Why Do Simple Jobs Turn into Major Productions?

Do you ever start what should be a simple job and find it turns into a major production? My niece asked me to put some logos on three shirts. Simple -- right? Find a suitable design online, add some lettering, save the design, write to the embroidery card, plug into sewing machine, and embroider.

Everything was going well until it came time to save the design on my computer. The embroidery software needs the reader/writer, with dongle, plugged in to do so. But it wouldn't recognize the dongle. Fiddled and fiddled. No luck. Went online .......... hmmmmm ....... seems like an incompatibility with the (very old) dongle. Called the store where I got it -- yes indeed-- those dongles don't work with Windows XP (or Vista). Just 95 and 98. And of course I finally recycled the old 98 machine about a year ago. OK -- we'll just get the new software and reader/writer box. Oh no -- not in stock -- it has to be ordered. So I asked the store if they could add the lettering to the design for me while waiting for my new software. YES! They nicely added the letter to the design and I could then save the design and continue on successfully. The shirts are done. Can't wait for the new software -- they demoed it for me -- looks so much nicer than what I had. Thanks to Nashua Sew 'n Vac for saving the day.

PS. I did test the software and reader/writer after putting it on the XP machine. Reading and writing worked fine. It was just that dongle.......