Starting anew

This past weekend, the OTR community that I participate in was holding their Spring Marathon. This meant that there were 12 hours on Saturday and 12 hours on Sunday of excellent old-time radio presentations. I listened in on Saturday, all day, and heard many really good shows that I hadn't heard before. Very well done! In between presentations, there was time for a little chat. Because most of the people here are blind, these are voice chats. It's really quite an efficient way to do these things. I've formed very good friendships with these people from across North America.

So eventually I shut down and went to sleep because the next round started in a few hours! I got up early on Sunday morning, turned on the computer, and it didn't start. It would not boot up. Something was wrong here! I tried, and tried, and tired very many times. It just would not boot up. I didn't know if it was the HD or something else. There was power, there was humming, it just didn't start up.

So Sunday was dismal. I didn't know what to do! I was annoyed because I was missing a really good day of shows, and that I couldn't do anything else. I suddenly realized how much I depend on getting access to everything through the computer. I couldn't watch any of the shows I've collected, or the music, or access my mail, or chat with friends... I was lost! I had no contact with the outside world. I felt like a prisoner, lost on an isolated island somewhere.

So I sat at my wheel and tried to console myself. I always turn to the wheel in times of need. That is one thing that will ground me, will calm the turmoil in my life, that gives me a sense of some stability in the world. It helped -- but only a little.

Monday I called my computer tech person, and made arrangements to take it in for some service. After work, I ran over with it, and he checked it out. Seems that the power supply had failed. He suggested I get a whole new case. And a motherboard since this one was shot too. (I still don't really know what the problem was) And one thing after another, I ended up buying a whole new computer!

I can't use the HD that I had with the O/S on it. I had to re-install.. which is good since I already have XP Professional. But I had to get a new HD as well. I get home, and search everywhere for the disks... and they are no where. I know they have to be here somewhere... but where? Since I moved couple of years ago, everything is still in boxes piled to the ceiling. Not labeled. So where do I even start looking? Another dismal tortuous evening without the computer! I spin some more.

One good thing, though, about digging through a bunch of boxes and moving things around is that I will find things that I had 'lost'. I did find some money -- a lot of money, in fact -- which was enough to pay for the new computer, so that was fortunate. I think I need to go through more of the things around here and do some "cleaning" and see what else I can find.

Tuesday I run back to the techie guy and cry out for help. So I have to buy another disk! But he says XP is no good, it is being phased out, there is no support, get Windows7 -- and it's cheaper too. wtf? So I end up buying Windows7, which I really did not want to do. Damn that Bill Gates!

Okay, the installation went smoothly enough. Then the drivers (at least most of them). But I have to start from scratch again... all the bookmarks are gone, all my saved programs I had installed, all gone. I haven't tried hooking up the old drive with all my files... he said I can do it once I get this all installed. I will do that tomorrow. Luckily, much of my emaill is web-based, so I didn't lose anything there. I had a lot of my OTR and movies put on disk (just in case) and I'm glad of that. But I still don't have sound!

I finally found the right spot to plug in the speakers, and got sound working. The mic is not recognized -- I have to work on that. I will need that for the Thursday chat. I need to get everything back to the way it was -- I just don't like change!

I had made a promise to myself the last time I had to get a new computer (almost 6 years ago) that the next one will definitely be a Mac. I'm sorry I didn't follow through on that. I think it would be so much better if I did. Next time for sure. Maybe even before then.

Completed

The socks are now finished, and washed, and dried. Here is what they look like:I think they are a little shorter than I like, but shall see. Because they are knit from toe-up, I can always add a bit more to the cuff if I need to. But they fit nicely, and feel good. Maybe I'll just leave them as they are for now. You never know!

More Socks

I heard from Mom that the socks were a great hit. They fit perfectly, and he is very happy with them. He wore them for three days, and Mom finally got them from him and "washed them in the sink", she said, and laid them out on the bed to dry. She knows how to handle my precious wool socks! haha So it appears I was a success. I wonder if he thinks there will be another pair following these.

But I did like them too, so I decided I have enough yarn to knit myself a pair as well. I wanted the same kind of pattern -- seemed to work well -- and wanted to do a white heel for myself. And when I got to doing the gusset, I decided to do my favourite with the increases on the bottom of the foot. Well, that meant that I couldn't do the white heel (because of the construction method) so I just went with all grey. I also did the slip-stitch heel flap, as I like, and then continued the rib pattern up the leg. I will make two white stripes at the top, as I did with the others, just to tie it together. As I am going along, I've been trying it on (to see if it fits) and I really quite like the way they feel. I can understand why he wore them for three days!

I'll show you the turning of the heel. I quite like the way it works this way, and it makes for an interesting structure and design.
Oh, about the frog. The girl next to me took him home and put him in a terrarium. We are just calling it a "him", but the guys at the pet shop didn't know for sure. She bought a tub of crickets and would put 2 or 3 in with him and overnight, they seem to disappear somewhere. Because it is nocturnal, he hides under some bark all day, but when she gets up in the morning, there he is hanging on the side of the glass, eyes wide open, and looking for something to eat. She gave him some meal worms, but he doesn't seem to care for them. I think he likes to see things move, and then snaps them up. I wonder if he has a long tongue? She may have to catch some grasshoppers in summer. But I did tell her not to let it go here because he doesn't belong to this part of the world. So for now, she will keep him. Still no name for him/her/it.