This has been a day of mishaps in my pursuit of excellence in the Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Games. It all started when I decided I needed to take a nap first. I only wanted a short one but that didn't happen. I awoke at 5:30 p.m. to discover I was going to have to rush getting things done for the games, if I wanted to watch the Generations Projects on KBYU and then the Olympics tonight.
I could watch the Generations Project in my computer room over the internet. I don't have TV any more in there so that would require me to move to the living room and use the laptop at that point. I first tried to get KBYU to come up on the computer. My computer moans in protest. Is my son using all the bandwidth streaming videos I wonder? Well, I will just make do, so it lags, but I can listen. Then I try to bring my scanner up and my computer comes to almost a stand still.
Things are not looking good here. I think if I just reboot the computer maybe things will run better. I try my theory. I notice my mouse is frozen when it restarts. I try everything. Following cords, jiggling things around. Nothing. I keep rebooting to see if things will change. Nothing helps. I was now very worried over the state of my computer. Since I am a gold medalist in "Backup Up Your Data" I'm not worrying about what I will loose.
As I sat thinking things over I noticed how yucky my keyboard is. How long ago did I buy it? 10 plus years ago at least. Off-white shows so much dirt, maybe I should buy a black one. I am rotating the keyboard around at this point getting a good look at it. Wait a minute, what's this? I notice that my Alt key is compressed down. I jiggle it around, finally I use my trusty old nail file on it. Yes, success the key is free and moves well. I wonder if that's what causing the problems with my computer and mouse working?
I did a reboot and YES!!! My computer springs to life and I am up and running again. I see the time and I am going to miss the Ice Dancing Competition on the Olympics if I don't hurry. I forget about watching the last few minutes of the Generations Project and try to focus on scanning.
My goal was to scan the death certificates I obtained while on my visit to New York last summer. I had never really looked at them until now. There's only seven, darn I wish I had 13 more to finish off Task E in the Organize Your Research category. I have scanned many times before and this seems a piece of cake for me to execute the routine. Full color, 300 dpi, TIFF format, got it. It doesn't take long to finish scanning seven documents. Aaah, let me take a look. WHAT???? There is only one TIFF in my folder. Where did the rest go. I analysis my routine and for some reason when I am asked if I want to scan more and say yes, it writes over the previous image. I guess this feature only works when you are doing a PDF. Ok, I rescan all my documents again.
I then decide to put the original documents into sheet protectors to keep them safe. I still have to add the information from them into my database, source them, link images to my sources.... You kinda know the routine here. What a minute, let me LOOK at this info. My great-grandfather Weatherwax's death certificate gives a different name for his father than what I have. I have Andrew as the father and the death certificates gives Anthony. I remember my father's earlier research notes mention Saratoga Town Hall records giving Anthony as the father. Then a Weatherwax researcher told me it's Andrew. My census records show Andrew having a son John H, same year as mine. But I also found in the census an Anthony without a John H. Why is this name coming up on all things his death certificate? Wait a minute the birth dates don't match. I also find the death certificate has his mother's last name, something I didn't have before. I think there could be two John H. Weatherwax's living at the same time in the same are. How much of my information is messed up?
I have all this research on the Weatherwax family and my own connection to it might be false. I thought I was just documenting something that others already knew and now I find they might not be right at all. A million things come into my mind, a million plans, a million things to-do.
My participation in the games is truly in peril. I might be side-lined by some new information. I will let you know what I decide tomorrow.
See you tomorrow, for tomorrow is always another genealogy day!
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