I know it has been an extremely long time since I posted. And it has been a full summer. In fact, we've been discussing that very thing. "Where did the summer go?" I, myself, am not sure. Brings to mind that old song about looking around and it's gone? Not going to look it up cause one gets the idea. Hah! Broke down and looked. After a couple seconds using the wrong keywords, the song suddenly popped into my head. "Paved paradise and put up a parking lot." Well, that really wasn't the point of this. It was the "turning around and its gone" part.
Much plotting, planning and scheduling has been happening in my little corner of this big beautiful world. Did the NaNoWriMo event in July. Happily, I had finished the last of the story and was setting up my stories on JukePop Serials. I say happily because on the last day of the month, my PC Doc warned me that my hard drive was in imminent danger of crashing.
Was on the edge of Panic City, about to zip around there for a while when I came to a full, screeching stop right at the verge of the parking lot. Yep, the one I usually get lost in. Remembered those good guys in the white hats who are so very helpful when it comes to things like computers.
Did some research, checked out the various items recommended. Course I knew in the back of my mind that it was futile. My faithful 'puter was in danger of crashing. How did I know this? Why, from previous experience, of course. I've had three or four computers crash, which those of my faithful, loyal readers have known since they've kept up with my ramblings.
Thinking on it, my 'puter had been slow, achy and groaning. Like any mother and father knows, kids get this whiny sound in their voices when they are getting sick. It sets off the alarm nerve that runs up and down the spine to settle in the heart region where one hopes that it is a false alarm. Well, it wasn't. At least, I wasn't going to take any chances. I had too much of Niiganabiik's World set up, stories waiting for the revision, editing and beta reader stage.
First things first, I got an external drive and backed up my whole computer. Was going to set it up so that I only had what I really wanted. Nah. didn't happen. Still have the three to four copies of the same pictures that happened each time my backup thingy went haywire and didn't listen to the instructions I had given it. Much memory those things take. Filled up an 80G external drive in no time at all. Ratted, dratted...Ahah! Enter the 1T hard drive thing.
Second, shopped around looking for a hard drive. Again, I didn't use the right keywords. Knew I could get the same size drive but wanted to see if I could add a larger drive. Aachk. Gave up looking as everything pointed to Panic City. Particularly, when I restarted my 'puter after one of the interminable updates after the news broke about the largest security breach in history. I'd been avoiding restarts and shut downs as I didn't want anything happening. Well, you're right. My screen was doing the happy dance. After several seconds of breath holding, it settled down when it noticed my face turning pinkish with fear. I quickly ordered the second hard drive I'd looked at. Turned out I didn't have enough money stashed away to order the 1T drive. Then I shut off the computer, thus ending my chance to reorganize my files before the big move. Hehheh.
Checked with the local good guys to see if they'd install the new drive. Apparently, I didn't make myself clear. Let this be a lesson to writers every where. One needs to be clear when one doesn't have the luxury of an editor to help. I'd only asked for them to install the hard drive, Nothing more, nothing less. I waited a week or so after notifying the local good guy of the drive's arrival. So, I turned to the ex-local good guy. Well, actually, he was standing around and I complained. Whined more like, about how I wished he was still being the local good guy. Gave him the particulars and he said he'd help after verifying that all I wanted was the installation of the drive.
Now, I'm happily updating, installing and setting up my 'puter just the way I want it. Of course, I can now take a bit of a breather. Whereupon, I noticed the weather is rainy, it's a bit chilly out and the leaves aren't green. There's a spot of color here and there, informing me that summer is over and I must leave out the winter coat that I'd planned on stashing sometime after it warmed up.