It's almost two weeks since the last storm pounced on us in the small hours of the morning. The thunder was so close that I cowered under the sheets, waiting for the next deafening clap, while the lightning blazed even through my tightly closed lids and the rain pelted on to the roof like rockfalls. As the storm moved away I drifted back to sleep.
By daylight there was no sign of the bad weather. The sun shone and the earth steamed. The mountains were clear and the valley cool and fresh.
I walked across to the computer and switched it on. The power was there, all right, but the thing refused to start, although I could hear the disk whirring in the drive. The light, normally a friendly green, remained a stubborn amber.
So, that storm did not just blast me out of sleep with its violence - it ruined my brand new (well, three month old) computer. I always turn off the power from the strip when I shut down, but now I'm hearing that lightning can damage the system through the modem. I never disconnect the phone line.
I trot my ole self down to the library to check mail and the blog, and the attendant tells me the Internet is down. Shuffle upstairs to the Internet cafe, check mail... No word re contract, grit teeth, move to the blog... Can't sign in. Google mail checks out as usual, but the Blogger sign-in page won't even load. Attendant scratches head, as mystified as I am. Trudge home wearily - and proceed to come down with the worst bug I've had in seven years.
I'm back on my feet, barely. Shaky but alive, pecking away at my son's laptop. He's surfing (waves, not the 'net) all weekend, so he won't need it, right? That was an easy sell.
I missed you guys. Terribly. Now I have something else to worry about: Am I a fanatic about this blogging business, perchance? Whatever. I'm just so !@#$%-ing happy to be back. Well, sort of back. I await the diagnosis re my own computer.
8 comments:
I'm sorry to say that, but lightning MIGHT cause death to a computer, even.
There are two little equipment a PC-fanatic SHOULD buy.
1.) a device that supplies the PC with current, no matter what. I don't know it's name. It works like a big battery. It collects current from the mains, stores it and tranfers it to the PC. It is able to give current to the PC even if there's no mains for like 10 minutes. Those 10 minutes are enough to save all running work.
2.) A special socket. You plug it into the mains and plug the PC into this device. It is EXPENSIVE, but lightning-proof.
Hope I was of some help.
Found you via Jason's blog, we're both fireflies.
Hip hip hooray!
Not that you are/were ill and computerless, but that you are back and posting.
I hope all is well with the computer and I did a little visualizing of the camel at your door for you.
szelsofa, welcome to my blog! I like Jason's place too, and love being a firefly.
Thanks for the advice and info. As soon as I get that advance check I'll be investing in a few safeguards for the PC. (Yes, I'm thinking positive.)
Kim, it's good to be back. I've got so much to catch up on. And many, many thanks for the visualization.
Lightning has killed more computers than people and this is wrong.
Blogging can be almost as addictive as the right type of cough syrup and the one above is not a good example. Not all addictions are destructive but I can't think of any right now except for blog commenting.
Yay! All week at work my RSS reader showed "Camel Couriers" at the top and I was sad.
That's indeed true, aka_lol. Computers aren't going around waging wars, killing each other and destroying the earth. So what's up with the war on computers?
Matt, I'm so ashamed - I'm not too sure what the RSS thing is, although I gather it's a 'feed' of some sort. You got a feed on my blog? Wow. I'm going all melty now.
I was wondering where you got to! Welcome back!
Thank you, kaz. It feels good to have been missed.
Post a Comment