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Friday 13 January 2012

Clunk or clink?

I have arrived at a major turning point in my life.  But first the context.

For the last couple of months, I have been having a lot of trouble with my laptop.  I'll be writing or viewing something, and the laptop will arbitrarily highlight a big chunk of text; sometimes, waiting for my thought processes to catch up, I find that  the cursor has jumped to another place in the text and I've written something like:  I have been written something like: having a lot of trouble with my laptop.  It's not just annoying, it makes me do things like bonk my forehead on the counter.

I've been complaining about it to all kinds of people who are skeptical about it and to Dave who may be skeptical, but never says so, and we finally decided that he should try the keyboard to see if it happens for him.  It didn't.

For some reason, I remembered a time when I first used a wireless mouse, and after all kinds of unprecedented screw-ups, took the advice of the frustrated IT guy trying to help me and removed my 30 or so bracelets.  I hadn't done this before because they didn't come anywhere near the mouse, or in the present case, the keyboard.  They were beneath the desk, kind of snuggled up against my waist. "Mysteries of science", I muttered grumpily while noticing the absolute perfect order in which my computer was working.  But since I wasn't fond of the wireless  mouse, the whole thing became a non-issue.

So my dilemma:  ever since my kids were babies, I've worn upwards of 30 silver bracelets on my right arm---I like the look, I love the sound, and my kids could always find me.  As I got older, arthritis pushed me to reduce the number to 10---still lovely to listen to, and perfect for teething grandchildren.

So do I give up my computer or my bracelets?  Go for the essential or the beautiful?


10 comments:

  1. I think you can reach a happy comprimise. One can be fashionable, beautiful AND smart. (this you already know)

    Perhaps, you could try taking them off while you're on the computer. This way, while you're sorting out what you'd like to say and how you'd like to say it, you can play and twirl your bracelets in your fingers, happily setting them beside you once that's been figured out.

    Because this fashion statement is intrinsically you, you won't forget to put them back on.

    This would also be a sign to others around you that you're about to get your work on.

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  2. Lorna, no not the bracelets! I too clutter the wrists with lots and lots of jinglies and when I don't have them I feel naked, lost, like Wonder Woman without her, um bracelets. Must you forsake one for the other? Can these not sit artfully poised on the desk by your laptop until you have finished, patiently waiting for you to pick them up and slip them on again?

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  3. This has been happening to me quite often and it has been frustrating to find that the highlights have appeared and a huge chunk of my well written and thought out text only to delete the whole thing when I press return. My son pointed out to me that I am typing as if I am on a desktop compute with separate keyboard, i.e. the laptop has it built-in mouse pad just under the palm of my hands and when I lower my wrists it touches the laptop mouse pad and causes my pointer to move to the start of a text paragraph by itsel and I continue typing only to find I have lost my place or (gasp!) caused to delete my golden words... Mind you, the bracelets could be doing the same thing as the palm of the hand on the built-in mousepad as well. Good luck and be aware. XO Evelyn

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  4. I agree with what Evelyn said. I was driving myself nuts, until I realized it wasn't my computer screwing up. I had been resting the palms of my hands on that mouse thingy on the laptop keyboard.

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  5. I disabled my laptop mouse for the same reason, and now only use a wireless mouse

    Sue

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  6. I hate tough questions like this. Sometimes life is just not fair!

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  7. I have a laptop that drives me crazy that way although I hasten to add that I don't wear bracelets. I used to just park it on my desk, turn off the touchpad, and insert a mouse. Now I use a desktop computer at home. I do use other laptops from to time and don't have the same problem.

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  8. OMG ... this cursor and highlighting thing (or similar) happens to me quite a bit and I had given up wondering why ... it never occurred to me it could be my (one)(sometimes two) bracelet(s)! And I don't have a wireless mouse ... hm... food for thought. Thank you.
    I see you already have good advice above; let us know how it works if you remove your bracelets while keyboarding.

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  9. Oh, dear, one of those situational ethic problems from Philosophy 101. I love bracelets, but I do not wear them to work. I do screw up on the computer.

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  10. Reminds me of a story my BIL told us of a woman at his work. Every time her phone rang a line of gobbledygook would show up on her computer screen. She was convinced the wires were crossed and had the IT guys going in circles trying to figure out what the problem was. Finally one of the IT guys asked her to go through the motions of typing and then answering the phone. It was discovered that her rather large breast was hitting the keyboard and typing a line of gobbledygook when she leaned over to answer the phone. The phone was moved and the problem was solved. So, try keeping your floppies off the desk and see if that helps!

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