At last we have a working computer again, two in fact! PG has spent every waking moment working on the pair of them and finally they are reformatted, most of the software is back on and things are slowly getting back to normal
Every time this happens I kinda forget the amount of work involved getting things back to 'normal', the hundreds of settings for one thing or another that become so much part of everyday you don't notice them until they are missing or changed. The majority of tomorrow I think will be taken up with getting this back to where it was, replacing missing fonts, downloading all manner of bits and pieces that disappeared in a puff of virtual smoke, rebuilding my sadly lacking desktop and generally fidgeting about with it all until it is back to normal.
On the upside, yes there is one, this hadn't been reformatted for almost two years and it's running like greased lightening now, I didn't lose one single file, folder, picture or email...nothing at all..... I will be eternally grateful for my birthday present, the external hard drive and carrier that PG bestowed upon me!
Talking of gratitude, all this has been done and until this evening I haven't lifted a finger, ok so I had to work but PG has slaved away and done the lot by himself, just so he didn't leave me for his upcoming week of nightshifts computer-less. What a star.
So now I'm off to fiddle a little and then fall, semi comatose into bed until the morning when fiddling will begin in a more serious manner.
Good night :o)
Monday, 30 May 2005
Sunday, 29 May 2005
Sods law at its very best
That old adage, the one that tells us that things come in three's...does that apply to multiples of three also??
Having discovered that this pc has some problem of a serious nature and as yet having been unable to fix it, we set about getting the laptop updated, only to find that the infamous 'Nortons' was shall we say, buggered. Easy fixed we think and uninstall it, the next move was a silly one. Having reinstalled it we connected to the internet to get some information regarding a specific trojan, what happened? Nortons was not fully updated and within seconds we had a dialler and a home page permanently set to a porn site masquerading as Google! FFS.
This seems to be sods law at it's best. We really only keep the laptop as a backup should the pc die a death....the first time we need it it also turns up it's toes for believe me, this dialer etc. is very resistant to removal!
Oh happiness....tonight we have two machines to reformat and all that that entails, all the software to reinstall and far too many gig of information to get back on.
It's gonna be a very long night and should I go AWOL for longer than usual you will understand why. These things as you know have a nasty habit of not being as simple as they should be!
Ugh!
Having discovered that this pc has some problem of a serious nature and as yet having been unable to fix it, we set about getting the laptop updated, only to find that the infamous 'Nortons' was shall we say, buggered. Easy fixed we think and uninstall it, the next move was a silly one. Having reinstalled it we connected to the internet to get some information regarding a specific trojan, what happened? Nortons was not fully updated and within seconds we had a dialler and a home page permanently set to a porn site masquerading as Google! FFS.
This seems to be sods law at it's best. We really only keep the laptop as a backup should the pc die a death....the first time we need it it also turns up it's toes for believe me, this dialer etc. is very resistant to removal!
Oh happiness....tonight we have two machines to reformat and all that that entails, all the software to reinstall and far too many gig of information to get back on.
It's gonna be a very long night and should I go AWOL for longer than usual you will understand why. These things as you know have a nasty habit of not being as simple as they should be!
Ugh!
And now.......
....this damn computer is bust! It just keep getting better and better as I said.
Last night, out of the blue it suddently declined to such a point that it behaves as though it has 10 meg of ram!! PG has been up most of the night trying to fix it but thus far it is still on a serious 'go slow'. He just cannot find what is causing it and I have a nasty feeling we are going to have to reformat. Arghhhh. Looks like I will have to vacate this seat for a while and get the laptop up and running.
For now I'm off to another happy day 'at the office'.
Last night, out of the blue it suddently declined to such a point that it behaves as though it has 10 meg of ram!! PG has been up most of the night trying to fix it but thus far it is still on a serious 'go slow'. He just cannot find what is causing it and I have a nasty feeling we are going to have to reformat. Arghhhh. Looks like I will have to vacate this seat for a while and get the laptop up and running.
For now I'm off to another happy day 'at the office'.
Saturday, 28 May 2005
The day just kept on getting better.....not!
Those of you who suggested I would go into work today where indeed correct, the wimp in me had it's head and even the thought of a day feeling like crawling under a stone was not sufficient to persuade me to make the call. There was no way out, I have to call each day, I have to speak to the manager and I have to make the call myself. If PG had called he would have been told to give the phone to me, if he refused I would be in bigger trouble. Yes, I have tested it, it actually happens that way!
