Is there ever a good time for your laptop to go away for repairs?

Tablet & Bluetooth keyboard.

 In answer to my own question in the title of this post. NO! But particualrly now when I am mid-way through a writing course and about to go on a writing and walking holiday. 

The screen on my laptop has, over a period of time, been blanking out intermittently for a few seconds. Sometimes it will goes days without this happening, and other times it will happen twice in one day. This doesn't affect what I am doing. I continue typing and the words are there when the screen returns, and my playlists keep playing. But last week when I switched on my laptop, nothing. The lights on the keyboard lit up, the fan started, but nothing on the screen. I then was unable to switch it off because I couldn't see what was happening. I did try several times to sort it, leaving it alone for a while and then trying to take it by surprise! My default mode is to panic. My son knows this so when I texted him, he said 'Don't panic!' He also told me that 100% my files could be saved.

My son looked at it in the evening and at first he couldn't get any joy. He then linked my laptop to a TV screen, though it was a fiddle trying to find the right HDMI slot. Suddenly my laptop sprang into life, only to die again. Eventually, the screen worked! I transferred the files I felt I needed to an external hard drive, but what was I going to transfer them to while my laptop was sent away for repairs? My hubby has Chrome Book, but it doesn't have Word. My son has a very old laptop, also without Word. I am still using Windows 10, and if my son put Windows on the old laptop it would come with Windows 11. I didn't want to have to get to grips with a new application on my holiday. Ah! what about my old Tablet? That has Word, albeit a basic version.

So I spent the evening charging the Tablet and having to upgrade various applications. Of course it wasn't as simple as that. The Tablet is a bit dodgy. It often re-boots itself a few times when I turn it on, and it's slow. I also soon realised that the external hard drive wouldn't plug in. We were now in the second day of this. So, while my screen was working (it's been fine since that day, but it could go at any time) I transferred the same files directly to the Tablet. That evening my son found a convertor and adaptor so the external hard drive works with the Tablet. I also found the mini Bluetooth Keyboard I used to use with it and had to re-learn how to 'pair it' to the Tablet.

It is now the weekend, I've been laid low with a cold and not able to tackle the packing up of my laptop. And then I thought about the things I might still need off it. I've no idea how long the repair will take. I've run off something new I'm writing which I may share with the group on holiday. I also needed a printed copy of an email for tickets to a concert I'm going to with a friend. I've been unable to access the O2 Arena App even though I've set up a password. 'Don't match' it says. Tried to change the password, but no luck. I had to email them direct and they've suggested uninstalling the App and reinstalling it. If that fails I can take my proof to the booking office on the day of the concert and they print out the tickets. As it is the tickets aren't issued until a week before. Am I panicking?  So, I've found the email and printed off the proof with my seat numbers etc. I'm not sure if my Tablet with work with my printer. I've never tried it and the concert is next month. 

I've had my laptop over four years now. The warranty has run out, but the company who built it (it's not an off-the-shelf laptop) have said they will look at it for me. Today is the day when I box it up, so I am madly doing things I feel I might not be able to do on the Tablet. I have access to most stuff on my mobile, but will need the Tablet for my course (which I will still be doing on my holiday) and for the holiday itself. However, for the holiday I am taking various notebooks and am happy to write by hand if necessary. It sounds quite laid back, just what I need right now!

That's been my week. Despite my cold, I managed to get to Southwark Cathedral on Thursday night in the heavy rain and wind to an author talk about London Bridge and Southwark. It was very interesting and happened to coincide with the chapter I was currently reading in a book called Watling Street. I bought myself a copy of the book, but I didn't hang around to get it signed. I just wanted to get home. Thankfully, it had stopped raining by then. Friday was my worst day, and I gave in and stayed on the sofa in my PJ's, a fleece and hot water bottle. I was often joined by Rue, our dog.

New book, left. What I'm currently reading, right.

A lady on my writing course had arranged a meet-up for those in London on Saturday. I wasn't sure I would make it as I felt so rough on Friday. God must have looked down on me and decided enough is enough. I'll give that girl a break. I felt so much better in the morning and even walked Rue. After an early lunch, I headed to Tottenham Court Road and Caffe Nero where we were meeting. It was a lovely afternoon. There were eight of us (a few couldn't make it), all ladies. Of the three groups on the course, all but two were from group two and me and one other from group one. We talked about the course, what we were writing, jobs, writing events and what we wanted to do in our meet-ups in the future. We think we will stick to a once a month meet. We were a diverse group. I was the oldest! It was so nice to talk to other writers with all those dreams of being published.

I much prefer to engaging with people face to face. Some of us are hoping to meet up next month at a Writers/Book festival in Islington, especially as Indie Author (who are running the course we are all on) will be there offering talks on one of the days.

This could be what I've been looking for. In the back end of last year, I'd thought I might form my own local group for budding writers, as I was missing the contact with other writers. But I'm not really a leader. I'm more a follower. I'm happy to suggest things, but leading a group is a responsibility, and I don't feel that at the moment I have the time.

So this week has been a bag of mixed blessings. I'm hoping I can still blog using the Tablet. I've done in the far distant past, though I had to google 'how to block text to copy when you don't have a mouse or touch pad.' I'm going old school! A re-learning curve. I've not got my head round uploading photos to it yet. But if you don't hear from me for a while you'll know just what I'm doing....panicking!