Sunday, September 24, 2006

N.I.C.

For almost a week I have been unable to post on my blog here. Technical difficulties kept me off the internet and got me to thinking what life was like before the "Internet". At first, I didn't know what to do with myself. I couldn't check my email. I felt out of touch with the world and the news services etc. that I usually check. I actually got alot more reading done for my classes and fun reading too. Checked out Ken Jenning's new book "Brainiac". I'm enjoying it.

I called Verizon, our FIOS provider and finally got a Tech Support Person. We did many different checks and he finally determined that my "Ethernet Card" had probably failed! I didn't know I had such a thing in my computer. Sounded rather mysterious. Maybe, over all these years I had been lulled to sleep by what was eminating from that mysterious card. The last time I had been given ether was when I had my tonsils out. I think I was four. The last thing I remember then was waiting my turn with my dad and him showing me how to make "a mouse" out of his handkerchief. I've used it many times ever since for fun at the dinner table since we don't carry handkerchiefs anymore.

I called my son who knows all about computers and told him the problem I was having. He had me check a few things also and then said he had better come out and do alittle "hands-on" exploratory surgery. He had orginally given me the computer, actually built it, maybe five years ago and knew it inside and and out. He hinted that it might be time to change it out and was I prepared to spend upwards to $1500. for a new one? Shock! Is that how much they cost nowadays? Aren't they getting cheaper? We also entertained the idea that I, again, in my "internet wanderings" had down-loaded a virus or some terrible thing that had not been killed by my Norton Spy Ware. My computer was acting sluggish and was having trouble turning itself off. He checked his calendar and found that he could come out yesterday, Saturday after his soccer game. Yes, he is his son's coach. I would love to see him coach basketball or chess, but soccer? No, just kidding. He is such a good dad. We were hoping he would bring the grandkids out but they were too busy with other soccer games, tai kwan do, piano lessons, you name it. They are so involved and happy little guys. He got here and "a hush" fell over our office. You could tell that he was a "professional". In less than a half hour, he had the problem diagnosed and remedied. Fortunately he had thought to bring his "little black bag" with his spare "test kit" (emergency laptop). He also had the forethought to bring an extra "N.I.C." I had no idea what that might be. He explained that it was another name for an ethernet card ie.
"Network Interfacing Chip"(or Networking Interface Card). With his handy swiss army knife, he just popped that chip in my CPU...there was alot of extra space in there, and voila! The router immediately started to "sense" it and connected to the internet. Wow! Were we relieved. We offered to pay for the part and for his time but no...Just being the great son that he is...oh, and he also brought some "gift catelogs" that our grandchildren were "selling from" for their elementary school. No problem...I know that routine...fund raising is now one of the skills taught at all public schools. (through the parent's/grandparent's connections) We also offered to take him to dinner at our local casino's buffet. He accepted. We, of course, had to "drop a few coins" with the no-armed bandits.

You can't tell me our family doesn't "network". Here is the proof. We have a chip to prove it, an "interfacing chip". If it were only this easy. We can connect to the "world/internet" and yet sometimes we can't communicate with our own loved ones. We are all so busy with our own lives and agendas. We seems to have all kinds of "reasons" not to keep in touch. We look back on when we raised our family and realize how "isolated" we were at times. We had friends but they came and went (were transferred). People came in and out of our lives so quickly we barely had time or reason to "interface" or "network" and help each other. How sad. Life is so short and our "N.I.C.'s" just mysteriously "die" maybe from lack of proper care and maintenance. Bob!

1 Comments:

At 9:37 AM, Blogger BOB! Your Life Preserver said...

We do choose with whom we "interface"...sometimes with regret. Just before our "date with the computer doctor" we got a call to come and play "Bunko" with 4 other couples. Sadly we had to decline. They are such fun people too, the ones we toured the Greek Isles with. Oh well, maybe next time. Bob!

 

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