So off I set trying to look on the bright side.......and eight miles into my journey I broke down, the goddamn brakes that I have now paid to have fixed on three occasions stuck so badly that a pall of smoke was trailing from my offside front wheel! Marvelous, just bloody marvelous.....brake fade, my favourite pastime!
There was nothing to be done, I was stuck on the side of the road for half an hour while I waited for the offending brake to cool off and then drove very slowly the remainder of the journey. I could have called a rescue service but here I would have waited for hours and I have to get to work somehow the next two days. I can at least drive slowly like this, I can't get there at all with no car!
I finally arrived a work late, hot and bothered and feeling very queasy and the place was bedlam. I am never late, I hate being late. A friend kindly offered to cover my shift if I had the courage to go home, which I didn't and I plodded on until 8.45 this evening when I finally escaped for my very slow drive home.
Oh....and again I got hit on the head by a colleague, another accident but it damn well hurt and made my headache worse.
Thank you all of you who left kind comments earlier today, it is very much appreciated.
I'm off now to crawl under a stone somewhere! Tomorrow is another day.
So off I set trying to look on the bright side.......and eight miles into my journey I broke down, the goddamn brakes that I have now paid to have fixed on three occasions stuck so badly that a pall of smoke was trailing from my offside front wheel! Marvelous, just bloody marvelous.....brake fade, my favourite pastime!
There was nothing to be done, I was stuck on the side of the road for half an hour while I waited for the offending brake to cool off and then drove very slowly the remainder of the journey. I could have called a rescue service but here I would have waited for hours and I have to get to work somehow the next two days. I can at least drive slowly like this, I can't get there at all with no car!
I finally arrived a work late, hot and bothered and feeling very queasy and the place was bedlam. I am never late, I hate being late. A friend kindly offered to cover my shift if I had the courage to go home, which I didn't and I plodded on until 8.45 this evening when I finally escaped for my very slow drive home.
Oh....and again I got hit on the head by a colleague, another accident but it damn well hurt and made my headache worse.
Thank you all of you who left kind comments earlier today, it is very much appreciated.
I'm off now to crawl under a stone somewhere! Tomorrow is another day.
Dithering
So here I am sitting dithering as ever I do in these circumstances. I am due into work, a late shift which doesn't help the situation, trying to decide if I am well enough and vacillating wildly.
I am thankfully improved a little from my condition yesterday but my common sense tells me I am not yet well enough to spend a hard day on my feet, on a day when 110% is required of me and my day won't finish until gone 21.00 hrs. The other side of the coin of course is that to avoid putting myself through that in my 'tender' state I have to go the 'calling in sick route' again! Ugh.
I could of course make my way in and see how it goes but that is not really a valid option, for should I feel too unwell to remain in situ the chances of my being allowed to leave are almost nil. Yup, even if I pluck up the courage to ask to go home I will be argued with and whilst in reality I cannot be chained to the place I will be made crystal clear to me that to desert my post is not an option. Half measures?... will I be granted the privilege of taking it slightly easier than if I was firing on all cylinders?....not a hope, it is unlikely anyone will even ask how I am and add to that I have to endure what is politely called the 'return to work interview' which of course, whilst it is hailed as the employer taking care of it's staff, in reality is just another form of intimidation. Eekkkk and ugh!
I know I am needed today, that is not incidentally a case of my 'blowing my own trumpet' rather a reflection on the skeleton staff we struggle by with, I feel guilty as hell for letting my colleagues down and I need the money......but I feel like crap, though not quite as large a heap of crap as I did.
And so I dither on, stress levels rising in my effort to make a decision and of course I know the outcome already.... for I am far too big a scaredy-cat to call in for a second day, rather I spend the next three long days in abject misery and collapse in a heap on Tuesday.
Oh to be brave!
I am thankfully improved a little from my condition yesterday but my common sense tells me I am not yet well enough to spend a hard day on my feet, on a day when 110% is required of me and my day won't finish until gone 21.00 hrs. The other side of the coin of course is that to avoid putting myself through that in my 'tender' state I have to go the 'calling in sick route' again! Ugh.
