Compocalypse '09: Your Oxen Have Died

[cleolinda]

So let me tell you what happened last night. As much as I appreciate all the coupons and deals and offers to build me a computer (seriously, thank you so much), I didn't even see those comments until it was too late, because I went and picked out what I wanted last night. And no, I pretty much didn't do any comparison pricing at all. You may not fully grasp how incredibly... I don't even know what... I am at this point. Of which I am not proud. Because normally, I'm the one who stays calm when other people have problems--often even when I have problems myself--and just sort of choke it down and logic it out and go, "Well, feeling things isn't really going to help, so let's figure out what actually needs to be done." It's an Elinor Dashwood way of life, really.

Which means that the not-feeling of things tends to build up over the years until you finally have a psychotic break.

Yeah.

I think most of it is that everything, everything, is really stressful right now. Because I didn't pitch this kind of bitch or fall to pieces when Betsy 1.0 died. My sister's moved back home so the house is just fuller than it used to be, we had two months of planning and cleaning for that family reunion, and pretty much everyone I'm talking to, all of y'all, seems to be dealing with life suck right now, so I don't know if Mercury's in retrograde or what, but things seem to be kind of bad all over. My point, which I am ever so gradually getting around to, is that I am not being smart and looking for the best bargain. I am pointing at things and going "MAKE IT GO AWAY NOW."

I think part of it is also that I can't afford any of this anyway, and since the Bank of Mama de Cleo doesn't charge interest, I might as well be in for a pound as well as a penny. I've got a new agent, I'm hoping to sell something, anything, pretty soon, and either the sale of the American 15M rights or the children's book would cover $750 just as well as it would cover $500. My sister keeps telling me that you never get a laptop from a store, you custom-order it, you should do that with any computer anyway, I'll regret spending money I didn't have to later, and she's probably right. It's just that my brain is completely fried and I am incapable of caring at the moment.

(Although all of this is starting to sound a lot like--well, having no computer of my own to work on, I spent the weekend rereading the collected works of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and I'm starting to sound a lot like Pa in the Plum Creek book: "When the wheat crop comes in, Caroline, we'll live like kings! KINGS! I'll just go ahead and build an entire house on credit." And by the fifteenth time he says this, you know, you KNOW, that there will not be any wheat crop. The fact that it's eaten by a Biblical plague of locusts is just icing on the cake of fail at that point, really. "It doesn't matter if I waste money! I can pay it all off once I sell a book!" Yeah, Pa, you just go on saying that.)

So what I'm trying to tell you is that I went to Best Buy (and saw the cute salesguy again) and looked at a couple of Dell laptops and ended up going with the Studio 17 something or other, the one with the full-sized keyboard and number pad, a 17" screen, 4GB of RAM (expandable to 8GB, I think), a duo core processor, 500 GB storage, whatever, I don't care. It's big enough to use as a more portable desktop, I can hook it up to other keyboards/mice/monitors/whatever, I can move it around for Oscar liveblog season, I'll get used to Vista eventually, free upgrade to Windows 7, whatever, I don't care.

Salesguy With a Resemblance to James McAvoy goes back in the back to get it.

Best Buy is completely out of Dell Studio 17 laptops.

The nearest one is in Alabaster.

They can get it here by Monday.

When the guy at the customer service desk told me this, I just started laughing. I mean, of course. Of course they don't have it. It wouldn't be my life if they had it in stock. I just said whatever, I've been without a computer of my own, unable to do anything but check email and news, for ten days now. Five more won't matter. Maybe I can figure out which outlets were installed by Satan by then, so as not to fry the new laptop (whose name I have already picked out, although it might jinx her to tell you what it is). So... in conclusion, I'm going to go clean for the electrician now. Whenever he gets here. Next week, probably.

Comments

[jasminelily.livejournal.com]

Godspeed, new computer, godspeed.

[lylassandra.livejournal.com]

You're right. Of course. Of course not.

Would it cheer you up to hear happy things from random semi-lurkers? Because I could totally rhapsodize about the beauty of life on command for you if it would help.

[lylassandra.livejournal.com]

Also: love the title.

[krazycat.livejournal.com]

oh BLOODY HELL. You just can't get a break!

[iczer6.livejournal.com]

I think you need to go with what makes you happy and not worry about what anyone else says.

[chulacabra.livejournal.com]

I was just coming here to say that. A computer is such a personal purchase, I can't imagine why anyone would want to force their preferences on you. You might as well have an opinion on the type of underwear someone should buy.

[ruffwriter.livejournal.com]

Dude, I would be sobbing hysterically on the floor by this point. Your composure throughout all this has been amazing.

Good luck with the new laptop - she sounds gorgeous, and I really hope she'll treat you better than Camille.

[suitcasegnome.livejournal.com]

New computer sounds swanky! Here's hoping it reaches you soon.

Also, many hugs.

[dives.livejournal.com]

Dang.


At least the salesguy looks like James McAvoy.

