Trixie sat in her room, twirling a pencil in her fingers, as the pop-up message appeared on her laptop computer screen.

Five minutes until update complete

Trixie sighed loudly and threw herself back in her chair.

"Five more minutes. What a big waste of a beautiful day," she complained to herself.

Trixie looked around her room for what seemed like the hundredth time that afternoon. She fiddled with her pencil some more. She tried to balance it on her finger. Then she tried to balance it on her upper lip.

Four minutes until update complete

"Oh come on. I could have ridden Susie around the entire preserve TWICE in the time it has taken to update this stupid computer."

With the thought of Susie, Trixie's mind wandered to afternoons spent riding the sweet mare. She sighed again, wishing she was with the horse instead of fussing with her computer.

Three minutes until update complete

Trixie looked around her room again. She noticed the sweater and shirt that were draped across her bed. She pushed

herself away from her desk, walked across the room to her closet and hung up the garments.

"At least I am getting something done," she muttered.

Two minutes until update complete

Trixie pulled out her phone and checked it, hoping to find a missed message or text. But the phone had neither. There was nothing to distract Trixie as the final minutes of updating dragged on.

One minute until update complete

"Oh finally! Come on and hurry up! I want to finish this paper and then get on with my life."

The late afternoon breeze drifted through the open window. The birds chirped outside. Off in the distance, Trixie could hear Reddy barking excitedly. Trixie looked back at her computer screen.

"Oh no," she yelled, "damn it!" She slammed her fist on her desk.

Update failed. Try again

With that pop-up message, Trixie's mind took off in a delightful fantasy that had her computer sailing swiftly through her open window, crashing onto the ground below, and splintering into a thousand minute pieces.