Happy Side Effects of Recent Tech Troubles

Today I was thinking about the happy side effects of my recent electronic troubles.

Over a week ago, two things happened, within 24 hours of each other.

First, my laptop, the only PC that I have right now, and which was used when I received it two years ago from a friend, appeared to have fried. Long story short, it was the surge protector strip that fried. 

When I finally had the money for another, I had been offline for a couple of days. It has been quite a few years since my last purchase of one of these. This one is a delight - it has two extra USB hubs at one end. Now I will no longer have to unplug, plug, and replug, every time I want to transfer photos from my digital camera. So that was the first happy side effect.

Next, my TV wouldn't display, only play sound. This happened when I tried to connect a VCR to my old analog TV, converter box, indoor antenna setup. Somewhere along the line, I hit the wrong button. Although the computer issue was an inconvenience for two days, I was without TV reception for 8 days when I finally found the user guide, pressed the correct buttons for a factory reset, and once again had TV reception. I'll deal with the VCR, again, in a few days.

During the time without the TV, the second side effect occurred. I had to dig up a working radio in the house. I did find one that supposedly also played CDs and cassettes but those functions no longer functioned. The radio, however, was strong. So I began "finding" good stations. I ended up with one I had never heard before: Kool 102 - KQLL - AM 1280 - Henderson, NV. I think it had a different number a while back. Anyhow, they played 60s, 70s and Motown - I was just fine for those eight days. I enjoyed everything and anything - so that was side effect two.

And last, after I did get the TV up and running once more, after the factory reset, and I did a channel rescan, I suddenly, for the first time since going onto indoor antenna almost two years ago, got a station called COZI. I really love, love, love this one. I've been enjoying my former favorites such as Murder She Wrote, Hart to Hart, Knight Rider, and even the original Charlie's Angels. So, that was side effect number three.

I thought I had discovered four side effects but cannot remember the other one - if I do, I'll share it.

Yep, it was a bit traumatic during the waiting stages of the technological troubles, but in the end, it all worked out, and with three (maybe four) great side effects.

How great is that?