Lay off, Mrs. C.! After all… I’m on your side!
Blankety Blank Blinkin’ Light
The little internet light on my modem blinks furiously most of the time. And most of the time I have an internet connection. But it’s the other part, perhaps the nano-seconds between blinks, that is giving me grief.
I’ve been downloading (or trying to) the possible cover photos for my new ghost story book. For days. Each file is large — anywhere from 15 to 35 megabytes so my choices for getting them to the publisher come down to using a flash drive or a drop box. I’ve had good luck with drop boxes before and they seem more secure than trusting a flash drive to the vagaries of mail (sorry Mark S.) to South Carolina.
A Story for Mrs. C.
I began uploading my top choices for the front cover on Friday. There were seven photographs and it took about twelve hours for them all to upload but, fortunately, only an instant to then share with my editor. She liked one in particular and asked if I could send a few other versions. No problem, I thought. She also suggested that a few of them might be good images for the back cover, as well. I hadn’t been thinking beyond “front,” and when I did, I realized I had better choices than those already sent.
So it was that Saturday evening I began the process of uploading eight more very large photographic files. I worked on it all day yesterday. One by one they “almost” uploaded and then there was a “connectivity failure.” Over and over and over again. Maddening! I finally got seven loaded and got a message that the box drop was full. I needed to upgrade the drop box size. For money, of course. Whatever…
The Haunted America Series – 294 Titles (so far)
Then… home free! Or so I thought, but try as I might, I could not “share’ the images with my editor. I emailed my distress and she, somehow, accessed them from her end. That left one more image that, fortunately, was just under the size limit so I sent it as an email attachment. The first attempt failed but after loud raging at CenturyLink and a serious talk with Mrs. C., it went the second time.
Howinthehell will I send the 60 equally large files for the book, itself? Fortunately, I have a week or so to think about it. Meanwhile, I am reading aloud to Mrs. C. It’s the chapter about her earthly husband, the unrighteous Reverend Crouch. I hope she likes it. I believe I’ll need her help to get this show on the road.
Sounds like you have maxed out your DSL. Cable internet is mostly better if you can get it. Cable does slow down if too many people (like a party line are using it for a long time. Are you sure your computer didn’t sleep I used to crash Publisher documents all the time. First generation. You are sure that your publisher really needs files that big ? No doubt you have thought about that. Maybe someone with cable internet could do it for you ?
Thanks for your input, Gale. I’m not sure of much except that even our CenturyLink technician says that we are in a world of hurt in this area — too rural, too small a population (14 in “greater downtown Oysterville) etc. etc. And yes, I’m sure the editor needs the big files. In fact, shortly after I posted my blog, she asked if I could send one of the photos scanned at 1200 dpi. It was 152.5 MB but went fine because it was the only one and it happened to be a smooth period for our internet service. I’m sure I’ll find a way, even if it’s uploading only a few files at a time… As for CABLE — it does not come past Joe John’s Road. Same problem. Not enough population at the North End. I’m sure I’ll get through it all — I’ve certainly managed with all my other books. I guess it just helps to unload occasionally! Sorry!
can you put things on a cd or thumb drive and just mail it in.
Yes, I can. But it takes a lot longer and sometimes instant feedback is better when deadlines are involved. Even with all this shilly-shallying, I think we saved three or four days over what mailing a thumb drive would take. I think the Pandemic further complicates matters because no one is working “at the office” but for security reasons etc. things get mailed there and then have to be re-distributed. Anyway, so far so good. It’s just a pain in the proverbial tush.
I meant to tell you, Mary, that you looked terrific in the video. I couldn’t figure out exactly why — maybe you’ve lost weight; your hair is definitely longer; I don’t know what else. But, whatever it is, you look greaT!
Sydney
Cuzzin Sydney, I’m wondering if it might rather be the “Ghost of Phony Reverend Josiah Crouch” that might be throwing the monkey wrench into your efforts in your latest ghost story book? That makes sense as you are on Mrs. Crouch’s side!
YIKES, Cuzzin Ralph. What a thought.
Maybe… But I don’t really choose to give Mr. Crouch ghost status — not around here, anyway. I think he stays away from this area completely knowing how we feel about him. Even an inkling and I would break out the black salt and smudging herbs in a nano-second. Plus, I think Mrs. C. would move on if the unrighteous rev showed up, and that would be very sad, indeed.
But when all was said and done, our internet problems seemed to be fixed and yesterday I was able to upload 60 large-file photos. Today I downloaded them to my editor. She now has them and the next round of concern begins… hopefully without interference by either Mr. or Mrs. C. — or any of the others who show up in the book! (And there are some real bad-asses in this book, believe me!) Stay tuned.