other computer in this house (show off!) and it didn't cost him one single cent. He said I uploaded it wrong (incorrectly interpreted the instructions), so that's why I ended up paying for a free program. He also says it is completely my fault that my computer is on the blink. He is in the middle of working on a solution to the problem, but he isn't promising anything. He says I've really done it this time and my computer is in serious trouble! Sigh.

I've said a little prayer for my computer. I know this is extreme, but my heart will ache a lot if it has crashed and cannot be repaired. Mr. Jones is reluctant to "allow" me access to any of the other computers, seeing as I am such a computer moron ~ I'm not quoting him, so don't have bad feelings towards him ~ and honestly, since I don't know what I did wrong on my computer, I can't really blame him for his caution.

I love my digital camera. It's just a point-and-shoot, but I get incredibly good pictures from it. I do best with nature photography, lighthouses, Lake Michigan, trees ... I don't have as much success with photographing people. But the entire beauty of digital photography is combining it with computer technology and photo editing ... without the computer, I'm afraid I won't be taking many pictures. I'm going to try not to panic about this, but I feel a little bit lost without my computer! Mr. Jones has a dentist appointment this afternoon and a train meeting tonight, but perhaps tomorrow he will be able to use his finely honed computer skills and save my poor computer. I will be very thankful if he can!