Latest imagesIn Which I Find my Zen at a Computer Shop - an explanation for MIA-ness
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In Which I Find my Zen at a Computer Shop - an explanation for MIA-ness
by Game Nurse Sat 24 Jan - 21:22
This is long, possibly boring and completely random really. But I wrote this to a good friend of mine telling her why I did not email her over the last few days, and she thought I should explain it to you all as well. This is what I do when I do not want to study my ER distance courses and I cannot sleep at night (night shifts mess with your sleep)...I write my friends in California about my life up here... sad hey? *smile*
----------------------------
So Thursday evening, after a lovely hour of kibitzing on Guild Wars with my fellow guildees and various friends and promising Mooshy a UW date for the night, I logged off to do the dinner thing with the family as usual. The fire in the woodstove was roaring. The food was hot and tasty. The kids were complaining: Did we have to have Chicken Casserole AGAIN?? My hubby was telling me about how annoying being the Wonder Man can be. All was right in the world. Life was good.
Then it happened. My daughter, who can both spot and cause trouble with alarming accuracy, said “I smell something bad”. And I said, “You know what, if you think you can be a better cook then YOU cook dinner tomorrow, so just eat it, ok?” And she said. “No mom, I mean really, I smell something burning. It smells bad.” And then we all noticed it. And instantly scattered. The kids ran to their rooms to make sure their toys were not self-combusting, my husband ran to look outside at his beloved trucks, and I.... I ran to my computer. AGH!!! It was on FIRE!!! Well, smoke was coming from it anyways. Little tendrils pluming their way gently towards the ceiling. I screamed and yanked the plug out of the wall. My games. My online ER course. My EMAILS!!!!! Noooooooooooooo....... and even worse, this meant I had to unhook it from all the various connections and the monitor and that meant when (and if) it was fixed, I would have to actually hook it back UP!!!! What a nightmare!!!!!!
Yes folks, my computer, enraged that Scion’s machine might have upstaged it in Unfortunate Disaster Attention Seeking Behaviour, decided to undergo Death by Fire.
What to do, what to do...The local computer shop closes at 9pm. It was just after 7pm. I had time! So I bundled up the computer, carefully put it in the front seat, lovingly put the seat belt around it and off I went, braving Fog, Ice and Suicidal Deer to take it to computer hospital. I burst into the door, expecting attentive Computer Triage people to leap at my command. What I found was a guy at the counter half asleep, with the improbable name of Chuck and none too happy to see me. I lugged the computer in and plopped it on the counter and said Help!!!
That perked him up. He opened the case and told me that the graphics card has overheated and destroyed itself, possibly in protest of my new, widescreen 1920xwhatever resolution monitor that the hubby bought me in a fit of generosity. I need a new one. And a new power supply. And a new cooling fan thing. Chuck had not been this happy in days. I was desperate and he knew it. Whatever, I said. I don’t care what it costs. I just want the best of everything and let’s get this puppy up and running again. Oh Christmas in January!!! Chuck and I spent the next half an hour happily picking through the shelves. We got the hugest graphic card ever (GeForce GTX 280). We got a mega big power supply (600w). And we got the Mother of All Fans (dunno the specs on that one). This sucker was gonna run Guild Wars, Spore, Crysis AND do my emails all at the same time when we were done and not even break a sweat, much less catch on fire.
I plopped the credit card down, watched the bill climb to dizzying heights. I said, so can we install it tonight? We had an hour to closing and I was the only one in the store. Seemed reasonable. Seemed doable. Chuck got shifty.
“Ummm,” He said, “ I am not sure we can do that tonight.”
“How Come?” I said.
“Well, Sam is our tech tonight” Chuck says, reluctantly, not meeting my eyes.
“And......” I prompted. And that is when Chuck said it. I could not believe it.
He said: “Um. Sam has got a raiding party going on. He has like 14 level 80’s on WoW. He is getting his last toon up and it is a Death Knight. I don’t think we should bother him.”
No. Way.
I was not gonna get to play MY game because Sam wanted to play HIS?????
Are you KIDDING ME????
“Where is Sam?” I asked. After some convincing, Chuck lead me to the inner sanctum.
The computer repair room was a tiny little cupboard stuffed with bazillions of computers in various stages of undress covering every conceivable surface. And there, crouched over a monitor pecking furiously with two fingers on the keyboard was Sam. Sam was a 60 something year old Chinese man. Sam did not want to fool with me. Sam’s name for all his toons is Zendethmstr (yes, spelled just that way) in various realms. Sam was going for broke with his almost 80 death knight and Nothing and Nobody was gonna stop him. I tried. I begged, I pleaded, I tried charm, threats, extra money. Nada. He said his raiding party was starting in 15 minutes and nothing was going to get in his way. Actually, Chuck said that. Sam did not so much as bother to glance at me after the first initial grunt of greeting.
Finally I said, ok. Can you please at least look at my stuff and let me know how long it will take to install it and if it will all work? Please? Pretty please??????? It will take like 5 secs. PLEASE?????
Exasperated, Sam, with a grunt of disgust and frustrated, thwarted DeathMasterness, threw himself off his stool and came over and looked at the huge pile of goodies I had just bought. He glanced in my computer. He looked at the pile again. And said...and I quote....
“The Essence of Gorilla will not fit in Body of Kitten"
And went back to his stool and started typing. With two fingers.
Whoa.
I could not believe it.
WHAT was THAT???
I looked at Chuck, helplessly. Huh??? Chuck was sadly, and silently putting all my boxes back on the shelves. He said that Sam said that my computer cannot handle the Mega Fan, the Super Duper Power Supply and least of all The Ultra Fantastic Graphics Card. Wait a minute. He DID??? When??? Apparently they share a secret language and Sam the ZenDeathMaster and Chuck can communicate on a level beyond mortal people.
Chuck handed me a new pile of goodies. Now I am downgraded to a 9800, a 550w power supply and a scrawny teeny fan. It was going to be ready in two days, once Sam had achieved his 14th level 80 Death Knight. And there was nothing I could do about it.
Nothing.
*sigh*
I really, really hope Sam’s raiding party is successful. Really.
Love,
Nicolette
____________
Edited to add: Happily for me I picked up the computer this morning, Saturday. It seems to be running absolutely great. The graphics are amazing. And apparently Sam hit his level 80 and is starting a new toon of some sort.
Life is good *smile*
----------------------------
So Thursday evening, after a lovely hour of kibitzing on Guild Wars with my fellow guildees and various friends and promising Mooshy a UW date for the night, I logged off to do the dinner thing with the family as usual. The fire in the woodstove was roaring. The food was hot and tasty. The kids were complaining: Did we have to have Chicken Casserole AGAIN?? My hubby was telling me about how annoying being the Wonder Man can be. All was right in the world. Life was good.
Then it happened. My daughter, who can both spot and cause trouble with alarming accuracy, said “I smell something bad”. And I said, “You know what, if you think you can be a better cook then YOU cook dinner tomorrow, so just eat it, ok?” And she said. “No mom, I mean really, I smell something burning. It smells bad.” And then we all noticed it. And instantly scattered. The kids ran to their rooms to make sure their toys were not self-combusting, my husband ran to look outside at his beloved trucks, and I.... I ran to my computer. AGH!!! It was on FIRE!!! Well, smoke was coming from it anyways. Little tendrils pluming their way gently towards the ceiling. I screamed and yanked the plug out of the wall. My games. My online ER course. My EMAILS!!!!! Noooooooooooooo....... and even worse, this meant I had to unhook it from all the various connections and the monitor and that meant when (and if) it was fixed, I would have to actually hook it back UP!!!! What a nightmare!!!!!!
Yes folks, my computer, enraged that Scion’s machine might have upstaged it in Unfortunate Disaster Attention Seeking Behaviour, decided to undergo Death by Fire.
What to do, what to do...The local computer shop closes at 9pm. It was just after 7pm. I had time! So I bundled up the computer, carefully put it in the front seat, lovingly put the seat belt around it and off I went, braving Fog, Ice and Suicidal Deer to take it to computer hospital. I burst into the door, expecting attentive Computer Triage people to leap at my command. What I found was a guy at the counter half asleep, with the improbable name of Chuck and none too happy to see me. I lugged the computer in and plopped it on the counter and said Help!!!
