January 13th, 2010

Categories: Life

Friday night when I tried to check my email, I found my computer not connected to the Internet. Checking the network icon in the system tray, I found “Unidentified Network, No Internet Access.”

My new computer has Windows 7 on it, and I’m not yet familiar with it, so trying to figure this out proved maddening. (I know my way all around Windows XP.) I moved my computer to the other network outlet in our house (where we have the boys’ computer connected) and tried the connection there. It didn’t work there, either (although the boys’ computer was and is connected fine, there). I brought over the boys’ computer to my desk connection and tried it here. It worked fine (though my computer still wouldn’t connect here).

I took my computer in to the store where I bought it in hopes the tech there could fix it. He hooked it up to their connection, and my computer connected to the Internet perfectly. The tech had no idea why it wasn’t working for me at home. He, of course, went through the list of things I should (and did) check.

Back home, I used the other computer to search the Web for a solution. I found lots of similar problems, with lots of solutions (simple and complicated), but none of them fixed my computer’s disconnect. It was driving me crazy. I could find no reason why my connection wasn’t working. I couldn’t find anything wrong with my computer or my home network other than my computer simply wasn’t connecting.

Then Monday morning, I went to my computer to print out a document. While sitting at my computer, I noticed the network icon on my system tray was showing a connection. So I opened my browser and got right on Google, immediately and easily. What the hell?

So, I solved my connection problem how? I don’t know. It just works now.

* * *

This weekend, I was pulling some last items out of our moving/storage boxes, and I came across my old Rubik’s Cube. I’ve kept my Cube from the 80s when it was a big fad, and I like having it sit on my desk.

I usually keep my Cube in completed condition, (all colors arranged correctly on all sides), but it was messed up when I pulled it out of the cardboard box, Saturday. <sigh> I was never able to complete more than three sides by myself. Back in the late 90s, I finally managed to complete it by following instructions I found on the Web. Seeing it all mixed up this time, I knew I’d have to look those instructions up again. (And my Internet connection wasn’t working this weekend.)

Looking over the Cube, I noticed that two sides were nearly complete, already. I had put the Cube in the storage box back in August when we were packing up for the move out of our old house, but I didn’t remember its condition. Looking at it all messed up, I figured one of the boys got ahold of it at some point and messed it up. I must have fiddled with it some after that, before sealing the storage box, to get two sides nearly complete.

Before putting it on my desk again, I tried finishing the two sides. With five or six twists of the Cube, I had . . . Oh My God! I solved the whole damn Cube. All six sides were complete! How the . . . ?

I have no idea how I did that. I guess its “messed up” state was just from someone twisting it a few times away from completion. I must have just turned it all back to solve it. However that happened, it totally surprised me. Looking it over briefly like I had, when I took it out of the storage box, I didn’t notice it was that close to completion.

So this weekend, I solved two very complicated puzzles by just blindly fiddling with things.

If only all things in life could be fixed so easily.

Broken arm? Just let me twist and turn it. There, all better.

Bullgrit