Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Day 154

Once again I got the dreaded "Service Required - 0001001B" message when I turned on the printer this morning. This message basically means that the print head needs to be replaced, which is definitely not a do it yourself job on the Epson 4000. So far, I've been able to make this message go away by turning the printer on and off again a bunch of times. The "Service Required" message is appearing more frequently now though, and I'm afraid the printer is on it's last legs. I used to be able to justify the cost of a large format printer for the business, since some of my retail clients would use me to make their window display posters. Now, they can buy big prints on the Internet for less than I pay for ink and paper. I haven't had a client ask for a large print in several years, but the printer still makes beautiful posters for Dalmatian Rescue events when it's working.

If my clients weren't buying cheap stock photography on the Internet and even cheaper web design templates on the Internet, I could afford to upgrade my failing equipment at regular intervals. With budgets continuing to shrink, I'm forced to nurse and baby my old machines until that once in a blue moon "big job" comes along. I don't think I ever realized how easy I had it ten years ago. Times have definitely changed. Now I feel like a small mom and pop business after a big Walmart moves into town.

Whenever I'm defeated by technology, I go do something simple instead. I mow the grass. After I mowed the grass in the front yard this afternoon, I realized that one of the reasons the grass still wasn't growing well in the back yard was because I still hadn't raked all the winter leaves away. So I raked and mowed and then got the leaf blower out and blew the remaining leaves into the alley behind the house. The yard looks much better now. I didn't used to have to do anything about the leaves, because the wind eventually blew them all away. Now that all the neighbors are all building these tall wood privacy fences, the leaves seem to stay trapped in the yard forever.

Dash must have eaten something rotten again. He keeps scratching at the back door and when I let him out, all he does is eat grass. It's going to be a long night.

Dalmatian of the Day

    Watch of the Day