Google owns me

And Google can be a very, very mean master.

Last Friday, I was locked out of blogger, gmail, Google Docs and Google Reader for most of the day. So I couldn't blog, check email from various folks for whom I'm doing paid work, collaborate on documents that I was working on--for money--get new assignments, or contact people for whom I was working as all their contact info was on Google.

I also experienced the blue screen of death a couple times on my home computer towards the end of the week. Not sure what days as it's all pretty much a blur.

On Saturday, Google was kind enough to allow me to access my accounts for a brief period. By Sunday I was locked out again. As the gods on Mount Google snickered, I went from screen to screen trying to get a hold of actual contact info to report this latest disaster. Now I was not only unable to blog, finish assignments, or start new assignments, I was also unable to get the flight and hotel information I needed for Monday's trip to California set up and paid for by a potential employer whose contact info was on, you guessed it, Google.

Luckily my frequent flier number got me access to the flight info and a call to the hotel's 800 number enabled me to confirm that reservation. Highlight of the trip: I: took off my shoes on the first leg of the trip and was unable to get them back on when I landed in Denver. So I hobbled around Denver airport in my slippers, which I'd shoved in my laptop bag along with a change of underwear.

Monday night in my hotel room in Santa Clara, California I still couldn't access my Google accounts so I went to bed.

7:45 am-3 pm: Interview.

3:15: My sister picks me up for 45 minute trip to San Francisco.

8:15: Arrive San Francisco. Don't ask.

Today, Google decided to stop punishing me and allow me access. Yea!

There's a moral here somewhere but I'll be damned if I know what it is.