Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Geek out

We all know the Darling Geek is, well, a geek. Me, on the other hand, not so much. DG can make stuff work and get computers to behave while I sit there and whine and cuss. (Yeah, I know how helpful that is.) He’s a technology expert, and I’m, at best, a dilettante.

We do live a pretty technological existence—HD, TiVO, and a bunch of other letters that mean nothing to me—but when it comes to who owns the most technology, I seem to win.

DG’s computer could run the space station while tap dancing and never miss a turn in Quake Wars and still have plenty of unused hard drive space. (I think mine could at least launch a space shuttle since it’s made of hand-me-down parts from DG’s old computers.) His monitor is bigger than some TVs and he has this fancy headset he uses to talk to folks thousands of miles away while he plays games. It’s a miracle of modern technology.

With his love of all things geeky, you’d think he’d have a whole collection of electronic gadgets. Not so much.

I— the lit-lovin’, ballet dancin’, book writer-- seem to have more gadgets than the geek. Let’s see, there’s a PDA with folding keyboard, digital voice recorder, AlphaSmart, MP3 player complete with the whizgig that lets it play through my car stereo, noise blocking headphones, laptop, and teeny-tiny digital camera. I’m eyeballing an iPod for my birthday and have dropped hints about a wireless mouse for my laptop.

And DG, let’s see. He has a computer, and a cell phone, and... hmm, that’s about it. I think it embarrasses him sometimes to have a wife with more gadgets.

But he likes buying me gadgets (for the most part. He thought the Alphie was evil, but got me one anyway.). Some men buy their wives lingerie; mine buys me electronic toys. And while I love all my gadgetry, I think it bothers him that I don’t use them all to their maximum potential. Heck, I’m doing good to get the photos off my camera and onto my hard drive.

The downside to living with a techno-geek is that I’m lazy. If my computer merely stutters, I call DG. I have no idea how to update/upload/install anything. I just recently learned how to copy a CD. If something doesn’t work, I leave the room until DG tells me it’s safe to return. So while the rest of the world has learned (if unwillingly) to deal with the small problems of high-tech life, I remain stunningly ignorant.

I can never leave DG. I’d have to start paying for IT support. And I can bet they won’t let me call them on my cell phone from the bedroom and they’ll be there in two minutes to fix the problem. (One time, when I was in grad school, DG left work to come home and try to rescue a file I’d mistakenly closed without saving.) And I know they won’t come because the DVD player isn’t working right or the Favorites List on the TiVo needs to be updated.

I have a t-shirt that says “I (heart) my geek.” And I do. In so many ways.

Now, how does one get music on to one of those iPod thingys...

PC

I seem to have multiple themes going on today. We can talk about cool gadgetry, or you can tell me what expertise your Darling has that makes your life easier. Up to you. My favorite comment of the day will get a nifty book light and a book—to cover both bases of technology and love.

19 comments:

amy kennedy said...

Hey Problem Child, while my husband is not a computer whiz, he is a whiz at most other things low voltage: TV, DVD, etc., plus he was a carpenter and he knows how to fix cars. Think of all the people I'd have to hire if we were no longer together.

But the best thing is he knows when to call in the pros. Thank you God.

Stacy S said...

It sounds like your DG is a great guy. I have my dh info all wrote down for him when he gets on the computer but he still calls every time if I'm not here. I just got a new laptop about a month ago & I still use my old one. I've never had to switch everything over, my "geeky" cousin did it for me. But he's moved away now. My dh is great with cars. If I could just get him to work on my stuff a little faster!!

Playground Monitor said...

My DH is the whiz of all things financial. He can balance a checkbook with his eyes closed and one hand tied behind his back. I, OTOH, don't know a debit from a credit, but I have learned how to go into Microsoft Money and take care of my bank transactions after he downloads them. (pats self on back)

He's also the tax whiz. I keep all my records for writing expenses and answer a few questions for him and voila! My Schedule C is done.

Hope you get the wireless mouse for your birthday. I love mine! The cat gave it to me for my birthday to go with the new laptop. :grin:

PM

Anonymous said...

My guy is a wonderful geek too! i once called him at 2am because my laptop froze and i hadn't saved about four hours of coursework, and my other two peices of coursework hadn't been backed up. bless him he told me what to do even though he could barely understand me through my sobs. =D i wouldn't know what to do with myself if i didnt have him.

Anonymous said...

Wow...i have no geek. I have a husband. He cooks well, though very occasionally, he does do some cleaning, though once in a while. He can run a multi-million dollar business for a corporation, but can't remember if he took money out of the ATM on Thursday. He can't fix cars, and i've a hole in the bathroom wall that's been there since last year.

