My laptop went into a coma

The past few weeks my laptop has been doing strange things. At random, it wouldn't detect the network or wireless card, it detected unknown new hardware, the USB drive worked only with a few things, and sometimes the power button had to be pushed two or three times before it would come on. All this happened randomly, sometimes together, sometimes alone, but it was always something.

The IT person here at the Center is fabulous. He actually is very knowledgeable and helpful, unlike most IT people I have experienced. I was hoping he could fix it but when we realized he couldn't (which was a couple weeks ago) we decided it was time for me to call Dell technical support because my laptop is under a full warranty. I could even drop it and they will replace it.

I have never had a problem with Dell support, I always got what I needed handled by the appropriate person. I've been procrastinating because I wasn't looking forward to going through all the steps in the support persons "script" because they "have to." (The quotes are from a support person I spoke to a few years ago.) I needed a block of time to deal with it at work (I wasn't wasting time at home, I'm usually too tired anyway) and that time was today. I checked my email this morning, walked away to set-up an experiment, and when I came back my computer was off. And wouldn't turn back on. Looking on the bright side, I thought "at least I won't be on with tech support for long, there is only so much to try when the computer won't even turn on." I should have known better. I really should have.

Here is an abbreviated version of what occurred.

Tech#1: Hello, this is tech support, may I have your service tag?"
Me: Don't you want the express service code?
Tech#1: No, I need your service tag.
Me: 12A34
Tech#1: Okay, you have a model A, correct?
Me: No, I have a model B.
Tech#1: Do you still own this computer?
Me: Yes, it's sitting right in front of me, that's why I'm calling. (Duh.)
Tech#1: Has it always been yours?
Me: Yes, why?
Tech#1: Well, according to our records, you have a model A, the ownership has been transferred to someone else, and the warranty is expired.
Me: No, it isn't.
Tech#1: What is your service tag again?

I repeat it, he still gets the same thing. We argue for a while, with me becoming progressively pissed, and him getting more rude. Finally . . .

Me: Well, your information is wrong.
Tech#1: Let me talk to my manager.

After several minutes . . . .

Tech#1: You need to talk to customer service.
Me: You're kidding me.
Tech#1: (in a snotty voice) No, you need to talk to customer service and verify that the computer belongs to you.
Me: (fuming) Can you transfer me?

Rude Tech#1 proceeds to transfer me and disconnects me in the process. I then go online using the work computer and get the customer service number. I call customer service which has an automated voice telling me there is a wait due to high call volume. In the meantime, I have to get work done so I put the call on speaker phone, I take my cells out of the fridge, then someone picks up. I flag down Ding to put my stuff back in the fridge for me. I immediately start loudly complaining to customer service (CS) about what Tech#1 told me then apologized for being rude to him, I know it wasn't his fault, but I'm pissed.

CS: Can I have your service tag please.?
Me: 12A34
CS: Can you tell me the model please?
Me: Model B.
CS: Ah, are you sure?
Me: Yes, I'm sure. (Of course I'm sure! It's sitting right here in front of me. If I get one more stupid question I'm going to scream!)
CS: That's not what I'm seeing in your account.

I then go into a tirade about how I'm looking at my Dell account online, on the Dell website, and it's telling me that it's the correct computer, it's mine, and the warranty is good until 2008. How can he possible be looking at something different! He then repeats the service tag, which is wrong. He types it in properly and all of my information comes up correctly. He is extremely amused that all the confusion was due to a phonetic misunderstand. Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! Rude, and now Stupid, Tech#1 got the service tag wrong three times. What a colossal waste of my time. CS now transfer me to tech support. Again, I am on hold, so I try to do work, take my cells out of the fridge, only to have someone answer the phone. This time I flag down Apple to put my cells back.

Tech#2: Can I have your express service code?
Me: Everyone else wanted the service tag.
Tech#2: No, I need your express service code please.

