*Insert Expletive(s)*

Serious technical difficulties here right now.

My (apparently piece of crap) Dell Inspiron 531 – less than a year old – crapped out on me midday Sunday. I was just starting an e-mail reply when the whole system just promptly shut down.

It didn’t say, “Psssst, I’m feelin’ tired, yo… I can has restings?” or anything before it kicked me in the nuts.

Just WHAM. BAM. THANK YOU, MA’AM, rolled over and went to sleep. I was sitting here, in the wet spot, listening to it snore before I even felt anything.

You get the drift.

I’ve tried everything to revive it.

FIrst I pretended that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. I pushed the power button, and as it booted up, I went for a pee break. Nonchalantly, I walked back into the room, input my password, and waited as my desktop picture popped up. Then I clicked the button to open FireFox. WHAM. BAM. F’YOU, MA’AM.

(POWER OFF)

Then I tried saying lots of colorful curse words.

Pushed the power button. Computer started… got as far as the first screen that says, “DELL” and then it clicked off again. (Crap, it’s not even trying to penetrate anymore, DAMNIT.)

Then I tried staring at it in disbelief for several moments, putting my hand over my face, and getting really, really nervous.

Power button. Dell screen. Black Pit of Despair.

Next up, I tried walking out of the room, holding my hand over my mouth so that I would not scream, because Braden was napping in the next room. This was followed quickly by my incredible restraint from a) banging my head against the wall in the hallway repeatedly or b) flinging myself out the second story window onto the sidewalk below.

(Really, is life worth living without access to The Internet? This is my heroin, people. And someone just ripped the needle out of my arm!)

Returning to the room, I tried the technique known as, “Lay Hands On Computer Tower, Quietly Breathing, Then Push The Power Button and BEG GOD TO MAKE IT WORK – PLEASE, OH PLEASE, GOD JUST MAKE IT WORK, PLEEEAAAAASSSSSEEE?????”

God was not hip to fixing my computer.

Next, I actually thought about the “Drop-Kick That Sonofabitch” Method, but thankfully, my better judgment won out. I wasn’t wearing shoes, anyway.

I waited. Tried.

Actually got into Setup by holding F2 at one point.

Unfortunately, the computer was just taunting me. I swear I actually heard it say, “Psych, bitch!” right before it shut down that time.

Now it doesn’t even make it to the DELL screen. It just whispers, “sucks to be you” and winds down immediately.

All of this is to say that my computer is dead to me. Likely, I am going to have to take it somewhere in the coming days and pay out large sums of money that we’re trying to save (for things like student loan payments, medical bill payments, and the downpayment on a freakin’ house) to have it looked at/fixed. (I can only PRAY that it’s even possible for it to be fixed.)

Of course, I’ll have to lug it in somewhere while simultaneously carrying Braden and then try to explain to Unemotional Tech Nerds what happened (as they look at me with the look that says they think I probably don’t even know how to spell my own name). All the while Braden will be running wildly around someone’s business, screaming like a feral monkey, and I will be running after him trying to apply the duct tape with no success.

And I’m not even going to go in depth into the fact that every photo and video I’ve taken since October 2007 is on that hard-drive, and if it’s corrupted, I lose them all. Tons of other documents, too, of course. But the things that capture my kid in time sting me the most.

*stifling cry*

*stifling maddening banshee scream of despair and psychological breakdown*

Right now I’ve got a very old computer hooked up so I can get some things done. Unfortunately, it’s not very trustworthy (I can has lock-ups and crashes, too?) and it could also die at any moment.

I’ll keep posting as I can. Hang in there with me, folks. I’ll try to hang onto the fringe of The Internet that I have my little fingers hooked onto right now. My feet are dangling!

PS:
Dear Tech Nerds: I love you, please do not be mad at me. You are Super Awesome Handsome and Sexy-Hot Tech Nerds and I will love you forever and ever if you fix my computer. All those silly words up there mean nothing. I am just a flighty tart who was tapping out random things on my computer! You are wonderful and amazing, and I will totally touch your no-no spot if you want me to. Just PLEASE OH PLEASE, FIX MY COMPIE?

Sincerely,
Slave To Your Computer Knowledge Having Awesomaciousness

Because Monsters are assholes.

The anniversary yesterday was lovely, and I thank you all for your lovely words and wishes on the post. 

The only crappy thing about the past couple of days is that I’m having a wicked arthritis flare-up, my upper back and neck are a mess of pain (don’t make me turn my head or I’ll hate you forever, plus or minus 3 days), and my left knee has a possible torn/degraded meniscus with edema (water buildup and swelling) that prevents me from bending it much at all.  YAY!

My advice to you is:

DON’T GET OLD.

Really. Stop aging right now! Yes, you there! STOP IT! It’s NOT good.

While I’m on the mend, this little girl makes me happy.  I have watched her video about eleventy-million times in the past couple of months, and I ALWAYS laugh.

What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen/heard a little kid (yours or someone else’s) do/say?