How you know the machines hate you

The Phenom has some luddite tendencies, except for checking sports scores and buying stuff (lots of stuff).  Although, he seems to appreciate the connection he can make with some of his friends through my grid, I think he'd give it up if he could or it suddenly disappeared.

Me, well, The Old Woman loved a gadget.  She often remarked that she wished that her mother had lived to see television because she just knew her mother would have loved soap operas.  The Old Woman always said that you should be open to new things, because you never know what your favorite is, unless you try as much as you can.  I generally apply this to new chip flavors.  But, I admit, I like a gadget.  Now, I did give up my smartphone because the ongoing cost didn't seem worth the hassle. But, I have the fancy kindle and a mini-laptop computer.  Plus, kitchen gadgets galore (including a molecular gastronomy play kit waiting for me to be back to myself for some foodie experimentation).

But, I also realize that the machines are some times out to get you.

I once had a car that only broke down when I was far from home.  Well, that's not true . . . the ONLY time it broke down in town, The Phenom was out of town and I found myself stranded at a car repair shop and no ride home at the close of business and we had no car rental outfits at that time.  Bastard car.

This wound vac attached to the gaping slice in my gut also hates me.  The night they set it up, it spent much of the time beeping at me.  Fortunately, we stayed an extra night in the hospital because it would have made me a nervous wreck if they'd sent me home . . . exhausted, in pain, and with some piece of machinery that was totally foreign to me that wouldn't stop beeping.  The next time, it had a full canister . . . at 3am.  I had to ease myself out of bed, rummage through the HUGE box of supplies and then flip through a large instruction book to figure out how to change it.

Last night, it decided it had a blockage.  I followed the instructions in the manual and it shut up . . . for a bit.  At 2am, I found myself on the phone with the home health nurse in a total panic (I do not want to have to return to the hospital).  Her solution worked and today the bugger has behaved itself (but not before causing a restless night of semi-sleep).

Just a few minutes ago, it just stopped making noise. (It is just about 1am as I write this.)  I turned it on and off . . . no luck.  I checked the canister and it was full, only the alarm to tell me it was full wasn't beeping.  I anticipated the new canister (after the last middle of the night change) and had it waiting.  It is humming along now . . . plotting its next middle of the night annoyance, no doubt.