A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Creating This Blog

I used my day off from work on July 4 to make some inroads in setting up this blog.  I’m completely new to the blogosphere and was bouncing around the internet looking for advice and checking other people’s blogs for inspiration.  I downloaded some programs and images . . . and a really, really nasty malware virus.

Ever notice the stages of computer disaster mode?

1. Blank confusion – you stare at the computer, hoping if you do it long enough, the problem will go away.

2. Useless button pushing – you push the escape button dozens of times, again hoping that doing so will make everything instantly return to normal.

3. Hysteria – everything is gone!  My whole creative life!  AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! You would jump out the window if doing it from the ground floor would yield any results.

4. Pointless anger directed at anyone who happens to be in the house with you at the time.  You never knew you could scream that loud.  It’s a miracle the windows are still intact.

5. Recollection of other devices that can help you, like your smart phone.  It has a browser. You can find help with a browser.

6. Frantic searching for help.  You curse yourself for not spending more money on a phone with a larger screen.

7. Bingo!  You’ve found an article that has the help you need!  YAAAAAYYYY!!!!  Crisis almost over!!!!

8. Except you can’t get your computer to go into safe mode.  It says to push the F8 button.  You almost wear out the tip of your finger pressing the @#*&!%$ F8 button.

9. You finally figure out how to get into safe mode after having another breakdown and driving the cat under the bed with more screaming.

10. Follow the instructions for the first step.  All goes well.  YEAH!  Almost out of woods.

11. Except after the first step there’s another step.  And another, and another, another . . .

12. All the steps done, and the web article that’s been helping you out optimistically tells you that you should be back to normal.

13. You’re not back to normal.  Most of the icons are still missing from your desktop.  Not too late to try jumping out the window.

14. Someone manages to convince you to set your computer back a day.  You pooh-pooh the idea, but figure you have nothing to lose.

15. It takes forever, but when the computer reboots–you have everything back.  Phew!!!  You don’t have to stage a bogus suicide attempt after all.

Oh, yeah, and one last stage–you re-subscribe to a good anti-virus program, because, yes, you let the subscription lapse.  You kept meaning to do it, really you did.

So, this is friendly reminder to make sure you have good anti-virus and spyware programs, and that the subscriptions are updated.  Like anyone needs to be told that.  Except I did need to be told that.

Also, never forget to back up your work.  This, at least, I did not need to be told.  The only thing that truly kept me from going over the edge during this incident was the knowledge that all my precious files, including my latest work in progress, were safely stored on a flash drive.

Save your files, save your sanity!