An Unavoidable Meltdown

Today I have my first ever melt-down related to technology. I know, it’s rather surprising since it is 2011 an the Internet’s been around since 1990. So, I suppose I’m doing pretty good.

I was trying to watch a speech therapy session and take data on the videotaped session (as it is difficult to watch a child's mouth, give feedback, instruct, listen and take data too - talk about divided attention!)

I shall now chronicle what led up to The Meltdown.

Day One

1. Weird error pops up when attempted to use videocard to play therapy session that I had videotaped (thus, I can’t capture data from speech therapy session and show progress over time).
2. Get IT guy to help me - he spends 45 minutes troubleshooting and comes up empty handed. Says it might be my version of Windows and that he’s never ever seen that error before.
3. Try secretary’s computer (different Windows version). No Work.
4. Try random supervisor’s computer (yet a different version of Windows). No Work.
5. Give up and think “oh well, it’s just one session.”

Day Two

6. Borrow classmates videocard to film therapy session (as mine will probably not work).
7. Go to play video and same error pops up that IT guy could not fix.
8. Say “Gah! Maybe it’s the camera.” Two days with no data.
9. Ask other camera if her videocard is working. She says “yeah, mine is fine” Hmmm...

Day Three

10. Try to take existing data and burn onto cd so I can get issued brand new videocard (We’re not allowed to have multiple ones as they are expensive and contain secret info on them). Am able to get ½ of data onto CD but CD runs out of space.
11. Try another CD.
12. CD will not formate.
13. Attempt to format it several times.
14. Get new CD. New CD won’t format either.
15. Try a different computer.
16. Ah it’s working!
17. Computer crashes.
18. Cannot get disc out of drive.
19. Try to articulate to secretary and support staff my problems.
20. Have meltdown.
21. Secretary gets up out of her chair walks out of her office and says “Breathe!” Opens her arms and gives me a really nice hug.
22. Get new IT lady to deal with problem.
23. Oh, the computer spits out disc - I must run to class.
24. We will meet up tomorrow and try to solve my multiple problems with CD’s, discdrives, Windows, computers and video cameras.

I would have to say, the most frustrating thing about all these 24 steps is the fact that I have successfully watched therapy sessions multiple times and then one day, what I’ve been doing all along suddenly doesn’t work. I try everything to fix it, and nothing works. Each step in the problem solving process only presents me with a new problem.

Sometimes many consecutive days do not go your way.
Sometimes meltdowns are unavoidable.

As they say: When it rains, it pours.