Two of us couldn't figure this out...

Several months ago we had lightning hit our building. (did I blog about that? I can't remember...) Anyway it required us to purchase a new color printer as it fried our old one.

The color printer I'm referring to is a networked printer for the office. So it's medium sized, with big honkin', expensive ink cartridges and such - not some desk job that each of us probably has next to our home computer.

So about 2 weeks ago the printer started telling us it was about time to replace the black cartridge: "order black cartridge". Thanks for the heads up HP! So one day I catch CB and RR standing over the printer with the lid up messin' with the cartridge trying to compare the cartridge CB ordered with the one they're going to replace. Something is totally amiss. (apparently they've been standing there quite a while too...) The reordered one doesn't look ANYTHING like the one they're about to take out. So I stand there for even longer trying to see if there's anything I can contribute to the situation.

There isn't.

So CB calls the office supply place, explains the situation and they tell her:
1) you don't need to replace the cartridge when it first tells you, it will stop printing when you must replace it. Wait until then - and
2) we'll come over with the correct cartridge - something must be wrong with what the delivery guy dropped off - we'll fix it immediately.

Great. Office supply lady comes over, confirms what we have has the correct reorder number on the box but the product in it is NOT correct (how that happens I'm not sure), takes away the wrong product, drops off a box with the correct reorder number. We think we're good to go.

So today apparently by boss needed to print something in color. We (me and CB) find him going back and forth, irritated at the color printer wondering why it won't print. Ah ha - the black cartridge must have finally pooped out. dun-dun-dun-da!! (insert superhero music here...) Never fear - CB and I will take care of this!!!

I go to the printer, open the black replacement cartridge, open up the top of the printer and lo and behold - it's the same WRONG FRICK'N cartridge!!!

WHAT??!!

Anyone can tell the cartridge coming out is much smaller than the one they keep telling us to put in. We've checked the reorder numbers a million times the last time this happened. We're POSITIVE we have the correct numbers - it's right here in the HP manual!!!! What is it that we aren't seeing??

Then it hits me.

If this is the black cartridge, where are all the color cartridges located? Because all I see when I lift up the top is this one cartridge.

CB and I pause.... thinking....

Frantically, in tandem, I start flipping pages in the manual and she starts looking on the side for a way to get to the inside.

As I find the page in the manual, she finds the magic key. Like I found the location of the pirates treasure on the map and she found the actual treasure.

The whole front of the printer drops down, revealing FOUR FRICK'N HUGE CARTRIDGES!!!!

black
cyan
magenta
yellow

Huh, how 'bout that.

I reach in, grab the top cartridge, pull it out. It's the same shape and size as the cartridge we've been saying all along "isn't going to fit"!

Sure it'll fit - IF WE PUT IT IN THE RIGHT PLACE!!!!

This whole time we've been taking something out of the top of the printer, thinking it was the black cartridge, when in fact, it wasn't.

We still have no idea what it is. I can't find its description in the users manual.

The office supply lady clearly doesn't have a clue either because she thought we were right all along too.

So - when buying a new piece of office equipment it helps to read the WHOLE users manual... not just reference it for the reorder numbers for the ink cartridges....

duh....