And technologically advanced? Nope. I'm the one he calls when he can't figure out why the computer won't work faster.

I want one of yours.

Nini

Rhonda Nelson said...

Mine is good for opening jars, lifting heavy objects, killing spiders and he definitely gets an A in the kid department. Techno stuff...not so much. But I'll keep him. :-)

Kammie said...

I have an iPod filled with music, but I've never loaded any music into it or purchased a song. My husband does all that for me. I just let him know what song I want and he goes and gets it. Anything technical goes his way. PC, TV, cell phone, etc. I suppose if I worked at it, I could probably learn how to fix it or operate it, but then I wouldn't have time to blog browse and visit here. lol He doesn't seem to mind helping.

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

DB is a geek, but he's more of an old school geek - multi-player playstation games and iPods aren't quite on his radar (or mine) - he's more into good old Atari systems. He knows all about computers and televisions and setting up surround sound systems. He's even good with electrical stuff like wiring outlets. He even fixed our garage door opener. Yay! He's good at killing the offending critter, lifting heavy stuff and always insists on bringing in the groceries for me.

I've been pondering an iPod, but then I think - WHY? Gonna wear it while I run? (snort)

Anonymous said...

I have serious DG envy. Mine knows just enough to be dangerous while I know nothing. We are a pitiful pair.

Angel said...

My hubby is a wonder with my iPOD (which he got me hooked on), the DVD player and television. He's moved a lot of furniture this year and he's always willing to help with the kids.

He's more often the problem with the computer than the solution. He's constantly downloading stuff onto it that drives me crazy. If I have computer problems, I borrow SP or PC's geeks.

And don't even get me started on the cars...

Angel

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

My DH is pretty good with electronics, not to DG's standards but enough to fix what goes wrong eventually. However, ask him why a spray paint can is cold or what the chemical make-up of Tylenol is and he can rattle the answer off without thought. And he cooks (wonderfully) and cleans so I'm definitely keeping him.

Instigator

ruth said...

My DH is the handyman whose skills are diverse. Thank goodness. No matter what seems to break down, needs installing, major or minor he is there and capable of repairing and upgrading. Furnaces, faucets, cars. I just have to wait for him to be available.

Nature Nut /JJ Loch said...

My hubby is a hunky geek too. :D

Yesterday my modem fried and I waited for my knight to come to the rescue. :D
I loooove this blog and that I'm on the internet again.:D

Hugs, JJ

Lynn Raye Harris said...

My DH is a geek too, but not a hard core geek. He can fix computer issues, but not major ones. He's a computer security guy in his day job, not a programmer, so there is a limit. :) But he loves gadgets and he pulls me into his evil whirlpool of technology. Now, I want a 160GB iPod classic. I want to watch TV and listen to music. My 4GB Nano just isn't cutting it anymore, especially since I accidentally deleted my playlist on Friday. There was no fix for that, unfortunately. :( 700+ songs, 4 days worth of work -- all gone because I got delete button happy. :(

DH can't fix a car, and he can't cook. He can grill, though. Oh, and he can hook up a multitude of wires and gizmos to make the coolest home theater ever. He's not afraid to ask for directions and he pretty much lets me do whatever I want. I'll definitely keep him. :)

catslady said...

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could combine all these great skills into all our guys lol. My sister and I are constantly wishing we could do that with our husbands - hers won't spend money and mine can't stop, hers never leaves the house and mine is always out, mine fixes every thing (horray) and hers doesn't, etc.

Mine has a mechanical flair with cars and appliances and most things that need done around the house - of course he has to be in the mood to do it but once he does, he's good, really good lol.

catslady said...

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could combine all these great skills into all our guys lol. My sister and I are constantly wishing we could do that with our husbands - hers won't spend money and mine can't stop, hers never leaves the house and mine is always out, mine fixes every thing - horray - and hers doesn't, etc.

Mine has a mechanical flair with cars and appliances and most things that need done around the house - of course he has to be in the mood to do it but once he does, he's good, really good lol.

Katherine Bone said...

Oh, ladies! All your DH's sound great!

My DH can fix cars, fix electrical stuff in the house, he gardens, he cooks and cleans (but would rather me do it and often), and he's great with computer stuff. He downloads music for my IPOD shuffle, tapes my favorite shows, helped make some beautiful kids!, has taken great care of me and works hard.

I get irritated at him sometimes but I'll keep him. :-)

Kathy

Barbara Vey said...

No hubby here, but my wonderful sons more than make up for it. When I started blogging, my oldest sent me a laptop and I love it.

Last Christmas he gave me an iPod, but since I had no clue, my #2 son came over and showed me how to download audio books (which I prefer over music).

I love my geeky guys.

Anonymous said...

sounds nice wish i had a dh.

kim h