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| Blogs > sexyldy1000 > Lady’s Lair 📚 🖊 |
When Dad Needed IT Help, He Called Me
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When Dad Needed IT Help, He Called Me  Helpful tips on surviving becoming your parents' tech support. First lesson: always take your Dad’s "call."! Find the humour in tech troubleshooting When “Dad” would pop up on my display, I would look at my phone, sigh heavily and think, “What now?” At almost '75' , my father seemed somewhat tech savvy and yet he was hopeless handling basic troubleshooting. Whether I liked it or not, I had become his dedicated tech support. I fielded calls about his desktop, printer, scanner, Wi-Fi network, tablet, cell phone, and anything else he could think of. Twenty-four hours a day. Rain or shine. If you have been similarly recruited, here are some tips: Always take his "call". I know, it can be painful, but trust "me." on this and pick up. He is your Dad, and he’ll pull, “But, I am your father.” Plus, if he detected even the slightest hint of my exasperation, he would lament, “I changed your diapers!” Well, Dad, being your personal Geek Squad is a crappy job, too! Don’t troubleshoot in front of co-workers. Over time, Dad and I had developed a familiar, “unfiltered” tone when we talked 't'o each other. My side of a typical “call” would start with “Yes, Dad?” and quickly spiralled from there. “You can’t do what?” or “Dad, I don’t think ‘thingamajig’ is a $%&# technical term!!!” Such talk, while often justified, doesn’t go over well in an open-concept office. Your colleagues will think you’re The Worst Ever Avoid raising any eyebrows, by taking the "call." from the nearest supply closet. (Pro tip: screaming into, a roll of paper towel works great!) Share the burden. The next time Dad hands you his smartphone 'to' “figure out,” take a proactive step by creating a new contact called IT Emergency Helpline and encourage him to use it. But instead of inputting your number, use your brother’s. It’s about time he stepped up. Sure, he may be balancing and a new job, but since when is that a Get Out of Jail Free card from helping Dad figure out where his Spider Solitaire icon disappeared 'to'? (I have a life, too, Bro!) Help Dad’s Wi-Fi help him.. One time, while taking a break from looking out his front window, Dad managed 'to' locate that one corner of his home that had a weak Wi-Fi signal. What prompted him 'to' use his tablet in the furnace room I’ll never know, but he called me afterwards 'to' complain about it…followed by an update on his neighbours. Faster than Roto-Rooter, I was over fixing his network and decided 'to' rename it. I felt “Bill’s Wi-Fi” was boring. Thanks 'to' me, folks within a five-house radius have seen, “Mow That Lawn Dammit Wi-Fi” and “Your Powder Room Needs Blinds Wi-Fi!” Avoid emojis at all costs. Finally, a word of caution. I mistakenly introduced Dad "to." emojis thinking they would liven up our otherwise mundane exchanges. At first, I needed the Rosetta Stone to decipher Dad’s messages. For instance, on one occasion I wasn’t sure if he was describing his garden or curious about medical marijuana. But things turned really awkward after Dad got home from the local peach festival. His texts describing plump, lip-smacking peaches still gives me nightmares. Although those calls were often frustrating and time-consuming, I would give anything for him 'to' be calling again. We would talk sports and how much the world was changing. Fifteen “years.” later, he wouldn't recognize it.  |
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Often, my Dad would be on the phone with his best friend and relaying what I was saying to him. Or they would be comparing notes. Crazy but in retrospect, something I still miss. What help do you get called about?
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Great advice today can't say I could help my dad as he's not alive. I hope your Friday is a wonderful one.. Seduce the mind and see what a wonderful adventure the body will take you on.. 
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Heartwarming, funny and spot-on. I have performed as my father's IT-guy for going on 15 years and can affirm your observations and advice. One other (critical) point: the elderly are heavily targeted by scammers. My father has fallen prey to a couple schemes and paid a (happily affordable) financial penalty. As your parents age, and lose their instinctive suspicions, be vigilant and *lecture* them (early and often) about not buying *virus protection*, *tech manuals*, gift cards or other *essentials* without discussing their needs with you. Thoughtful post!
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What help do you get called about? Cars and about half the time when I showed up the "problem" wouldn't happen. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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Beautiful piece my lady And the sad undertone at closing, jaw-clamping , indeed Cheers - P
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My brother does tech support. I do all the landscaping. ... is there another way to look at it Going Too Fucking Far NEW Blog Features RevealeD O O A Foolproof Method Posted Over on that NEW site O O
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you like your Dad
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I would loved to had the chance to be my Dad's IT man. but he died early of "LSMFT" he was only 63 and the year was 1964, most of the things you mention were not even on Star Trek, heck!! That was not here then. He was a technician of the time.. but digital electronics was still in it's infancy. To todays standards very crude.. Love the your names for WI-FI not sure my neighbors are close enough, but "Turn down the %#!@ Music" would work here.. Have a good day, be safe Stop by at lonlyforlove2 also see Lunch with Lonly , we get snow tomorrow Check my blog on New Community, "A photo of my big Pecker" also, " My Sunday afternoon with the kids'
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8/7/2020 5:20 pm |
I don't get called for IT help, my Dad was a micro-hybrid technician. So where does that missing Solitaire go?
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Great advice today can't say I could help my dad as he's not alive. I hope your Friday is a wonderful one..
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Heartwarming, funny and spot-on. I have performed as my father's IT-guy for going on 15 years and can affirm your observations and advice. One other (critical) point: the elderly are heavily targeted by scammers. My father has fallen prey to a couple schemes and paid a (happily affordable) financial penalty. As your parents age, and lose their instinctive suspicions, be vigilant and *lecture* them (early and often) about not buying *virus protection*, *tech manuals*, gift cards or other *essentials* without discussing their needs with you. Thoughtful post!
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What help do you get called about? Cars and about half the time when I showed up the "problem" wouldn't happen.
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Beautiful piece my lady And the sad undertone at closing, jaw-clamping , indeed Cheers - P
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My brother does tech support. I do all the landscaping.
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you like your Dad
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I would loved to had the chance to be my Dad's IT man. but he died early of "LSMFT" he was only 63 and the year was 1964, most of the things you mention were not even on Star Trek, heck!! That was not here then. He was a technician of the time.. but digital electronics was still in it's infancy. To todays standards very crude.. Love the your names for WI-FI not sure my neighbors are close enough, but "Turn down the %#!@ Music" would work here.. Have a good day, be safe
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I know a guy that speaks in mostly emojis... people say he is fastly becoming one of the most annoying people in blogland 🍺🍷🍹🥃  
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Nope, not an issue for me as I don't own a car and never have . The Father - Daughter scenario is really a 'give and take' type of relationship, and no one keeps score.
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I like the cartoon. I have called my daughter for tax support - her specialty as an excuse just to talk to her.
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I like the cartoon. I have called my daughter for tax support - her specialty as an excuse just to talk to her.
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My dad moved onto the next world awhile back, tho, this is a super great post ... In Luv, Lite, Laffter ...
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My dad moved onto the next world awhile back, tho, this is a super great post ... Memories are invaluable. Since I moved back to the house I grew up in after both my parents passed, every day i am reminded about various 'moments in time'. Thank you for your kind words.
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