That perked him up. He opened the case and told me that the graphics card has overheated and destroyed itself, possibly in protest of my new, widescreen 1920xwhatever resolution monitor that the hubby bought me in a fit of generosity. I need a new one. And a new power supply. And a new cooling fan thing. Chuck had not been this happy in days. I was desperate and he knew it. Whatever, I said. I don’t care what it costs. I just want the best of everything and let’s get this puppy up and running again. Oh Christmas in January!!! Chuck and I spent the next half an hour happily picking through the shelves. We got the hugest graphic card ever (GeForce GTX 280). We got a mega big power supply (600w). And we got the Mother of All Fans (dunno the specs on that one). This sucker was gonna run Guild Wars, Spore, Crysis AND do my emails all at the same time when we were done and not even break a sweat, much less catch on fire.
I plopped the credit card down, watched the bill climb to dizzying heights. I said, so can we install it tonight? We had an hour to closing and I was the only one in the store. Seemed reasonable. Seemed doable. Chuck got shifty.
“Ummm,” He said, “ I am not sure we can do that tonight.”
“How Come?” I said.
“Well, Sam is our tech tonight” Chuck says, reluctantly, not meeting my eyes.
“And......” I prompted. And that is when Chuck said it. I could not believe it.
He said: “Um. Sam has got a raiding party going on. He has like 14 level 80’s on WoW. He is getting his last toon up and it is a Death Knight. I don’t think we should bother him.”
No. Way.
I was not gonna get to play MY game because Sam wanted to play HIS?????
Are you KIDDING ME????
“Where is Sam?” I asked. After some convincing, Chuck lead me to the inner sanctum.
The computer repair room was a tiny little cupboard stuffed with bazillions of computers in various stages of undress covering every conceivable surface. And there, crouched over a monitor pecking furiously with two fingers on the keyboard was Sam. Sam was a 60 something year old Chinese man. Sam did not want to fool with me. Sam’s name for all his toons is Zendethmstr (yes, spelled just that way) in various realms. Sam was going for broke with his almost 80 death knight and Nothing and Nobody was gonna stop him. I tried. I begged, I pleaded, I tried charm, threats, extra money. Nada. He said his raiding party was starting in 15 minutes and nothing was going to get in his way. Actually, Chuck said that. Sam did not so much as bother to glance at me after the first initial grunt of greeting.
Finally I said, ok. Can you please at least look at my stuff and let me know how long it will take to install it and if it will all work? Please? Pretty please??????? It will take like 5 secs. PLEASE?????
Exasperated, Sam, with a grunt of disgust and frustrated, thwarted DeathMasterness, threw himself off his stool and came over and looked at the huge pile of goodies I had just bought. He glanced in my computer. He looked at the pile again. And said...and I quote....
“The Essence of Gorilla will not fit in Body of Kitten"
And went back to his stool and started typing. With two fingers.
Whoa.
I could not believe it.
WHAT was THAT???
I looked at Chuck, helplessly. Huh??? Chuck was sadly, and silently putting all my boxes back on the shelves. He said that Sam said that my computer cannot handle the Mega Fan, the Super Duper Power Supply and least of all The Ultra Fantastic Graphics Card. Wait a minute. He DID??? When??? Apparently they share a secret language and Sam the ZenDeathMaster and Chuck can communicate on a level beyond mortal people.
Chuck handed me a new pile of goodies. Now I am downgraded to a 9800, a 550w power supply and a scrawny teeny fan. It was going to be ready in two days, once Sam had achieved his 14th level 80 Death Knight. And there was nothing I could do about it.
Nothing.
*sigh*
I really, really hope Sam’s raiding party is successful. Really.
Love,
Nicolette
____________
Edited to add: Happily for me I picked up the computer this morning, Saturday. It seems to be running absolutely great. The graphics are amazing. And apparently Sam hit his level 80 and is starting a new toon of some sort.
Life is good *smile*
Game Nurse- Lord
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Number of posts : 426
Location : Vancouver Island
Registration date : 2008-05-19
Re: In Which I Find my Zen at a Computer Shop - an explanation for MIA-ness
by Scion Sat 24 Jan - 22:03
Hilarious story.
Way to outdo my water disaster with your own fire disaster. Be sure to update drivers, and enjoy the 9800.
