Laptop ER...

(October 24, 2008)

Yesterday was a very "touch and go" day for me.

Got to work yesterday morning to find my work laptop (of whom I've had a 2 year relationship with) sick and unresponsive.

Panicked, I dialed laptop 911...IT.

IT responded in record-breaking time.  They swooped in, packed my laptop onto a roll-away gurney and whisked it away to the laptop ER.

I sat in complete disbelief.

What if my laptop doesn't make it?  I depend so heavily on it!  All of my files...all of my projects...all of my favorites...what will I do?!?!

There is another computer at my desk that I edit video on, so I turned it on and opened my work e-mail to see if I'd gotten anything from IT yet.  I hadn't.  I freaked out.  Then I realized it had only been 3 minutes since IT took my laptop away...they probably hadn't made it back to their office yet.

I waited.

And waited.

It's a terrible thing....wondering what you've lost.  I felt so.....low.

The phone rang.  I picked it up on the first ring hoping and praying it was good news about my laptop.

It was my husband...with bad news regarding our home bathroom.  Great.  Fantastic.  BLOODY HELL!!!!!!!!!!

I was already extremely frustrated and worried about my laptop and now he was giving me more bad news...on a day that was supposed to be extremely happy for me.  Mom (aka: Yokayama) is visiting from Hawaii and would be arriving in a few short hours.  I haven't seen her in a year!  And now just as she's visiting...our bathroom is not in working order?!?!?  ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Needless to say...I was not pleased with his news about the bathroom.

Irritated beyond belief, I hung up the phone and jumped onto the other computer to check e-mail again.

There it was....one little e-mail from IT:
"Working on your laptop.  Will keep you posted."

This sounds serious.  It's been my experience before that they were able to determine the problem within several minutes and then send me a detailed e-mail of what they were doing to remedy the situation.

Not this time.

The phone rings again.

It's IT.

"Your laptop isn't responding to anything."

My heart sank.

"What does that mean?" I ask, hesitantly
.
"I'm not sure yet.  I've tried a few things and it just doesn't respond.  We may have to rebuild it."

Oh no.  I've heard horror stories about other co-workers having their laptops rebuilt.  Missing files, missing software, missing signature settings in Outlook.  This is very serious.
 
Another phone call.

It's my Mom! 

She's landed in Richmond and is heading to baggage claim.  I realized that what felt like several minutes since I found my laptop had actually been several hours!

My husband picks her up from the airport and they whisk me away to lunch.

Seeing my Mom calmed me down significantly.  I told both her and my husband about my laptop going into surgery and they were very hopeful. 

Lunch was great. 

We went to Strawberry Street Cafe....it was fabulous; good food, better company...wonderful stories.  I completely forgot about my laptop.

Then...back to the real world.

After lunch I rush to my desk hoping there is another e-mail from IT....there isn't.

Is no news good news?  Is no news terrible news?  Has my laptop expired and they've been trying to reach me but I was out having lunch?

I check my voice mail.

"This is IT, I'm sorry this is taking so long, I think we're going to be able to save all of your data and I'm reinstalling your software now.  Give me a call when you get this."

OMG!  My laptop's going to live!!!!!

I call IT and they give me the skinny on my laptops condition.

I immediately text my husband to let him know that my laptop is going to make it.

"Oh thank god," he replies.  "I was starting to plan the funeral..."

At 4:26 p.m. my laptop was out of surgery and responsive. 

I checked most of my files, my settings, etc. and everything seemed to be there.

I logged off and whispered to my laptop, "I'll be here when you wake tomorrow morning."

Thank goodness for IT.