Saturday, January 21, 2006

Missing my own computer

The past week has shown me how valuable it is to have my own computer. Well, it really is not mine; I just get exclusive use of it for my work with the state journalism teachers group. On Jan. 12, I set the computer on the edge of my coffee table, and it slid off and crashed down to the wood laminate floor below, breaking the power plug and AC adapter.

While I ordered a replacement part and a new adapter, I have been using my school laptop at home to check e-mail and to have basic productivity. This week new classes started for my master's degree, and I have realized how many files I have on the other computer that I would like to access -- and files I have created this week that will need to be transferred. E-mail and attachments will be great for that. Still, it has been kind of a pain, and I don't have my e-mail contacts and such available either.

I've hardly been on the computer at all in the last week. For some reason I don't even feel like surfing the Web. The small screen of this 12" iBook and the tiny keyboard area may be factors. I've actually done some work around the house -- I finally put together three sets of shelves for the garage last weekend -- and I have burned through a couple of my Netflix movies. In a way, I guess that has been good.

I should have my replacement part early next week, and I should be able to get the computer repaired quickly. The whole simple mistake will cost me $200, and I guess the damage could have been a lot worse. The computer seems to work fine, but I did not use it for long after I dropped it because I wanted to save the battery in case I needed it before the repairs.

Maybe when I am back to my usual computer, I will be back to my usual level of activity online. In the meantime, I am spending plenty of time around the house in nondigital pursuits.

-- Wenatchee, Wash.

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