The issue is with CenturyLink. They said they could solve the problem if I upgrade to a new modem to get faster speed, but since it would cost upward of $500 all told to do that, and I’m going to be canceling the service in September when I move to Costa Rica, I declined, saying that kind of layout isn’t even remotely in my budget. The customer service rep then suggested that I unplug the modem I have whenever I get an error message, wait 30 to sixty seconds, and plug it back in, and that should free up the system to start exporting again.
That does work to free up the system to work again, but never long-term, so it’s a PITA and adds at least two hours to every journal preservation session. It is NOT fun.
I’m considering asking Office Depot what it would cost me to have them preserve the remaining volumes onto a thumb drive or external hard drive. I suspect it would cost a small fortune, though, so I’m going to do my best to get thru the balance myself without going that route. If I can’t quite get through in the months allotted to do so, I can take whatever is left and have them do those for me. I’ll make it work, by hook or by crook. IT HAS TO: these journals are beyond priceless to me. I can use the info in them to write at least several more books before I’m shoveled off this mortal coil, and I will have nothing but time to do that when I get to Costa Rica.
WHAT I’D RATHER BE DOING THAN WRESTLING INTERNET SPEEDS
I’d much prefer finishing the preservation process quickly every day (ten volumes per day has been my goal and I’m behind by ten days because of these interminable hiccups) so I can concentrate on my Spanish lessons.
Even as slowly as the preservation process has been going, I study my Spanish books and CDs every night (well, most nights; I’ve only missed two out of sheer exhaustion!) for over an hour. I’m enjoying the heck out of learning Spanish again, but there is a lot I never did learn in high school.
I need to learn present, past and future tenses, regular and iregular verb conjugations, common idioms, and other stuff. I feel really good about how I’m doing, but I realize there’s more that I don’t know than I do about the language and, as a wordsmith, it will frustrate the stuffing out of me if I can’t hit the ground running (verbally) upon my arrival. I want to sound as fluent as I can possibly become in the next ten months, and this freaking journal preservation project is slowing me down enough to frustrate me.
So, I just need to embrace the term manana and start learning how to relax into que sera’, sera‘ before I get down there! It’s a good lesson to learn. I need to know how to vegetate before I get down there, because that’s what I want the move to allow me to do! No more financial constraints or worries that I will outlive my savings.
NEW CLIENT!
I believe I’ve landed a new client, too — the first since people started trying to get their copywriting needs accomplished using AI (a foolish, foolish idea!) This client knows better. And she’s willing to pay what I charge, so I’m looking forward to hitting her project out of the ball park for her. She’s local.
In the meantime, I will keep wrestling with this Internet devil until I have triumphed or had an aneurism trying!
Wish me luck!
