Doing What I Don’t Want To Do
Right now, life for me is a series of wait-and-see. Hurry-up-and-stop. Sit on my hands to keep from chewing my nails.
You get the idea.
My novel-in-progress is out with my A readers, and I’m at loose ends. It’s hard to give up a child for two weeks without wondering how she’s faring. Especially when one knows that child is far from perfect. I still have at least one more revision before giving it to my editor in January, but new eyes help my eyes work better.
So, I’ve spent this week doing all sorts of things I put off. Because the things I procrastinate tend to have to do with technology, I have been on a slow descent into hell. A sample, and you may laugh AT me, because there’s no laughing WITH me:
- Updating my contacts. Now, this may sound like an easy project, but this is ME. I never, ever, EVER update my contacts. EVER. Gmail saves email addresses and lets me just enter the first few characters for a reason, right? Thousands upon thousands of email addresses, and only a milli-fraction assigned to a contact.
- Aaaaaaaaand, since I’m already screaming, I decided to merge all of my ancillary contacts from other networks. I’m tired of services like Facebook changing the rules on me, and I want to have a master contact list that I control. At least, I THINK I still want that. I’m only about a tenth of the way through my friend list. By the time I’m done, I may have transmogrified into a volcanic eruption.
- But hey, I already have hundreds and hundreds of pretty contacts.
- AND I REALLY DON’T GIVE A #%$^#&@*#&$%^ ABOUT THAT.
- But, I know I should…….
- So, I decided to pile it on even thicker and upgraded my iPhone this week. I even read the freaking instruction manual word-for-word before I turned the thing on…….AND IT ARRIVED WITHOUT A FREAKING SIM CARD INSTALLED.
- While I was cursing Verizon and Apple and all tech people period, MTM suggested that, since I was plugging my iPhone in for the first time in two years, I might as well upload my thousands of photos to Flickr. If anyone wants to see how that’s going, click here.
Will anyone declare it Sippy Time? Is it Five O’Clock somewhere? Have I finally learned my lesson that keeping up with this stuff a little at a time beats days-long bouts of torture??????
So did you get the SIM? Is your new iPhone working? Are you listening to Jimmy Buffett?
And the real question, can you fit your entire iPhone in your mouth? (I can with mine!)
I went to the effing store after I made the support guy on the phone call to confirm they had sims in stock. When I got there, they said they did not have any in stock. AFTER I waited an hour. Then, when they finally plugged it in, the sim was set to activate on Nov 16. They overrode that, and it works now.
And, yes, my iPhone5 will fit in my mouth, but not the entire thing, just part of it.
You are a braver soul than I am on all levels.
Lisa, not so. I am the biggest procrastinator I know when it comes to this stuff. At least, I back up my manuscript………
Oh boy, an iPhone 5. NICE. Christmas came early this year huh? One of the property managers here at work has one and he loves it. It is thinner and lighter than the 4s that I have. I would have upgraded to the 5 BUT it required an extra 189.00 I was not willing to part with. (sniff) I am glad you are getting all of the tech housekeeping garbage out of the way. That way when your baby comes back you can focus on it instead.
Since my phone has become my sole camera, and I scratched the lens, I decided to just go ahead and upgrade. I’ve never found a decent weight loss dress, after all, so my phone can be it instead……aaaaand now, I sound like a geek.
Sippy time is now, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere. Thanks you Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffet.
You’ll be happy to see how fast we can spend X grand, Lou. Maybe we’ll have sippy time with your review.
Sounds like a plan to me.
I know procrastination well, Andra. It helps at the time.
Enjoy your new phone… I still can’t find the phone book in mine!
Thankfully, I pushed a button correctly, and my phone book is restored.
I have no time for these duties either, Andra. I get myself into quite a few scrapes. I spent two hours with the Apple geniuses on Sunday because with a new computer my iTunes account kept reverting back to one I had to close when I got my iPad…I won’t take your time to tell details, but when the “geniuses” say, “Huh! I’ve never seen that before. I don’t know!” I nearly cried. Hours later, I think I’ve figured some of it out myself. And then after those kind of problems I then don’t have time to do clean up old files, etc. I think I need a personal assistant.
I am sure waiting for your manuscript to return is very difficult indeed! I must tell you that I feel very excited right along with you. You have so many people really sending you the encouragement to hang in there! If you lived closer, I’d harness some of that nervous energy and put you to work! ha!
If I could, I would pay someone to do this for me. Unfortunately, part of this requires my brain to make connections, but once it’s done, I won’t have to do it again any time soon.
It will be early next spring before the book is officially ready, but it feels good to tell someone about these milestones.
After reading your blog…I’m over in the corner…sucking my thumb and crying I want my Mommy, oh, and did I mention rocking in the fetal position? Yeah, rocking in the fetal position. YOU are awesome…
I am dead, Lori. DEAD. Days more of this to go before I’m done………..I’ll be right there with you, sucking my thumb and crying.
I am SO, SO impressed that you read the manual. I don’t think I have ever read an entire manual in my life. Maybe that’s why I have so many technology failings. Good for you.
Hugs,
Kathy
Kathy, the manual was step 1, step 2 and step 3. Short sentences. And I STILL couldn’t get it right…….
What are “A Readers?”
The people who read an early version of the book and tell me what’s wrong with it.
Ha, since I’m about to move – AGAIN – I’m not looking forward to all the changing of address stuff, utilities, credit card, bank changes, etc. Someday I’ll get around to the contacts in my phone. MLB is always on me about how disorganized they are.
You’re a trooper. BTW, is an A reader like a beta reader?
WHY are you moving again??? You need to write a post about that.
Yes, an A reader is like a beta reader. I only have two of them, but the have carte blanche to cut the book to shreds without hurting my feelings.
Life is too complicated . . . now that we have all these time saving devices.
Hope your readers form a good opinion. Fingers crossed. Whatever happens, you appear to have very good teeth.
Oh Andra, I feel your pain. Sounds a lot like what I’ve been going through. Good luck with all those contacts.
Once it’s done, I will be a happy girl. I’m glad you’re working through the issues on your end.
Boy, I think I would lose it if I forced myself through all of that! Just the kind of thing designed to drive you completely insane.
I chip away at it, a little every day.
You do what I do.
It’s a bad way to ‘do’, but old habits and all that……….
Oh Lord – I cannot even pretend to be up to date on this one. Just remember what happens when people steal the phone if you haven’t got it backed up.
I know. I know. I have learned and will not soon forget the pain and agony of this week. I’ve probably got another seven days of getting my ducks in a row.