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March 17, 2007
Ghost in the Machine?
Karma Computer?
You know, I've never felt the urge to have a Tarot card reading, or my palm read, or my fortune told, or consult a psychic, or to go to a seance. It's just not my cup of Earl Grey. But like Lani, I'm interested in psychic phenomena. In fact my first Young Adult book ALMOST FABULOUS (coming to a book store near you next winter) features a teenage heroine who develops ESP powers.
But what does that have do with anything, I hear you cry?
Well, for the last couple of weeks I've been revising the book, and some pretty strange things have happened to me. Is this a sign? Here's what happened...
I got my first hint of a ghost in the machine when my editor sent the book back to me for electronic revisions a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't open the Word file! I quickly figured out why - I use an old version of Word (97) and the document file was in Word 2001 or similar!
But I didn't panic. After all, it was time to upgrade my software. First plan of action: I went online and tried to find a downloadable-at-the-click-of-a button-with-the-aid-of-a-credit-card version of Word, and was rather shocked to discover that I couldn't purchase it this way. You know, this being the 21st Century and all? I still didn't panic. I trotted to the computer store to purchase the latest version of Word I could find. Problem solved! Until...
This is the Netherlands so of course all software comes in Dutch. Now, I can manage workaday Dutch, but technical Dutch when I'm under deadline and am tracking changes electronically? I only had two weeks to finish! I wouldn't have time to order the English version online from a distributor, because how could I guarantee I'd get it quickly enough? Can we say eeeeeeeeekkkkkkkk (that's exactly what I did say. Or rather, screamed!).
I called Oh Patient One to, you know, panic. But fortunately he uses a 21st Century version of Word at work (in English), so I sent him the file, he re-saved it in 97 format, sent it back to me, all was well. Until...
Last week, there I was editing away like a madwoman, when...I realized that the earlier edits I'd made had been in an older version of the manuscript. Oh noes! I didn't panic, I had the two versions of the book up on screen side by side, carefully made the changes in the new version of the file, and was back on track! Until...
On Monday morning my monitor died. Was someone trying to tell me something, or what? But I didn't panic. Off I trotted to the computer store (which didn't open till noon - shops here open late on Mondays), shelled out $150 on a new monitor, rushed home and hooked it up to my computer. Yes, we had lift off! Surely I'd had my three bits of bad luck. Surely all would be well, now...
On Thursday I ran out of ink. Why didn't I think of ink when I was in the computer store shopping for my new monitor? I could have kicked myself, because I really needed to print off the manuscript - I just catch things better when I read a hard copy. So off I trotted back to the computer store. And I was back on track again. Until...
Picture this: My editor really needed to receive the revised book from me by 6pm Manhattan time yesterday--midnight over here. No problem, I thought. I could do that! But there was one small fly in the ointment--my Internet service was down. This time I panicked! It was too late to go to Kinkos, and the Internet cafe (which opens late) was of no use because the computers don't have disk drives or USB ports. What was I going to do?
Fortunately my Internet service came back online and I scooted that file back to Manhattan at 10.45 my time last night. Can we say whew, anybody?
Ever think someone or something is trying to thwart you? I have to wonder...
Michelle, relieved in Rotterdam :-)
This blog was brought to you by The Fortune Quilt, Lani's novel about family, psychics and quilts... and what happens when they all collide at once.
Posted by Michelle at 12:38 PM | Comments (7)
Comments
Michelle, I have to say it again--it is you. You just naturally attract disaster. Which we thank you for as we chuckle. And eeeeeeeeeeek--one of my favourite expressions.
Posted by: wendy at March 17, 2007 6:51 PM
Oh, Michelle! What a harrowing experience! I'm glad it all worked out, but whew - you've earned quite a few glasses of wine!
Posted by: Lani ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.literarychicks.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 18, 2007 10:08 AM
I think that my Internet service coming back online when it did was a bit of good Karma, though - only today did I realize that you guys put your clocks forward earlier than usual this year, which means that central Europe is only 5 hours later than you at the moment instead of 6. Literally, that file hit my editors computer 15 minutes before deadline! Whew. LOL.
Lani, don't worry - I certainly did have one or two glasses of wine afterwards. All purely medicinal, of course :-)
Posted by: Michelle C at March 18, 2007 10:32 AM
Wendy - LOL. I'm so happy to give chuckles :-)
Posted by: Michelle C at March 18, 2007 10:39 AM
This is why you need your technical genius firstborn (who works in IT) to be around and solve all of your mechanical disasters!
Honestly, you see what happens when I go off to college for a few year... all hell breaks loose over there:p
Big hugs Mum, glad you made it!!
Posted by: No-Longer-Teenager-#1 at March 19, 2007 8:22 AM
Gah, Michelle, that stressed me out just reading it.
I used to swear my old computer was haunted. Everything that could go wrong with it, did. And it would do weird things, like throw random letters into the documents I was working on.
Posted by: Whitney at March 19, 2007 9:16 AM
Whitney, I think your old computer is related to my current one...they must have been on the same production line, or something.
No Longer Teenager No #1: Aw, I miss you, babe (and not just for your technical guru status).
Posted by: Michelle C at March 19, 2007 3:52 PM
