Laptop, Leap

While I was writing my blog last week, my computer kept randomly crashing. At first I blamed it on Spotify, but then it was crashing even when Spotify wasn't open. On Monday, I spent the evening doing various troubleshooting efforts, but none of it worked. I even tried to reset Windows completely, but that didn't work either. The laptop just doesn't work. And I've only had it two months!

So I went to the Lenovo website, and it was not very intuitive to find how to seek help. I found how to submit a ticket, and after I submitted it, the email said they would get back to me in thirty minutes, possibly longer if there were lots of requests.

But by the next morning, they still hadn't gotten back to me, so I had to initiate an online chat. (They emailed me after I chatted.) So I printed off a label to send the laptop back to Lenovo. And our printer decided it only likes to print bright green. It works, it's just slow and not the intended color.

Since I communicated via chat, I didn't have a record of the conversation, and I forgot whether I needed to mail in my power cord. So then I called Lenovo to ask that simple question, but that call took eight minutes because they were trying to sell me extra stuff.

Another challenge in both the online chat and the phone call is a problem that goes with most tech companies. I'm trying to choose my words very carefully here. It is annoying that the technicians apparently don't have English as their first language. Every time. Now, that doesn't mean that I think they shouldn't have those jobs; in fact, I think it's great that they can learn another language and get a job in that language. That's more than I can do. I am simply pointing out the fact that the language barrier is frustrating.

But the most annoying part is that I have to go through this hassle for a laptop that's only two months old. It's under warranty, but it's still a hassle. And now I have to use my old laptop, which reminds me why I got a new one to begin with: it's very slow!

I got new running shoes last week, so I've continued to break them in. On Friday, I ran on a Bountiful street where I haven't been before, and I found a new trail that I will have to try when the snow melts (which will be a long time still!). I also rode my bike twelve miles, and I haven't even been on my bike since October.

This week, I volunteered to make sure the church building was locked up every night. This is the building I grew up attending, but it's also very similar to the YSA building I just left. They're just different enough to be a little disorienting. (The biggest difference is that my home ward has two levels and the YSA only has one—unless you count the upper classrooms, in which case it's three levels versus two.) Something that fascinates me about trails, small towns, and church buildings is when something seems like it hasn't (or shouldn't have) been used recently, yet there's evidence of it being in use more recently. I just aged out of the North Park YSA Ward, which was created back in 2011. Before that, it was the Orchard Fourteenth Ward, and I was part of that ward in 2010. But years before I attended it, there was a period when it met in my home ward building. One of the classrooms still has the broken bishop's sign, as well as an old phone that isn't connected and an unused desk. Yet the classroom also has a current picture of the First Presidency. I find it very strange.

This has not been current for well over ten years.

On Tuesday, I watched the Democratic debate again. Amy Klobuchar is my favorite, so I'm voting for her in the primary. She has the most specific answers to specific problems. But Mike Bloomberg's opinion on marijuana aligns most closely with my own. But really, the only one of them that I don't like is Bernie, and unfortunately he appears to be winning.

I continue to do research on Pioneer Day, but I always like it when I come across other things that are unrelated to my research. There are a few arguments I often hear from people who deny climate change. They say, "In the 70s, they said the climate was cooling, not warming," and they say, "They used to call it global warming, but that didn't happen so they had to call it climate change instead." I was startled to find this article:

I didn't scan the entire article because it had an odd shape.

This is from 1977, thereby proving both of those arguments false!

In that same year, I also found a great story about a cat foiling a robbery by hissing at the knife-wielding robber, thereby distracting him so the shop owner could escape.

But I'm currently at the point where I think I can take a break from library research, because I'm starting the twenty-first century, where most of the stuff originated online.

Then for Leap Day, my family had a small cookout, and I bought some gummy frogs and chocolate bunnies. Because, you know, they leap.

And we are now officially done with the worst two months of the entire calendar. Guys, we made it! Hip hip hooray!