frustration – Live Laugh RV

I love my mobile lifestyle. To be honest, the lifestyle can be quite addictive. What started off as we’ll do this for a year or two until we find that special place to settle down has turned into four years and soon approaching year five of full-time RV living. Egads, where does the time go? Desert Wildflowers

My one big dislike, a bone of contention, to this RV lifestyle centers around the internet. The internet? However, did we manage to survive before this remarkable invention? I still remember a time when the TV flipper was the youngest kid in the family. The invention of a TV remote control was a life changer for my little sister.

butterfly Back to the internet … when we first hit the road in the RV full-time, we started off with a Verizon mobile WiFi hotspot / jetpack with 5 GB of data that worked fine for a few months.

However like any RV newbie, we were so busy running around exploring those first few months that we didn’t spend much time on the internet. But once reality set in, we needed to get back to business which meant back to needing steady and strong internet connection.

Thus, we signed up for 30 GB of data, first through a Verizon reseller, and then later directly with Verizon. All was fine until about a year ago. We never stream. We don’t watch videos. I don’t use the GPS on my iPhone and yet we seem to gobble up data twice as fast as we did previously.

We’ve run in to other location independent folks who seem to be experiencing similar data problems. Some have switched providers or changed their plans. I still haven’t desert poppies figured out why the increase in usage since we haven’t changed our habits. If anything, we spend less time on the internet. It’s been extremely frustrating. I’m not sure what the fix might be, but in the meantime, I’ll need to curtail my internet fun leaving the gigs for our internet biz.

So yes my dear friends, I’m on a data diet and it does not make me a happy camper 😭

Our two months in Texas really spoiled us. The RV park offered strong free WiFi right at our campsite. And boy oh boy, did we take full advantage of endless internet. The you tube videos were rolling regularly … the educational kind, not the funny cat trick kind ……. well ….. maybe the cute puppy dog kind, but mostly educational.

So much fun! But now that I’m back to using our jetpack with limited data (sigh, sad face, tear), I’ll need to plan visits to the library or coffee shop more strategically, which is just not as enjoyable as sitting at home with feet propped in my jammies and socializing with all my blogging pals. wildflowers

Oh well. Such is the life of a full-time RV’er. Life could be a whole heck of a lot worse. Seriously! Check out these photos of the amazing desert wildflowers. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Phoenix valley covered in so many beautiful wildflowers. It’s crazy pretty around here lately. butterfly

I’ve tried to get out with the camera to capture her beauty, but between RV repairs, health matters, visiting with our children and navigating data issues since our return to Phoenix, Arizona, it has been a bit of a challenge.

But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and with the valley heat soaring those flowers won’t be sticking around too much longer. Thus, over the next couple of weeks this gal will be hitting the trails with the camera at every opportunity. Stay tuned! wildflowers

Superstition Wilderness Trails West: Hikes, Horse Rides, and History
Hiking Arizona’s Superstition and Mazatzal Country: A Guide to the Areas’ Greatest Hikes (Regional Hiking Series)

A few weeks ago I purchased a new laptop, and like any new toy, I was having a splendid time playing with it. The first week was filled with a lot of Goggling “how to”. The second week I settled into navigating Windows 10 with ease and personalizing the new laptop. hummingbird

I downloaded a bunch of stuff including my favorites and some photos. I was getting used to the mouse pad (I don’t use an external mouse) and even changed the settings to allow basic functions only. After two weeks of computer use, I noticed the mouse pad wasn’t remembering my settings and reverted back to the default settings—-annoying.

ostrich The pinch setting allows the text to be resized with finger movements on the mouse pad which is all fine and dandy, but when all I’m trying to do is move the cursor and the screen starts zooming in and out from itty bitty 10% to huge 200% it gets rather frustrating.

So each morning upon starting the computer, I’d go to the mouse setting and uncheck the default boxes then go about my day. Hmm, why won’t it hold my settings? I began to wonder if perhaps there was something wrong with the computer. Each time I double checked that I was hitting apply and then ok. Thus, I knew I was clicking correctly and it was not user error.

A couple of days later, I couldn’t exit the internet. The internet window X wouldn’t close the tab. I could open and close additional tabs but the first internet tab would remain open until the computer was shut down. Well, when you’re working off of a limited internet data plan, that was unacceptable.

birds Since the computer seemed to be working fine the first two weeks of use, that is up until Windows 10 did an update, I thought I would set the computer to an earlier date.

