Cables and Cords

Even though retirement paperwork is on my mind, I am not going to talk about it. I want to stay sane and it is enough to start me screaming. I have my new passport. Perhaps I should claim that as victory and move on?

Otherwise I will need to be frustrated – I can’t do a “European out” because, on paper, I am assigned to the US. Never mind I haven’t been officially working in the US since summer of 1993 – that is what the paper says. So I need the paper changed, but no one seems to be empowered to make that happen.

Argh! less than 40 days, but who is counting?

So that takes me back to cables. And cords, can’t forget the cords. To get you oriented, please remember that I have been living in Europe for a while – that is two round prongs and 240V. Except for when I was living in the UK which is three flat prongs, but still 240v (or is it 220? never mind). Unfortunately, the various back up drives I have purchased over the years seem to have come with 110 plugs (those two skinny parallel flat prongs?) which means I need to find adapters.

Or a different cord. None of which seem to be marked with amps so I know what can be substituted. This might seem like a small thing, but I have bags and backpacks of cords and cables. Everything seems to come with a cable; each unique. iPods are not the same as Zunes or Sansas or Zens let alone let us talk about all the different connectors for cell phones and PDAs which seem to have been mixed in over the years.

All of which leaves me to the two small, WD external hard drives sitting there glaring balefully at me. They, instead of a normal USB to 5 pin (hidden) mini plug just happen to have a “micro” plug on one end. So far I have been through three bags, two back packs and a fistful of strays that came back from downrange with me.

Now, since I have the two nasty little black beasties – I know that I had the appropriate cables at some point. I haven’t given up yet – no, not me. You see – you can’t buy this kind of cable in isolation. For 19.95 I can buy a USB kit that will let me make such a cord, but not just the single cord. For that – I am 1/2 way to the cost of another little hard drive that also will scuttle its cord, just to make my life cheerful.

For the knitters – this is like needing a 3.25mm needle. You have 3.0 and 3.5 but the flipping pattern just has to call for a US size in the middle.

So back into the fray – trying to consolidate audiobooks, eBooks and TV shows so that I might actually know what I have.

Failing that – I suppose I could just wrap the cords and cables around someone’s neck till they re-do my paperwork the way I want? Oh, that is right – I am in Germany and the fools are in the US….

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9 Responses to Cables and Cords

  1. Mary Lou says:

    Good luck with the cables …

  2. Alison says:

    Good luck! Like my germs, I guess; time will solve a lot of it.

  3. Steve says:

    Cables…shoot…, I could have sent you boxes of the Euro plugs when I was working. Whatever we ordered came with a full set, that is, US, UK, Europe, and Oz…all different, and we had boxes and boxes of them neatly sorted out.
    Suggestion for ‘if you need to buy’, best place, best quality, least cost, check out http://www.cablestogo.com/ They have most any and everything. Their standard quality cables are just fine, no need to go to the top of the line, have never had one of their’s go south…, and they actually have sort routine that is customer friendly…not just cheap to $$, but LONG to SHORT as well when dealing with those kinds of cables.

  4. Carmen says:

    If you go buy that USB kit, the cords you are looking for will turn up instantly (but not sooner),

  5. RG says:

    You said cables and cords and I thought knitting cables and the cords on a circular needle. Surprise!

  6. April says:

    cases of cords and cables. It is by rights that we all own bags of cables, and cords, none of which ever go with anything that is cable or cordless. Their rightful piece of equipment has gone elsewhere, and they are alone, unless of course you still have the equipment in which case the cord has disappeared

  7. Bruce says:

    On the drive front…I had a drive cord chewed by my daughter’s puppy in Q8. I simply gave up on the drive.

    You have more fortitude than I do on that front.

  8. Diana says:

    do you need someone who is patient and can puzzle together your cable
    mess?

    I happen to be a lover of such challenges, and reading your annoyance
    makes me feel for you 🙂

    Yours sincerely, the things disentangler 😉

  9. Ann says:

    It sounds like you have enough cords and cable to reach from Germany to the US to do the job!!

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