A Dead Computer                                                                  August 6, 2000

Well, I've learnt what it's like NOT having a working computer.  No e-mails at home (had to walk 7 blocks to the local internet cafe instead), no developing of digital photos, no music, no easy way to write a travelogue, no birthday list to help remember those important dates, but mostly, nothing to keep me occupied!!!!  
I sure have become dependent on the little "helper".

The details:  I managed to spill an eighth of a glass of my favorite white zinfandel on my laptop.  I was talking on the phone (the cord almost reached), looking for some data, getting a bit annoyed and then ...  The computer sputtered a bit, so I quickly turned it off, tipped it over and let the excess liquid drain out.  After I hoped the machine had dried out, and after much hassle finding a place that would work on a Compaq computer in Edinburgh, I took it in for a look-see.  Seven days later I got the bad news:  the keyboard and mother board needed to be replaced, and it was cheaper to buy a new laptop!

So now I'm the proud owner of a much lighter Sharp laptop.  I paid the repair place  $125 to upload the contents of the old hard drive, but even so it's a lot of work to move data files and reinstall all the programs, especially since some of the disks are at home in Texas.  Oh well, a lesson learned.   Hope you can learn from me.

And, just in case you're wondering what Dick had to say about this, he didn't say a word.  My hero! 

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