Another Revolting Development

The world of computers can be SO complicated and confusing sometimes.  Why is it that some people just go thru their life never having to give their computer, or what they do on it, a second thought and yet it seems that I am always in a jam, of sorts?

A month ago, I was delighted to be changing over from DSL with my phone company to WildBlue Satellite Internet service.  It was a package deal with DirectTV and the end result is that we are saving $50 a month.  The part about replacing Dish Network with Direct has been awesome.  The thing with WildBlue??  Not so much. 

Now, trust me when I say, I research the living crap out of things before I make any changes or decisions or buy much of ANYthing.  So......yes, I read that WildBlue has limited bandwidth usage {due to fed regs regarding satellite usage..blah, blah} but I was getting the Pro Plan, which has the highest speeds and usage, so surely little ol me wasn't gonna come close to the limits and certainly not exceed them,  right??  Wrong!  Oh, I was so very wrong.  I hit my download limit in a week!  They gave me a one time courtesy reset back to 40%.  I watched my usage like a hawk and it mysteriously creeps back up daily.  As we speak, I am at 99% which means that before the day is over, I will be on "dial-up speed" until my usage drops. *Sigh*  A lot "should" drop off today, or tonight, or whenever.  It's on a 30 day roll over thingy.  At the end of your 1st 30 days, they take an average of your usage for the last 30 days and adjust your totals accordingly....every day.  So, 30 days ago today I downloaded {in my ignorant wisdom} 2,997,738 KB which is 2,927.47 MBs.  My limit for MB downloading is 17,000 MB {which I NOW know is freaking unbelievable!}so at some point, in the next 24 hours, my level will drop and free up some space. 

Most of that 3 GBs was from downloading a trial of PhotoShop Elements 9.  I was, at that time, totally ignorant of the 'rules'.  I download programs all the time.  No big deal, right?  Order a disc for 'just in case' and go on about my business.  Won't be doing that much anymore!  I love the new version of PS 9, tho' and can't wait until I have enough bandwidth so I can watch the tutorial videos....ahem.

The 1st thing I found that I can no longer use, is my beloved Carbonite for online backup.  I love Carbonite and it has been a God send on 3 or 4 occasions!  But, my last back up was 41 GBs.  SO....even tho my daily backups of whatever pictures and documents I might have would still be doable, there's no way I would ever be able to restore my backup!  Had to go buy an external hard drive for backing up everything and I don't trust those.  I had a defective one once and lost everything, which is when I switched to Carbonite.  And of course, I just paid my annual membership a couple months ago :(.

So I am now suffering from BSD {Bandwidth Stress Disorder}.  Not reading emails, not reading blogs (there are 233 unread blogs in my Google Reader....eeeep), not looking things up at random, not doing much of ANY thing!  I'm afraid that every little thing is going to put me over the edge! 

I guess I can't even watch the TV shows on my computer that I have recorded on our new DVR from Direct!  But I'm not SURE because I don't wanna waste the usage to research it!!  I know I could call, but I feel really stupid asking.  Not sure why.  I am thinking that since it is all tied together via my router, that it wouldn't actually be 'downloading'  and therefore not using any bandwidth, but if it counts as 'file sharing', then it will.  AGHHHHHHHHH. 

So, Chuck saves $50 a month and is pleased as hell with his TV and I am totally screwed with my computer!  And, no, I haven't told him about all this yet.  I'm pretty sure his head would explode if I tried to explain it and the explosion would be followed by a reprimand for not checking it out more carefully.  {Like I haven't beat myself up enough over it!}

Oh, yes.....one more thing.  Please DO beware of contracting BSD {Bandwidth Stress Disorder}.  It seems that it causes an unnatural craving for Skittles, which leads to a serious addiction.  It's BAD, people.  Very, very bad!!

Life is Too Short

A dear friend lost his brother in a tragic accident last Thursday.  He was cutting trees at their parents house, when one bounced back and pinned him under it.  Their 86 year old father stood helplessly by and watched his youngest son slowly die before the EMTs could get there.  Big brother arrived at the same time as the EMTs; they were all too late to help him.  He was non-responsive at that point and pronounced dead at the hospital.

He was only 52 years old.  Actually, he would have been 52 yesterday.  His family couldn't have his funeral on his birthday, so it is today.  After a couple of failed marriages, he finally met his perfect match about 6 years ago and they have been married about 5 years. Thankfully, his last few years were happy ones and spent with someone that he could enjoy a rich full life with.

My heart aches for my friend, to have lost his only sibling. Sadly, I have 1st hand experience. They were very close and involved in so many things together.  But even more, my heart aches for their parents.  To lose a child is the greatest pain and loss a person can experience.  To witness it and be helpless to do anything? Even worse.

It's a grave reminder that life is too short, and can be even shorter when least expected. 

And all I can do is pray for all of them.  How I wish I could do so much more...........

Holy Crap!

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since my last bloggage! And I was doing so well, too, damn it all. I've certainly had a lot of stuff whirling around in my wee little brain to write about. And I've got a lot of new blogs to read, too, and haven't done that!

A couple of the highlights of the past 2 weeks have been a couple of snow storms, one of which we are in the midst of as I write; the switch over from Dish TV to Direct TV, which keeps getting postponed because of the weather; switching over from DSL with our phone company to WildBlue Satellite internet, which barely made installation between storms; my legs pretty much quit working for about a week.....let's see....what else. 3 people I know had babies.....awwwww. My cheap ass router that is 5 years old took a dump, so I got a NICE new one so that if we EVer get Direct TV set up (which will include a DVR...yes, I've been living in a DVR/TIVO-less world) I can watch stuff on my computer whilst HE watches reruns on the Western channel.

I guess the best part of all this stormy weather is that Hubby didn't work for several days and we both survived him wandering aimlessly around the house with his mouth running like a whippoorwill's ass in chokecherry season. There was a day, many years ago {seems like a life time ago} that I would have loved to have been snowed in with him! But....unless you live way out in the bush, Alaskans simply don't get snowed in! In fact the schools are out for weather only when it hits 40 below. The schools are still open, but your kids don't have to go. As for me, I would take Terri to school myself rather than take a chance on the bus breaking down at those temps. Anyway, Chuck has been to work the last couple of days and now he's home....doing that aimless thing again! AGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Or he stands for {what seems like} hours, in front of my computer desk, staring out the window at the horses or whatever. I'm sorry, but it totally messes with my concentration when someone is hovering. How the hell can I write a blog or read anything?! I did just ask him if he was going to stand there all day and he got all huffy, put on his coat and boots and is outside shoveling! Hahahaha. Worked for awhile, as long as he isn't in a pissy mood when he comes back in. Then I'll be sorry I opened my big mouth!

Poolie wanted some pictures of Gus in the snow, so here are a couple I took of him and some others I snapped today of the snow.