Oh yay!!!
Our techies are just wonderful. They're my favorite people today. Charles managed not only to extract my hard drive from the casing, but also to download all my files. I spent all afternoon backing them up to CD!! It will be a week or two before I get my own 'puter back in it's new case, but my mind is at ease, now all the stuff I foolishly hadn't backed up is safe:) Been waking up an hour earlier each morning.. this morning it was 3.30am, tho I didn't have the same sense of panic, as I'd had earlier in the week. Was quite a peaceful contemplative time, even if I'd rather have been asleep.
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Monday, April 26, 2004
Graceway met in the cafe across the road from our usual hall last night. The hall wasn't available, and in spite of it being Anzac Day, & it being a war memorial hall, the two didn't seem to be connected. We decided that it looked like they were doing some digging out back.
Anyway, the cafe owner kindly stayed open an extra hour for us, and we clustered around tables and talked about intercession and then did some. It was great. My friends prayed about my computer (sadly there's no cure for terminal stupidity, but we make the best of what we've got!) and about the reaction at work today.
So, it seems that our wonderful technicians just MIGHT be able to copy my stuff off the hard drive, but they're going to try that tomorrow. They've also come up with another temporary "loaner", so that's brilliant.. I get that tomorrow too. The bad news, of course, is that I'll have to pay out lots of $$$ for the insurance excess, cos it was deemed to be "negligence". Ah well. The files are the bit I'm most anxious about. I know I'll be able to laugh about it sometime, but not just yet.
I got a great email today, tho, that just might describe my next data storage device:
This is our new IT strategy ñ all laptop computers will be disposed of by August 2004 and all desktop computers by July 2004 as a part of the ongoing cost-cutting in the Educational sector. Instead everyone will be provided with an Etch-A Sketch. There are many sound reasons for doing this:
No boot-up problems
No technical glitches keeping wok from being done
No more wasted time reading and writing e-mails or playing games on line
No more worries about power cuts or power spikes
Budget savings on upgrades unparalleled.
Frequently Asked Questions from the Etch-A Sketch Help Desk
Q: My Etch-A Sketch has all these funny lines all over the screen
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: How do I turn my Etch-A Sketch off?
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: Whatís the shortcut for Undo?
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: How do I create a new document window?
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: How do I set the background and foreground to the same colour?
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: What is the proper procedure for rebooting my Etch-A Sketch?
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: How do I delete a document on my Etch-A Sketch?
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: How do I save my Etch-A Sketch document?
A: Donít shake it
Q: How do I photocopy an Etch-A Sketch document?
A: There three alternatives, but on no account shake it
a) Place the Etch-A Sketch on a flat surface, turn the photocopier upside down on it and press Copy (Hint ñ you may need to completely remove the ìlidî from the photocopier first)
b) Get a digital camera, photograph the Etch-A Sketch document, process it with your favourite bit of photo-enhancing software and print it. (Hint one: depending on your photocopier v printing costs it may save you a bit of time and money if you just print the required number of copies anyway. Hint two: If you do not have access to a digital camera you could use an ordinary one, get the film developed and printed and then scan it into the computer. Hint three: Since the Etch-A Sketch original is in grey and white you donít need a bubble-jet or colour laser to copy it.
c) Grab a piece of tracing paper (remember that?) trace the image and then copy it (Hint: if you canít find tracing paper maybe the Domestic Science /Cookery (Sorry ñ Technology Food) teacher has some grease proof paper (remember that?) that you can use.
(Please note: These hints are redundant anyway because your laptop and desktop computers will not be available in the last quarter of this year)
Q: What is the difference between FAQs and Fax?
A: With FAQs, since it ends in ìsî it is therefore plural so you get more than one (see the explanation for marking Unit Standard assessments). Fax should more properly have been spelt Facs since itís short for facsimile. So because Facs ends in an ìsî itís plural too so the conclusion is that FAQs and Fax are equivalent.
IMPORTANT: This e-mail is intended for the individual addressee(s) named above and may contain information that is confidential, privileged or unsuitable for overly sensitive persons with low self-esteem, no sense of humour or irrational religious beliefs. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is not authorised (either explicitly or implicitly) and constitutes an irritating social faux pas.
Unless the word ìabsquatulationî has been used in its correct context (and youíll need a very good dictionary to look it up in) somewhere other than in this warning, it does not have any legal or grammatical use and can be ignored. No animals were harmed in the transmission of this e-mail, although the Kelpie next door is living on borrowed timeí let me tell you.Those of you with an overwhelming fear of the unknown will be gratified to learn that there is no hidden message revealed by reading the backwards, so just ignore that Alert Notice from Microsoft.
However, by pouring a complete circle of salt around yourself and your computer you can ensure that no harm befalls you and your pets. If you have received this e-mail in error, please add some nutmeg and egg whites, whisk, and place in a warm oven for 40 minutes.
