It was 12 noon at the library where I work. Our library often has a lunch rush, as patrons pop in to pick up their requested books and other items during their lunch break.
On this particular day, 12 noon was when the 2024/2025 online registration opened for my younger daughter's before-school child-care program. We were only midway through the current school year (it was January, after all), but I needed to sign Anna up for the fall.
At that moment, I was working at the circulation desk, near the front doors of the library. I could get up and go to my desk in the staff workroom, out of public view...but the online registration would only take a minute, right?
On my computer, I minimized the screen for the library's workflow system, and opened up a new tab with the website for the child-care program. I scrolled down, found the button for the 2024/2025 registration. Clicked the button, began filling out the form.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an older gentleman carrying a stack of large-print Clive Cussler novels begin to approach me. I glanced to my left, where my co-worker (who knew I needed a minute) kindly nodded, then waved the patron over to her.
Quickly, I re-checked all the info I had entered on Anna's registration form. Everything looked accurate. Whew.
At the bottom of the form was a captcha fill-in-the-blank. "Please verify you are not a robot," the captcha instructed.
Dutifully, I typed the motley crew of characters into the box. Made sure I got all the letters uppercase and lowercase where needed. Squinted hard to confirm that the the vertical line was indeed a lowercase "l" and not the number "1."
Finally clicked "Submit."
Instead of submitting, a new captcha appeared on the screen, with the same message: "Please verify you are not a robot."
What? I just did that!
"Hey, Melissa." Another co-worker joined us at the circulation desk, to assist with the lunch rush.
I cringe-smiled. "Hey, David. I'm so sorry, I just need to finish something for one of my kids..."
"Oh, sure, sure." And as another patron approached, this time wanting to check out a children's museum pass and American Girl Doll, David helped her at the computer next to mine.
Ugh. I prided myself on being a co-worker others could count on. I hastened to type in the new captcha: "HxChX." I double-checked, even triple-checked the combination of uppercase and lowercase letters...clicked "submit," again.
"ERROR," the screen responded.
I groaned.
This was taking a lot longer than I'd thought, and I hadn't even registered Anna for the child-care program yet...which I very much needed to do.
"I'll be right back, David," I said, dashing to the staff workroom. There I found Mandy, one of the kindest, most patient and most technologically savvy people I know. "Help!"
Together, Mandy and I tried to submit the registration through my phone. At the end of the phone-based registration, a new direction appeared: "Select all the boxes with school buses."
Ah, another mode of automated-security-measure, photo-based fun.
Select, select, select. I definitely got all the school buses; Mandy nodded her agreement. Submit.
"Please verify you are not a robot," my phone replied, presenting me with my third or fourth captcha in 30 minutes.
I almost banged my head on Mandy's desk. "I am not a robot!"
Ah, another mode of automated-security-measure, photo-based fun.
Ultimately, I did succeed at registering Anna for the before-school child-care program. It took a few emails, one frantic phone call and a final stab at the online registration form, but in the end...success.
Technical difficulties, though. There's never gone for too long, amirite? I ran into another e-issue yesterday, and Anna, who's 9, helped me figure it out.
As you may remember, friends, I'm the secretary of Anna's elementary school PTA. (Trust me, I'm not bragging about this—simply stating a fact. 😉 )
Yesterday, my fellow PTA board members asked me to share a flyer via our mass email platform, plus community Facebook page. Of course, I told them.
I couldn't upload this flyer to either Mailchimp or Facebook, however.
Anna saw me struggling. "When was the last time you restarted your computer, Mom?"
"Umm..." I rarely turn off my computer, let alone restart it.
"Restart your computer, Mom," Anna suggested. "That always works for me."
As I restarted my computer, a pop-up message alerted me: "Urgent updates needed. Updating now."
Anna made herself comfortable on my lap. "Urgent updates needed," she read aloud. "Good thing you're doing this, Mom."
I sighed. "Yep."
Anna pointed to the screen. "Look, Mom. You're at 0%." She tilted her head up, looked at me. "It's probably going to take a while to get all the way up to 100% updated."
You're at 0%... Going to take a while... Mm-hmm, that sounded about right.
These past few weeks have been some of my busiest as PTA secretary. Our PTA hosted a variety of events, from a Scholastic Book Fair to Math and Science Night to Popcorn Friday, and is planning for a bunch more come spring: a science fair, Bike & Roll to School Day, an art-based fundraiser/bake sale.
We need volunteers to help staff all these events, as you probably can imagine. Thus, I emailed out multiple SignUpGenius links, inviting/asking/begging fellow parents to sign up for a one- or two-hour time slot.
Every now and then, I checked the SignUpGenius links. "Slots still available," all the links told me.
Sigh. What kind of de facto volunteer coordinator would I be if I didn't show up myself?
I clicked a "Sign Up" book fair slot. Entered my name.
I clicked a "Sign Up" Math and Science Night slot. Entered my name, again. Ooh, hold up...that slot is to run Math and Science Night. Agh. I'm not the best math and science person, so...
In the optional comment box, I added this note: "My older daughter (Grace, 6th grade) will help me run this!"
I do love both my daughters' schools, and I do want to support them (the schools, and the girls). I genuinely loved being able to volunteer with the book fair, and Math and Science Night.
Afterward, I did feel a little worn down, though.
This past weekend, for the first time in many weekends, Stanton, the girls and I had nothing scheduled. Nothing we had to do.
I so appreciated sleeping in on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. Both mornings, Stanton made me scrambled eggs and bacon.
Stanton's known me a very long time now, and he knows this is true: All he needs to do to make me happy is feed me. That is it, friends. Just feed me (and let me sleep in).
After eating well, and sleeping in, I'm beginning to feel recharged.
I'm not quite up to 100 percent, but I'm definitely higher than 0.
Photo credit: Pixabay
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