One of the most inconvenient things that can happen is your computer dying suddenly. That happened to my six-year-old desktop two days ago. I do have a backup laptop, but it has one weakness: no Wordperfect. I much prefer WP to Word, so nearly all my files are on WP. I have access to them via my flash drive (and this is one of those times that my compulsive backing up pays off), but the only way I can open most of them is by running to Jean’s desktop with the flash drive, since she has WP, but that is inconvenient since she is usually using her computer herself.

Nor do I have a WP disk available to install it on the laptop, which means that until I buy a new desktop (and I have picked out the one I want; now it is a matter of getting to the store and buying it), I am not totally happy!

We have two decks on the back of our house, which are connected by both stairs and a walkway. Overall, they have lots of space which, while normally convenient, is a major pain in the ass right now since it has been several years since we have done anything to them. So this week we have already sanded and washed both of them, and now we are going to re-paint them. If anybody ever suggests to you that I enjoy doing physical labor, they are wrong!

Currently reading: Recently I have obtained several books through Paperback Swap by sf writers whom somehow I missed during my prime prozine-reading years (mostly the 60s-70s), one of them being Lloyd Biggle, Jr. Currently I am reading his collection The Metallic Muse, which are typical pre-New Wave prozine stories which tend to be centered on music, which makes them more interesting than they would otherwise be. Overall, I am enjoying the stories, a light break between more serious books.

Currently listening: In addition to my desktop dying, my ipod Shuffle (which was actually a gift from George who upgraded several times after this one) needs a new battery, since its life expectancy upon charging is a few short days. Sana recommended I buy an ipod Touch, which would be nice since it would enable me to stay connected wherever I go (not that anybody would particularly want to stay connected with me, hehe), but if I am going to spend several hundred dollars on a new desktop, do I also want to spend mucho $$ on a new ipod?