lessons not learned (now learned!)

Have you ever done something stupid and said, “That’s it — never again,” and then done it again . . . and again and again?

I have.

Last night, after putzing around on my blog for several hours, I decided to wipe down my MacBook before heading to bed. I am a clean freak, and while I love the sleek design of most Apple products, the fingerprints and other marks that love to show up on my screen drive me nuts. Well, I got out my Windex (I ran out of electronics cleaner a while ago and keep forgetting to replace it), sprayed it on a soft napkin, and then proceeded to “Cypherize” my computer . . . Only there was this one smudge that wouldn’t come off. I rubbed and rubbed . . . It was late, and I was tired, and in my impatience, I decided to use the Windex bottle to spray the spot directly. I did, and wiped it and the rest of the keyboard squeaky clean, and “Wha-la!” I went to bed and forgot all about it . . .

Until this morning. This morning, my keyboard freaked out.

The computer appeared to be running fine, but when I opened the notifications box on my blog, the highlighter began scrolling the notes endlessly and wouldn’t stop. I didn’t know what to do, so I turned the laptop off and left it open for several hours, concerned but hoping it would dry out.

It didn’t.

Tonight when I got home, the keyboard, though slightly improved, was still acting screwy. On my brother’s advice, I drove forty-five minutes to a Mac store where a girl named Allison with spiked hair and a hundred piercings in each ear cheerily told me, “Sorry! All of our technicians are booked until Saturday.”

Gee, thanks. Happy Halloween to you, too.

And so now it’s a waiting game. My computer currently sits, turned off, open, in a corner in my room. (I’m typing this on my dad’s computer.) I can’t imagine that it’s not fixable, and yet it definitely has me worried. As I mentioned at the beginning, I’ve done silly things like this before . . . And why oh why (I ask myself — again) didn’t I learn from them?

And so my friends, although I’d hoped to get out a poem tonight — perhaps a spooky one in time for the holiday — I must instead, computer-less, leave you with this: