Total Pageviews

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

A Few Oops = Doh

It's nice to update your computer whenever a new program comes out but if you're like me -- and I hope you aren't -- you dread the updating. I find a lot of the programs fascinating but it's the installation that gets me.  Or is it the way files are set up?  I suppose it's a bit of both.

Much of the time I can't find what I'm looking for. When I had Windows 7 it took a while to get used to the way it got things done. Then my laptop died and the next one had Windows 8.1 installed. Needless to say, the whole thing was configured differently. I'm still trying to adjust. Sometimes I like the touch system and other times I prefer the mouse to get around, especially if I'm working on writing files. When it comes to e-mail, the print was suddenly smaller. It's either do a finger/thumb stretch to enlarge the type or find a magnifying glass.

Then you might have a smudge on the screen you're trying to clear off and whatever you're working on suddenly vanishes. I find myself staring at it wondering what it was I just did. I'm a great one for getting lost on the internet. I try to locate one thing and eventually find myself so far off track I think I'm permanently lost. And I'll be darn if I can recall where I was or what I was originally looking for. It there's a way to make a mess of something, I'm the person who should be called. I'm a pro at it. I've even tried consulting computer books to become more efficient (the more simplified the explanation the better it should be to understand)but in most cases it's still a foreign language. By the time I get used to doing something, it gets changed.

On the other hand, I can get a book on craft patterns, follow the instructions and end up with a reasonable facsimile of the project described. I admit there are some exceptions to that, but few. I can't seem to get the tension right to make anything lacy and I would love to knit a lacy shawl. But that's another problem.

My excuse?  I tell people my brain isn't wired to see things as the average person does. It's a good excuse as far as it goes. It explains why I can go off in an entirely different direction but somehow, sooner or later I will achieve the desired results. I'm not so sure that will happen where electronics are concerned. That's an altogether different ball game.

To computer programmers, I understand the need you have to update things to keep up with technology. And that can be a wonderful, amazing thing. But there are some things that don't change from one operating system to the next. So why do you hide things or take away some little program you think no one uses? Some programs shouldn't be messed with unless there are serious upgrades to implement. If you as a programmer don't use a small file, don't go getting rid of it because you think no one else uses it. You might be surprised.

There's only one thing left I can say about making changes...

 If it ain't broke...

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Did I Do That?

About a year or so ago, I wrote a blog about the difference between making new year resolutions and setting goals. I'm happy to say I chose goals. Had I made resolutions I would have broken every one and proved myself to be a dismal failure. It was bad enough that 2014 was an all-around miserable year. I rarely make promises. My philosophy has always been "Don't make promises you can't keep." At least I can't be accused of breaking them even if said promises are made to myself. If I do make a promise, to myself or someone else (not gonna happen) I have to be at least 90% sure I can carry it through.

 Failure to reach a goal only means you try again.

Putting the past year behind me, I'm ready and willing to start over and try again. If you repeat your goals often enough sooner or later you have to get them right, or at least some of them. What's that saying about practice makes perfect? I've got a lot of practice over the last few years, so how come perfection is still a long way off?

My biggest goal for this year consists of many parts. That goal is to clear the boards of any or most of the incomplete projects sitting around waiting for attention. When my son said he was getting married, I told him I'd make a quilt for a wedding gift. His first anniversary has come and gone and the quilt is still in pieces. The biggest problem is the lack of sufficient space to work. I'm determined to get the quilt top sewn together and on the frame before his next visit. At least he and his wife will get to see what it's going to look like.  In my own defense, during the summer I did crochet an afghan for them and my daughter-in-law loves it. Nothing fancy but she loves the warmth. New England winters are not kind to her since she comes from a much warmer climate.

Then there's the writing. I want to try independent publishing, as well as continue work on a series I have with an electronic publisher. In every partial tale I've been stumped on the plots. There's been some factor that keeps the story from moving forward. I often feel as if the "muse" has taken an overly long vacation. Maybe it's just time to fire her or force her into retirement and see to a replacement. Hmmm, not a bad idea. At best it would mean some fresh points of view. At worst it could mean half-hearted attempts on her part to get back into my good graces. She'd have to work awfully hard to succeed. A new face, a new muse could go a long way toward accomplishing something for a change. Say... a ruggedly handsome face with a totally different perspective on things? Who says a muse has to be feminine?

Anyway, that's my new plan and outlook for 2015. A whole new vision for the coming year. Will it work?  I certainly hope so. It can't be much worse than the previous year and I surely can use a boost to get things done.

Here's hoping all your plans and goals for the New Year will be immensely successful.