Frozen software applications

So, I'm trying to open an Excel spreadsheet that I have been working on all morning. It doesn't want to open. I click on the icon and I get an hourglass. I hate getting the hourglass, especially when it lasts the whole hour!!
As much as I would like to blame myself for being unproductive, I really must point the finger at computer software applications that are troublesome. How can I do any work when the applications I need do not want to open? Blogger works perfectly fine, but when I try to run Act or Excel? I get the stupid hourglass!!!
Now my Advantage quote screen is frozen. As a stockbroker, don't you think having access to stock quotes would be an important part of my J-O-B??? I hate these finicky machines that we rely upon. One minute they are the best thing since sliced bread and the next, you want to hurl it out the window. Granted the windows are made such that they are shatterproof and stuff, but it is a nice thought....
Tech support? What tech support?? Tech support only knows how to tell you to hit "ctrl, alt, del". Oh, and they know how to do "remote computing" so that they can clean my cookies. I'll clean my own cookies, thank you very much!!!!