Where is the dang screen clip function.

I’ve been working on the same article for three hours, 25% of which has been dedicated to figuring out how to clip a photo from the internet and plop it into my work.

A massage appears in the bottom right corner of the screen. “Hi this is Clippy! Yes THAT Clippy. The one you grew up with and hated so much that Microsoft retired me. Well, I’m BACK and better than ever (I promise). It looks like you’ve been trying to clip that picture for a bit. All you have to do is use the ‘Snipping Tool.’ If you search for it, you should be able to open that application!”

As I read Clippy’s message, my mood went from annoyed at the distraction, to surprised by the spot on suggestion, to thankful the character had stepped in.

“Thank you Clippy, that was very helpful” I wrote back in the chat.

The paper clip cartoon winked at me and then popped out of existence.

Following Clippy’s instructions I was able to finally finish the article. Taking a well deserved lunch break, I walked to my favorite burrito spot, enjoying the crips autumn air. I snagged a chicken burrito with extra jalapeños and scurried back to my apartment, my stomach in a frenzy from the smell of the Mexican seasonings wafting from the bag.

Back on my couch, I tore into my burrito and took a large, satisfying bite, giving into my stomach’s demands. With the fifteen or so seconds the large bite gave me before my stomach demanded a follow up, I turned on the TV and found a channel playing a rerun of Friends.

It was the one where the gang buys lottery tickets. The timing of the episode was perfectly paced with my burrito consumption. The episode drew to a close just as I was shoveling in the last, extremely juicy bite.

Pleased with the last half hour, I sat content on the couch and watched the final seconds of the episode. Turns out the lottery tickets that Phoebe had thrown out the window were picked up by a stranger who ended up winning $10k.

That sparked something in me. Could Phoebe and Monica fight that? Somehow prove that the lotto ticket was theirs? That line of questioning quickly took me down a path of lottery curiosity, moving me from the couch and back to my computer.

I woke the screen and pulled up the browser, but before I could begin the search, Clippy reappeared.

“Here’s a few articles on Lottery law and some instances in which people tried to cash tickets that weren’t their own! Thought these could be helpful in your search.”

This time my mood stayed on surprise, only to turn into a little startled by the preemptive accuracy of what I was about to search.

“Um Clippy, how did you know I wanted these articles?”

This time Clippy smiled before giving the same wink and evaporating from the screen.

I sat there, mouth open, a mixture of awe and fear overcoming me.