Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Arrrgh! I turned the computer on this morning and it worked fine. When I came back after lunch it was wearing the Blue Screen of Death with the message that it couldn't write to C: and data might be lost. Uh Oh! It wouldn't budge from the BSoD so I had to force a reboot. Then it said it couldn't find the hard drive and I needed to insert the system disk. By this time I had one of my famous killer headaches. I shut it off for a few hours. Then I came back and popped the side of the tower to make certain all the cables were tightly seated for the hard drive. It did reboot then but I'm still having trouble. I'm not certain yet whether it is a Windows problem or if the hard drive is really failing. I pulled up a DOS prompt (since Windows Explorer wasn't working) and copied critical stuff to Zip disks like a fiend. Times like this I'm thankful I learned to use computers before the Windows era.
As you can see, it is letting me online now. It is likely to flake out again. I expect I need to hunt down my Windows cds and reinstall the OS. Next thing to try will be reformatting C:. If that doesn't work, this old girl is out of warranty (and already on her second hard drive) so I guess it is replacement time.
Once I did get it running again, I hurried to print off the tax data on it just in case it totally dies. I also put those files on a couple of diskettes (besides the Zips) so we know we have an accessible file.
Yes, tax time is approaching. This year's filing should be more chaotic since we sold the old house, had a lot of non-cash charitable donations (in the house cleaning process), and I got fed up with the bank's management of my IRA so rolled it to TIAA-CREF. I still have to make my 2003 contribution but cash is a bit tight. Maybe after next paycheck... After the taxes are filed it is time for the annual file cabinet cleaning. Oh, the joy! Will I ever again find time for stitching?
As you can see, it is letting me online now. It is likely to flake out again. I expect I need to hunt down my Windows cds and reinstall the OS. Next thing to try will be reformatting C:. If that doesn't work, this old girl is out of warranty (and already on her second hard drive) so I guess it is replacement time.
Once I did get it running again, I hurried to print off the tax data on it just in case it totally dies. I also put those files on a couple of diskettes (besides the Zips) so we know we have an accessible file.
Yes, tax time is approaching. This year's filing should be more chaotic since we sold the old house, had a lot of non-cash charitable donations (in the house cleaning process), and I got fed up with the bank's management of my IRA so rolled it to TIAA-CREF. I still have to make my 2003 contribution but cash is a bit tight. Maybe after next paycheck... After the taxes are filed it is time for the annual file cabinet cleaning. Oh, the joy! Will I ever again find time for stitching?
Sunday, January 11, 2004
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!
Saturday, January 10, 2004
It has been over a month since I've hit the blog. And what a month!
Sending out the Christmas cards really "paid off" this year since we got far more in return than usual. It is great to hear from people all across the country and see pictures of their families.
We took the large holiday road trip to see the 'rents & assorted others in Iowa. Miracles happen as we all stayed healthy. We did make sure DD had her flu shot before we hit the road. I've just uploaded four rolls of film for perusal and to prove we really were there. DD was totally spoiled since she was surrounded by more grandmas than you can shake a stick at. She is finally getting back into her home routine again. Of course she has a ton of new toys. We did squeeze everything into the Alero instead of renting a van. We expect to own a minivan or suv by next Christmas since the Escort has been steadfast for more than a decade but is rapidly failing.
DD had her 15 month peds visit this week and the little pudding still weighs just over 18 pounds. She sure feels heavier than that! Considering she is a good eater and seems to be doing all the things a 15 month old should, we aren't too worried. We'd both be better off if I could just give her some of my excess.
The spring semester starts on Monday so DH has to get back to the work routine. He has a night class this term which is going to be an adjustment for all of us.
I'm currently re-reading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. I'm also playing a lot of Civilization III: Conquests (C3C). I recommend the Civ 3 games for anyone who is thinking about trying a computer strategy game. C3C is an expansion pack for Civ 3 or Civ III: Play the World. I prefer to just play against the computer however online gaming is available. Cable or DSL connection strongly recommended.
Sending out the Christmas cards really "paid off" this year since we got far more in return than usual. It is great to hear from people all across the country and see pictures of their families.
We took the large holiday road trip to see the 'rents & assorted others in Iowa. Miracles happen as we all stayed healthy. We did make sure DD had her flu shot before we hit the road. I've just uploaded four rolls of film for perusal and to prove we really were there. DD was totally spoiled since she was surrounded by more grandmas than you can shake a stick at. She is finally getting back into her home routine again. Of course she has a ton of new toys. We did squeeze everything into the Alero instead of renting a van. We expect to own a minivan or suv by next Christmas since the Escort has been steadfast for more than a decade but is rapidly failing.
DD had her 15 month peds visit this week and the little pudding still weighs just over 18 pounds. She sure feels heavier than that! Considering she is a good eater and seems to be doing all the things a 15 month old should, we aren't too worried. We'd both be better off if I could just give her some of my excess.
The spring semester starts on Monday so DH has to get back to the work routine. He has a night class this term which is going to be an adjustment for all of us.
I'm currently re-reading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. I'm also playing a lot of Civilization III: Conquests (C3C). I recommend the Civ 3 games for anyone who is thinking about trying a computer strategy game. C3C is an expansion pack for Civ 3 or Civ III: Play the World. I prefer to just play against the computer however online gaming is available. Cable or DSL connection strongly recommended.
