Yesterday I was convinced that I had failed as a woman of the 90's. All the worse considering it's 2005.
I went and bought The Sims Unleashed, because I decided I just had to have pets and gardens and I couldn't wait any longer.
The Sims, as a programme, has hundreds of problems from installation to game play. You might think it irresponsible of a major game company to release a game full of bugs, but it still manages to be one of the top grossing games of all time. From my own point of view, I guess yes, it has loads of problems, but then, the things it does do, it does pretty dang well, all things considered.
Having installed previous Sims expansions, I was prepared for things not to go as planned. I assumed the game would not install the first time, I assumed I would lose anything I had begun, and I assumed that the manual would be of little help to me.
However, I was surprised to discover that the thing installed correctly, and it didn't lose anything, and it worked just the way it was supposed to. Until I tried to play it, and whatever hopes I had crashed just like the game.
I could not work out what had gone wrong. The helpful guides at both Maxis and Electronic Arts said, "eh, it must be your problem, you work it out." I looked at memory, I shut down background programmes, downloaded some things I think I may have already had, nothing worked.
I gave up and figured I would get a start on the curtains for the apartment. Since we're in the basement by the door, if the blinds are up anyone who walks past can see everything. Not being totally adverse to the sun and it's rays (though considering the amount of time I spend on the computer you might think that), I went out and bought some material.
Everything was going fine until I got out the elderly (circa. 1960's) sewing machine I inherited from my grandmother (indirectly- my mother had it for a long time and she gave it to me). I had never used it, but I am familiar with various makes and models of sewing machines and figured there could be no problem.
It's a Singer Touch and Sew, and it won't. The bobbin thread wraps itself up in the mechanism and sucks the fabric down into the throat plate. Seven times it did this and I had not sewed a single useful stitch. Frustrated, I took the blasted machine apart to see if it needed cleaning. Taking it apart by the step-by-step instructions, I found that it was OK, and then tried to put it back together. Which it refused, repeatedly.
I admit it, the sewing machine made me cry. I was willing to allow that I was no equal to Jimmy Neutron computer genius, but I figured I could at least manage June Cleaver. You never see her ask Ward to put the pieces back in her sewing machine.
So, like my pride and my domestic abilities, the sewing machine sits in pieces in the corner.
I went back to the computer. As long as torture is inevitable, I may as well be able to pick the method. I decided the only thing left to do was uninstall everything and reinstall it, to perhaps trick the machine into thinking that it did, indeed, work.
Success, though I do not know exactly how or why. I have no idea if it was due to the reinstall, or to the list of other things I did before the reinstall. I sincerely hope it was a combination, because if I spent four hours fiddling with things when all I had to do was take it off and put it on again...
Anyway, The Sims and I have made up, and if you'll excuse me, I know a little pixelated boy who badly needs a puppy.