Gadget Girl (with Attitude)

When DMc and I got married, I thought to myself, “A bonus to this Nerdy Fairy Tale is that he’s an enterprise systems engineer, so I’ll never have to do family computer tech support again!” The Universe probably LOL-ed, but I wasn’t listening. I was too busy shelving my computer hardware toolkit and Windows XP CDs.

Fast forward a dozen-ish years, and I’m not just Windows Computer Tech Support. Oh, no. I provide both remote and onsite Tech Support for my family, his family, and…him. It took me a few years before I caught on, but by then it was far too late. DMc had successfully triggered my natural competitiveness and general technical knack for learning so masterfully that if it’s got a processor at all, I’m responsible for it. I currently provide regular “brain” support for:

3 Windows 10 Computers
1 Apple iMac
1 Apple MacBook Air
5 Apple iPads (varying from IOS 9 – 13.3)
3 Apple iPhones
2 Android Phones
2 Kindle e-Readers
1 Smart TV
1 Roku Stick
1 Nest Thermostat
1 Programmable Cat Feeder
1 Programmable Coffee Maker
2 Programmable Slow Cookers
1 Zodiac Pool Pump System
1 Ford Truck
1 Jeep SUV
…. and probably several other things I’m not remembering right now. You get the idea.

We have my Mom and DMc’s folks on Apple devices. A few years ago, we shifted his folks out of Windows compute devices and into an iMac after what I will simply refer to as “the security incident.” My Mom was never into computers, so an iPad was a natural fit for her. My Dad is still a full-on Windows Computer guy, but he’s the most technically savvy of them all, so that’s pretty low-maintenance overall from my side. Case in point today via text messages:

TMc: Dad, there’s a big Windows 10 vulnerability out in the news today. Please pull down the updates and patch all Win10 devices at your house.
Dad: OK, thanks.

There are rarely big problems in my familial tech support realm. The only thing is that sometimes…not that often, mind you…DMc morphs into my most high-maintenance End-User of them ALL. I think it may be because he avoids anything but his iPad during leisure time, as he has to deal with thousands of servers, networks, users, apps, and the whole hot mess during regular business hours and then on-call for 2 weeks a month. Fair enough. That does not, however, mean I’m taking attitude from him over tech support. Nuh-uh. Nope.

DMc: *gets cranky with me because a home endpoint compute device he almost never uses is not set up to his personal preferences*
TMc: You know, you’re a pretty pissy, inappropriately demanding End-User. I’d totally let you sit and spin if you didn’t always clean the bathrooms and mop the floors. As it is, I’m contemplating letting you provide all the various cross-country parental unit device tech support in 2020.
DMc: *GASPS* Hang on, now, just hang on! There’s no need to deploy the nuclear option!
TMc: Just mind your P’s and Q’s, mister. Mind how you go.