This is Africa--Computer Edition

I'm wondering how my computer knows we're back in Africa because it has a serious case of TIA-itis (this is africa).

As you can probably imagine, leaving my office for 4 weeks means that I'm 4 weeks behind in work. No little elves came in and did data entry while I was out or sleeping. And I have to tell you, I find that more than a little disappointing. 

Since the elves didn't show up, I've been working my tail off trying to catch up. First I had to pay our staff. We gave them a bit of money to tide them over until I could enter time cards and issue pay slips. 

While on our trip I began using a new computer. My old work one had so many issues it was only a matter of time before it quit and knowing Murphy as intimately as we do, I was convinced it would happen in the middle of an important project. So, we got a new work computer and demoted (promoted?) the old one for the children's use. We brought back plenty of wonderful, educational games for them thanks to a donor in Alabama. 

The reason this is relevant (I promise it is...) is that I now had to get used to a new computer and new programs. I had memorized where all the mail merge icons were and now on Word 2007 they were in different places. Why, oh why?!?!

But even before this happened, I pulled up my payroll spread sheet and found that the last several months of data had disappeared! OK, not really disappeared but for some reason they hadn't copied from the old computer onto my little external hard drive. Thankfully, Tom had not yet cleared my files off the old computer and I could still retrieve them.

That done I finally figured out the new mail merge and after a few hiccups which involved unplugging things and replugging things and cursing at sweetly pleading with my computer, I was ready to print. Only problem--my computer did not want to acknowledge the printer. Something about drivers and such...

After first downloading the wrong driver--seriously can 64 and 32 bit really be that important--I was able to print the pay slips. This happened around 6 PM. My entire day! Spent on one project! Seriously!

Today my plan was to get some extremely late reports done. Again, the files I needed to make it happen had not copied over to the new hard drive so it was back again to the old computer. Copy, paste, drag, drop, etc.

I needed bank statements and so got online to our bank. This is no small feat, let me tell you. An hour after beginning I was finally at the download page and got two statements saved onto my computer. I logged out of the bank site and then proceeded to open Word and call up the statements. Guess what? They were not the statements but a notice from the bank saying they couldn't process my download request at this time!

I.Could.Not.Be.Lieve.It!

Back to the drawing board. Statements finally correctly downloaded, I'm now working on the reports. Well, I'm actually writing you but I just thought I could do with a little pity-party right now and parties need guests.

So, either my computer has caught the highly dangerous TIA virus or elves did show up after all, and not the nice, helpful ones. What do you think?