What happened?
We cleaned the somewhat unstable family desktop system on a very hot day and the can of air malfunctioned, frosting the board. There was a very small, unpleasant snap/crackle....and voila!...time for a new computer. In hindsight, it was sssooo obvious we shouldn't have used cold compressed air on an already overheated system - even after letting it 'cool' in hundred degree weather for half an hour (the usual time). *sigh*
Yeah, I pretty much felt I should turn in my computer nerd badge after that one, but then we had to build from a New Egg kit (all the budget allowed) and its running great, so I guess we're not completely hopeless.
Yes, its been several months. It was awhile before we had a replacement budget at all, and by that time the semester was underway. Since I need to excel in one of my toughest subjects to finish, I've been a little distracted by that alone. Then too, the first MOBO was DOA and had to be RMA'd (adding several more weeks to the process.) After the system finally posted, the real work of saving the last work on the previous one and setting up the new OS, drivers, fave programs, etc began. (One of Mom's collection of Everett Kaser's licensed logic puzzle puzzles is still MIA, but hopefully it will surface soon.) The new compy is great! Its great when something turns out to be worth the wait, yes? One of these days I'd love to upgrade this old CRT monitor, but right now I am grateful it still works so well :)
So, I 've pretty much been doing schoolwork for several months. I didn't even read to relax for awhile. Just felt I had to concentrate, you know? Now that my BIG papers are off to be graded and DS is settled into his routine, I have relaxed a little. It probably helps that I could see this machine coming together as well. I even indulged in some light reading, starting with a published web-comic already very much loved by my daughter and husband. My husband is tickled that I used to look like Agatha (the heroine) and was that spicy too, he says. :) That's okay, I long saw him as being a lot like my favorite adventure game hero (DH looks more like him everyday.)
This fall my husband realized Mom had put online one of the few surviving** pictures of me from that time period that he feels proves the point and shared it. I did like to dress like her - skirts & vest, long hair, and big glasses. Actually, I still do *ahem* The old picture was from my High School Anatomy & Physiology class so there I am dissecting (something I generally avoided like the plague but my partner, who took the photo, was provably unable to cope.) Mad Science!
** (My step-father ruined or 'lost' a lot of stuff before she divorced him. Pictures were a favored target.)
Anyway, I'm glad I finally got around to reading the Girl Genius series. Its fun! Graphic novels sure are quick reads though. I got through the series in a few days, in addition to homework. I finally finished another fun loaner too. I expect I will dig out the paperback cozy I left off reading this summer - sometime this week. Its sitting right on top of the sewing I suddenly quit doing this summer. I can't honestly tell you why I froze up like that. I guess I was worrying about DH's health. He hasn't had to go back to the hospital since the issues we had to address this late spring/summer. I wasn't sure how well he was really doing afterward. The problem could easily recur. I'm still not sure, but as time progresses, I guess I am getting more hopeful again. I could have been reading some casual fare during the several days of power outage we had following Hurricane Irene. I didn't. I just read textbooks and my Bible and played card games - hanging out with the family. Which reminds me-
I said this on Facebook (briefly) and called some folks directly, but never got around to posting it here. Yes, we felt that earthquake that was on the news in August. It was surprising, but as far as we can tell, it did us no harm. At the time. I was on DH foam mattress, sorting things, and didn't even realize how big it was until I put my feet back on the floor. A few things shook on the walls, a perfume bottle fell, but landed softly....and then it was over. Since we have had 'little' quakes in the past years that barely got mentioned but were also strong enough to shake the house, we were surprised it got so high a number and so much coverage!
Hurricane Irene, about a week later, was a much bigger deal, but did us no direct damage either. The dangerous trees were removed awhile ago. So basically, it was very rainy, it was incredibly windy (about as noisy as Hurricane Isabel years ago), and then the power went out. Actually the power stayed out around the area for most of a week. Even the college was closed! This time we were able to use a generator regularly after the storm passed by, so our food stayed usable until we were able to eat it (aside from some ice cream.) We were able to keep some fun stuff charged, and live almost normally. It was a little too warm for oil lamps, but the battery ones did fine. Very likely the strain of the experience helped finish off our very elderly refrigerator, as we had to replace that too this fall, but the new (to us) fridge is a marvel of consistency by comparison. We're loving it!
We haven't participated in any other major news events. We spent Halloween doing schoolwork. We weren't that interested in this year's local candidates, aside from a pharmacist fella we always liked. He won, which was happy. We're not that big into sports. The closest Occupy group is way off in Norfolk, and pretty much off our radar, aside from News Updates. I am still curious as to what, specifically, they hope to accomplish? Anybody know what legislation they hope to pass or how they want Wall Street to police itself? I read some of their pages online but they seem kinda vague to me, and now there are rumors it's all astroturf anyway. hmmm
The weather seems pretty extreme this year. Those tornadoes last spring, quick turn to a hot summer, quick turn to cold temps this fall. A lot of days have been nice enough, but its been the kind of year where the good weather forecasters become extremely familiar faces. It was over 80 F today and in two days the high will be slightly over 50 F - cocoa weather again.
Anyway, that's the recent news here.
Good to 'see' you. ;)
Susan M
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