Anyway, the cafe owner kindly stayed open an extra hour for us, and we clustered around tables and talked about intercession and then did some. It was great. My friends prayed about my computer (sadly there's no cure for terminal stupidity, but we make the best of what we've got!) and about the reaction at work today.
So, it seems that our wonderful technicians just MIGHT be able to copy my stuff off the hard drive, but they're going to try that tomorrow. They've also come up with another temporary "loaner", so that's brilliant.. I get that tomorrow too. The bad news, of course, is that I'll have to pay out lots of $$$ for the insurance excess, cos it was deemed to be "negligence". Ah well. The files are the bit I'm most anxious about. I know I'll be able to laugh about it sometime, but not just yet.
I got a great email today, tho, that just might describe my next data storage device:
This is our new IT strategy ñ all laptop computers will be disposed of by August 2004 and all desktop computers by July 2004 as a part of the ongoing cost-cutting in the Educational sector. Instead everyone will be provided with an Etch-A Sketch. There are many sound reasons for doing this:
No boot-up problems
No technical glitches keeping wok from being done
No more wasted time reading and writing e-mails or playing games on line
No more worries about power cuts or power spikes
Budget savings on upgrades unparalleled.
Frequently Asked Questions from the Etch-A Sketch Help Desk
Q: My Etch-A Sketch has all these funny lines all over the screen
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: How do I turn my Etch-A Sketch off?
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: Whatís the shortcut for Undo?
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: How do I create a new document window?
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: How do I set the background and foreground to the same colour?
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: What is the proper procedure for rebooting my Etch-A Sketch?
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: How do I delete a document on my Etch-A Sketch?
A: Pick it up and shake it
Q: How do I save my Etch-A Sketch document?
A: Donít shake it
Q: How do I photocopy an Etch-A Sketch document?
A: There three alternatives, but on no account shake it
a) Place the Etch-A Sketch on a flat surface, turn the photocopier upside down on it and press Copy (Hint ñ you may need to completely remove the ìlidî from the photocopier first)
b) Get a digital camera, photograph the Etch-A Sketch document, process it with your favourite bit of photo-enhancing software and print it. (Hint one: depending on your photocopier v printing costs it may save you a bit of time and money if you just print the required number of copies anyway. Hint two: If you do not have access to a digital camera you could use an ordinary one, get the film developed and printed and then scan it into the computer. Hint three: Since the Etch-A Sketch original is in grey and white you donít need a bubble-jet or colour laser to copy it.
c) Grab a piece of tracing paper (remember that?) trace the image and then copy it (Hint: if you canít find tracing paper maybe the Domestic Science /Cookery (Sorry ñ Technology Food) teacher has some grease proof paper (remember that?) that you can use.
(Please note: These hints are redundant anyway because your laptop and desktop computers will not be available in the last quarter of this year)
Q: What is the difference between FAQs and Fax?
A: With FAQs, since it ends in ìsî it is therefore plural so you get more than one (see the explanation for marking Unit Standard assessments). Fax should more properly have been spelt Facs since itís short for facsimile. So because Facs ends in an ìsî itís plural too so the conclusion is that FAQs and Fax are equivalent.
IMPORTANT: This e-mail is intended for the individual addressee(s) named above and may contain information that is confidential, privileged or unsuitable for overly sensitive persons with low self-esteem, no sense of humour or irrational religious beliefs. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is not authorised (either explicitly or implicitly) and constitutes an irritating social faux pas.
Unless the word ìabsquatulationî has been used in its correct context (and youíll need a very good dictionary to look it up in) somewhere other than in this warning, it does not have any legal or grammatical use and can be ignored. No animals were harmed in the transmission of this e-mail, although the Kelpie next door is living on borrowed timeí let me tell you.Those of you with an overwhelming fear of the unknown will be gratified to learn that there is no hidden message revealed by reading the backwards, so just ignore that Alert Notice from Microsoft.
However, by pouring a complete circle of salt around yourself and your computer you can ensure that no harm befalls you and your pets. If you have received this e-mail in error, please add some nutmeg and egg whites, whisk, and place in a warm oven for 40 minutes.
Sunday, April 25, 2004
The clear hard light of day reveals only that the lappie is still dead. Not that I expected any different, but there was always that vague hope. After I stopped pacing around the lounge I decided I may as well try and get some sleep. After all, I wasn't going to improve matters any. I kept waking up and remembering some other file or document or email or whatever that was probably going to be irrecoverable. I am shocked by how stupid I was. Both for the accident to the machine itself, and for not having backed up enough. And I guess I'm a bit surprised at the feeling of grief and loss. And what on earth am I going to say at work tomorrow????
Saturday, April 24, 2004
In fairly major crisis mode...
Have been away for 2 days with senior high school students, doing a chemistry field trip... Have driven for hours and hours, and I'm really tired.
