Worried Momma Vs. Laptop Adapter Plug

After my son goes to school, I sit down on the couch with my laptop and try to answer a few emails and/or work on a post before starting work. Last Friday morning, the telephone rang at 8:00 a.m. No one calls us that early.

The first thing that came to my head was that something happened with the bus and my son. I put the laptop down on the couch and got up as quickly as I could to go answer the phone.

If you have ever been around a mother that was concerned for the safety of her child, well…just the sheer force is amazing. Just ask my laptop adapter plug.

My foot caught on the plug and yanked it a good one. I didn’t even look back to see if the laptop fell off the couch, I was focused on answering that phone. Why a delivery company is calling at 8:00 a.m. in the morning to just find out directions to your house for a delivery next week is beyond me.

Anyways, after the phone call it was time to look at the damage. The laptop was still on the couch so that was a good sign. It was no longer plugged in, and when I reached down to grab the plug a feeling of “Oh, crap” came over me.

I said that you don’t mess with a mom that is concerned about the safety of her child, right?

That plug was mutilated. The prong was all bent up and the metal around it was twisted around. I looked at it and wanted to cry. Our laptop battery doesn’t hold a charge longer than 15 minutes. So, that adapter is its lifeline. And what’s on this computer? All of our financial data. Has it been backed up recently? No.

My husband looked at the damage, and the first thing he said is that hopefully we can find a new adapter because it’s an older model. I wasn’t too worried about that, because eBay is wonderful for finding hard to find things. I was worried about the time it would take to get a new adapter. My Quicken file is my financial lifeline and without it I am lost. I don’t keep track of my balances, my non-check transactions or deposits in my actual check register with my checks.

I started looking for the adapter and did find it on eBay and at an online retailer I wasn’t familiar with (therefore I was ansy about purchasing there). By the time I was done searching, the adrenaline rush subsided and I could think a little clearer. I took a look at the plug and decided to try to bring it back to life with some pliers.

And it worked! Yes! The plug fits tighter now too (it used to jiggle a little bit before). Crisis averted. I still have my laptop and access to my Quicken file.

New Year’s Resolution #206 – make more backups!

Posted by Tricia on December 27, 2006 at 3:44 PM in Life Experiences | 14 Comments »
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Jason responded:
Posted: December 27th, 2006 at 3:55 pm
Thank goodness you brought it back to life! Now, make a backup!
mapgirl responded:
Posted: December 27th, 2006 at 4:49 pm
Tools! Real tools to the rescue!

I bend a lot of stuff back into shape. Remember when you had to wiggle the rabbit ears to get reception on a tv?

I wonder if kids these days will be less ingenious with magic boxes that are sensitive to dents, dings, and good ole’ whack on the side to get it working again…

(Can you tell I’m a total klutz with my cell phone?)
bluntmoney responded:
Posted: December 28th, 2006 at 9:29 am
Maybe check out Mozy. We started using them for automatic backups and now our financial files get backed up everytime they’re changed.
Dawn responded:
Posted: December 28th, 2006 at 11:30 am
You really dodged a bullet! I had my laptop fall off the couch and land on the spot where the adapter plugs in. It needed a whole new mother board! I also work from home and this cause many problems for me I am very glad you were able to revive it! If you ever need a part like that in the future let me know, my husband is able to get stuff like that more easily than most. Wow, you have 206 New Year’s Resolutions! I definately need to make my list. Wishing you a wonderful New Year!
local girl responded:
Posted: January 5th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Or have a spare adapter handy! LOL!

Thanks for sharing this with the Carnival of Family Life.
An Island Life » Carnival of Family Life #36 responded:
Posted: January 8th, 2007 at 1:51 am
[...] Poor Tricia . . . or should I say, poor Tricia’s laptop. Read her funny story in Worried Momma Vs. Laptop Adapter Plug at Blogging Away Debt. I think most of us know that feeling. [...]
Lisa responded:
Posted: January 8th, 2007 at 9:26 am
I have tripped over and unplugged my adapter many a times. Luckily I haven’t mutilated it!!

Here via the carnival of family life.
Mary (Mert) responded:
Posted: January 8th, 2007 at 9:49 am
I so know what you mean about the phone calls, I about kill myself trying to get to the phone sometimes thinking it’s my daughters school. Your laptop will live to see another day! :O) Here from the CFL.
Rory responded:
Posted: January 8th, 2007 at 11:02 am
What a crisis. I felt for you all the way. Life suddenly goes out the window when the hardware goes for a burton. But, great save.

I love the no-nonsense title to this blog. No secrets here!

You are blogrolled and rss-ed, believe me.
Mommy the Maid responded:
Posted: January 8th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
The force of a worried mother is insane isn’t it?
Desert Songbird responded:
Posted: January 8th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
I’ve done a lot of “home repairs” like this, mainly so that I wouldn’t have to face the wrath of my husband the resident computer geek!

Here via CoFL.
DigitalRich responded:
Posted: January 9th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Ouch. I have done this exact thing with not only my laptop, but a floor lamp, cell phone, boombox, and most recently, the Christmas tree. Fortunately nothing was permenantly damaged other than the boombox. The plug actually stayed in the wall, but the connector to the music player came out and broke the casing that held it. It was a cheap one thank goodness.

Be more careful. I will too.

DigitalRich
Here via Carnival of Family Life
tiggerprr responded:
Posted: January 11th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Here via CFL (I’m late!) It’s amazing what a mom will run over like a mack truck if we think our kiddo might be hurt! Glad it all came out ok!
The Laptop Adapter Didn’t Survive After All : Blogging Away Debt responded:
Posted: February 4th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
[...] A little over a month ago, an unexpected phone call and my nature to answer that call as quickly as possible resulted in a mutilated laptop adapter plug. I brought out some tools and I thought I fixed it. Instead, I just gave a little more use time for there was hidden damage done. [...]