Someone in your house needs to be the Chief Technology Officer

This would have been our dream machine in, like, 1987.

There was a time back in the late 90s and early 2000s when I would purchase a new Dell desktop computer for our family once every three years.

This was a very big deal because (a) it was an expensive purchase, and (b) even then, the computer was a focal point of our household. The kids were little and played lots and lots of CD-ROM games, Terry did our finances on the computer (and of course still does), and I used it for just about everything.

When the computer would arrive in a couple of big boxes--CPU in one, large monitor in another--it was my job to unpack it, connect everything properly, and get it up and running for general usage.

I was and remain, almost by default, the person who determines what sort of computer equipment we buy. Most families have someone who fills this role. They may or may not be more technically inclined than others in the house, but they purposefully keep up with the latest developments in home computing and/or always know exactly which items are on sale at Best Buy.

As the Chief Technology Officer at 30025 Miller Avenue, my primary responsibilities are:

• Tech support. I fix problems as they arise with the computer and/or printer.
• Procurement. If the need for new hardware becomes acute, I do the appropriate research and make a recommendation to Terry, who as Chief Financial Officer has final say on all major purchases.
• Setting the vision. What will our home technology set-up look like in, say, 5 years? It's my job to figure that out and formulate a plan to get us there.

Right now we still regularly use a desktop that was expertly put together for us by our friend Darryl Panchyson, but in time I would rather each person have a powerful, easy-to-use laptop connected to a home cloud network on which we store our files.

We do each have our individual laptops right now, but some of them are better than others, and in my case, when I do have a laptop it's work-issued.

The point is, we have a goal. It's that, plus figuring out why our Epson printer prints so poorly despite my best attempts to clean the heads. That one remains a mystery.