January 2005

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The printer decided it hated the paper. By the time I was through with the project, I hated the paper, the printer, the clients whose documents precipitated the crisis, and the people who designed the printer company website. And let's not overlook the rain.

Oh. You want details with that rant. All right.

Several weeks ago, when I tried to print documents on my office's printer using the bond paper we use for such things, I kept having paper jams. As soon as I would hear the screeching noise, I would see on my monitor a request to restart the computer. This happened several times, but since it was just after I had opened a new box of the bond paper, I thought that might be the culprit. Sure enough, switching to another box of the paper seemed to do the trick. Until Thursday afternoon.

I had finished preparing eighteen pages of Powers of Attorney for clients, and needed to print them. As I started the print job, two pages came out beautifully. Then the dreaded screech was heard, followed by the restart request. Followed closely by the sound of one exasperated Becky mumbling various expletives under her breath.

I tried a second time; same results. So then I decided to do two things. First, head to another computer to print the POAs, then swap my printer for one that wasn't being used since the (now permanent) departure of the associate attorney back in the fall.

I hated having to make the decision to swap printers. Mine had been a champion of things like checks and labels. But I had used the to-be-brought-in printer before, and in checking my facts with others who had used it, determined it would do a fine job on checks and labels, too.

Then began the printer swap. I was able to get my old one unattached and moved to its new location (well, not completely; it isn't installed but it is in the newer room). I got the newer printer and cable into my office, then asked Wendy to help get its power cord, which was between a desk and a wall. That accomplished, the printer was connected to my computer.

The next piece of business was to get it installed. Although we had the software that had come with it, I suspected (correctly) there were newer drivers to be found at the company's website. So I went looking. And looking some more, because the drivers were not as conveniently placed on the manufacturer's site as they might have been. But I'm stubborn, so I didn't quit looking. Upon finding the drivers, I started a download.

By the time the files had downloaded, the computer itself had had enough foolishness from me and all things printer, so it decided to get stubborn. It wouldn't let the installation program begin. More expletives from Becky, but since by now I was sure no clients were coming in, I was not mumbling them but saying them out loud. It was dinnertime, and I wanted to go home, dammit.

A reboot was next on the agenda. After that, the computer deigned to allow the successful installation of the drivers. Next was to make sure the printer worked, so a test page was in order. On the bond paper, for good measure.

Finally, finally, all was installed and tested. At that point, over an hour later than I had planned to stay, I shut down the computer and all its friendly little peripherals and left for home.

Leaving meant I went out into a rainstorm. It had been muggy all afternoon, an odd, "JanuMay," juxtaposition of a day. It was raining rather heavily, and was very foggy on my trip home. I made it without incident. Which, since the afternoon had been one string of incidents after the next, was both pleasant and amazing.