I could of course make my way in and see how it goes but that is not really a valid option, for should I feel too unwell to remain in situ the chances of my being allowed to leave are almost nil. Yup, even if I pluck up the courage to ask to go home I will be argued with and whilst in reality I cannot be chained to the place I will be made crystal clear to me that to desert my post is not an option. Half measures?... will I be granted the privilege of taking it slightly easier than if I was firing on all cylinders?....not a hope, it is unlikely anyone will even ask how I am and add to that I have to endure what is politely called the 'return to work interview' which of course, whilst it is hailed as the employer taking care of it's staff, in reality is just another form of intimidation. Eekkkk and ugh!
I know I am needed today, that is not incidentally a case of my 'blowing my own trumpet' rather a reflection on the skeleton staff we struggle by with, I feel guilty as hell for letting my colleagues down and I need the money......but I feel like crap, though not quite as large a heap of crap as I did.
And so I dither on, stress levels rising in my effort to make a decision and of course I know the outcome already.... for I am far too big a scaredy-cat to call in for a second day, rather I spend the next three long days in abject misery and collapse in a heap on Tuesday.
Oh to be brave!
Ooopssss....Friday's feast on a Saturday
Friday's feast 49.
Appetizer
What job would you definitely not want to have?
Mine, right now.
Soup
Oprah calls and wants you to appear on her show. What would that day's show be about?
It wouldn't matter, I wouldn't attend whatever it was about.
Salad
Name 3 vegetables that you eat on a regular basis.
Peas, broccoli and corn though despite being a veggie the words 'vegetables' and 'regular basis' do not sit well together where I am concerned
Main Course
If you were commissioned to rename your hometown, what would you call it.
'gemmaks-ville'. heh.
Dessert
If you had a personal assistant, what kind of tasks would you have them to do?
Go to work for me today!
Appetizer
What job would you definitely not want to have?
Mine, right now.
Soup
Oprah calls and wants you to appear on her show. What would that day's show be about?
It wouldn't matter, I wouldn't attend whatever it was about.
Salad
Name 3 vegetables that you eat on a regular basis.
Peas, broccoli and corn though despite being a veggie the words 'vegetables' and 'regular basis' do not sit well together where I am concerned
Main Course
If you were commissioned to rename your hometown, what would you call it.
'gemmaks-ville'. heh.
Dessert
If you had a personal assistant, what kind of tasks would you have them to do?
Go to work for me today!
Friday, 27 May 2005
In sickness and Big Brother
Protection!
Today I should have been at work but instead I have been languishing here courtesy of something very un-nice that has seen fit to my invade person. I will spare you the detail, I promise you don't want to know, suffice to say I spent the majority of the early part of the day parked in the bathroom feeling particularly sorry for myself...... bleugh.
I of course had to go through the added trauma of calling in sick to work, I tell you, one has to feel very ill to run that gamut! Having made the decision that work would not be a good idea, it then took me half an hour to pluck up the courage to call, knowing full well today was not a good day from a staffing point of view to fall ill. Having been privy to a very un-nice conversation between another member of staff and the manager a few days ago did not make me feel any the braver, It had not been pretty, my heart bled for the poor lad on the other end of the line and so in trepidation as ever, I eventually made the call and credit where credit is due, my manager was surprisingly kind and understanding.
I am a grown woman of 40 something and yet the calling in sick thing terrifies me, as it does most of my colleagues, why does one person have the right to do that to another? I was shaking making the call and you just don't need it when already feeling like death. Hey ho, it's power and life and stuff I suppose.
Onto better things, having plied myself with appropriate medicaments the 'poorliness' is subsiding, I even managed to eat some toast with success and tonight is the night I have been waiting for, for months! I have the courage of my convictions, I have Ditto at the ready protecting the television remote from PG's grasp and I am prepared and looking forward with anticipation to the one TV programme I just have to watch....tonight is the first night of Big Brother 2005!!! Yayyyyyy.
Yup, I'm afraid to say I am a BB addict, it's crap I know but I can't help it....we all have to have one vice afterall!
Thursday, 26 May 2005
A woman thing?
Have you ever noticed how there are some things that guys just 'don't get'?
