Jon Dude was kind enough to let everyone know that my computer was down. What happened was I got a Mozilla Firefox update that was bogus. I wasn’t quite sure about it but couldn’t put my finger on it. I minimized it and later before I had a chance to say anything, Ed downloaded it and boom, no computer access. I think what bothered me was how insistent the language was about downloading and also the user was not given a “remind me later” option that is so standard. Lesson learned. If it doesn’t look right, don’t do it.

We took it to a computer guy who managed to get in – we hadn’t been able to. He hooked it up to another PC and removed the data, cleaned it and put it back into reloaded software. We gave him the software package that came with the computer but other programs had to be reloaded by us – we had to start with Internet Explorer that we don’t use, and get a doanload for Google and for Picasa, iTunes, and Firefox. Luckily our data was still there.

What is really annoying is everything is showing up in 6 point type. Word is not a problem but when I click on a MyBloggers post, it is centered in the screen and very small. The computer guy said an enhanced video card that was installed at extra cost at the time of purchase, had “burned out”. A new card will cost $200. Ed is @#$%$.

My word files appear to be intact (a relief). It may take a while before the computer is “right” again and I know what I am doing.

I had significant computer withdrawal symptoms during the week and must have started for the den a dozen times before remembering there was no computer there. One good thing is that, at least temporarily, my Free Cell habit has been interrupted and it may be that I am able to kick it. I don’t know yet. I have also come to depend on Google to answer all questions as if it were the Oracle at Delphi. Serious or frivolous, Google is my God

I wish there were a way to trace the source of this disaster. I would dearly love to chop up the hacker who did this.

On other doings, I am still taking the art class. I am not doing homework. There may be a confrontation about that. I don’t want to be doing this anymore but I feel guilty abandoning the teacher who has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. I guess I will just bite the bullet. This doesn't mean I don't like to draw and even paint sometime but I am not doing well jumping to a teacher's tune. My mantra since leaving The Times is "no deadlines."

Ed and I had planned to invite some people for Thanksgiving dinner but our favorite couple had family coming and were planning to eat Italian. Another friend, Clare, said we should come to her house instead so we did that. It was just Ed and me and Clare and her son, Matt, who did much of the cooking. The meal was the best Thanksgiving meal I have ever eaten. Absolutely wonderful. I told Matt he should get a job as a chef somewhere. The dinner was traditional and for dessert there was home -made pumpkin cheesecake and pecan pie. I had a smallish piece of both. I did not eat dinner that night. We left at 5 and made it home just as it was getting dark. Also I had a hangover from just two glasses of wine. The kid is not a kid anymore. 

Clare’s house is one house away from the Calusahatchee and behind an iron gate. I like the area which is slowly climbing back from hard times. Getting there is always a challenge because we tend to get lost. But it worked out okay this time and that meant we were early what with not having to backtrack from making wrong turns.

That is the story this week. I am feeling anxious about accessing everything on the PC but that’s life.

I have to catch up with everyone now.

I hope everyone had a really great holiday.

xx,Teal