It takes two...

I want to give my wife tons of credit for helping me set up my new wireless printer-scanner-copier-fax machine. Of course I can't go wireless yet but everything else is on schedule. We'll get to the wireless function eventually.

The first chore needed four hands just to get the thing out of the box. The printer was packed so securely I couldn't get a grip on the solid Styrofoam sides. So we laid the box on its side and I tried to slide it out while my wife held the carton steady. It was tough going but we finally got it out.

Then the fun started. I removed my old fax machine and my old printer from my desk top. Remember, I had two separate units and each had its own set of cables for power and connectivity to the PC.

All the cables were snaked behind my desk unit which fits snugly into a corner of our kitchen. They were plugged into surge protectors on the floor. Unplugging the cables was easy. Getting them out from behind the unit was another matter.

First the male end of one power cord became stuck in a corner and wouldn't budge. That's when my wife, after watching me struggle unsuccessfully to loosen it, came up with a brilliant idea. Move the unit away from the wall, dummy. Done and done.

Next: I detached the old fax phone line so it could be replaced by the new one. Same problem. One end of the phone cord gets stuck in a corner of the desk as I'm trying to pull it through. After careful thought, I moved the desk and the cord came out. Who said I was a slow learner?

Well, I've printed but haven't scanned, copied or faxed yet. I'm taking it slow.

Muddling through.