#24: Computers. A necessary evil.

Computers. They're fascinating really. And they are quite necessary as a student. However, computers also cause a lot of stress. My freshman year of college, I found it necessary to obtain one. However, we didn't see the need of getting me a laptop that would only be outdated in a few months, so I decided that renting a computer would be a good choice for me that year. The awesome thing was, the place to rent them happened to be located just across the street from my dorm. So I figured, hey, I'll just walk across, have them box me my rental computer up, and I can carry it home no problem.


Mistake #1: Never assume anything.


I went across the street on a convenient day and walked in the building that indicated its rental services. I found myself in dark empty halls, and wondered where the heck I was. Following signs I went down some stairs, down another sketchy hall, at the very end of which was my destination: a little room filled with computers and a couple of employees.
    I informed them of my need, paid for it, and then the one guy asked, "Do you have a car?"
    "Nooo....."
    "Hmmm...."
They then pulled out a beige library cart looking thing and proceeded to pile unidentifiable tangles of wires and various Dell computer parts onto it. I guess a box would have just made too much sense. As collateral to get the cart back, I had to give them my BYU ID card, and they sent me on my way out the back door so that I wouldn't have to trudge up the stairs with my new cargo.


Mistake #2: It is a good idea to call a friend/relative who owns a car when large objects are involved. (A year later I apparently hadn't learned this lesson...see Chronicle #3: The Cake Crossing.)


     I barely made it down some makeshift wooden ramp out the door, pushing my load along. I began to cross the parking lot when I reached a rather large obstacle. Apparently someone thought it would be a great idea to stretch an enormous black pipe the circumference of monster truck tires across the parking lot. There was no way in heck I'd be able to lift the cart over it without disaster.
     I was about to turn around and take the long way, when one of the workers came out to rescue me. He had me hold the monitor while he lifted the cart over the pipe. Unfortunately, when he lifted the cart over, one of the wheels of the cart completely fell off. Fantastic. Now, instead of saying, "Oh, that might be a problem--let's get you a new cart", the guy just wiggled the wheel loosely back into its spot, and sent me on my merry way to finish my journey to my dorm.
     I finished crossing the parking lot and reached the street corner, where I waited to cross, trying to ignore the many cars that were passing by. When the red hand switched to the white walking man signal, I began to push my cart down where the sidewalk levels with the street. That is when that sneaky little wheel decided to make another escape for it, and completely popped off again. Only this time, there was no one to help me, and I was neither tall enough nor strong enough to balance my now three-wheeled cart overflowing with computer parts and simultaneously put the wheel back into its place. So, I set the wheel next the monitor, and began to proceed with a gimpy library cart across the street.
     I jiggled my way to other side, and proceeded down the sidewalk that led to my resident hall, all the while trying to balance this 3-wheeled monster, and catching pieces of my comp that kept falling off. Somewhere on that stretch I believe my mousepad made a successful getaway, as that was the last time I saw it. I vividly remember the lawnmower man passing me in his riding lawnmower and me feeling extremely ridiculous.
  I finally made it to my dorm. Fortunately, I lived in the last room on the back of the building, where a door was placed. I dug through my pockets to get my ID card to swipe myself into the building. Then I remembered. My ID card was with the computer guys so that I would return their ghetto cart. I heaved a long sigh, and pushed my way to the front entrance, which did not require ID access. I prayed that no one would be in the front lobby to watch my circus act, and fortunately no one was. I arrived at my hall, and with some difficulty managed to prop the heavy door open and get my crippled cart through it. I'm still not sure how I managed that one.
  I made it down the hall successfully and arrived at my room, did another balancing act of opening the door and getting my computer through it, and like a student that just finished a 10-page paper, breathed a victory sigh. My face was red from a mix of embarrassment and physical exertion, and I leaned against my risen bed to catch a breath. Then, the cart, with no one to keep it steady, in slow motion, fell onto its wheelless side... and the computer and monitor began to slide off to an imminent death. With cheetah-like reflexes I grabbed the cart and in the nick of time, prevented my rental from completely crashing to the floor. I immediately placed everything onto my desk, where they could not make any more escape or suicide attempts.
    Now completely cherry-faced, I resorted to my quickest therapy--bubbles. I pulled out my bubble bottle and blew them until I felt like I could return the stupid satanic cart back to its owners. When I got the cart back (after carrying it down the stairs and through the creepy halls), I made the cart/card exchange and informed them that their cart was busted.
    In badly timed humor, they cried, "You broke our cart????"
    I wanted to kill them.