Earlier and earlier

 

Earlier and earlier

In a bid to enjoy the freshness of the morning and give the dogs a chance to stretch their legs before the heat sets in, we have been getting up earlier and earlier. Consequently, we are going to bed while there is still much light still in the sky.

That makes me feel like a child again, lying in bed listening to the birds, while other people are still up and about. It makes a pleasant change, though the day seems curiously truncated, with 3:00 pm feeling as though it’s five hours later.

This morning, we were up – I was going to say ‘bright and early’, but it transpired that some of us weren’t as awake or aware as others. Barry disappeared downstairs to make coffee and then reappeared a short while later. He had put his trousers on over his pyjamas. It wouldn’t have mattered, really, as they were pyjama shorts, and no-one would have known. He just felt he didn’t actually need the extra layer.

In other world-startling news, my elderly ‘for the time being’ laptop which was pressed into service has been replaced by my newly repaired computer, the one with the pretty LED lights.

 As it is now effectively a new machine, everything has had to be reinstalled. The hunt for passwords and other verifications has been long and trying. Tempers have occasionally been shorter than they should have been, but now, all is well. We just had a brief hiccough with the bank, which initially refused to recognise the new/old/new machine, but that has been resolved, too.

Just one or two things still to deal with . . . shouldn’t take long . . . oh, those weasel words!

 

Catastrophe!

 

Catastrophe!

General Electric GE-645 mainframe configuration 

Image downloaded just to prove that it can (still) be done!

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

In the grand scheme of things, it should not really be classed as catastrophic, but it cannot be denied that one’s personal computer breaking down is more than a slight irritation.

 It is astonishing that something can progress from working perfectly, though occasionally a little clunkily, to throwing a major tantrum, toys flying out of the pram in every direction. It went into a complete sulk, refusing to cooperate, sitting in the corner, drumming its feet, and pouting in a most unattractive manner.

After several hours it was told that enough was enough, or, actually, too much, and its time was up. Parts of it could be regenerated in a sort of organ donation way, but its LED lights would shine no more, or, at least, not in the same environment.

Meantime, its job was taken over by a fairly elderly but reliable laptop. A considerable period elapsed as passwords were sought in order to introduce favourite websites to the new system. The tried and tested method of saving passwords is to record them immediately. Yes, yes, I know the advice is to never write them down anywhere at all on pain of death, or of being cast into the outer ether.

 Unless you have one password for every site ever visited, which is risky, different passwords must be used. Some require a minimum number of letters, while others insist on numbers, punctuation, capital letters, characters, your mother’s maiden name, and how long you’ve lived at your current address.

Therefore, in common with most of technologically challenged mankind, users write passwords in a dedicated notebook. There are many on the market, prosaically labelled, ‘Passwords’ or ‘Internet Password Logbook’ or more to the point and reflecting the aggravation that passwords can cause, ‘WTF is my Password?’ (For the tender-minded, WTF can stand for ‘What the Flip’ – not quite so punchy, but inoffensive!)

This concludes my excuse reason for unexplained absence. There should be a default setting for unexpected nonappearance. ‘There has been an unscheduled break in transmission. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.’

Weekend Reflections #54

Thank you James for organising and hosting this meme. To enjoy more reflections please click here.

Winston knows how to get my attention and if this doesn't work he walks all over the keyboard.

Eulogy for a laptop

When in its prime it worked with ease,
Was my great pride and joy;
My fingers danced across the keys -
I smiled on my new toy.

Alas! Alack! It did not last -
It stumbled, stuttered, stopped.
I gazed in horror, quite aghast -
I know it wasn't dropped.

Harsh fate decrees machines can tease
And thus it was for me;
My laptop brought me to my knees -
What could the matter be?

Now does the knell of doom resound
Round my unhealthy laptop;
'Tis surely for the scrapheap bound
Or maybe just repair shop.

Dear manufacturers, bear in mind
Poor service does us irk!
Don't make machines that groan and grind -
Just make them bloody work!

Winston’s mid-August blog

Winston here . . . p'rrrrr, p'rrrrr . . .

We were all up early today – it's like that sometimes, don'tcha know. It's been quite busy in a quiet sort of way what with Mr Human having swine flu and then a problem with his teeth yesterday. Turns out it was a dead nerve – is that what the humans mean when they say, 'He's got a nerve'? No? Oh well – he went to the dentist twice yesterday and now he's got some tablets to take – hope he don't get them mixed up with Frodo's anti-falling pills! That would be funny . . . No?

We had a laugh the other day. Monty acts so cool and laid-back and he was on the foot-stool sound asleep when he stretched and fell off. Mr and Mrs H had to pretend they weren't laughing coz us cats don't like looking silly. I laughed but it sounded like a sneeze so Monty's feelings weren't hurt. He wasn't so kind to me today – I was resting on top of some clean washing on a box and the whole lot fell down with me underneath it. (I don't know why the humans don't PUT IT AWAY.) I couldn't get out and Monty didn't help one little bit. Mrs H picked the box up and then Monty started a fight with me (they call it a rumble in Berkshire don't cha know) That wasn't very nice when I was feeling a bit fragile. Then we all had breakfast. Me and Monty had chicken wings and all the dogs had chunked beef heart. Me and Monty don't like heart much. It's not surprising really – have you ever seen a domestic cat bring down a cow? I didn't think so – our big cousins in the wild do but they'd prob'ly eat us too if they had a chance. So we have food that's kind of like the things we might kill for ourselves though Mrs H hasn't served up mice and rats and birds yet – well, only chicken. It's called' Pray model' – does that mean we have to say grace? Oh – Monty (clever claws) has just told me it's 'PREY' like what we hunt and chase.
Well, he might be very clever an' all but he hardly ever goes on the laptop and he don't blog like me.Mr Mr H took some photos of me blogging this morning. Mrs H had trouble editing them to leave out the untidy bits – I don't think she did a very good job. (I don't know why the humans don't PUT THINGS AWAY.) Ooh, Mrs H didn't like me saying that. She's muttering something now about Mr H and says she'll have to blog about it. She'll have to wait till I've finished though.

Gillian's coming later – goody – lots of cuddles and treats from the children. I s'pose that means that Tia and Foxy will be going home soon – pity, that – it's nice to have them around.That's all for today.
TTFN