I'm back. It's only been a couple weeks since my computer hasn't been working, but I have barely noticed since we've been crazy busy at home. And, I just used Chad's computer if I needed to do something.
This post should really be titled "Why I love Apple" (the computer company, not the fruit, although apples are tasty too). Care for a story?
It was the last full day of 6th session. If you are at all familiar with Camp Blue Haven, you know that the last full day consists of lots of things: banquet, slideshow of all the session's pictures shown at banquet, many baptisms, closing campfire, people crying, etc. My story focuses on two things: the slideshow and the baptisms. When Chad and I got this job, a few things that fell into our job description were taking most of the pictures during a session (around 5-700 usually), putting together the slideshow, and making all the baptism DVDs to send home with kids whose parents didn't get to attend the baptism. Oh, and making CDs of all the pictures that appear on the slideshow. So, lots of technology going on.
Maybe I should back up even further. A couple weeks before this, due to circumstances completely under my control (i.e. clumsiness), I dropped my computer (which is really Blue Haven's computer that we use to do all this technology stuff) on the very hard surface of our tile in our living room. It worked just fine until the last full day of 6th session, specifically until one hour before the slideshow that Chad had been working on for 3 days was to be shown at the banquet. Back to the story.
As a teacher, I always thought that my students who told me that their computer crashed or that their printer ran out of ink or whatever the day before the paper was due were totally full of it. Maybe the majority of them were. But for the record, those of you who were being honest, I TOTALLY BELIEVE YOU NOW. Because that is exactly what happened to us. Right before I took the computer up to the dining hall so Chad could set it up for the slideshow, it froze. And then it wouldn't do anything. And then I forced it to shut off, and when it came back on, it wouldn't open any programs or files or anything. I spent the next hour online with Apple tech support, who helped me try everything in their arsenal except re-installing the operating system because I didn't have my CDs with me at camp. So I waited a few days and when we got back home, called them back, we tried what they wanted to try with the CDs, and nothing worked. Hard drive was inoperable. Meanwhile during that hour or so I was on the phone with Apple that day, Chad re-created the slideshow on his computer using the pictures that I had backed up on camp's external hard drive earlier in the day, along with all the other sessions of pictures. Whew! Glad I did that.
So, here is why I love having a Mac. You get to talk to a person--a NICE, KNOWLEDGEABLE person--on the phone every time you need help with your computer (one night, in our pre-Mac days, I spent TWO HOURS on computer chat with someone from McAfee on our Dell desktop whose first language was clearly not English, telling me over and over again that "I can help you with your problem." They couldn't, and I was so frustrated I was in tears by the end). We buy the apple care protection plan, which gives you as much access to tech support as you need, but the best part is that when they realized my hard drive was not going to get fixed, they sent me a box to pack my computer in, paid for overnight fedex shipping to Apple, switched out the hard drives, and sent it back. Then, when I got my computer back today (all of the mailing and repair lasted only 4 days including Saturday and Sunday), the computer took me through a few steps to recover ALL my hard drive information from our external hard drive (which is also our wireless router at home, called a time machine--it backs up wirelessly and automatically as often as I want it to). So I had this brand new hard drive, and all of a sudden it had all my pictures, my whole itunes library, all my documents, everything. People say they don't want to pay the extra money for an Apple computer, but I will gladly pay the extra money for a real person on the phone to help me and none of my data lost, especially pictures and videos...every time. Oh, and my sister told me that the other day they got a new computer, and Apple gave them a few hundred dollars credit for her husbands few-years-old computer that they traded in. So this is my unsponsored, unpaid advertisement for Apple. It's just technology, material stuff, but boy am I glad I didn't lose any of that stuff--especially my pictures.
Wow, are you still reading? That's amazing. Tonight I'll be posting a couple more entries, since I spent all day long cleaning our house, so I'll need to put my feet up so they don't start swelling. :)
Ezra with his buddy Jessica. She was such a help to me so many times during the summer and he adored her.
Ezra and Wayland the Bear Hunter/Skinner. They are also big buddies.
With Jessica the counselor.
With Candace.
Trying out the Rackleys' massage chair. Many of these pictures are courtesy Wayne Rackley.
This is a funny story. Jared and Britni got married during 2nd session and Wayland and Chad signed as witnesses on their marriage certificate. Then Britni filled out a part of the marriage certificate where you put in the bride and groom's names, but she thought that you were supposed to put the witnesses' names there. So Wayland and Chad were listed as bride and groom on their marriage certificate. Jennifer made them a cake and everything. Kandis and I were wondering if that made our marriages null and void.
Ezra occupies himself with sunflower seeds at the Brocks' wedding at Barillas lookout.
Ezra LOVED John Alan and Matt. Maybe it had something to do with their Toy Story outfits at one of the banquets. No, it probably had more to do with these guys showing him so much love and attention. For the first few weeks Ezra called John Alan "outside" because JA would always take him outside during meals and Ezra loved it. He finally got the hang of his name and now prays for John Alan and Matt on a regular basis.
Ezra loved trying on Wayland's hat.
This is the face Ezra put on for the first couple weeks of camp. He was skeptical of everything. I guess when he realized we weren't going anywhere he decided to lighten up.
Another one of Ezra and Jessica.
Love this sweet picture--thanks Wayne.
Um, I think he is hanging on to a deer antler? Hmmm.
I always mean to write stuff down or at least start blog drafts while we are at camp, but I never do. So then it gets to the end of the summer when we're all settled at home and I forget everything that I wanted to say. That happened this year again. It was a great summer. We knew better what we were doing and things were not so hectic. We enjoyed getting to know the permanent staff and the session staff. Many of those people have become like family to us. I especially enjoyed our college aged permanent staff and how sweet they were to Ezra. He just loved them, and they loved him too. What a blessing it is to have so many people that love your child. I am so thankful for the time we get to spend at camp and for the examples that these guys and girls are and will continue to be to my children.
