Wednesday, March 12, 2008

A Word to the Wise

If it isn't broken in half, smashed, belching smoke, leaking, or completely dead, DON'T FIX IT! My laptop has never been perfect. I received it in some sort of weird trade scenario in which my husband reformatted and set up some random person's computer in exchange for it. It overheats and shuts off without warning, invariably in the middle of something important. I can't use it as a laptop, really because of the overheating issue AND the fact that the battery is useless. That means it has to be plugged in at all times (yes I took out the battery) and also has to sit on a cooling pad that constantly attempts to keep it fanned. It's a bit loud and can be slow. It also holds ALL of my pictures and my recording software (such as it is) and all the stuff I've done for the last couple of years.

Yesterday, it overheated and turned off yet again, so I took it to my husband, who was working already on another computer (so all his tools were handy) and asked him if he'd get the dust out of it again, since that staved off the overheating issue really well last time. He did.

When it was hooked back up and turned on - NOTHING. No "disk error" message or any other resemblance of life, just NOTHING. He looked and looked for a problem, but couldn't find one. This just hours after I installed a NEW recording software that seemed to pick up MUCH less of the ambient hiss associated with recording in your house.

The timing couldn't BE any worse, since I've been working on a piece for Zeeche who is doing a tribute podcast in honor of Dave (I totally almost typed honour - this Canadian/Brit thing is getting serious, lol, I need to just give in and go with it, but then someone will think I'm pretentious? do I care? not really so why am I having this subtext argument with myself?)
Dave, who has been absent from his podcast since November.

BTW... If you'd like to add your two cents (or pence - hahahaha) you have until Sunday March 23 to email your songs, your poems, your comments, your skits, your stories, your anything to:

zeeche @ gmail . com (no spaces)

(those are Zeeche's words mostly, btw, copied from the comments at chubcreek)

Anyway, so I'm rather distraught about my computer because I really wanted to send something cool. I've been practicing the guitar accompaniment so much that I have my callouses back and can play better than I was doing last year at this time. (I must have not been practicing much back then) The computer I'm using now is dying as well, or at least it sounds like it is. It makes a horrible loud grinding/groaning noise which is very inconducive to recording. I thought about making a video of it so you could hear it for yourself and pity me more, but I'm too busy (lazy) today =) (I really am doing mountains of laundry, and rewarding myself in between loads with rows of my super secret project - which has a deadline btw which I think I won't be making)

me sad

I really really don't know what to do about getting what I hoped to be an awesome tribute thing recorded.

Just had to share.

On a much more positive note, though, I had another part of a ME day yesterday. I thought I had a Dr's appointment, but there was a scheduling hiccup - so I had two free hours to play hooky! Half Priced Books - My fav health food store the Sunflower Shoppe - and my LYS !

I'll share pictures of the spoils of that day tomorrow or the next, right now I have to go feed the animals, I mean the children =))

4 comments:

Kelly O said...

Sometimes I feel like I am so dependent on my laptop that I am moving backwards with my tech stuff not forwards.

Without it I would not be even be able to manage the family pictures let alone the rest of my life. Good luck getting things together in time on all fronts.

I thought it was funny that you have the pots and have been using them for years. I really want them, seems like they will help change our eating habits for the better.

Anonymous said...

For what it's worth, I wuv my Mac. It wasn't cheap, but I think it's worth it!

Robin said...

Aw...man! I bit the bullet and bought myself a laptop...of course I'm still paying for it, I hope that by the time I make the last payment it won't do the same thing...

Tracy said...

Bummer about your machine...Glad about your me time, though.