Excuse me while I go retrieve my typewriter.

Using Google Docs to write a syllabus seemed like a very good idea; that way my co-instructor and I could both work in the same document, converse with each other, and always be sure we were working on the most up-to-date version. Imagine my chagrin when I awoke this morning, all set to enter dates for the second half of the course, and found this:

(Click to enlarge to readable size, not that it'll make much of a difference.)

I particularly like the characters that seem to have been turned into a smug smiley face — :1 — in section "iai i a ii." It's okay. I really enjoy teaching vocalic phonology. It'll be great.

Google Docs has also eaten my CV:

Apparently I've earned the degrees of A Yac, A Ctaattu, and Ctaattu, possibly beginning in 1888. I wanted to redo my CV for my annual report anyway, right?

It also seemed like a good idea to keep my CV in Google Docs, again so I could have one up-to-date version in one place rather than worry about keeping track of which electronic file on which computer contained the current one. I'm actually optimistic that since this obviously wasn't just one document that became corrupted, that it's a systemwide hiccup that will be resolved by the time I'm back from the farmers' market and sitting down to my desk to do some actual work.

In case not, the vintage Underwood in my living room is not in great nick

but my Olivetti is a totally viable alternative.

Update at 11am: All is not lost. I can now view my Google Docs, but can't seem to connect in an edit mode; note the error message at the top of the window. I can view and copy — so at least the information is safe, if in need of reformatting in Word if this whole thing doesn't get resolved — but can't click into the window to make changes.

Update at 4:30 pm: Use our browser or else?