One of these things is the unexpected pleasure in the breakdown of an item of necessity. Certainly when a household item for instance, gives up the ghost suddenly the immediate inconvenience is somewhat less than amusing but for us women there is of course the realisation, that dawns on us within seconds that the untimely demise of this item, provides for a little guilt free shopping! Whatever the item might be it is without question 'indispensable' and a replacement must be sought immediately!
It barely matters how mundane an item we are dealing with here, after all, shopping is shopping and we can find interest in it's every form.
It was thus that a few days ago, having discovered our kettle had shuffled off this mortal coil it was imperative that a newer model was purchased 'post haste'. PG's first reaction to the news was "can't you boil water in a pan for a few days while I try to fix it"?
Fix it? what on earth was the man thinking, fix it indeed, er, no I can't boil water on a bloody pan, are you mad man! A small 'discussion' ensued and he was suitably convinced that it wasn't worth the effort, it is of course highly unlikely that one could by any parts required is it not?
And so, the very next day I found myself in a 'kettle shop', my eyes lit almost immediately on the model I was going to have, all that remained was to convince PG. I could of course have just made my purchase and been done with it but it is just so much less tiresome if one's partners approval can be won and avoids any unnecessary grumbling after returning home. With this in mind I called PG hurriedly and described said kettle, a flash brushed steel affair with internal neon lighting.....changing colours no less, depending on the task it is performing. No guys kettles do not just boil water, they simmer and idle too, each requiring in turn, a blue, purple or red internal lighting display that glows interestingly through the fill level window!
"Does it boil water" was his reply to my animated description,
"tsk, of course it does" was my terse reply.
"Well it will do for me then" came back at me.
"But" said I and reiterated the delights of this modern convenience.
"So I am assuming it is not cheap" he said "or you wouldn't be trying to convince me"
"well no" I said, "but it's not the most expensive model"......and on the conversation carried, with PG's voice becoming more exasperated!
PG "How much"
Me "less than £50"
PG "Only just less I assume"
Me "a bit less"
PG "How bloody much less?"
Me "Oh for goodness sake does it matter, I'm paying for it and it matches the coffee machine"
PG "So why ask my opinion in the first place, do we need a kettle with flashing lights and anyways you don't use the coffee machine you use the caffetiere"
Me " Well no we don't need flashing lights, (ignoring the coffee machine comment here) but it's nice' and I want you to like it"
PG " Don't gimme that bollocks, you just don't want a hard time... it boils water yes?....ok get it, I won't give you a hard time, just enough about the kettle ok"?
Good enough for me! It was purchased and now sits proudly on the counter top, pretty lights flashing and glowing and he still just doesn't 'get it'! MEN!
It must be a woman 'thing' ;o)
One of these things is the unexpected pleasure in the breakdown of an item of necessity. Certainly when a household item for instance, gives up the ghost suddenly the immediate inconvenience is somewhat less than amusing but for us women there is of course the realisation, that dawns on us within seconds that the untimely demise of this item, provides for a little guilt free shopping! Whatever the item might be it is without question 'indispensable' and a replacement must be sought immediately!
It barely matters how mundane an item we are dealing with here, after all, shopping is shopping and we can find interest in it's every form.
It was thus that a few days ago, having discovered our kettle had shuffled off this mortal coil it was imperative that a newer model was purchased 'post haste'. PG's first reaction to the news was "can't you boil water in a pan for a few days while I try to fix it"?
Fix it? what on earth was the man thinking, fix it indeed, er, no I can't boil water on a bloody pan, are you mad man! A small 'discussion' ensued and he was suitably convinced that it wasn't worth the effort, it is of course highly unlikely that one could by any parts required is it not?
And so, the very next day I found myself in a 'kettle shop', my eyes lit almost immediately on the model I was going to have, all that remained was to convince PG. I could of course have just made my purchase and been done with it but it is just so much less tiresome if one's partners approval can be won and avoids any unnecessary grumbling after returning home. With this in mind I called PG hurriedly and described said kettle, a flash brushed steel affair with internal neon lighting.....changing colours no less, depending on the task it is performing. No guys kettles do not just boil water, they simmer and idle too, each requiring in turn, a blue, purple or red internal lighting display that glows interestingly through the fill level window!
"Does it boil water" was his reply to my animated description,
"tsk, of course it does" was my terse reply.
