Life is Seldom Perfect


 
We had a real gully washer up there this past Friday. The roads are still passable, but we’re going to have to pay again to have them fixed up–probably next weekend.

Down here I’ve been dealing with a doctor bill our health insurance plan hasn’t paid yet, plus I’ve been wrestling with some computer problems. The biggest one was the recurrence of one of the ones I talked about two weeks ago. It turns out it was a bug in the Mac operating system (OS X Lion 10.7.5, if anyone is interested). I spent a couple of hours on the internet Friday evening reading about how other people were dealing with the problem. It turns out I had plenty of company and they had told Apple about it. Then in the last of a long list of comments on one of the articles a fellow announced that Apple had indeed fixed it last Sunday, October 7th. The fellow gave us the link and I downloaded the update and things are working fine again.

The question that comes to mind is why when this was a known bug didn’t Apple tech support tell me about it two weeks ago? Was it incompetence, a coverup? One does wonder. Anyway they had sent me a link to a survey about my experience with tech support and I had saved it for an occasion like this. (It had been clear to me my troubles weren’t over.) I described my experience in detail and ended with, “Shame on Apple!” I don’t know if anyone will read my comment, but at least I played my part well. It seems to me we, users and Apple alike, want Mac operating systems and hardware to be reliable. Apple has had a reputation for quality, so I hope this experience was just a fluke. But I am a lot less trusting than I was a couple of weeks ago.

What about you? Have you had to spend time dealing with imperfections lately?

Thanks to Rummuser, bikehikebabe, tammy, Dixie, Nick, Cathy and Max for commenting on last week’s post.
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12 Responses to Life is Seldom Perfect

  1. Nick says:

    Fortunately my only computer problem is having to restart the wireless router every few days because it crashes. And the increasing slowness and clunkiness of websites, particularly newspapers. Other than that, my ageing PC is very reliable.

  2. Jean says:

    Nick,
    I’m happy for you. No doubt about it, that’s a blessing!

    The problem here was with the automatic backups, which is an option that comes with the operating system. I don’t object that it had a bug. I just object that tech support didn’t seem to know about it. And even though the backups didn’t work using their system, I could still use the machine and could manually backup my data to external hard drives.

  3. Mike says:

    Dealing with imperfections? Sure — we’re in the process of tearing down an old leaky carport that we closed off years ago. The imperfections were my fault, using cheap materials and not maintaining the structure.

  4. bikehikebabe says:

    Dealing with imperfection? Yes, ME. My body is declining & I’m working hard to making it work again like I want.

  5. tammy says:

    ditto bhb!
    now that the temps are no longer in the 100’s i’m walking again. and it’s like my body is saying . . .
    “what? no way!”
    but i’ve got news for it. “get used to it. bleh.”

  6. Cathy in NZ says:

    Jean: That is interesting about Apple and bug. Because I know it was one of things, it felt it had a handle on and Microsoft/PC didn’t. Always niggling at the disadvantages of PC versus the advantages of Apple – looks like that have become lax in their virtual administration…making fun of the systems etc of others.

    I had always wanted to try out an Apple but they were never an option of given i.e. most of my earlier computers came to me via a “freebie” and Apple seemed to be more business orientated so you couldn’t get “things” easily.

    Anyway “life is as you make it” and how you deal with the problems and the non-problems you are given…even perfection comes with flaws – which leads you to opportunities 🙂 🙂 🙂

  7. Dixie says:

    Still dealing with pinched nerve in my neck; referred problem to right hand. Painting is at a standstill. It’s okay… moving right along.

    Would rather not deal with the landslide or computer issues. I’m feeling blessed… somehow. 🙂

  8. Jean says:

    Mike,
    Presumably it seemed like a good way to go when you built it. Did you get much use out of it before it started falling apart?

    bikehikebabe.
    You certainly have had enough things to deal with lately. Good luck!

    tammy,
    Hopefully you’ll compromise with your poor old body and start slowly. I was flattened by some sort of bug for a couple of months this spring and it took me a long time to build back my strength on the weight machines.

    Cathy,
    My guess is personal computers aren’t at the top of their priority list now because their iPhones, iPads, etc. are so lucrative.

    It sounds as if you and I agree about how to handle imperfections. One of my favorite sayings is “What’s the opportunity here?” It does help.

    Dixie,
    Good luck! I’m sorry about your pinched nerve. Landslide? That’s intriguing. Again, good luck!

  9. Mike says:

    Sure, we got some use out of the old carport. I had converted it from a shed roof to a cathedral ceiling roof and closed off the front. That was almost 30 years ago — used it as a workshop and storage room for a long time. I’m amazed it lasted as long as it did, though. The walls, built of untreated pine, apparently went up first and then the concrete slab poured inside, with a layer of native rock added on the outer part of the wall on the bottom 2 feet. Here, in the humid south, termites and rot should have destroyed the structure from the bottom up, yet I’ve only seen one termite tunnel and very little rot at the bottom.

  10. tammy says:

    i remember you and that bug. i think it was more than just a little bug! that was bad. really bad. kind of even maybe
    dangerous bad.
    i don’t push it. those days are gone! lol. it just feels so good to be out in the fresh cool air again. (though it’s to get up to 88 here today.) still. it’s autumn. yayyyy!

  11. Jean says:

    Mike,
    It sounds as if you got your money and your time out of it, even if it is time to rebuild.

    tammy,
    I’m glad the weather has turned nicer for you. I wilt in the heat.

  12. Rummuser says:

    Imperfections? Bar one rather comic interlude, I have had a perfect vacation.

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