National Honesty Day: Can I just whine for a minute?

Today is National Honesty Day, founded in the early 1990s by M. Hirsh Goldberg. Can I just be honest and whine for a minute?

Credit: Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes creator 

Here’s my gripe: My laptop with the piece of white fruit embedded on the front cover has served me well. But earlier this week it didn’t charge overnight.

I took adaptor/plug-in and laptop to the local electronics mega-store, picked out a new adaptor, and asked nicely at the Customer Service desk: “Can I plug this in and try it out? Just to make sure the problem isn’t with my laptop.”

Nope. Can’t open the box in the store.

“So if I take it home and it turns out it’s not a power source issue, does that mean I can’t bring it back?” (This asked in a less-nice tone.)

Oh, yes. You can return it.

Deep sigh: “So, do I have the right adaptor?”

Looks like it.

There was nothing to do but pay for the thing in the white box and leave.

Turns out, the new purchase was the same shape, size, and color (white). But there was no cord attached. No cord to connect the power source to adaptor to computer. Apparently now you have to purchase the plug-in cord separately.

Isn’t that like buying an airline ticket, and then discovering you have to pay extra to have a seat inside the plane? And extra to use the restroom? But I digress.

A trip back to the electronics mega-store.

You have the wrong adaptor. 

The correct adaptor had a plug-in cord attached. But for the sake of my whining, it’s important to note this is the third adaptor since I’ve had this laptop. The machine came with one; I had to purchase a new one a little over a year ago; and now we’re on the third.

It wouldn’t be so bad if the adaptor cost say, $9.95.

But try $79.95.

My husband, Gary, worked on computers since the days when they filled entire air-conditioned rooms and had fewer brains than the oldest PC you’ve ever owned.

One of Hubby’s pet peeves was when I grumbled about upgrades when the old way worked just fine and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and why couldn’t these computer software creators be a little more logical and intuitive? Those kinds of complaints.

Where was he when I needed to whine about computer accessories and the rip-off technique of the people behind the fruit on the front cover?

Back to National Honesty Day. I really don’t think the founder intended it to be National Whining Day, no matter how authentically honest the complaint.

And actually, if we want to be honest, here’s the truth: Although I dealt with frustrating computer issues this week, I have much to not whine about:

Living in this beautiful central Oregon

A vehicle that starts every time I turn the key (well, except when I run the battery down, which happened only once since Hubby died, but it was his fault)

FaceTiming with some significantly extraordinary youngsters and teensters who call me grandma

Sitting in church this morning with no fear of being hauled off to prison

Knitted mismatched fingerless mitts finished (seriously therapeutic)

Chicken pot pie for lunch

Hiking alone multiple times this week — sound of Tumalo Creek rushing over large boulders, smell of pine, both legs working on dirt trail

Friends surrounding me on a trail yesterday: sunshine. gathering afterward at wildroots coffeehouse. chai tea. ginger molasses cookie. burbling chatter.

Dog-sitting this weekend, which meant some furry unconditional love (also seriously therapeutic)

Walking this dog along this creek in this sunshine

And that’s just this week.

Which begs the question: Is there anything you’re honestly grateful for on this National Honesty Day?

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