"The motherboard fried"

Middle Cat has informed me.

Yes, I am still struggling on an old lap top which uses, ouch, Windows 8.1. My computer, at least the tower, is with my BIL as he and one of his very experienced staff try to fix the problem.

"They reckon they can't save any of your data" Middle Cat cheerfully informs me, "You didn't do a back up."

Actually I did do a back up...but apparently the one I did is not recent enough and does not count for anything... or so she tells me. I refuse to believe that. Perhaps I shoud do a weekly back up rather than less often?  

My BIL is struggling with the problem because he hates to be beaten by anything. It's a problem. The engineer in him says he has to be able to fix it - or at least get the computer running again.

At the same time both he and Middle Cat keep telling me it does not matter if I do not have access to a computer and a number of work programs on it. They keep telling me, "Just tell people they will have to wait."

I have given up trying to explain it is not that easy. I know they do not understand my job. They do not see the work I do as being of any real value or importance. They think there are "ways around it" or "people can ask someone else" or "does it really matter?" 

Well yes, there are ways around some problems but they involve Zoom meetings at strange and unsociable hours. Asking someone else involves a great deal more than they understand and can take hours. Does it matter? Of course it does or I would not be doing it. 

The only good thing to come out of all of this is that some of those I have been training up to take over have had to step in and do more. It is not an ideal situation given the current state of world affairs. I am happy to report that the new volunteers appear to be learning some things very rapidly...but I woud like my computer back so I can go on teaching them.