Sitting here waiting for the paper boy. Mostly I just like to read the paper, but today I have an unpleasant purpose.
My main HD on my main machine is trying to go out. Fortunately, it's given me fair warning... don't usually get that.
I tried loading WIN2K yesterday and started getting errors, so I checked it, and got lotsa errors. And it's been sounding funny lately, like a bearing sound, but not one that I'd ever heard before. It is, however, a newer drive than I've ever had go out before... it's a 15GIG Maxtor, I've had it about two years, I think. Warranty is, of course, a year.
So I'm waiting for the paper to check out the ads for computer stuff... HD prices have been going down steadily lately.
Yesterday was not a good day for sleeping, either. After I posted yesterday, I tried several times to go to sleep, but my neighbor thinks that Saturday morning is a fine time for him to mow his lawn, and I guess that I wasn't tired enough to ignore the noise.
So I was still awake when Karen got home, and I persuaded her to take me to lunch at the IHOP.
We've only had an IHOP for about six months... well, we had one for years, but they went out of business here about ten years ago... so now we have a new one. In fact, I've x-rayed a number of their employees, they have a contract with the hospital, I guess.
Anyway, we didn't have to wait, and they did have a smoking section. I got a Colorado omelette, it was OK, but I don't think that I'll ever get another one. It had roast beef on it and on it... beef is not really what I want on/in an omelette. But I ate it anyway. I'll stick with Denver omelettes from now on.
So I got to sleep around 14:30 and slept until Karen's cousin Phil got here at 18:30. It was decided that we'd go to a mexican restaurant for supper... I had no input into that decision at all. I go along with the crowd when it comes to eating.
Kim was kidless last night, so she came along with us. Everyone but me had a full mexican meal, I only had a coupla sanchos, and I didn't even finish those... I wasn't really hungry after the meal that I'd had at IHOP.
We came home and sat around on the deck talking for quite a while, it was a beautiful evening, perfect temperature, light breeze... great for being outside. And no bugs, for some reason or another.
Phil went to sleep around 32:00, and Karen and I were in bed by 22:30. And I was up at 00:15 with a stomach-ache... mexican food, and the fact that I'd taken my zantac in the morning, like I was going to sleep during the day. So I drank a glass of milk and took the pill and found out that the backup that I'd initiated before I went to bed had aborted. So I trimmed it down a bunch and restarted it and went back to bed.
And I slept another two hours. I just can't get it together at all.
I'm doing a second backup now... going to be really, really safe this time. I think what I'll do is load WIN98 on the new disk when I get it, then restore the backup, then load WIN2K.
But, even with all of that, I realize that I still stand a good chance to lose everything, so if perchance I don't have an entry up tomorrow, you'll understand...
09:16...
Steam rising from it. It's leaking on the gas ring... not very much, but enough to keep part of the flames from burning.
All this means, of course, that we need a new gas hot water heater. Joy joy joy.
Additionally, I've never put a hot water heater in, which means that we'll have to hire someone to do it. Again, joy joy joy.
On the other hand, the one that we have now has lasted over 20 years...
Additionally, the paper this morning had no good sales on hard drives, which means that I'll have to go out to Sam's and get another 30GIG one. I was hoping... O'well. It's only money, right?
The OT that I earned last pay period and this one will cover the cost of a hot water heater and a HD.... I was planning on paying down some bills. Again, O'well. And joy joy joy too.
And the stores don't open until 11:00, that's a long time for my sleepless head to go on... but once I make the purchases, I'll go to bed, and do the installation when I get up. For my plan is still to stay up all night tonight and sleep tomorrow, and be ready for work tomorrow night.
More tomorrow...
Karen's cousin Phil just left, but, before he did, he declared that he could smell gas in the house. We went down to the basement and checked the hot water heater and found...