La Suite...

So the other day it was all dark and gloomy and today here I am with a little ray of sunshine poking out from behind that cloud (although it is dark outside now).

After posting about thinking of getting a spanking new computer (and doing no work incidentally) I tootled down and had a wee chat with some colleagues about the old laptop and apparently we are all coveting the idea of an AppleMac or Sony Vaio, but I was advised to speak to one in the know. So I went to the see the Server Guy and his boss. Only the boss was there and as I rushed through my explanation of doom and gloom he began giving me this withering look. I left his office feeling well and truly spanked. “It’s only three years old,” he told me. “It shouldn’t be screwed and even if it is a problem with the hard disk a new one is fifty euros...” It went on, but I left after having firmly promised that I would drag the thing in today and he would look at it.

So today I completed my feat of weight lifting and squeezed onto the metro with it, hauled it through the park and then reached the refuge of the staffroom needing a cup of tea. Luckily the boss was there, so he took it off my hands before any further lugging was needed. Then this afternoon I went back for the verdict.

I sat down, all hunched up in my autumn coat (why is it twelve degrees in January? But that’s for another post).

“Well V.” He started. “There is a lot of shit on your computer, but there’s nothing wrong with it really.”

“Really?” My face lit up.

“No, in terms of hardware there is no problem, but in the way it’s been built there is a problem.” He explained patiently how the feet at the back of the computer had worn away so that the air wasn’t circulating properly and that’s why the computer kept shutting down.

“Oh! Is that it?”

So, on Monday I’m going to lug it back. Well, I couldn’t go a weekend without blogging or writing or finding out the results of the Silent Grey competition. Anyway he’s going to restore it to factory settings (after backing up everything that I haven’t – that’s another resolution I have to add to my list: back up more regularly) and he’s going to add bigger feet to the computer. Right now, it’s propped on my chopping board and seems to be working fine! So the old thing WILL be fixed by Wednesday... hurrah.

And just to add to my good news I then got an e mail from France Telecom, otherwise known as the bane of my life. Having received all the bloody paperwork they demanded off me they are reimbursing me the month I didn’t have internet, I don’t have to pay the reconnection fee (which I hadn’t paid anyway) and I get a whopping 21€ off my next bill. It turns out that it was Free who stole my line, which is a wee bit screwy because I’m now thinking of going with them, but should I go with the nasty line stealers who caused me all the problems in the first place? Mmm.

Anyway, I am now hoping that I can turn my attention to all things fictional and creative and have nothing to do with the real world this weekend.

I’ve got nothing but bad news

Do you remember some time ago I complained, ranted, raved about the Electricity and all things Technological Gremlin? Well, the bastard has struck again.

My computer has been playing up for some time and yesterday I packed him up and took him off to the doctor. There’s a whole pile of them advertising in the FUSAC: no fix no deal, no fix no pay. Anyway, I was convinced that my computer had a wee worm or virus or whatever. The last time it was going nuts and I took it to the Server Guy he managed to temporarily make him better (which should have been a clue that perhaps the old Satellite’s problems were more serious). Anyway, then there was this post on Debi Alper’s sites about Trojans and so such so I sent for the Calvary and they seemed to whoop those spy wares and ad wares for a while, but the old thing has still been getting poorly. For so long in fact that it’s been a while since I’ve been able to watch DVD’s on it (not that I like watching DVD’s on the computer, but every now and again the thought of the odd episode of the West Wing while I’m in the bath), burn CD’s, download music, make a video; hah! Anyway, gradually my computer has become nothing more than a word processor and a pretty slow method of checking e mail and surfing more than one page at a time is a wee bit daring.

The Doc was a very quietly spoken calm Scot who just so happens to live up the road. He asked me lots of relevant questions and then threw in: “What time do you go to bed?” which didn’t seem relevant at all, except he then explained that he was a bit of a night owl and if he had any news he would ‘give me a tinkle’ before my bedtime. So, last night as I was struggling over a so called ‘medium’ sudoku (I’ve lost my sudoku mojo too) I heard the phone ring. I sprang out of bed (which is not so easy after the self flagellation of the ‘Bums and Tum’s class at the gym the other night) and heard that soft Scottish brogue again: “I’m afraid I’ve nothing but bad news.” I wasn’t sitting down at the time, but I managed to take it. In the light of day I’m beginning to want to slap the girl who didn’t back up ALL her WRITING, MUSIC, PHOTOS.

Also in the light of day I’m thinking: Right send the Satellite off for surgery and then transplant the insides into a new smashing fantabulous computer; one that isn’t 7.5 kg. The question is which one? I’m having a wee look at the Apple MacBook and Sony Vaio and they are both blooming expensive, but, but, but, the point is here we are all using computers, so some of us must know something about computers. If it can be done on a computer I will find a way of doing it, I love USING them. If it’s a problem, I’ll have a go until I am beaten and bloody. If it’s inside I’ll run screaming beaten to the hills, and basically that’s where I am, so please if anybody knows anything at all about computers: WHICH ONE SHOULD I GO FOR?

But lastly back to the Gremlin problem. I think it’s to do with bragging, every time I brag the exact opposite happens. I noticed this a while ago and I caught myself when I started saying: ‘Tomorrow my computer will be better…’ and then I got all excited and said it again, and again, and again. NO MORE BRAGGING, must stop.