When J n' I work on the script, every morning we start by splitting up the scenes on our spreadsheet. For example, yesterday I mainly worked on the "Finnley's basement scene", and J worked on the "church scene" that follows.

Once we're done writing our scenes, we'll read our work aloud to each other and critique it. Then we'll switch and rewrite one another's work. Then we'll read it aloud again. Then we'll rewrite the scenes some more. Or sometimes if the dialog or pace just isn't flowing, we'll move forward to the next set of scenes. We can always return to those less-than-perfect areas later and improve them in a future draft.

This is why 10 or 11 hours can pass and we'll only have maybe 12 pages to show for it. But I tell you, those 10 or 11 hours a day sure do fly. It kinda freaks me out actually, because I don't know where the hell the month of November has gone!

Anyhow, because we write at the same time, this obviously means that we require two computers. J usually sits on our main computer, and I tend to use our old crappy laptop.

There are many issues with our laptop, but because I was the one who somehow lost the backspace key a few years ago, I have agreed to suffer with it. (It's better than listen to him complain every time he has to backspace. Ha.) Don't ask me how I lost that key... it just fell off one day, so I set it on my nightstand, fully intending to glue it back on in the morning. The next day, it was nowhere to be found. Even after we moved to our new apartment, it still never resurfaced. I blame the cats.

Since you're all bloggers, I'm sure you can appreciate the need for a backspace button. I mean, how often do you click 'backspace' when you write your daily blog? Now imagine the nuisance of having to press the area where the key use to be in a particular way so it actually works. Then multiply that by 8 - 11 hours a day. I've gotten used to it, but really, it's still a pain in the butt, because it doesn't always work the first time. Why didn't we get the computer store to order us a new backspace button? Because our laptop is old, and we always intended to purchase a new one... we just never did.

So yes, like I was saying, our laptop is quite old. J received it second hand from his folks about 6 years ago. This leads me to the other issue, which isn't really an issue as much as it is an embarrassment. Our laptop is downright fugly. It's all cracked at the corners as though it has been dropped 50 times. Then there is a little plastic flap thing on the side that is missing. If we ever want to leave the house and discuss the script in a public place, like a coffee shop or whatever, we usually just bring a notepad, because our laptop is such a piece of crap. I'm sure if anyone saw it, they'd laugh at us. (Aw, and after writing that, can you believe that I now actually feel bad for making fun of our fugly laptop? I don't know why I personify inanimate objects, but I do. I feel that by writing this I'm somehow hurting its feelings. Yes, I'm a geek.)

Finally, the last thing is that our laptop isn't equipped to be hooked up to the internet. Only the main computer is hooked up, so if I want to research something, I have to interrupt J's flow and bug him to look up whatever for me. J's always nice about it, so it's not a big deal to ask, but it would definitely be more convenient if I didn't have to bother him and could just look stuff up for myself.

Anyhow... these are the problems with our laptop. I mean, the screenwriting software on it works just fine, so that's all that matters right now... however, the time is going to come next year when we have to meet with producers to pitch our script, and we're going to want to bring our laptop with us. Our fugly, busted up laptop.

SO..... we figured that it was time we invested in a new one. J suggested that we should do it before the end of the year, so that we have some business write-offs that will help us out at tax time.

I don't deal with that side of things... TE is J's business, so he is the one who claims business expenses when he files his taxes. In all honesty, I really don't understand how write-offs work. If we spent X dollars on a laptop, how much of that do we get back? Just the tax on the laptop? Or more? Or less?

Our conversation about write-offs and how they work reminded me of that Seinfeld moment between Jerry and Kramer:



Anyhoo, we went to Futureshop, and while J was parking the car, I went ahead to check out the deals. Three sales guys were standing around chatting, when one of them finally approached me.

"Do you have any questions I can answer?" he asked.

By this time, J was just coming into the store, so I pointed over, "No, but he will..."

Well, I guess I was kinda pointing in the direction of one of the other sales associates, because this other guy perked up with this big smile and started strutting over, so I had to explain, "No, him... behind you. He'll have questions."

The other sales associates started teasing him. "Ha, ha! Good one. Nice try!" Poor guy.

Anyhow, the guy who helped us out was absolutely awesome. Soo helpful. No pressure. He was really great.

After a million questions (I told them J would have questions...) and being in the store for like two hours, we finally ended up walking away with a new MacBook, which we're both really pleased with.

I've always wanted a Mac computer since I first used one in college. Of course, this investment means we lose about 1/2 - 2/3 a month's worth of funding, because every purchase we make today is being stolen from the hands and mouths of our future selves. While J is fine with it, for me this can cause a bit of anxiety, with such an unpredictable economy and the fact that we don't know what to expect with J's contract in the new year... BUT, a new laptop was definitely more of a "need" than a "want". And besides, we can always write it off -- whatever that means.