UP .4

Damn! And I was so close to wiping out that stupid gain.

However, I know what the problem was. I didn't exercise at all. I was researching and putting together outlines/proposals for speaking engagements, 'putting out fires' (as DH says) with two issues with essential electronics devices that left me frustrated and going back and forth with tech support. I finally got up in the late afternoon and realized I was hungry and my butt hurt from not moving. And because of that non-movment, DVT leg aches (will it always when I don't walk?) and I had a 500 calorie overage. 

The two issues were problems with my Kindle and with my Wild Divine game. 

I was an early adopter on both. (This means I paid more for my antiquated Kindle than people now pay for a Kindle Fire.) In the last month I have had two problems with this old beast. Both times, Amazon had someone on it immediately. Tech support was friendly and helpful and resolved my issues. Last night, I was on IM with Jared for a very long time and he was very sweet. I was about ready to ask him if he was married because I'd like to introduce him to my daughter.

Then there was the Wild Divine team. And this makes me sad.

They are very nice at Wild Divine. Tori has been almost as nice as Jared. Tech support seems willing to try to help. But here's the back story...

I went to a conference in CA oh, maybe 7-8 years ago? I bought this game. Now, it cost hundreds of dollars. I had to call home to beg my husband to figure out a way to expense this thing. It was a 'bio feedback' game...the coolest tool I had ever seen for illustrating how the mind affects the body. 

I brought it home and began using it to show my hypnosis clients how they were controlling their experience, and I began using it in presentations at universities to illustrate the mind/body connection. And I have to say, playing this game on the computer is incredibly cool, because you progress through the game by controlling your heart rate, but when you hook into an external display and can demonstrate in a lecture hall...in stereo and on a 20 foot screen? Too cool for words. 

Cool enough that one university bought one for their student center and I know that at least one student bought a game. I also know at least one friend also bought a game.

Now, you can join to be an affiliate and get paid for each game you sell. But I didn't for two reasons. One, I wanted to 'pay it forward,' since this game is so helpful in stress management and had helped me. And two, I didn't want it to seem like I was giving these presentations just for the sake of making a buck. I took this game on airplanes with me, and I have no idea how many people I exposed to this concept, but a lot. For years. 

Now, in late 2010 we got fed up with the problems of PCs and made the huge leap to Macs. One of the first things I tried to do was install the Wild Divine on my Mac. But the version I had was too old and would not install. DH and I debated whether we could spend $400 more on this stupid game. The plan was to ditch the old computer. Compared to the Mac it was just slow and huge and a pain in the arse. So yes, if I planned to continue to do my presentations and use this for my clients, we had to spend the money. We did. 

But guess what? When I tried to hook it up to an external display, it didn't display. Several back and froths with Wild Divine tech support failed to resolve the problem. So I HAD to keep the old beast of a PC in order to use it for the purpose for which I had just bought this new game. Damn! Well, I figured, it sucks but what are you going to do?

Fast forward a few months. Mac offers the Lion OS upgrade. I read the reviews and there are known issues, but for the most part, it looks like it has features I would like. I upgrade. Wild Divine doesn't work any more. 

I contact Wild Divine to ask them when there is going to be a fix for this. They say soon, but they aren't sure when, BUT they have this other system that works just fine on the Lion OS, would I like to purchase that (for $300). I say no, I just bought a system for $400 and I'd like THAT one to work. I'll wait. THREE MONTHS LATER I'm still patiently waiting. 

But my daughter decides she'd like to use the game, so I drag out the old computer and set it up. It won't play the game. After trying about everything, including uninstalling and reinstalling the game, customer support connects me with tech support. Tech support tells me that it sounds as if the hardware is just worn out and I may need to purchase new hardware (for, you may have guessed this, about $300). 

At this point I have $700-$800 invested in a game that takes up a huge amount of space on two computers...and I can't use it unless I spend another $300-$600!!! Because not only does it seem to be BOTH games are worthless without the hardware, but I STILL can't play the damn game on my Mac! And I feel bad that I've recommended this to people who spent their hard earned money on this too, who are now experiencing the same aggregation as I. For a game that is supposed to be about lowering blood pressure and all sorts of other beneficial stuff, it's sure NOT been that for me for a long time. 

I enthusiastically supported this company. I'm not quite sure I can do that any more. That make me sad.