PEBKAC

I have a printer but I don't use it very often — just for printing out maps when I am going places and want directions (I hate the print format of google maps, but that's for another time).

This morning, I went to print out directions to a mexican restaurant in Kent, where I am meeting a friend and her mom for lunch. The printer wouldn't print.

I checked the cable, it was firmly planted in both the printer and in the computer.

It had been about a month and a few software updates since I'd printed, so I tried to re-add the printer, but the computer couldn't even see it.

"Hmm," says I, "maybe I need to re-install the drivers."

The CD had been thrown away, so I re-navigated the HP website for the drivers, downloaded, installed, tried to add the printer, and . . . nothing.

The computer still couldn't see it.

Turned the printer off and on a couple times.

Nothing.

Frustrated, I went to pull out the USB cable to connect it to a different computer, in case the one was just being a poo-faced bitch for no good reason.

Lo and behold.

I had forgotten that I didn't have a USB cable long enough to connect the printer and computer when I first set them up and had used a 3 foot cable with a 3 ft extension cable. Each end was solidly seated in the computer and printer all right, but they were not connected in the middle.

Connection made, it printed with no fuss whatsoever.

Sometimes, I feel like such a dumbass.