Unsupported Personality

There's a whole lot of crazy going around in  my world these days. When psycho cat who thinks my under-the-cover legs are prairie dogs or moles is the most sane element of my world, it's clear -- there's a whole lot of crazy going on. And more than a little is at work.

First, my office mate found a new job -- her last day was on March 1 and it's a bit lonelier going in each day without her first "good morning" of the day.

And, on March 1, another of our team turned in her notice. We've worked together about a year and I will miss her as well. We've been through a lot in that year -- several bosses, lots to do. Yes, that will be another loss. 

And let me remind those who live in warmer climates that it is still awfully cold and awfully white around here. 

When you're feeling none too swift, that doesn't help. About the only one who seems cozy and happy is Lizzie as she takes on the evil squirrels of the 'hood from the sanctuary of the window seat. Can't wait to see what she does when the screens go on. Or maybe I can.

The rest of us just suck it up, buckle up and drive carefully.

 

March is pledge month. That used to be a big deal -- we'd be there many nights doing live breaks and I loved the energy of working with our great crew, trying to come in somewhat articulately and just on time, hearing phones ring (or not). Now are pledge programs all have the breaks baked into them and even the ones with us locals are pre-taped and I miss that energy.

And then there was the computer. I had a somewhat older and slower computer, but I knew its ins and outs. We bonded. It was OK. I could link to all the printers I needed, I knew where to find everything, it was just fine.

And then they gave me another. Cool! And they installed it during Mercury Retrograde. Not cool. For those who don't know about this, here is a quick overview:

Not Mercury!

Technically, the planet Mercury slows to a halt and goes backwards. The lore of all this (and I find it to be pretty true) is that because Mercury rules things like travel, communications, electronics -- that things can go wrong. The computer goes wonky, data may be lost, the phone line might go down or you may not get a signal. There will be delays. Traffic accidents, broken stoplights, flight delays. Allow extra time.

They say that you should wrap up any legal business prior to Mercury retro or else you may have to redo it. Note to self: The appointment to renegotiate the home equity loan? Wait till it goes direct March 17 to sign. The same with our estate plans.

Not Mercury, either.

 Some folks say this is a good time to reflect. And when things go amiss, you may never know what might be revealed or who you could meet in that very slow line at the store where the checker is having trouble installing the new roll of tape in the cash machine.

Now, all of this is interesting (and I find truer than I would expect) but I don't really care. What I care is that I have a new computer with new programs that don't "look" or respond the way the old ones did. And, every time I print to my desktop printer, out comes a blank sheet with only two words.

Unsupported Personality.

It's not that I can't print. I link to our network printer ten steps away and that works fine. But my own little personal printer is not supporting my personality.

And it hurts.

Right now I need all the support I can get. Our work life is going to change radically in a few weeks, the snow seems stubbornly resistant to the warmth of the less-than-frequent sun and I'm trying to figure out how to get well, refinance the house and plan for my future.

Printer, we need to talk.
A follow-up to the above. The printer is partially fixed. It will support my personality only if I turn it off and on again. Well, better than nothing! Thanks, IT!

The planet Mercury rules communication, travel, contracts, automobiles, and the written word. It goes in a retrograde motion, where it appears to move backwards, three times a year for approximately three weeks at a time. When Mercury is retrograde, there’s a lot of confusion. People forget things. There are delays and frustrations.You should never start anything new when Mercury goes retrograde. But you can still put this astrological aspect to good use. Later, I will discuss how you can use this time period and work with the energy of Mercury rather than against it. There is usually a “wind up” period two weeks before Mercury goes retrograde. This is a time to finalize and finish things. When the retrograde day arrives, you should have all of your important projects put to bed. Now, you can’t stop your life just because a Mercury Retrograde rolls around. There are things you can’t possibly avoid or put off. But if you do have time to plan ahead, you can save yourself a lot of frustration and time by doing so.

Since Mercury also rules travel and trips, it is not a good time to travel unless you have backup plans. Expect delays, and double-check accommodations beforehand. - See more at: http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/1181#sthash.G4ZhheLQ.dpuf

The planet Mercury rules communication, travel, contracts, automobiles, and the written word. It goes in a retrograde motion, where it appears to move backwards, three times a year for approximately three weeks at a time. When Mercury is retrograde, there’s a lot of confusion. People forget things. There are delays and frustrations.You should never start anything new when Mercury goes retrograde. But you can still put this astrological aspect to good use. Later, I will discuss how you can use this time period and work with the energy of Mercury rather than against it. There is usually a “wind up” period two weeks before Mercury goes retrograde. This is a time to finalize and finish things. When the retrograde day arrives, you should have all of your important projects put to bed. Now, you can’t stop your life just because a Mercury Retrograde rolls around. There are things you can’t possibly avoid or put off. But if you do have time to plan ahead, you can save yourself a lot of frustration and time by doing so.

Since Mercury also rules travel and trips, it is not a good time to travel unless you have backup plans. Expect delays, and double-check accommodations beforehand. - See more at: http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/1181#sthash.G4ZhheLQ.dpuf