....and we're back!

Last week I mentioned that my laptop had suddenly gone comatose. But then this past Tuesday, as I was preparing to send it to a friend who might be able to recover some of the data, I thought, "why not try it just once more?" and pushed the power button. Whaddya know, it started right up and has been fine since.
I'm glad to have it back, but of course it will have to behave for quite a while in order to regain my full trust.

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the black screen of death

My laptop has died. Or at least has entered a very deep coma with no hopeful prognosis. This sort of thing does not help my already-shaky relationship to computers. It's mostly me, i think...i don't actually know computers well, beyond surface applications, and I expect things out of them that they just can't give. Perfect consistency over years of service, for one.
The laptop's death has been, of course, hugely inconvenient (especially since I'm on a proofreading deadline for work...proofreading a grammar book, in case you were wondering, really is as thrilling as it sounds). But it's been a shock to realize how much time i was spending (wasting?) on the computer, mostly on the internet. I find myself doing more reading now, and am (somewhat) more attentive to what needs doing around the house. I'll have to get another computer, eventually, but i hope i can learn something from this enforced internet-fasting.

And Mel will be happy again because i'll stop stealing her laptop to check email.

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