Besides death and taxes, a couple of things will always be true in my house. If it is a plant, I will manage to kill it, despite my best efforts to keep it alive. And if it is a piece of electronic equipment in my possession, it will die as well. With no actual explanation, just croak. I have killed TV's, laptops, computers, cell phones, countless house plants, and now...three tablets. Why? I wish I could tell you. I just know that this horrible phenomenon continues and that the electronic gods laugh in my face as I continue to push the power button and hold it down over and over again on my third, yes third tablet that refuses to come to life.
It all started with my first Kindle Fire. I was so happy. I loved it. I loved being able to read at night, and I loved the fact that it doubled as entertainment for the kiddos. I found some great apps for the kids, and it was nice to check Facebook from the comfort of my bed. So you can imagine my distress when it died right before it's one year birthday. We called Amazon, and their helpful, apologetic staff had another one in the mail right away. Ecstatic that luck was on my side, and it was still under warranty, I waited for my new tablet. And then it happened...just four short months after getting the replacement, it died as well. What are the chances?? I pouted, I sighed. I begged for a replacement. But my highly logical husband insisted that my new phone should be sufficient. He said "It is much bigger than your old phone, just use it instead." Not the answer I wanted. Amazon had offered me a discount on the brand new Kindle Fire HD 8.9. I drooled and hinted, but nothing...Mike offered to try and fix the second Kindle. You see, it only had a three month warranty. Perhaps it was a refurbished model. But after my programmer husband spent a few nights with the broken device, he declared time of death, and said it was officially "bricked." I couldn't bring myself to throw it away. I set it next to my lap top. My poor "book phone" as the kids called it.
And then, the light at the end of the tunnel. Mother's Day...what was I thinking? Of course. He is waiting until Mother's Day. My sweet sensible husband. And sure enough, a package arrived on the doorstep just before Mother's Day. I opened it to discover a brand new Google 7 inch tablet. Sure, it wasn't the 8.9 inch Kindle Fire HD, but it was still a replacement for my beloved little friend. He refused to purchase another Kindle after the untimely death of the two previous. I charged it up, ordered a cute, girly cover, and placed it in the spot of honor next to my bed. I actually liked it better. A little more versatility with apps and such.
And then it happened. I was sitting at the lap top checking my e-mail, and I looked over to see the old Kindle light up. At this point, it hasn't been plugged in in a couple of months. I never touched it. It just powered on by itself. I showed the "critically low battery, plug in screen" to Mike. He shrugs, and said "Maybe you should plug it in?" I plugged it in, and as if nothing had ever happened, the tablet was working once again. Like the Jesus of electronics, it was dead, and rose again. What does Mike want to do?? He wants to send back the new tablet. I shake my head violently. Not my new toy. I just got used to her and all of her cool apps. And who knows how long the Kindle will stay working? Maybe it will continue the resurrection process and continue on to be with God? Besides, it was my little miracle tablet. I should get to keep them both...even if that seems excessive.
Well, the electronics gods agreed. It was simply too much for me to own two functioning tablets. Last night, in the middle of a serious round of Candy Crush, my new friend signed out on me as well. Less than three weeks of ownership, and the new tablet has turned itself off, and will not restart. As I sat troubleshooting with some one on the phone, I knew what was coming next. Time of death 8:53 am, cause, gypsy cursed owner. Yes, yes, it is still under warranty I am sure. In fact, we may just be able to send it back in the thirty day window, but still...
So as I left to take my son to the pediatrician today for his third case of strep throat in 6 weeks...also a recurring theme in my house...I grabbed the Jesus Kindle to entertain the kids. I pushed the power button quickly just to check, and it was still working and fully charged. While sitting in the office waiting for results, etc. I brought the tablet out of the bag. I pushed the power button, only to watch as the Kindle started the never ending start up loop of death. Inside my head, I curse the electronic gnomes that are obviously screwing with me and sigh. A silent scream is echoing through my head. Ugghhhhhh!!!!! I suppose it was good while it lasted. If only it had lasted through one more doctor's appointment...I guess it is back to the low tech world of bribing them with juice boxes and goldfish. At least until the next replacement arrives. As I tell Mike about the death of the Jesus Kindle and how the IT gods continue to hate me, he replies, "Maybe the IT gods want us to actually talk and interact before bed instead of playing on tablets..." Hmmm, maybe he has a point?
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