[the-blue-fenix.livejournal.com]

Friendly pat on the arm. If I'd been through what you have, I'd so be going for the local-store-where-I-can-deal-face-to-face option too.

And I've been to that place where blows of fate 1 to X are infuriating but X+1 is suddenly FUNNY, because it's so freaking over the top.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, "and the support disc is stuck in the drive" was where the balance tipped over to "funny" for me.

[girlupnorth]

God, this is insane. I'm crossing fingers for the laptop.

[amberdulen.livejournal.com]

Can I just tell you, every single thing I have attempted to do in the past month has fallen into utter fail. Just this morning I wrote to my sister: these days it's like I can't butter my bread without cutting off my fingers.

[itsroach.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth I'm thinking good thoughts for you.

[raberbagirl.livejournal.com]

Dude, I don't blame you for not caring; with everything Camille put you through, I'd be surprised if you were still willing to bargain-shop.

But don't sell your copyright! DON'T! Mistake, bad idea! Quick cash isn't worth it in the long run!!!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

No, no, I'm not selling the copyright--I'm selling the publishing rights for North America. That's what you do when someone publishes your book, you sell them the rights to do so. I was advised at the time to sell the international rights to Orion (since they're a British publisher). I wish I'd just sold them all the publishing rights, which as far as you know is what you usually do, but that was not what I was advised to do at the time.

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

OY.

But seriously, how much do I love you for the Little House reference. Oh, Pa you so crazy.

[greyduck.livejournal.com]

Well, naturally they didn't have it in stock. *facepalm*

Just... wow. I devoutly, sincerely hope that this is the last hurdle. Truly.

[paradise-loved.livejournal.com]

best of luck and i hope it comes quickly!

i have the dell studio (15 in, but essentially all the other same things) and i love it! you will enjoy it once you have it. :)

[kauricat.livejournal.com]

While I am still so sorry that you're having a terrible time, I also really love it that you can just put your foot down to hundreds (thousands?) of people and say "This is what's happening now."

Also, I must say that you have the patience of a saint. Even while going through the stress of the Compocalypse, you refrained from killing any of the people who insisted on bringing up things you had expressly asked them not to. Brava.

[sarff-nodwydd.livejournal.com]

My sympathy on Camille. Thank the Gods she was not a hurricane this time.

My husband just bought a Dell Studio 15 (a little more portable for us) and loves it, although we customized the heck out of it.

I love my new Inspiron 15. Yes, I know the Studio 15 beats it in many areas, but the Inspiron has what *I* needed.

We opted to customize with XP. That's the only reason I purchased on-line.

[kittybacklash.livejournal.com]

I have a yard of chocolate I was saving for an emergency, I think your need is greater than mine.

-chocolate-

[xerinmichellex.livejournal.com]

Fingers crossed that Compocalypse '09 is over.

Don't feel bad about "freaking out". It's a hell of a lot better to let it out than keep it inside where it will do lots more damage. Sending you good vibes that everything will work itself out.

[handlebars19.livejournal.com]

Holy crap! The universe just really doesn't want you to have a new computer doesn't it?

[coraa.livejournal.com]

The boy and I both have Studio laptops (he has a 17, I have a 14), and they both work beautifully. And I got mine off the shelf at Best Buy.

Good luck, good luck, and good wishes.

[strife-caecus.livejournal.com]

Awesome! The Dell Studio series are pretty shiny--I know of a friend who got one to replace her 5+ year old Dell Inspiron. I would (highly) consider getting the extended warranty. I would hate for you to come back a year and five days later angsting over how a magic water balloon splashed over your laptop five days after the default one year warranty ran out. Here's to not having a Compocalypse 2010...[raises his glass]

[obrien-blue.livejournal.com]

Just wrote a long something else, then saw you got the Dell STUDIO - those are actually pretty amazing. So I = fail in the world of reading, go me. But the Studios, as I have been told by friends who have them/the things I read, are great. Go forth and conquer!

[azuresquirrel.livejournal.com]

I wish I could give you something other than fake Internet chocolate and hugs, but it's all I have *chocolate and hugs*.


Given the state of everyone I know, I wouldn't be surprised if there is some sort of astrological reason for it (more likely Mars than Mercury though. My mom's yoga instructor said something about Mars being unusually close in orbit to us this month). But anyway, I think you've been dealing with these crises most admirably and I find it amazing you can put a funny spin on it in your writing. As souless as Hollywood writing is, your life would make a very entertaining sitcom if you ever chose to go that route!

Here's to hoping new computer will work!

[luna-k.livejournal.com]

Awwwww. Hope your new computer arrives soon.

Also, I love the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Even though Pa can be kind of an idiot sometimes, and the books are so wholesome you feel a little like your going to hell no matter what you do, because you could NEVER be as good as poor blind Mary.

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. I hope things get better. I can offer pictures of lightning, wild turkeys---really!---and kitties. And a new Egyptian mother-of-pearl tea table with really nice art on it for distraction. I'd make you some lasagna, but....