"Well it will do for me then" came back at me.
"But" said I and reiterated the delights of this modern convenience.
"So I am assuming it is not cheap" he said "or you wouldn't be trying to convince me"
"well no" I said, "but it's not the most expensive model"......and on the conversation carried, with PG's voice becoming more exasperated!
PG "How much"
Me "less than £50"
PG "Only just less I assume"
Me "a bit less"
PG "How bloody much less?"
Me "Oh for goodness sake does it matter, I'm paying for it and it matches the coffee machine"
PG "So why ask my opinion in the first place, do we need a kettle with flashing lights and anyways you don't use the coffee machine you use the caffetiere"
Me " Well no we don't need flashing lights, (ignoring the coffee machine comment here) but it's nice' and I want you to like it"
PG " Don't gimme that bollocks, you just don't want a hard time... it boils water yes?....ok get it, I won't give you a hard time, just enough about the kettle ok"?
Good enough for me! It was purchased and now sits proudly on the counter top, pretty lights flashing and glowing and he still just doesn't 'get it'! MEN!
It must be a woman 'thing' ;o)
Wednesday, 25 May 2005
Tagged again...a literary theme this time.
I've been tagged again, this time by Dr.Rob..... Methinks revenge is being sought :o)
This one is quite hard for me, the last few years, despite the intent, I have barely read a thing, unless of course it has been on a monitor, but here goes, I'll give it a shot.
1. Total number of books I've owned
I have no real idea, I used to won probably something in the region of 1000 but most of them were left behind in an enforced house move. I now maybe own 200 ish, mostly non-fiction.
2. The last book I bought
'Never hit a jellyfish with a spade' Guy Browning.
3. The Last Book I read
'Chocolat' by Joanne Harris....but I didn't quite finish it!
4. 5 books that mean something to me
Good Lord, you really want five?!
a. 'Catwatching' Desmond Morris.
b. 'Jeanne - A love story' Derek Tangye.
c. 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X'.
d. 'Scruples' Judith Krantz. (should I be admitting such trash?)
Sorry, I can't make five!
5. Tag 5 people and request they fill this out on their journals
Lisa
Justitia
Idgie
Larry
Mrs Wann
This one is quite hard for me, the last few years, despite the intent, I have barely read a thing, unless of course it has been on a monitor, but here goes, I'll give it a shot.
1. Total number of books I've owned
I have no real idea, I used to won probably something in the region of 1000 but most of them were left behind in an enforced house move. I now maybe own 200 ish, mostly non-fiction.
2. The last book I bought
'Never hit a jellyfish with a spade' Guy Browning.
3. The Last Book I read
'Chocolat' by Joanne Harris....but I didn't quite finish it!
4. 5 books that mean something to me
Good Lord, you really want five?!
a. 'Catwatching' Desmond Morris.
b. 'Jeanne - A love story' Derek Tangye.
c. 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X'.
d. 'Scruples' Judith Krantz. (should I be admitting such trash?)
Sorry, I can't make five!
5. Tag 5 people and request they fill this out on their journals
Lisa
Justitia
Idgie
Larry
Mrs Wann
Spoilt brat!
Today is one of those days, my mind seems to have beat a hasty retreat and hidden somewhere as yet unfound.
I have started a thousand tasks, well ok, maybe just four or five but none of them are completed, I can't seem to concentrate and I have the definite 'hump'!
Yeah, I accept I am behaving like a spoilt brat but the thought of six days straight at work beginning tomorrow is not filling me with joy.....and this morning who should turn up on my doorstep but the neighbour from hell and killer dog.
Thankfully she was accompanied by her friend who is visiting from Germany so killer dog could be dispatched elsewhere for a walk. Ditto went on immediate red alert as the mere whiff of him hit her small nose and scurried off under the bed looking slightly puzzled. I think she had kinda got used to not having to deal with him this last week and his sudden re-appearance on her doorstep was rather confusing.
So, this afternoon it looks as though I will be assisting in the final stages of removal, apparently she still has a few items here she left behind and there is the final cleaning jobs to be attended to.....oh silly me for thinking it was all done and dusted!
I have started a thousand tasks, well ok, maybe just four or five but none of them are completed, I can't seem to concentrate and I have the definite 'hump'!
