TUESDAY TRIALS

What began this morning at 5:36 am, as a peaceful entry to "Morning Pages," (a la Julia Cameron), turned left somewhere around 7:45-8:00 am. Coffee on, MSNBC headlines done, dear hubby and I were already in a prolonged discussion about the art theft in Zurich; the why's, why didn't they, and who might have. Next up for my discussion was "how am I going to present my blogging course* at OLLI**?"

The course outline had been submitted weeks ago, the holidays, cruise and real life have taken over since then and now I realize: few weeks left to prepare. Naturally I need a laptop for this. Naturally, HIS laptop is not available. I have taken a couple of courses in OLLI's the Computer Lab [really Duke U's]before, I have NOT taught a course there. How to get started?

This led to his suggestion that I use PowerPoint.
I don't have PowerPoint.
Yes, you do, it's part of Microsoft Office 2000.
I never found PowerPoint before, I've looked for it.
Look again. . . .
OK, I found Office 2000, where's PP? According to the 'Office Assistant' I need the Office 2000 CD to find a PP-Tutorial.
A what?
Where's the Office2000 CD?

We pause now for a file search to find the original installation discs and instructions.

OK, here's the disc, insert this.
The computer tells me this disc is blocked because the Security Wall is set too high.
What?

Some minutes pass while Dear Hubby is checking the security settings.
OK, here. Just open PowerPoint and just read the menus.

I begin to save a file and create title page 1. The box tells me I have to insert the Office2000 CD.
What again?
As I insert the disc, a new window opens and tells me how to continue.

Now I realize what today will be. Another one of those Learning Curve introduction days to gaining mastery over a computer program that until this morning, I did not know that I needed to know. And this because I had the bright idea to teach other OLLI's what I know about blogging (?). I should have enrolled in a course on PowerPoint before doing anything else. This calls for another cup of coffee.

Forward the clock: after about two hours I now have a PowerPoint presentation (15 slides in all), that will get me through at least the first three classes. As Spring term is only six weeks long I do not see a problem generating the second half of the class later. Whew! That much much simplier than I thought and was accomplished before lunch. Now I can put the PowerPoint class outline on a CD and take it to the lab. But I will I still need a laptop...? Isn't this where I came in?

This story related to you because I just know someone will identify with the married-couple-morning-computer scramble. Am I the only one married to an IT department? And to think there was a time when I was a consulting designer-colorist-stylist and survived without a computer. But that was long ago in another world.

Tonight we dance at Judea Reform Congregation social hall to Dick Levin's band. Dick and 'his friends,' have been playing together for about 40 years (really) and on occassion decide to play for a special dance. This will be our Valentine holiday-dance as we missed the biggie last weekend and by next weekend, Valentine-anything will be over. I will really need to dance by tonight!

* Really Simple Blogging, Monday April 21, for six weeks at The Mill Computer Lab.

**Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Duke University.
see: http://www.learnmore.duke.edu/olli/
bb