When not to go in for radiation

[annathepiper]

Yesterday when I went in for zappy, there was a bit of oddness: the usual finagling of placing me just right on the couch and such took longer and had a false start. Tech Ashley told me that the couch setting was supposed to be 185, only the system kept waffling between 186 and 184.(random number), presumably until she whacked it in the head and got it stabilized. They were still able to successfully zap me last night.

Which is an interesting thing to remember in conjunction with how Tech Chris called my cell this afternoon with the news that their machines were on the fritz, and they were contacting all the people who had afternoon appointments lined up. He wanted to touch bases with me especially, he said, because he knew I took the bus to get over there and didn't want me to take the bus all the way there for nothing.

"Okay," I said, since it was around 3pm by then and I've been leaving work around 10 to 4, "is there an ETA on when they'll be back online?"

No, said Tech Chris. It could be two minutes, it could be hours.

"Okay," I said, "let's just cancel tonight and I'll see you all tomorrow evening."

Because, yeah, if the machines which are shooting radiation at me are broken, I'll stand way over here until you guys get those fixed. Yep. Way, way over here.

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Aw jeez, *again*? *sigh*

[neutronjockey.livejournal.com]

presumably until she whacked it in the head and got it stabilized.

As a professional troubleshooter we refer to that as "mechanical agitation."

[annathepiper]

Well, to be fair, they weren't actually broken when they'd not had me come in that day before--they were upgrading! This is the first time they've apparently actually been broken, and Chris was saying that this doesn't happen to them often.

But this does mean my last zappy day will now be the 25th, which is a bit of a drag.

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

What, they ran out of atoms or something? We could lend them some, we have lots of spares up here -- hard currencies only, please. ^_^

[annathepiper]

*snicker* They didn't explain the actual cause of the breakdown, but I'm pretty sure it's not an atom shortage. ;)

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

I can't believe how picky you are! ;-)

[annathepiper]

Har! I should think it'd be "manual de-agitation". ;)

[annathepiper]

Hey, I figure one of two things will happen: 1) I'll get radiation-induced superpowers, or 2) I'll get radiation-induced supervillain powers, and solarbird's supposed to be the supervillain in the house!

[cheryl-f.livejournal.com]

the system kept waffling between 186 and 184.(random number), presumably until she whacked it in the head and got it stabilized

Now wait. Whacked it? The scientific term must be something with 4 or 5 multi-syllabic words to explain the action and the associated price tag.

Stay way out of range until the tech is willing to use it on his-self. No broken radiating machines, please and thank you.

[gerimaple.livejournal.com]

i thought it was "percussive maintenance". At least that's what we call it around here ;)

[desperance.livejournal.com]

*joins you on that side of the room*

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

Oh, the superpowers are more subtle than that; you already have them, the radiation just changes their colour or something.

[wildshadowstar.livejournal.com]

I should have lent you Scotty as well as Bones.

[howlinhobbit.livejournal.com]

Yep. "Percussive maintenance" is the term I've always heard, too. Works on all manner of contraptions.

My first car was a 1968 Rambler American. At one point in its life the starter would hiccup and refuse to start the dang engine. If I got out of the car and whacked the side of it with the heel of my shoe (errm... I'd remove the shoe for this process) I could get back in and start the car.

Another triumph of science, y'know?

[annathepiper]

Har! Then I could come home from zappy at WARP SPEED! ;)

(I'm very much in TOS-mode after we got Dara the remastered Season 1 DVDs. Going to watch some more this weekend!)

[wildshadowstar.livejournal.com]

That, and you'd have a more reliable engineer who had the right tool for the right job and things wouldn't go bonkers at inappropriate times.

[annathepiper]

Oh, they have the right tool for the right job. However, I'm dubious about their engineers. They had to do the extra finagling again last night getting me set up. I was still successfully zapped, but. o.O

But yeah, Scotty could fix this problem right up!

[annathepiper]

Hee, the mental image of you kicking the car is pretty funny nonetheless. ;)

I always flash back to The Empire Strikes Back when it comes to the best examples of percussive maintenance ever. I still <3 Han Solo whacking the control panel of the Falcon!

[annathepiper]

I'll have to see if I can figure out what setting the machine is supposed to be on to give me the superpower of "write faster". ;)

[annathepiper]

Hee, they have apparently gotten the problem dealt with; no further issues in the last couple of days. Let's hope it stays that way!

[annathepiper]

Heh, I never had a proper name for it, I think, but that's what I get for my main referent for it being "Han Solo smacking the control panel of the Millennium Falcon". ^_^ </geek>

[annathepiper]

*snicker* And I, not being trained in radiology, can be clearly noted as a layperson by not using the correct polysyllabic word which essentially means "we whacked it".

Anyway, fortunately, they seem to have gotten the problem worked out. No further issues the last couple of zappings.