Monday, March 2, 2009

Calamity

Dear friends, my laptop is sick. In fact, I think it has probably died, but I am in denial. When I switched it on this morning it just went Phhrtttttttttttttttt. Well, something close to that. (Did I perhaps overdo things with my constant tadding, I wonder?)

This is the second serious breakdown in eight months, but this time no amount of cajoling from L'Usband could coax it back to life. So it appears I will be sans computer for a while. It also appears there is a good reason why people back up, one that I should be well aware of after 25 years in the IT industry. It seems nothing on my hard disk is rescueable. Yes, one never thinks it will happen to oneself, does one?

I may have to use my Buenos Aires travel fund to purchase a new laptop. Quite frankly, the choice between this amazing city with daily tango lessons from the masters, and a dependable connection to my beloved blogworld, is more difficult than I thought ...

I will keep you up to date. Please excuse me now while I go and put my head in the oven.

12 comments:

kendalee said...

Oh NOOOOOO - calamity indeed!!! I'm so sorry to hear this Anairam - for you and for us. I would not enjoy living in this blogosphere nearly as much without you to visit for delightful chat and creative inspiration. And I would also HATE to be without my connection to this world. But... the Buenos Aires fund... Oh what a horribly hard choice! My thoughts are with you... xx

Marie said...

I have no idea my city was so cheap!
Or laptops so expensive, dont know...

Bs As is beautiful right now... good luck making up your mind

Marie (from Bs As)

Linda Sue said...

Buenos Aires will always be there...selfishly i want you to get a computer. Kendalee hit the nail on the head- blogworld absolutely needs you. We crave you...pleading as she broke into "you light up my life..." - that corn ball song is enough to make you pull the plug on anything, I am sure, but it just popped in there out of desperation. Actually you must have both- it is not a choice of this or that...set up a shop and we will all buy your art and then you can buy a computer that will not let us all down, and still go to your tango holiday.

aimee said...

interesting timing indeed! i do believe you tadded the poor thing to death. i'd agonize over the buenos aires-laptop decision, personally. we're dealing with a computer explosion, too - my laptop is the sole provider for the family while we get the other (brand new) one fixed. i wish you strength with this decision!

Sarah said...

Oh poor you! At least your blog remains to preserve some things. I only just found out about an online backing up thing called Mozy and I am going to try that. You do have a difficult choice ahead of you! Can you not borrow someone's old laptop and still go on your trip? Or just get an interim cheap laptop. I think you should go on your trip. All your friends would miss you but I am sure they will wait! And you will have extra exciting blogging news to impart on your return!
Happy choosing:)

Denise Kiggan said...

So sorry about your computer! What a loss!
On a lighter note - Did you get to the Design Indaba on Friday? I arrived in Cape Town on Friday, but my younger daughter only arrived that night - she's at college now and did not want to miss a day - so we went on the Saturday. It was a great experience! Pity about not being able to take pics - but the crowds would have made it difficult anyhow!

Anonymous said...

Oh no this is very sad! How will I speak with South Africa? I do not write to Jakob because of all his wifes. It is only you. Please buy the laptop and make the blogging.Boris (he is the stuffy bear)did love the grey doll you make. The story of the trees is like this: My granny who lives in forest in Birsk did have unkind neighbors so some person (who knows?) did saw trees and they did fall on those houses. So no more neighbors and so I think maybe you live in the forest?

Jesse said...

Oh no! What a nightmare! If you choose Buenos Aires, I'll understand... but I'll miss you!

Jennifer said...

each day i read this post and leave, hoping that the next day i will find a wonderful update on how the computer was miraculously fixed. no such luck so far, so i will finally comment to say...this is not good.
it is very troublesome, how far our technology has surpassed our knowledge and ability to fix the technology.

Unknown said...

forget the laptop and Came away with me...

My Castle in Spain said...

oh ...shit..this is a drag. I totally understand you must be so annoyed to choose between new laptop and what sounds like a wonderful trip..oh my..Buenos Aires and tango classes..
Karina is right....go to her and forget the laptop for now !

Anairam said...

kendalee - My biggest sadness and worry is that now it is not so easy to read all the wonderful blogs out there! Think of everything I'm missing!

Marie - Oh, my fund is not so big at the moment - just about enough for a simple laptop, but not yet enough for a trip ... I can imagine how beautiful your city is right now - I can't wait to come visit it again!

linda sue - You are so sweet! Maybe I should direct a movie with all my hundreds of toilet paper inners and then sell it for millions to one of the big studios! Then I can visit BA AND you!! and walk the puppy ...

aimee - Yes, isn't it a drag? Mine was also still (just!) under guarantee. I honestly believe they make things (computers & appliances specifically) to only last for a couple of years so as to keep the industry in business. It is extremely annoying - I grew up believing that, if well looked after, an object should last forever!

sarah - Oh, I've learnt my lesson, I can tell you. When I get my new/fixed laptop I will religiously back up. Well, for the first while, anyway. I'm going to investigate the Mozy option (thanks for that idea), however, for serious work and all my photos (many of which I have LOST) I will probably feel safest having a local backup as well.

freshly found - I am so glad you had a good weekend! I did go on Friday, but felt strangely disappointed. Probably part of the reason was the chaos that went before - I had to park 15 minutes' walk away, then arrived to hear they were not ready to open the doors yet (that only happened an hour later) so there were thousands of people milling about, muttering crossly into their takeaway coffees, there were also literally thousands of schoolchildren and art students waiting in separate queues, so that when we all eventually got inside it was really very difficult to properly look - it was just too packed for pleasurable viewing! But I did see some beautiful stuff, and even bid on one of the Magis puppies. (If I can't have a real one, a Magis one will do!)

svetlana - I'll try to be back permanently as soon as possible! I think you must give me your granny's phone number, please - although we do not live in a forest, we live against a mountain side where there are many big boulders. Gee, it will be terrible if they get loose and fall on the neighbour's house, won't it!

jesse - I'll be back, don't you worry! Braver, stronger, wiser. With my mantra: make backups, make backups, make backups ...

editor - Wise words - you are so right! I can remember the days when I actually understood and could control and fix everything on my PC! A couple of changes to the config.sys file, a floppy to boot up from, oh, god,I never thought I would long back for the 80s!

karina - I wish I could! I would be over to BA in a jiffy and we could go and have coffee and cake in those delightful restaurants you write about! But for now, I am afraid BA has to wait. A little bit longer ...

mcis - Too many things that need fixing here right now! - so I will have to postpone the BA trip - but just for a bit - I still hope to be able to go this year!