I give him the number and all of my account information appears correctly. The express service code is all numbers, unlike the service tag (where a letter caused all the confusion), but that shouldn't have mattered because I speak clearly.

Verdict - I need to get a new motherboard. Since the hard drive doesn't need to be replaced, just the motherboard, my computer is in a temporary coma. Not usable, but all the information in it is not lost, so it's not dead.

I complimented Kiwi

It happened before I knew what was coming out of my mouth. I couldn't stop it. I was getting off the elevator and he was getting on. He had black slacks, a red shirt, and a black and grey jacket. I was so stunned that he was wearing normal clothes I complimented him before I could stop myself. He looked almost as shocked as I was.

When things go flying, you have to laugh

I have decided to nickname the rotation student 'Apple' because I have recently learned she loves caramel apples. She made me and Fiance two. They were really good.

Last Friday I agreed to help Apple process blood. Even though we processed side-by-side two weeks earlier, she wanted to go through the procedure again. Since she is eager to learn, pays attention, and takes initiative (unlike PD) I agreed. Even though we had to start at 7am, meaning I had to get up at 5am, and I'm not a morning person. We had to be done before the samples from the necropsy were to be processed.

I wasn't going to do anything. She was going to do the entire procedure, I would only interrupt if I saw she needed correcting or advice, or if she asked a question. Most of the procedure went very well.

The last part of the procedure involves separating out cells that have incubated with beads using a column and a strong magnet. It is a very strong magnet. Well, when she went to remove the column from the magnet she wasn't prepared for the release. It popped right out of her fingers and flew across the hood. I couldn't help myself, I burst out laughing. It was hilarious. She was mortified and felt horrible because she probably just contaminated all of my cells but I couldn't stop laughing. Probably because I was so tired. I just put my arms around her shoulders and told her it was okay. That she should be glad I like her because if PD had done that I would be pissed. She said what I was thinking - thank God it didn't land in the bleach! I wiped the column with ethanol, since the cells were in the column there was a chance that the cells were still sterile, and had her push the cells out with the plunger. She needs to build her arm muscles because she didn't push hard enough to get all the cells out. While I was counting the cells I made her practice putting the column in and taking it out of the magnet. I told her to be prepared because this week she will have a pop quiz. I'm going to get out a column and make her do it again.

The cells looked a bit haggard today, but I don't think they are contaminated.

The new postdoc

Over the past couple weeks I have been subjected to the new Postdoc (PD). After very little deliberation I have decided that if someone like that can have a Ph.D., give me mine right now. Seriously, I've lost my patience with him and I usually enjoy helping and teaching people. The only two people I've ever had a problem with is LB and Kiwi because they bring out the worst in me. I'm trying to be nice, I really am.

And something completely random - PD has this grin on his face every time he talks. No matter what he says. It annoys me. Don't smile when you're telling me you're going to be late. Don't smile when you're telling me you think something didn't work. It's kinda creepy.

Anyway, PD asked me if I would go through the blood processing with him again. He watched me once, but he wanted me to do what I did with the rotation student, a hands-on go through. We decided to work side-by-side in the 6ft hood so we could work together for awhile, then when the procedure called for the joining of our samples, I would watch him. We planned to start at 8:30 in the morning so I would have time to work in the afternoon and meet with Kiwi at 1:30pm. The day before the scheduled work he looks at me and says he's going out the animal facility with Kiwi and won't be back until sometime after 10am (all with a smile on his face). Great. There goes my entire day. I told Kiwi we needed to reschedule our meeting because PD and I would never be done in time. I made sure Kiwi knew he was messing up my schedule.

The next day they finally showed up around 10:30am. Kiwi came to me and said they were back, PD had to do one thing then he could work with me. It was obvious I was impatient. PD couldn't seem to grasp that as soon as he showed up I wanted to start right away. He was late, which was Kiwi's fault, but I had to track him down twice to tell him it was time to get started. I'm taking an entire day to show him something, he needs to be courteous. He could have waited until we had the procedure started to start his computer and check his email.

