SNEEZING, STRANDED, AND STIR CRAZY IN CYBERSPACE

Hello to all my friends and new followers!

Yes, I've been away for a fortnight, as they used to say in the 'olden' days. That's exactly two weeks, and before I explain, I would like to say a big thank you to some very sweet friends for their kind words and concern, both in emails, and comments here.

On August 22nd, as I was writing an email to a dear friend and fellow blogger, my little laptop, it seems, wasn't feeling so great. Its fan was overheating (a fever, in human terms), and if I had known that I could have sprayed it with compressed air (taken its temperature) and not have kept it on all day, (plenty of bed rest), it just might have lasted a few more days. But alas, it was already too late, as it had contracted a nasty virus, becoming weaker and weaker by the hour, (loading pages at snail speed), and in a split second - crashed (collapsed)! 

This virus had some very strange symptoms. For example, GFC was partially disabled, i.e, people could follow my blog, but I couldn't access the feature on theirs. I couldn't upload photos when composing a post, and half of the other functions in this very template disappeared, as well. Chrome, which is 'wired' to Blogger, was my default search engine and the first thing that crashed, (thus all the weirdness), and it is still missing in action as I have not been able to reinstall it!

But, the strangest thing that came from this most bothersome bug, and which I have yet to overcome, is that my current Facebook page has vanished into thin cyberspace air, and therefore, irritatingly inaccessible, while a supposedly deleted and deactivated one has resurfaced! It's very surreal when your most recent Facebook pic/page shows up as 'people you may know'.  Very 'twilight zone', wouldn't you say? 

And so, after countless, futile attempts trying to diagnose and treat the problem myself, I gave up when I was no longer able to reboot (resuscitate) it. Frustrated with forums, and exhausted from all the tedious trial and error takes, this sneaky and stubborn sickness was one viral beast that physically vacuumed the energy right out of me!

Emotionally, I was feeling blue, uninspired, insecure and lost.  My laptop is my connection to creativity, my communication of vision and thought and expression of being, and without it, I am cut off, not only from this great forum of talented and interesting people, but also from myself, as it encourages me to walk around some wonderful and whimsical spaces, discovering, questioning, understanding, commenting, laughing. And learning, always learning.

Needless to say, it was only after a week's hospitalization at the Institute of Research and Technology, that my little laptop got the proper care it needed, thanks to a sweet and considerate professor, and husband of a good friend of mine. 

Recuperated and revitalized, this great giant of gadgets has finally come home, once again ready to ride the savvy search engines that take us to far and fantastic lands of thrilling stories, amazing realities and simple smiles that are contagious, but completely virus free.

Thanks for visiting!

Poppy

PS: Planning on replying to emails and visiting all of you tomorrow, 
as it's 2 am here right now!:)

All images: Poppy View, except #3: (Google)

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