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I'm sure many IT people rant about (l)users all the time and I'm no different.
But sometimes, it is worth it.
My wife's client purchased a new PC and wanted my help connecting it up. No big deal - besides, any opportunity I get to see Artemis, I'll take!
My wife and I go over there, my wife works with the dogs and the client as I start on the PC. Halfway though I notice that her monitor has DVI only and the new PC only has SVGA (hence the "retail techs" thread). So I connect the old PC back up and install (and run) CleanCache 3, Ad-Aware, and Spybot.
When they get back I tell her the dilemma and tell her what she should look for in a monitor - mainly a SVGA connection. I also let her know what I did, what it will do and how to utilize it. For 3 hours of work she gave me $80 (3 hours included the run to Best Buy).
We spend the next week emailing back and fourth - she found a nice 24" widescreen monitor for $170 (I think) though Costco and she was happy with it. She also decided that she'd want to connect both computers and have the other one in / near the kitchen to be used a a recipe book / some music or TV while she's in the kitchen. No biggie.
I met her back at Best Buy and showed her the routers and USB wireless cards. We went with Belkin (the pair was about $80).
I spent the next 4-5 hours connecting everything, installing (Spybot, Ad-Aware, CleanCache etc..) configuring the wireless connection between the two PCs and allowing the old PC to still use the printer. I also give her a quick rundown on how to use them (thank god she uses webmail!), what they'll do and so on. She also asked me if I could help her mother's room mate (duplex) configure his computer (when he gets one) to her Wifi (he agreed to pay for 1/2 of the router). I agree, that's no biggie. If the signal is weak we can always purchase an access point.
She hands me $100 for my work (not bad, $180 for about 9 hours of work?). What made it really nice (other than the fact that I know she isn't going to mess with anything or "break" it) is that on my first trip she also gave me a gift.
Chicago : Group Portrait. This is a 4-CD boxed set form the band Chicago. Itself is a nice present but there is a little twist - this is a promotional version from the band themselves (no barcode - label that says "promotional copy - unlawful to sell).
Apparently her sister owns a log cabin out west (Rocky Mountian area?) where many rock starts went to "get away from it all" in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Her sister knew Chicago (page 8 of the book in the set shows the band (with Terry Kath) in front of a log cabin - that's her house). Her sister has interesting stories of Elton John flipping burgers and actually serving Mick Jagger a burger. (I bet her sister has a hell of a lot of good stories and pictures to boot!!).
(I should ask my wife's client if her sister wants to write a blog - I could even manage it for her).
But sometimes, it is worth it.
My wife's client purchased a new PC and wanted my help connecting it up. No big deal - besides, any opportunity I get to see Artemis, I'll take!
My wife and I go over there, my wife works with the dogs and the client as I start on the PC. Halfway though I notice that her monitor has DVI only and the new PC only has SVGA (hence the "retail techs" thread). So I connect the old PC back up and install (and run) CleanCache 3, Ad-Aware, and Spybot.
When they get back I tell her the dilemma and tell her what she should look for in a monitor - mainly a SVGA connection. I also let her know what I did, what it will do and how to utilize it. For 3 hours of work she gave me $80 (3 hours included the run to Best Buy).
We spend the next week emailing back and fourth - she found a nice 24" widescreen monitor for $170 (I think) though Costco and she was happy with it. She also decided that she'd want to connect both computers and have the other one in / near the kitchen to be used a a recipe book / some music or TV while she's in the kitchen. No biggie.
I met her back at Best Buy and showed her the routers and USB wireless cards. We went with Belkin (the pair was about $80).
I spent the next 4-5 hours connecting everything, installing (Spybot, Ad-Aware, CleanCache etc..) configuring the wireless connection between the two PCs and allowing the old PC to still use the printer. I also give her a quick rundown on how to use them (thank god she uses webmail!), what they'll do and so on. She also asked me if I could help her mother's room mate (duplex) configure his computer (when he gets one) to her Wifi (he agreed to pay for 1/2 of the router). I agree, that's no biggie. If the signal is weak we can always purchase an access point.
She hands me $100 for my work (not bad, $180 for about 9 hours of work?). What made it really nice (other than the fact that I know she isn't going to mess with anything or "break" it) is that on my first trip she also gave me a gift.
Chicago : Group Portrait. This is a 4-CD boxed set form the band Chicago. Itself is a nice present but there is a little twist - this is a promotional version from the band themselves (no barcode - label that says "promotional copy - unlawful to sell).
Apparently her sister owns a log cabin out west (Rocky Mountian area?) where many rock starts went to "get away from it all" in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Her sister knew Chicago (page 8 of the book in the set shows the band (with Terry Kath) in front of a log cabin - that's her house). Her sister has interesting stories of Elton John flipping burgers and actually serving Mick Jagger a burger. (I bet her sister has a hell of a lot of good stories and pictures to boot!!).
(I should ask my wife's client if her sister wants to write a blog - I could even manage it for her).