Scion
Way to outdo my water disaster with your own fire disaster. Be sure to update drivers, and enjoy the 9800.
Scion
Scion- Lord
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Number of posts : 271
Location : Syracuse, New York
Registration date : 2008-03-15
Re: In Which I Find my Zen at a Computer Shop - an explanation for MIA-ness
by Game Nurse Sat 24 Jan - 22:18
Well, all I can say is Scion...Please, Please do NOT have a car disaster because I really do not want to up that.
Really.
All we need now is for someone else to have an Earthquake Opens Gulf in Floor and Swallows Compter story....and we will have all natural disasters covered I think. *grin*
n
Really.
All we need now is for someone else to have an Earthquake Opens Gulf in Floor and Swallows Compter story....and we will have all natural disasters covered I think. *grin*
n
Game Nurse- Lord
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Number of posts : 426
Location : Vancouver Island
Registration date : 2008-05-19
Re: In Which I Find my Zen at a Computer Shop - an explanation for MIA-ness
by Godzuki Sat 24 Jan - 22:51
This is the funniest thing I've ever read (well the tech guy part, not so much the computer going boom) that I can actually believe and picture happening.
This is sort of what happened with my old graphics card. Once I got a new monitor it could just not keep up. I had to get a new one. Then, I had to get a new PSU. Then, I had to get a cooling fan for it. I'm not so great with the actual physical part of the computer so when I found all this out and realized I knew no one that could even help me out, I tried hooking everything up and trying to get my computer to run. I'm surprised it's still running as of now. That was the first time I ever opened my computer's case (and wow was it dusty). I knew almost nothing about what was in there (though now I know better) and had a few problems trying to get everything to boot up properly. And there went my Birthday and Christmas money that I was saving up (heck I still owe my parents some more money).
I've never met a WoWFreak in person, but if that's what they're like, I hope none of them are working at any of the hospitals or police stations around here.
Hope you get your machine back up and running. Guild Chat just isn't the same without you.
This is sort of what happened with my old graphics card. Once I got a new monitor it could just not keep up. I had to get a new one. Then, I had to get a new PSU. Then, I had to get a cooling fan for it. I'm not so great with the actual physical part of the computer so when I found all this out and realized I knew no one that could even help me out, I tried hooking everything up and trying to get my computer to run. I'm surprised it's still running as of now. That was the first time I ever opened my computer's case (and wow was it dusty). I knew almost nothing about what was in there (though now I know better) and had a few problems trying to get everything to boot up properly. And there went my Birthday and Christmas money that I was saving up (heck I still owe my parents some more money).
I've never met a WoWFreak in person, but if that's what they're like, I hope none of them are working at any of the hospitals or police stations around here.
Hope you get your machine back up and running. Guild Chat just isn't the same without you.
Godzuki- Knight
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Number of posts : 118
Location : California
Registration date : 2008-04-27
Re: In Which I Find my Zen at a Computer Shop - an explanation for MIA-ness
by Jebus Sun 25 Jan - 4:42
I'd leave thousands of complaints against Sam. Demanding to speak to a manager (or at least another one), or even possibly contacting an owner. It's one thing to play games at work while no one is there, but to show such disrespect to a paying costumer who is willing to spend God knows how much more money needed to get the computer repaired faster is beyond me!!
I'd look at him and say it directly to his face, "I say this in the up most respect. You are the biggest idiot in the entire World and you Sir, have a problem!"
I'd look at him and say it directly to his face, "I say this in the up most respect. You are the biggest idiot in the entire World and you Sir, have a problem!"
Jebus- Squire
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Number of posts : 84
Location : IA
Registration date : 2008-09-06
Re: In Which I Find my Zen at a Computer Shop - an explanation for MIA-ness
by HeavyMetalHead Sun 25 Jan - 5:28
Nice story. But getting blown off by an old Chinese guy would've sent me over the edge a bit. I'd be muttering under my breath about it.
Although.....the fact that you tried to push a high-end mid tier computer to the level of a Alienware computer means that you asked for it.
And I ain't talking the Area-51 750i or the Aurora Alienware computers that are about $999. I mean their ALX X58 thats nearly 4 grand that could run the new Bionic Commando game like it was almost nothing!
