Weekly post

Sept. 25, 2006

Dear friends,

The first "hour exam" in Greek -- not a midterm or final but carrying significantly more weight than a weekly quiz -- has been returned, and I made a 94 on it. It'll do.

Life continues to be good. The second year seems to be unfolding with less of a sense of "go-- go-- go" than the first. Less seemingly unceasing pressure to write a paper, turn around and do a presentation, turn around and take an exam. These all have to be done, of course, but the pace seems somewhat less unrelenting. I suspect that has partly to do with my having completed a year already and partly to do with the practical reality that last year I had both New Testament and Church History on my schedule, both fairly unrelentingly demanding classes. This year, knowing that I wanted to have time to do Greek justice, I managed to schedule required courses that, while requiring a fair amount of reading and evidence thereof, may be instructional in a more abstract and less tangible way, perhaps.

I'm really annoyed with my laptop -- not with the laptop per se, but with its functioning. At the end of last school year, in May, I took the laptop in to the Geek Squad at Best Buy. I told the staff person that the laptop had had a lot of general wear and tear and I wanted a tuneup -- stiff keys unstuck, fluid levels checked, whatever. The ONE specific repair I wanted was that the connection of the A/C adapter to the laptop outlet -- where the electrical cord plugs into the computer -- was quite loose. I didn't know whether it was a cord problem or an internal one, but I wanted it fixed. We spent a good several minutes examining the connection and he was clear about the problem.

I got the laptop back and it seemed to work fine all summer -- but then again, when I used it during CPE it was always on a flat desk with no moving around.

The school year started up again -- and immediately I noticed that the cord problem was still there, only worse. Now, even when plugged in and sitting on a flat surface (such as a classroom desk), the cord/computer connection is loose and wobbly. Supposedly, when the computer is on and plugged in, it's also juicing, so that it will be able to run for a time on batteries. Even when plugged in, however, it's not recharging, so I have to use it plugged in all the time.

I have little choice but to live with it until Christmas break, however, because I know from experience that this type of connection problem calls for the computer to be sent off to the dealer for repair, and Christmas break is the earliest that I can function without the laptop for two to three weeks.

I was recently subjected to an insanely lengthy phone service from Best Buy about my last use of the Geek Squad and gave them generally high marks. When I take it back, however, to ask them to fix again something that was supposed to have already been repaired, I plan to politely point out to them that this is a problem they were asked to have fixed in May. I don't mind repairs in the least. I mind repairs that must be re-repaired.

Well, if that's the worst problem on my plate I am rich indeed. Which I am. Peace, my friends.

Grace and peace,
Beth