Connie's Corner

First, the bad news....

Friday afternoon about 4:30 I think it was, my computer died. At least I thought it was my computer. I was working on my current transcription for the oral history project when the computer coughed, shut down, and my screen went black. Oh, what a sinking feeling! My first thought was that I had lost the 35 pages I had already transcribed, then comes the "how much is this going to cost" dilemma. My brain was so roiled, it took some time before I remembered I had a name to call for computer repair. So I called Chris and he promised to come at noon yesterday (Saturday). I was a little calmer after talking to him. Isn't it amazing how the loss of electronic connection can be so disrupting to our lives?

To make a long story short, it was my monitor - died a natural death, I guess. I really should have noticed something because my new monitor is so bright it almost hurts my eyes. I guess dimming is a sign something is wrong. So Chris came, told me the (really) good news, charged me $50 for a service call, and said the only thing I needed to make sure of was that the new one was VGA compatible. Not having a computer to shop around was weird, too. I could barely read the little teeny yellow pages they print now. And then there was the waiting...and waiting...and more waiting on the phone. But in the end, all ended very well, $99 for a new monitor. They keep getting lighter and lighter weightwise.

I had no problem hooking it up but did get a little agitated trying to get the display adjusted. It ended up with a tip from Itunes when I got back to my transcribing. Itunes is best displayed at 1024 by 768 pixels, the message said and popped up the exact place to do it. Yay for Apple! So now I am back to normal.

Last Thursday my critique group met at Terri's. She had homemade apple pie with praline ice cream all ready for us. Oh my, it was delicious. Food is so helpful with swallowing critical comments . But then, we always have a good time sharing our stories.

The weather here is beautiful this morning, a little foggy but warm. I finished The Cuckoo's Calling (for my book club) a couple of days ago - nothing to write home about - and now I am reading another mystery, Murder on the Prairie, by a local author.

Oh, and my wonderful, wonderful computer recovered the transcribing I had done when disaster struck. Sometimes, things do turn out okay....

until next time...c