Although.....the fact that you tried to push a high-end mid tier computer to the level of a Alienware computer means that you asked for it.
And I ain't talking the Area-51 750i or the Aurora Alienware computers that are about $999. I mean their ALX X58 thats nearly 4 grand that could run the new Bionic Commando game like it was almost nothing!
HeavyMetalHead- Lord
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Number of posts : 201
Location : Franklin, KY
Other games played : Altogether or other MMOs?
Registration date : 2008-03-28
Re: In Which I Find my Zen at a Computer Shop - an explanation for MIA-ness
by Game Nurse Sun 25 Jan - 10:08
rofl. You had to be there.
Sam was, well I cannot really describe it. He was Master of His Cubbyhole. What can you do?
lol, that is life on an island in a small town... I had heard about him before, but I never really believed it.
I coulda pitched a huge fit. But why bother? The guy had to hit 80... and I just had to wait.
Some people have such huge characters and are such an oddity, they just need to do their thing. I am ok with that.
I think the vision of him sitting on his stool in the dark in his cubbyhole, surrounded by eviscerated computers and pecking away with his two fingers by the light of his monitor will stay with me forever....
Priceless.
Besides, One day, he may just find himself in my ER room, and then I shall have the pleasure of saying...Oh! Just Wait! I gotta finish this UW run!!
Karma my friends, karma.
Just kidding.
Kinda.
N
Sam was, well I cannot really describe it. He was Master of His Cubbyhole. What can you do?
lol, that is life on an island in a small town... I had heard about him before, but I never really believed it.
I coulda pitched a huge fit. But why bother? The guy had to hit 80... and I just had to wait.
Some people have such huge characters and are such an oddity, they just need to do their thing. I am ok with that.
I think the vision of him sitting on his stool in the dark in his cubbyhole, surrounded by eviscerated computers and pecking away with his two fingers by the light of his monitor will stay with me forever....
Priceless.
Besides, One day, he may just find himself in my ER room, and then I shall have the pleasure of saying...Oh! Just Wait! I gotta finish this UW run!!
Karma my friends, karma.
Just kidding.
Kinda.
N
Game Nurse- Lord
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Number of posts : 426
Location : Vancouver Island
Registration date : 2008-05-19
Re: In Which I Find my Zen at a Computer Shop - an explanation for MIA-ness
by Jebus Sun 25 Jan - 17:52
But Nurse, an eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind!!
Jebus- Squire
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Number of posts : 84
Location : IA
Registration date : 2008-09-06
Re: In Which I Find my Zen at a Computer Shop - an explanation for MIA-ness
by Pampered One Mon 26 Jan - 2:57
No it only makes the idiots and their retaliators blind. that leaves us grumpy, but non violents in control of the world...muhahahah. Blind him nurse
Pampered
Pampered
Pampered One- King
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Number of posts : 556
Location : Klamath Falls Oregon
Other games played : Lineage 2, 2 moons, CoH, CoV
Registration date : 2008-02-24
Re: In Which I Find my Zen at a Computer Shop - an explanation for MIA-ness
by JubalNotJamie Wed 28 Jan - 5:45
we beefed my comp one time with a monster power supply, and humungo graphics card and a car load of ram and memory and u could see the lights dim in the whole house... that comp went in smoke pretty fast..... we forgot to reconnect the fan right
we salvaged most of it tho but it was scary lol good/crazy times
we salvaged most of it tho but it was scary lol good/crazy times
JubalNotJamie- Shield Bearer
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Number of posts : 12
Location : Washington
Registration date : 2009-01-09
Re: In Which I Find my Zen at a Computer Shop - an explanation for MIA-ness
by Lady Herodias Sat 31 Jan - 0:03
I loved this rendition of the cubbyhole tech guy and Wow...I laughed through this story...Im sorry you didnt get the superspeed hunkydory computer, but i am sure that all the parts made up for the lacking one that you had...so I guess you can say its sort of a new computer! That's what my oldy but goodie i.s. Its the ugiest computer but Gunter has done a good job pulling it together to my liking. I wont complain ever that his computer is better than mine...he has learned not to fill it up with lots of garbage, so his is better!
Anyway..thanks for sharing!
Ann
Anyway..thanks for sharing!
Ann
Lady Herodias- Administrator
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