Computer problems

I don't know what it is about me that I can't seem to keep a printer very long before something goes wrong with it.  After throwing about four printers away since 1998, I finally decided to never buy another printer.  I really don't use them often anyway.  I probably use a scanner more often than printer.  Twice in the last year I've just sent what I have to print to our next-door grandson and he prints it for me.  

My five-year-old Macbook has been trying to die on me.  Considering I've used the poor thing as a TV tray, five years isn't bad (I'm serious about that... I eat potato chips, then turn the laptop over to shake the crumbs out).  Macs are so expensive I decided it was time to buy a PC, which the majority of people use with no problem.  I found one on Amazon that suited my needs and ordered it.  I could have bought three or four of them for what a Macbook would cost me.

When it arrived, I transferred the files from my Macbook, and set out to get used to my new Hewlett Packard.   Things were going well for the first 10 minutes, then I realized the computer's fan was running loudly.  I tried to ignore it, but since I'd been hearing the fan on my poor mistreated Macbook, I knew that sound.

So, the next day I went to Amazon, told them the fan was running loudly, right out of the box, and returned it.  We put it in the box it came in, but of course I had to print a label.  I sent an email to my grandson with what he needed to print, figuring he didn't have to be in a rush to do it.  I noticed he and his lady left shortly afterward.  No big deal.

Then I looked back at the instructions again and noticed this:  "All items MUST be returned by April 1, 2024."

All I saw was the letter one and thought:  Really?  I have to send it back today?  Isn't this the first of the month?  I looked at the calendar and, sure enough, it was the first.  See what I did there?  I actually blocked out April as though it wasn't there.

Grandson was gone, and here I am thinking it has to go back that day!  I'm don't like to bother people to do freebies for me, and I didn't know who I could get to help me... and then I thought of Paula, the Baptist preacher's wife a mile and a half away.  It was noon by this time, and I knew she'd either be giving the little girls she babysits their lunch or else getting them down for their nap.

I told her I had to send it back that same day, so she went ahead and printed it.  When I went to pick the label up, she had seen the date on the email I sent.  She said, "It it looks to me like you don't have to send it until April 1."  It took me a second to realize what I'd done, and I was so embarrassed!  Just so you know, the older I get, the more this sort of thing happens, especially when I let myself get upset.

But if anybody can be gracious about such an incident, it would be Paula, one of the busiest women in town.  The three little girls she babysits had just finished eating:  The two younger ones (ages three and four maybe?) came to the door with such big smiles, it was like they were glad to see me in a different place than church.  One of the kids even started singing happy birthday to me!  I'll take it, even if my birthday isn't until July.  Their smiles were so charming that every time I think about it, I smile.  Such sweet children.  

I'm make this part one of the story and will tell you what I did about getting a computer tomorrow. 

I want you to know that it's hard to tell the world I had such a stupid mixup, but I may as well keep it real.