random thoughts – Day 1,653 – (Thursday) – week of extras

Maybe too much extra.

So far, the work week has been a bit extra. The vacation packing has been done twice already and there seems to be too much extra stuff pulled from the closet and drawers. The bag was too full and the toiletries hadn't been dealt with yet. This is my own doing. Other extras of the week were beyond my realm of control.

Tuesday morning, the system needed a restart, which meant it took extra long to get logged in and be ready to rock the day. Late Tuesday afternoon, after an email from a colleague in another department, it was discovered that not all the programs that usually log in automatically did, and my work phone line wasn't connected.

Wednesday’s tech extras included all the icons for the latest file versions for my current projects disappearing from the desktop screen on the office-office computer. They were there, and then they were gone. When I tried to save a file to the desktop later, a message said the file was already there. Those must have been some extra-special invisible file icons. They came back to the desktop on the remote computer today, except they weren't all the current ones and some were previously deleted old ones. The haunting by previously deleted desktop files has been going on for months. 

Later on Wednesday, I checked my phone and was informed that the Verizon Message+ text program was going away on November 7. Options were an immediate, optional move to a Google platform, or a forced move in a few weeks. This was just a few days after the extra special surprise of being out of data nine days into the billing cycle.

There was a notice about a program plugin update needed on the work laptops before October 11, which could be done now. The update had to be done before logging into the remote system, which meant printing the instructions on an in-office day so I’d have them available to do the update before being able to log into my email. The plugin seemed to go okay and didn't take forever. Later, after a colleague texted my personal cell phone, I realized that not all the automatic programs logged in. I needed to do separate log ins for two or three programs including the chat messaging program that was showing me as MIA. So much extra nonsense.

Maybe I can take extras!

Also in the mix of extra fun this week was an apparent temperature change and the resultant angry red dashboard message about low tire pressure. Again. This is definitely the second, possibly third time in a few months. I’m starting to think I need to install my own air machine at the house. A computer tech might be a good idea, too.

The thermostat suddenly needed new batteries this morning. The replacing part is easy, but having to reprogram the thing afterward requires digging out the manual and dusting off the engineering degree I don't have. A text arrived, allegedly from a payment app about my supposed purchase of some very expensive computer equipment, with an 800 number I was told to call. Seriously, enough already with the bonus content this week.

When I talked about my extra wardrobe and packing issues with a colleague on Wednesday, she reminded me about the packing brilliance of compression packing cubes. A set was ordered Wednesday night from the mega-online purveyor of, well, everything. They arrived today, and after work I had a chance to check them out. What a difference! The bags zip and squash out the air and fit neatly into the suitcase, and this is the extra boost I needed. Maybe now I can take extra clothes.