Thought you might like to see how I spent my last week of idleness while my computer, (the dirty b--t-rd), was in the repair shop.


I read a lot, as SWMBO was delighted to show.

You will perhaps notice that I appear to be wearing two pairs of glasses. SWMBO was even more delighted to photograph that oddity.

You see, I recently had cataract surgery on my right eye. While we're waiting (and waiting) for the follow-up doctor appointment and new vision prescription, one eye works great, the other one sucks. So I am wearing my reading glasses, topped with a pair of simple magnifiers from the drug store. The combination allowed me to actually make out the words on the page.

Let me tell you, there is truth in all those bromides about "old age ain't for sissies", et al.

Well, let me tell you, there is nothing in such times of woe as the love of a good . . . . . . cat! My pal, Jazz, who cannot allow me to be seated without seeing (there's that damned word again) advantage of a warm lap. I like to say she loves me. But warmth and comfort may be the true meaning of her closeness.

But it doesn't matter to me. At my advanced age, I'll take what I can get.

Back. At last!

Sheesh! Ten entire days without a computer. Folks, let me tell you. It was painful. It was frustrating. It was nearly mind destroying.

But you know what? After the first couple of days with the knowledge that nothing was going to be done about it for awhile, I slowly adjusted to it and to a slower, quieter time in the past. Before electricity and running water. When we used to go down to the stream and fish away the days, hoping against hope that we'd get a bite. When we used to go down to the park and toss the old baseball around the field. When we used to play something involving a chant of Allee-Allee-Oxen-Free or something like that.

In short, it was ten days of stifling boredom!

But now, I'm back. Mostly. I know the more technically savvy of you, my readers, will be happy to know that I went to the store today and bought an external hard drive that reportedly will hold 500 gigabytes of information and thus back up everything I have written or stored on the various computers I've owned over the last 20 some years and will write or store until the end of time. Better to be safe than sorry. Again. Of course, it's still sitting here in an unopened box but I'll get to it.

I was just wondering one thing as I was driving home and I forgot to ask the young whelp who sold me the thing. What do I do if THAT hard drive crashes?

Further Update

Another day without a computer. The new hard drive that was supposed to arrive today . . . . didn't.

The service man said "We'll try again Friday."

So begins week two with me computerless at home.

Thanks to the town for the use of Internet computers at the public library.

Stay tuned.

Update

Finally got word from my computer fixer this morning. Hard drive is shot. New one needed. He doesn't have them in stock so it will be at least two more days before my baby is fixed. He doesn't think he can retrieve anything from the crap hard drive.

Woe is me.

But I shall survive and hope to be back soon.

Oh sh . . . . . ucks!

CATALYST'S COMPUTER WOULD NOT BOOT UP THIS MORNING.

IT IS IN THE SHOP FOR EXPENSIVE TREATMENT AND REPAIR.

ODDBALL OBSERVATIONS WILL THUS BE DOWN UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

(BEHAVE YOURSELVES)

The continuing saga

It is my interest to keep you, my readers, up to date on the continuing saga of my eyesight.

For example, Miss Kitty asked today if I was using all of my eye drops. So I just wanted her to be assured that I was. SWMBO assisted by taking a picture during a brief nap.

I have survived!

PROGRESS REPORT!

I have lived on. My right eye is that of a newborn babe. I can see small objects at a great distance. I see the ancient kduru grazing on the mountainside. I see gnats around the flanks of cattle in the distance. I see naked ladies through the walls of their houses. (Well, okay, that might be a bit of a stretch.) But my ripped and torn eye is working better than ever. (It's the right eye here, slightly reddened, probably from trying to see through the walls of houses in my neighborhood.)

Here's the best part: The doctor and his nurses told me not to bend or stoop, not to lift over 20 pounds, to take care of myself. And all of this FOR A WEEK OR MORE!!!

Do you realize what that means?

No nasty duties for old Catalyst. SWMBO has been doing stuff that she hadn't even thought about for years. Because she is so caring and doesn't want poor Cat to hurt himself.

Heh-heh-heh.

But I don't know how long I can keep this "oooooooooohhhhhhhhhh" moaning getting its money's worth.

In the meantime, here's a photo of the Rajah to tide you over.