Coasting into Trouble

I learned that before you call the Helpdesk to report a laptop that suddenly shuts down, won’t boot up in the docking station and won’t boot up out of the docking station (note that this would be a Really Big Deal for someone working from home!), you should try just plugging the power cord directly into the laptop.  As I say, do this before you call the Helpdesk, not while you are on the phone,

Because it could be that the battery, even though it is brand new, is out of juice, and that something was preventing the docking station from delivering power directly.   Like maybe for example something causing the laptop to be docked at an odd angle.

I also learned not to accidentally leave a big thick stone coaster under your laptop, right by the docking station.

Another Glass Overflowing

Barbara and I figured this out: instead of imagining all the people who might criticize you gathered in one place (it seemed like a model of efficiency at the time), it is much more fun to imagine your own personal fan club: a collection of the people who think you’re great, no matter what you do.  Those people rock!  Just picturing them made us happy.  BTW they weren’t all people.  At least one was a cat.

Who are the people in your personal fan club?

Safe at Home

I finally learned to not link recurring charges to any credit card that I also carry around with me.  If the company or service allows links directly to checking accounts, I’ve always gone for that.  But some just want cards.

After I-don’t-know-how-many cards have been lost or stolen or compromised (OK it’s usually lost), I finally figured out that I need to have one account (DCU lets you create many) with a card that is used JUST for these transactions.  A card that stays home.  Safe.  Sound.  In the drawer.

Sweet Solution

I learned, from the Dana-Farber newsletter, DFCIonline, that the Jimmy Fund Clinic (where kids go for outpatient cancer treatment) always needs candy for the concierge desk.

This year they put out an appeal for our leftover Halloween candy.  All I had to do was drop it at the main desk.  They were happy and it was out of our house – WIN /WIN!