With my previous laptop computer and Windows 7 whenever things seemed to be running out of whack, I would do exactly that, and it would usually resolve any issues. So I thought it would make sense to repeat what I’ve always done. Seemed rather logical to me and everything on Google agreed.

Once again, I was proud of the ease of which I navigated Windows 10 (remember; I am no techie). I went with the recommended setting of an earlier date. “Yep”, I thought. “I should have this puppy running smoothly once again”.

NOT! …. that’s when I was greeted with the dreaded blue screen of death and this lovely message ……
😦 inaccessible_boot_device Error Code 0x0000225

Oh my fricken gosh …. I broke my new computer. After several hours of Googling, tapping away at F8 then F11, and doing a System Extensive Test, I resorted to an online chat with a HP tech in India. He determined that I had a corrupt recovery drive and would need to fix it by purchasing a Recovery Drive from HP and initiate a system recovery from the recovery media ….. say what?

ostrich He sent me this link to help me – HP support
I ended the chat with, “Thank you for your time. I should’ve listened to my daughter and bought a Mac”. His response, “I can tell you are not happy. I will forward your information onto a case manager”.

We ended the chat and I clicked on the link he sent me to see if it might enlighten me further. Seriously? The guy sends me a Windows 7 link to help me with my 2 week old laptop computer installed with Windows 10? To say I was upset would be an understatement.

Ma’am, please step away from the computer, and no one will get hurt!

The next day, I grabbed my camera, a map, and hopped in my little red truck for a little valley of the sun (aka Phoenix, Arizona) exploration. I needed to leave the techie computer stuff alone. Turned out to be the perfect way for me to rejuvenate from my very upsetting computer saga. That day deserves its own post 🙂

I had already decided to return the computer but wanted to wipe out all my documents and photos first. So first thing the next day, I was on the phone with a HP case manager. He gave me two options: A – they would send me recovery media free of charge and he would walk me through the fix or B – since the computer was only a couple of weeks old and Costco has a good return policy, I could return it. ostrich

He assured me there was nothing recoverable on the laptop, thus no need to wipe it. I could feel comfortable returning it, which is what I did the moment I hung up with the manager. Two days later, the HP case manager called me to follow-up and make sure I didn’t have any problem returning the computer and to see if he could be of any further assistance.

Botanical Garden Two thumbs up to HP and case manager, Joe. That said, should I buy another HP? I don’t know. I’m feeling a little conflicted at the moment. In the meantime, my son gave me his old HP Pavilion that he wasn’t using anymore, thus providing me with at least some sort of connectivity.

BUT … this laptop is testing my patience. Let me walk you through my morning ….

First thing in the morning, Al and I turn on our laptops and Verizon router. Once up and running, we click on the internet on our individual laptops. While Al starts perusing the latest news, I go wash my face while my laptop loads. It’s a 50/50 crap shoot upon my return whether the internet is up or I get ‘page not found’ and need to start over 😦

Once I do have the internet, it’s time to check Facebook. After logging in, I make breakfast while it loads. I eat breakfast as the circle continues to go round and round and finally loads once I’m done eating. I read Facebook but half the time can’t comment. At least the ‘like’ button works. Then it’s time to check our personal email account. While I wait for that page to load, I do the dishes, once loaded, I read those emails. blue screen

Well, that just took up my first hour of the day and I haven’t even started perusing the blogosphere. I can usually do a load of laundry while I wait for a blog to load. Ok, maybe, just maybe, I’m exaggerating a little…. but just a little. During the past week, more than half the comments I’ve typed out on your wonderful blogs could not be posted…. grrrrr! Once again, at least the ‘like’ button seems to work. The computer occasionally freezes up and routinely boots me off the internet. This is a slow, tired, and old computer but it’ll have to do until I make up my mind about a new laptop. I’ve even thought about living with this one until the fall…. egads!

hummingbird If I’m a little quiet for a while, you now know why. I do have some fun things to share with you though …… eventually. The more time I spend in Phoenix, the more I like it here. I’m never at a loss of things to do and see, and of course, I love having my children nearby.

The rest of the month, Al and I will be finishing up dental work, physicals, and preparing for our journey north toward the end of April.

We’ll be spending the summer in Idaho helping out friends at their RV Park just three hours away from the Tetons and Yellowstone. Should be an interesting summer for us filled with lots of new sights and experiences. And I look forward to sharing it all, providing my patience holds out!

Moon Yellowstone & Grand Teton (Moon Handbooks)Lord, Give Me Coffee to change the things I can, and Wine to accept the things I cannot 5″ x 10″ wood sign plaque