April 4, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.
Duck Ponderings: Easing the pain
It was a night of frustration. As I was trying to print an important letter on my old IBM PS/1 printer, something happened. It wasn't working right with the paper angling off well before being finished.
For several minutes, I tried to find a solution with tension rising during each failed attempt. After all, we had been together since 1991! Even though it was becoming more and more difficult to find replacement ribbons, I seemed to always find a company that still furnished them at a very reasonable price. I had just purchased several providing one more reason to try to fix the problem.
Later in the week, I pulled the cover and adjusted a few mechanisms. Well, I tried printing again, and the paper remained in the proper position. There was hope! However, I wasn't getting the bottom of each letter. I made a few other adjustments but continued to have the same problem. Finally, I gave up coming to the realization that it might be time to let go of something that had definitely become a part of my life.
Yet, as is often the case, something happened to ease the pain. My wife's parents decided it was time to give us their 1989 Cadillac Fleetwood with only 75,000 miles. I had fallen in love with the car the first time my eyes met it and my hands touched the steering wheel while my foot explored the abilities of the V8.
Immediately, I made it known that I would like to have the first opportunity to purchase it if they ever decided to sell it.
The trip from Lafayette to Hope was one of the smoothest rides ever experienced as I thought about my good fortune. My young passengers in the back were quite impressed as they easily stretched out their legs. It was then I told them about the "car is leveling" feature just to make them even more in awe of a car built before they were born. I kept on hearing them refer to it as the family limo.
Even though the Cadillac is comparable in age to the IBM, she is still quite young in mileage. I'm looking forward to our time together!
Hopefully, I will be able to adjust to a new cartridge printer even it refuses to print when just one cartridge is empty. Then again, maybe someone will find a low mileage IBM PS/1 printer parked in their attic or in a museum![[In-content Ad]]
