The bona-fide, blasted, blogging and computer blues

Nobody knows, the blogger I've been
Nobody knows my sorrow.
My computer is broken, over a week
Maybe, bettter, tomorrow.....

(sung to the tune of...well, you already know)


I finally got my blog back up and working. However, right after I did so I had to "unplug" my circa 1999 computer to clean up my workspace for "Under One Roof," an HGTV show in which my husband and I were to have an episode filmed about our apartment (we didn't do it because reality shows are not real, and we would have had real trouble had we gone along--but that's a blog entry for another day).

Well, anyway, after I unplugged everything, a few days passed and the new computer we ordered finally arrived from Dell (without an important part, of course...it wouldn't be a new computer experience of any normalcy if the computer arrived exactly as expected). I had upgraded my former computer from Windows ME, a very unstable program that never should have been let into the marketplace, to an upgrade of Windows XP. The upgrade did work (thanks heavens, because I know lots of people who simply scrambled their computers into complete uselessness with this upgrade) but it also scattered my data and program files far and wide, into mirror directories, other directories, many different directories, and places where the proverbial cyber sun will never shine. As a consequence, to remove the important data and programs from this old baby and move them appropriately to a new system, is a nightmare.

We hired a professional. Good idea, but the poor man is dealing with a completely knotted up system and it is taking not one, not two, not three days, but likely, weeks. In the interim, I tried to be patient. I really, really did. But I quickly realized that I was more plugged in than I ever thought. My PDA upon which my days completely depend, and my ipods, also cannot work without the computer, so I wasn't just down email and all of my virtual activities, I was completely unable to work, schedule appointments, or call anyone whose name wasn't on my cell phone.

Finally, my husband, good soul that he is, brought my old computer home. Nothing really works, passwords are all gone, limited email of course, but at least I can get to some of the places I need to go including this blog, while the new computer "incubates" to completion. When that will be, I have not a clue.

I realize that I haven't good backup systems, and perhaps, I ought to keep a good old paper backup of my schedule and address book, if nothing else, but when you get into the routine of turning on a machine in the morning and letting it do your tasks, you really do take it for granted after a couple of years.

So what am I trying to say? I guess it's just that more than even, I'm impressed with my ability to harness some of the great technologies we have in the world, but we DID live before cell phone, Palms, Ipods and yes, even computers. If I'd had back to basics backups, I wouldn't be singing the "blogger blues" so long and so strong.

HOpefully, the next time I put up a post, it'll be on the new machine.

have a great week and stay cool!

ALISON