I have optimized my procedure for speed because I have other stuff to do. I realize sometimes it's hard for me to slow down because I want to get it done so I told him to let me know if I go too fast. Well, I went extremely slow and he still managed to screw up. Here is a summary of the day:

• I made him throw away four pipettes before I was confident that he was removing them from the wrapper without contaminating the ends.
• It took him 1/2 hour to make a buffer that should take, at the most, 10 minutes to make. He was so dirty that FD tossed the reagents PD used because we weren't confident he didn't contaminate them.
• When he tried to collect the white blood cells from the ficoll gradient with the pipette, he was only sucking up 1 ml at a time. I finally realized he had been trying to pipette with the pipetter turn off.
• Once it was turned on, he proceeded to suck plasma up and through the filter. He didn't clean it properly when I told him exactly what he needed to do. FD graciously cleaned it while PD used my pipetter (okay, actually LB's pipetter; we 'borrowed' it from his bench, it's not like he uses it anyway.)
• He consistently dripped whatever he was pipetting (buffer, plasma, white blood cells, PBS)
• Every time I had to pick up his conical there was fluid on the outside. I couldn't figure out when he touched it so I had no idea if the cells were contaminated.

I understand that it can make people nervous when someone is watching their every move. So I didn't get upset with most of those things, not too upset, and I was patient. However, he has done very similar procedures to this before. He worked with the same cell type we do, just from a different species. Things are very similar. But if I someone asked my opinion I'd say he never worked in a TC hood before. When I started to lose my patience was when I would ask him what the next step was and he couldn't tell me. He says a few things and it would be wrong. He couldn't even tell me what step we were on in the protocol. I had given him a step-by-step written protocol that was right in front of him. He's had it for a few weeks. I was thinking - Don't waste my time, which I'm using to teach you how to process blood, when you can't even follow the protocol.

That's when I lost my patience. He's a postdoc for goodness sakes!! He should know how to follow a protocol which is called "Human Blood Processing for Dummies" (no kidding, I wrote it several years ago.) He should be able to use a pipette

That's is the only and last time I will ever waste a day teaching him anything. I understand there is always an adjustment period when starting in a new place but he should at least have a clue as to what he's doing. This is the person that Kiwi hired when he stopped my funding and said he didn't have enough money to pay for me.

The following Monday morning he looked at me and asked what markers we stain for on the cell type we work with. Here was the conversation:

PD: What markers do you stain for on your cells?

Me: Huh? What do you mean?

PD: I'm comparing immature cells vs mature cells. What do you look at?

Me: (looking a bit incredulous) I'm not telling you.

PD: (smiling, always smiling, looking confused)

Me: We don't give the rotation students answers so I'm not going to give you the answer. Look up what you think you should stain for and why, then I'll tell you if you're right.

PD: (still smiling, still looking confused)

Me: Okay, what do you think you should stain for?

PD: (He lists markers)

Me: Right, that's fine.

Do you know how easy that information is to look up? It's even in a previous paper that came out of our lab. It's basic biology. If he doesn't know, look it up. Show some initiative, he has PhD and should be able to answer his own questions like that. Look things up. I'm not giving him the answer. I have my own stuff to work on, he should look it up, if he can't find it, then come see me. I am not the first stop.

I'm starting to wonder if I'm expecting too much of people. I just want people to do the work they've been hired to do, show some initiative, and don't waste my time if you aren't going to listen to what I tell you when you ask.

Time flies

I've been neglectfull of my blog. I've been a bad blogger. I've actually been working all day with no breaks, i.e., no blogging at work, but I haven't been bringing my laptop home so even though I thought about writing it never actually happened. I didn't realize how long it had been until my dad mentioned it last night. I can't beleive the last entry was last month. It's also been that long since I've read any blogs. I have alot to catch up on!! Starting now.