Technical Difficulties... Please Stand By

So things aren't working out as I hoped in the technology department. I thought I'd be able to set up the laptop and printer and invoice loads as we deliver them. Turns out the converter we have isn't powerful enough to power the printer. So I couldn't print load confirmations, or load leads, or invoices. Totally shut down, there.

Then, the reason I bought the iPad was so we could look for loads and get and receive emails and send back signed confirmations. When I set it up for the 3G service, I only chose 250 mb of data, because you are supposed to be able to upgrade really easily, and I had no idea how much we would actually use. Well, I had used up all my internet by Albuquerque NM. After several tries that failed, I was unable to purchase more data. And guess what, the nifty little map app that I found so helpful doesn't work without Internet. Guess what else? I suck at old school map reading...

So there are a few technical details that need to be worked out. A new, more powerful converter to run things like printers and coffee pots. And I get to get on the phone with AT&T to get the data purchase figured out. And... No more using the iPad for social networking. I'll have to use the air card for that - or my phone. (ed. - turns out the bank had helpfully put a block on my account, since I was suddenly making charges hundreds of miles from home... Nice that they were trying to protect me, but open the account back up!)

Oh, and the worst thing? The charger for Collin's DVD player wore out, and he couldn't finish watching the Matrix Reloaded for the umpteenth time. I wasn't so crushed, but Collin was/is.  :(

Then there is the issue of space and the condition of roads out here. Our sleeper isn't big enough to get all my stuff set up in and leave it up, and even if I could, the roads are so bouncy that it would be hard to work. Typing would be hard, much less expecting a printer to work while being jounced this way and that. So we have to work out a solution where I get as much done as I can during stops - or better yet on weekends when I can work from home, or if we are stopped somewhere for longer than it takes to 'freshen up', get loaded, or fuel up.

So yeah, it doesn't look like we've got everything ironed out just yet.