I don’t know why everything I attempt to do, no matter how simple it should be, turns out to be a complete ordeal. 

I am taking an online writing course and was so impressed by some of the writing suggestions that I decided to print out some of the material. That is when things started to go sideways! 

I clicked on the print button only to have it not only shut down my browser but make me completely restart my tablet, not once…. but THREE TIMES! At this point any normal person would have given up but not me.

Next I finally got the program to stay open long enough to send it to the printer and while my tablet said it was printing something I could not hear the printer doing its thing in the other room! I eventually wandered in there to find out that it needed me to hit a button to say that it was okay for it to use a “low” print cartridge. All I could think was “of course it is okay! Who WOULDN’T want you to use ALL of the ink in the cartridge before you put a new one in?!” Finally I had success and the first page printed so I went back to the other room and by the time I got there there was another error message on my tablet! 

At this point I started to wonder if I could recall any time I’ve used this printer without having some sort of extended battle of wits in order to get it to do what I want. I went back into the other room to find that not only was the printer jammed but it was jammed in the worst way possible! There was no edge of paper sticking out anywhere to grab onto, not in the front, not inside, not even at the back where I know you aren’t supposed to grab and pull from but lets face it I was getting desperate! I finally jammed my fingers all the way inside and started attempting to remove the jam by ripping tiny chunks of paper out one at a time. When I thought I had finally gotten it all out I hit the button that said to reset the printer and all I could hear was paper being ground up inside the gears! 

At this point I seriously considered just putting the printer into the garbage and never using my own printer again (perhaps paying at the library isn’t so expensive afterall if it means someone else has to battle to the death with the printer). I did however manage to get the final pieces out and get the lesson to print. 

I’m proud of myself that I didn’t yell or cry or break anything, that is a big step for me. The other good side of this is that it gave me a story to write. So while I don’t know why things always have to be a hassle maybe it is just so that I have stories to tell, because what is life without a good story?

Either that or the machines are starting to rise up against us starting with the printers… if that is so, I for one welcome our new printer overlords and will do whatever you want me to in order to maintain my printer privileges in perpetuity.

All Heil The Machines!

~ Elena <3