Friday 9 February 2018

Technology and booking a room at this unique Ottawa B&B

Well, I don't think Bill Gates is going to be calling me any time soon and I don't think I will ever have bookings online. I'm technologically challenged and yet my friends all come to me to fix their computers and get things set up. ME!! I'm an impostor. I can barely turn my computer on.

I was trying to video chat on FB using my laptop with daughter in Australia. I have never used the webcam before. We were going to both use laptops this time so the grand babies could actually see my face and despite many tries, they couldn't see me. I kept going to the icon and touching the screen until I realized my laptop is 1000 years old and does not have a touch screen which means I also cannot stretch the screen bigger. Doh!
When we were finally connected with audio by laptops, she alas could still not see me. No idea why not until I remembered the FB story I read about a news story recently, (and FB doesn't lie!!) saying hackers could remotely turn on your webcam on your computer AND cell phone and everyone knows hackers want to watch a near 60 year old head bobbing with boredom on the computer. One quick solution was to put some tape over it. I'm naive enough to always do as I'm told and once the tape came off, voila, there was Australia! I was at the phone providers and spontaneously asked, while I was waiting, why I couldn't do selfies anymore. Oh the eye rolling as he took off the tape on the cell. Is that the phone ringing? (http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/laptop-camera-security-tape-1.3649678)

I also suck at sending and receiving payments. New on my bucket list for 2018 is to do goat yoga. I don't even like yoga but it sounds so cute. I saw a meetup for one so I signed up and prepared to pay immediately. It was confusing so I sent an email and received a response to send the E transfer to this gentleman and I would be confirmed. I did and used the password prompt- the animal; they would know I meant a goat, right? Unfortunately, I had been trying to pay for another meetup to learn how to do Dim Sum for the same price. The E transfer wires got crossed and Dim Sum lady suddenly doesn't know what the animal password is. Darn, it's goat. How could it be any easier for a Dim Sum event. So I am now proficient in horsd'oeuvres but still no goats. I should not do technology, ever!

It gets worse. For two weeks, I could not get any sound out of my dinosaurs-walked-the-earth when this TV was manufactured TV. I was furious with my provider giving me a defective box again. I was going to give them the last piece of my mind but maybe I would google it first then I would tear them a new one. One article talked about the top 10 mistakes people make when there is no sound and #1 was, make sure the Mute is not on. Well, that is dumb 'cause I never use that feature BUT, other people use them in this Bed and Breakfast room. Sure enough, it was muted and Rogers "magically must have fixed my box".
I was having countless problems with the PVR and after they were almost all solved, I felt silly getting the specialist come out to 'calm the old lady who has been a loyal customer since the beginning of time". I explained that the box had been rebooted but my favourites no longer came up. He patiently asked if I'd had the box replaced and then ding, ding, ding, the light bulb went on.


Finally I inquired why Netflix wouldn't work. He said that had nothing to do with my provider and as I reached for one of the 100's of remotes from exchanging the box so many times, I realized I had been trying to get Netflix with the wrong remote. Had I only put my glasses on, I would not have this problem again. How much more humiliation and eye rolling can I take.
Wait, I have to go. My phone is ringing and it might be Microsoft after all. I hope it's Bill calling about that emailed resume I texted to his cell number.
(BTW what does 9000 TXT 2 Landmine could not be delivered mean?)