ah, if I only had more memory, a faster processor, a faster connection, a bigger monitor, and a zillion other things and a loving adorable soulmate and partner in everything, life would be perfect... actually, the writing life has improved this weekend, though I still have a few complaints to register... like we (that would be Sally and I) spent about $300 for new toys (electronic stuff) and not one of them could be used... the DVD player (Sally's purchase) turned on ok, but the TV remote was dead and it could not be switched to the video1 channel because there was no button on the TV itself... we fixed that later by going out to buy batteries, so at least the DVD player words... but then there's my stuff...

after gagging my budget director and burying him in quick hardening cement up to his chin, I spent $133 on blank CDs (100 for $20, which is still too high compared to the hundreds of blanks I got for free when the good sale/rebates were around, but those are gone now, as you probably are tired of hearing), a NIC card, Ethernet cable, and optical ball mouse... I run the install CD and find some file is missing on the new old computer so it would not install... the mouse works anyway, but it doesn't have it's software so all it's high-priced programmable featues (five programmable buttons, the box said... so far I've only found four buttons, but without software, of well)... ok, but the mouse works, it needs no flat surface so can sit on the folding-table-top I use for my laptop when I sit in the big green chair... one comfort semi-solved...

then there's the NIC card... ok, so the new old laptop does not have a CD drive and the card did not come with a floppy, so I had to find the driver on the net... I unzip the file that is supposed to contain the driver and find there's no set-up file... not only that, but the little light on the card is not going on and Windows is not finding new hardware when it reboots or searched for it from the control panel... I call their tech support number and on the fifth call I get through the pre-recorded maze and wait for a tech... phone number, name, product, operating system, etc, and so on, duh... five minutes of giving info and the cell phone drops the call... start again, three more times, all the info, finally I am told the particular NIC card I bought has a special installation procedue with WIN98... it seems most everything today has some sort of special installation procedure for Win98... ok, it's last millenium's OS, what can I say, I am poor, remember?... we follow the procedure a few times and after a few reboots, the tech and I agree... the NIC card is broken...

wonderful, maybe I'll return it next week...

ok, enough griping, now for the good news... I went out for that run yesterday and then, shopping and now... the CD burner on the new old computer works... now before I get into the details, it might be worth mentioning that I consider relaxation and comfort and convenience just as important as exercise (what is the point of honing the body to a fine optimal condition if you do not take the time to sit back and enjoy it), the best news is that I can now sit here in the big green chair tapping away on the new old laptop and control the new old computer while it copies CDs... yes, it is now copying the fourth CD of the night (slow as heck, 8x at best) and with the help of it's software, I can get the CD info from the net and the software creates a CD jewel case insert and disk label with the song list and everything and I can put a picture or whetever I want on it and I know many of you have played with this particular toy for a long time, but I lost my virginity tonight and fun?... fun only begins to describe it...

ok, so I lied... I lost my virginity a while back... I copied my first CD some years ago, but did not actually play with the software (and it probably did not have nearly the features the current software has), so it's like the first time all over again and better, cuz it is better, so there...

I am a CD virgin no more.

. o O ( NOTES ARE THE NEW HAPPY PILL ) O o .
(just let me know you were here)