Yeah, I accept I am behaving like a spoilt brat but the thought of six days straight at work beginning tomorrow is not filling me with joy.....and this morning who should turn up on my doorstep but the neighbour from hell and killer dog.
Thankfully she was accompanied by her friend who is visiting from Germany so killer dog could be dispatched elsewhere for a walk. Ditto went on immediate red alert as the mere whiff of him hit her small nose and scurried off under the bed looking slightly puzzled. I think she had kinda got used to not having to deal with him this last week and his sudden re-appearance on her doorstep was rather confusing.
So, this afternoon it looks as though I will be assisting in the final stages of removal, apparently she still has a few items here she left behind and there is the final cleaning jobs to be attended to.....oh silly me for thinking it was all done and dusted!
Tuesday, 24 May 2005
Little and large
Pandas. © Ellis / Minden
(Clickable)
I thought this picture might be a nice start to the day, it made me smile so maybe it will do the same for you.
Is this the largest ratio in size between mother and child in the natural world? I can't think of anything that competes.
Monday, 23 May 2005
Too weird
So I got my sleep, my head hit the pillow, which incidentally I had to share with small cat, and I was away, gone, completely out of it....and I wish I hadn't bothered!
I woke up four hours later with a stiff neck, sore shoulders, no evidence that Richard Gere had dropped by and I had nightmares, or should that be 'daymares', for what felt like the entire time I was sleeping.
I'm not into dreams, I don't dream often or at least I don't remember them if I do but this was very wired and one of those that kinda stayed with me long after I woke up. No doubt someone could analyse my daymare and come up with all manner of worrying theories but I prefer to just think I am odd from time to time!
So what did this dream entail?
I was in Manchester city center with a friend, though I have no idea who the friend was or why I was in Manchester. I had to buy a pair of shoes but half way through my purchase a commotion erupted outside in the street. I, along with many others rushed outside to discover that two police officers had been fatally shot and wounded. We couldn't see this in the crowd but we just knew the details...oh and for the remainder of the dream I only had one shoe on!
There were sirens and pandemonium everywhere and I recall being worried that that my cell phone wouldn't work because despite all the emergency vehicles no one was attending to the injured officers. I wanted to call for more help but every time I picked the phone up it fell to pieces, though the next time I tried it was intact until I touched it! I think I must have been inflicted with whatever the opposite of the 'Midas touch' is. It was all very peculiar, nothing worked correctly and no one was reacting in the manner I expected.
WTF was that all about then?? I think I'll book me a place at the priory!
Whatever, I woke up feeling like I had gone ten rounds with Muhammad Ali and my neck and shoulders are still complaining loudly.
Someone please remind me next time, that I am far too old to sit up on IRC all night anymore!
I woke up four hours later with a stiff neck, sore shoulders, no evidence that Richard Gere had dropped by and I had nightmares, or should that be 'daymares', for what felt like the entire time I was sleeping.
I'm not into dreams, I don't dream often or at least I don't remember them if I do but this was very wired and one of those that kinda stayed with me long after I woke up. No doubt someone could analyse my daymare and come up with all manner of worrying theories but I prefer to just think I am odd from time to time!
So what did this dream entail?
I was in Manchester city center with a friend, though I have no idea who the friend was or why I was in Manchester. I had to buy a pair of shoes but half way through my purchase a commotion erupted outside in the street. I, along with many others rushed outside to discover that two police officers had been fatally shot and wounded. We couldn't see this in the crowd but we just knew the details...oh and for the remainder of the dream I only had one shoe on!
There were sirens and pandemonium everywhere and I recall being worried that that my cell phone wouldn't work because despite all the emergency vehicles no one was attending to the injured officers. I wanted to call for more help but every time I picked the phone up it fell to pieces, though the next time I tried it was intact until I touched it! I think I must have been inflicted with whatever the opposite of the 'Midas touch' is. It was all very peculiar, nothing worked correctly and no one was reacting in the manner I expected.
WTF was that all about then?? I think I'll book me a place at the priory!
Whatever, I woke up feeling like I had gone ten rounds with Muhammad Ali and my neck and shoulders are still complaining loudly.
Someone please remind me next time, that I am far too old to sit up on IRC all night anymore!
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