Last week I wrote about my being a genius. But this week I’m here to tell you I’m an idiot. How quickly the tide turns, huh? And in this particular case, live and learn did not prove to be exactly, how shall I say…correct? In fact, I’m finding that living and learning do not always go hand in hand.

I often type these blog posts on my laptop so I’m not shackled to my office computer. I can watch TV and type, be on the phone and type, sit in the garden and type. You get my drift. There are obvious benefits to working this way, especially when multi-tasking.

One of the things you should know about me is that I’m not tech savvy in any shape or form. It’s just one of the ways I’m an idiot. Therefore, I’m a bit skeptical of suggestions like downloads and updates, stuff like that. Normally I ignore them until my computer barely functions anymore. Only then do I consider the latest updates. Call me stubborn.

Once, when I was at Apple getting a new phone (mine went swimming in the washing machine), the Genius Bar guy suggested I not automatically update when Apple says to. Sometimes there’s a glitch, say in IOS 11.1.2, that they aren’t aware of until it happens. He said wait until they fix the glitch, then update to 11.1.3. That’s when I reluctantly press the update button then cross my fingers and toes.

Now don’t get me wrong; some updates are extremely beneficial. But when they wreak havoc, I want to pull my fingernails out with pliers. Take last week when I realized I hadn’t updated my laptop in forever, continually ignoring the Updates Are Ready to Installmessage that popped up on my screen daily. For weeks I chose Remind Me Later until finally, like a prisoner beat into submission, I gave in to the update.

I should have known. And not only did I update my laptop and desktop computer, I included my iPhone as well. What was I thinking? Am I an idiot? I’m fairly certain that’s apparent. Here’s why: Ever since that dreadful day, my incoming text messages don’t beep; calls get dropped; I often receive voice messages a day after they’re sent; there’s a time delay from when I answer my phone to when the caller hears me speak; and my phone sometimes doesn’t ring so people think I’m ignoring them. That could be. But that’s not the point.

I create my blog posts on the Pages App, always without a hitch. I love that it automatically saves my writing. But after my update, Pages lost said writing, namely the latter half. This is what I call a real pisser. So imagine my surprise when I finished, or thought I’d finished, then realized Pages turned a blind eye to half of what I wrote. And the good half, to boot. That happened 3 times. Now I email it to myself before closing my laptop. But should I have to do that? Apparently so.

Pages App. Now on my doo-doo list

I’m venturing to say Steve Jobs would be flipping out if he knew the grief his beloved Apple sometimes causes clients. Now don’t get me wrong (again)…I appreciate my tech items more than I’m frustrated by them. And I’m not expecting miracles. I just want my $400 phone to ring, incoming text messages to beep, voice messages to arrive the day they’re sent, not have a time delay on incoming calls and my writing not disappear into the cosmos. Is that too much to ask?

Again, I believe the operative words here are: Apparently so.