I'm a survivor! I feel like I've been wrestling a bear - and won! (at least, this round). Have had my new modem for nearly a month now and have got almost everything I need back on it, except still have a few problems with my e-mail. The bear I was wrestling was trying to get a script template to work. I got it downloaded all right but then couldn't use it! After calling loudly if not obscenely to all the so called help groups, I finally got it fixed by the good old trial and error (and stubborn persistence ) method. Got my reading script sent off to the copyright office.

As usual, most of my problem, c'est moi! I started out definitely computer illiterate when I got my first one and am still only an eyelash above 'don't know the language' in all phases of operation and non-operation. My only advice to fellow suffererss who are at the mercy of machines is - "HANG IN THERE!" Sooner or later you'll ethier figure out what the problem is, stumble onto it (this is my route most of the time), or one of those help groups will really help. (Don't count on that last one, just keep trying.)

If there's such a thing as reincarnation and you get a choice, I may just come back as a machine. You can't argue with those metal monsters and they have the world of knowledge to use, in every language on the globe! Talk about power!

Now that I'm enjoying comparative peace with my back bedroom full of smart metal, I'm going back to work. Break's over! : - )

The BEAR I'm wrestling right now is a script template and it looks like the bear's winning! I've got a new modem, had it almost two weeks and still don't know my way around in it yet. Still trying to just get the things I need back on it - everything from my addresses and sig to the things I need just to get functional. Darned if it's not like being born naked and not knowing the language all over again!

Right now I'm about at the sitting up and rolling over stage of development since I was only about an eyelash above computer illiterate when I was sitting here all comfy with the old one. Now I've got to teach myself how to use this new machine with it's different names for different things and hunt up or download what tools I can find to work with - BECAUSE YOU CAN'T ARGUE WITH A MACHINE! : - ( Not that I haven't tried...

I had an idea it would be like this (little did I know!) is why I hung onto my old - my good old Compaq for so long. But it finally got to deleting things, and doing weird stuff and then (horrors!) corrupting files! So, it had to go. Now I'M GOING - NUTS, that is.

I hope there are a few people out there who occasionally check to see if I'm still alive. I know I am, couldn't have this many problems otherwise. I'm still here, still fighting. Should have this thing at least able to send and receive e-mail without wondering why things bounce pretty soon.

In case there are any budding Thomas Edisons out there, someone needs to invent (or just reprobram} a line of computers for people who write and lean heavily on the word processing and other tools. A machine without all the games and pure time-wasters the under 21 and bored old folks seem to want on a computer. Maybe a FUNputer and a WORKputer choice (yeah, that was bad.)

I'll concentrate on what I've got and the tools I've finally learned to use and get on the ball by next blog, I promise!
Break's over! :-)

Jackie