I've just managed to spill about 100mL of softdrink on my laptop, while it was on. This was bad enough, but then I put it by the heater to dry out, and hoped for the best... (after all the lights went out). Next thing, I smelt burning plastic. Now I've fried the bottom of it as well. I don't know where the hard drive is, or if I'm likely to have lost absolutely everything that was on it. I'm a tad on the distraught side. (To put it mildly) The lappy is leased, and I suspect I"ve been exceedingly foolish, and not backed up enough stuff.. Feeling extremely distressed and almost hysterical.
Oh, and just to top it all off, the cat then sicked up (both ends) on the carpet.
Excellent.
Have been away for 2 days with senior high school students, doing a chemistry field trip... Have driven for hours and hours, and I'm really tired.
I've just managed to spill about 100mL of softdrink on my laptop, while it was on. This was bad enough, but then I put it by the heater to dry out, and hoped for the best... (after all the lights went out). Next thing, I smelt burning plastic. Now I've fried the bottom of it as well. I don't know where the hard drive is, or if I'm likely to have lost absolutely everything that was on it. I'm a tad on the distraught side. (To put it mildly) The lappy is leased, and I suspect I"ve been exceedingly foolish, and not backed up enough stuff.. Feeling extremely distressed and almost hysterical.
Oh, and just to top it all off, the cat then sicked up (both ends) on the carpet.
Excellent.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
I'm sooo glad I stayed home this afternoon, otherwise I'd have missed a visit from a special ex-flatmate and her wriggly 9 month old daughter. It just went to prove that my lounge isn't toddler proof. It did, on the other hand, mean that I found a home for the Minnie Mouse I have had since I visited Disneyland when I was 11. This is a 1m tall Minnie, so a maxi-Minnie, really. She's mostly sat in the top of the wardrobe in my old bedroom where I grew up, since then - until my Mum moved 2 years ago, anyway. It was funny - the toy was taller than the toddler. This was a mostly unloved (by me) Minnie, cos she wasn't the original one we bought. The original was stolen out of my carry bag before we even got out the Disneyland gates, as I recall. When we went back, they didn't have any of the wee cute ones left, so I ended up with the ginormous one, and she was just not the same!
Meanwhile, the tenacious toddler tailed the cat with endless patience and no frustration (other than that of the cat) to be seen. Apparently she doesn't understand that it's not a game, yet, and that actually the cat is running away deliberately, not teasing. I wonder how long this will last? She tails her own family dog in the same way - up and down the kitchen for up to 20 times a go. So innocent, and yet so jolly determined!
Meanwhile, the tenacious toddler tailed the cat with endless patience and no frustration (other than that of the cat) to be seen. Apparently she doesn't understand that it's not a game, yet, and that actually the cat is running away deliberately, not teasing. I wonder how long this will last? She tails her own family dog in the same way - up and down the kitchen for up to 20 times a go. So innocent, and yet so jolly determined!
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Mowing the lawn is very satisfying. In thinking back over the years and years of lawnmowing I've done, I realise it is symbolic for me of "place" and "belonging". The way, when you mow the same lawn over and over, you get to know where the dips, the just-buried rocks, the soggy bits, the low branches are. You see the house from a different perspective (and I still remember the time the lawnmower put a stone through the lounge window, when I was very young. It inspired years of checking the front lawn "thoroughly" before mowing). I've mowed with a hand mower, a reel mower - one once that was as tall as me and ten times as powerful, when I worked for Grasslands at the DSIR one summer - a 2-stroke, a 4-stroke and, in London, an electric whiney thing. All of them produced the same fresh-cut grassy aroma that I smell today.
Only quite recently, I learnt that it is better for grass if we don't trim it as short as short can be. Why is this? I've had to break the habit of a lifetime. One of my colleagues said that if you left the grass a bit longer, the Onehunga weed (with it's nasty prickles) doesn't grow well. That's good enough reason for me. Apparently the grass is healthier, too, and grows thicker. This seems like a catch 22 - surely you'd have to mow more often, but in practice, I've found not. I'm no turf expert, that's for sure.
At the moment, the lawn is about all I am succeeding with in my yard. The garden is a tangled wilderness, though it does still produce a series of nice flowers throughout the year. I've never enjoyed gardening, but mowing, now that's something I can manage well.
Only quite recently, I learnt that it is better for grass if we don't trim it as short as short can be. Why is this? I've had to break the habit of a lifetime. One of my colleagues said that if you left the grass a bit longer, the Onehunga weed (with it's nasty prickles) doesn't grow well. That's good enough reason for me. Apparently the grass is healthier, too, and grows thicker. This seems like a catch 22 - surely you'd have to mow more often, but in practice, I've found not. I'm no turf expert, that's for sure.
At the moment, the lawn is about all I am succeeding with in my yard. The garden is a tangled wilderness, though it does still produce a series of nice flowers throughout the year. I've never enjoyed gardening, but mowing, now that's something I can manage well.
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