We've been asked to tell something about ourselves in this round. I've got a whole blog related to that and if you want to know more about me you can visit my presently dormant memoir blog Wrote By Rote. The short story is that I've been blogging since 2009 writing about all kinds of stuff. I am the founder of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge (yes, you can blame me for that). I sometimes may appear to lack direction but hopefully there is method to my madness.
And now for what's on my mind in this first #ISWG post of 2015:
 |
| Judean hills (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
I've Got Nothing
Well, it finally happened. My computer had been faltering for near two years, maybe more, and on this past Monday morning it totally crashed. I got up in the morning and it was off and there was no way that I was able to turn it back on. I had nothing. Kaput. Dead.
Fortunately though, as I think I mentioned a few months ago, while I was with my mother in Tennessee last summer she let me have my late step-father's computer which had barely been used and is like new. It's a Lenovo. I've heard they're good, but I don't know much about such things. All I know is so far it works at lightning speeds compared to my old HP which I had purchased back in 2007. It served me fairly well and I liked it when it was working good, but I think I should have gotten better service in the long run.
The bad thing about my computer crash is that I now can't access my files on that HP hard drive. Fortunately I did back most important things on an external drive so all is not lost, but it is kind of a hassle for a computer dummy like me. In a way it's kind of like starting over. Maybe not such a bad thing, but so far I'm not sure. Right now I'm so astounded by my ability to work faster that I'm not yet noticing a lot that might be missing from my new computer and what programs I'll have to re-install or things that I'll need to add back into these files. No biggie for the time being and for now I've got other fish to fry. In fact, tomorrow I'm fixing tilapia for dinner--but now I'm digressing into silliness.
Back to Monday though when I was brooding over losing my computer and everything in it and trying to avoid what to me was a daunting task of setting up this Lenovo, I began to contemplate on what might happen if I had nothing as related to my writing. Over the years I've accumulated all of these near finished novels and notes for possible books. I've got stories, essays, poetry, and songs that are waiting for me to act upon them. And I've got nothing to show for any of this other than a small file of rejection letters from many years ago. What the heck am I doing anyway?
Sometimes I fantasize--or maybe it's more like a nightmarish fixation--about scrapping everything. Throwing away everything that I've ever written, outlined, or scribbled notes about. Good-bye massive accumulations of paper and amassed computer files hidden away in these machines I have around the house. Perhaps I should begin anew and forget everything that ever came before.
No, that's not me. I am the eternal pack rat. The hoarder who files my life in cabinets, boxes, and stacks in closets and on desks. I've got a lot of stuff, but nothing tangible to show for it. I've got my blog and that's something I guess. And since this is nobody's fault but my own I probably should just shut up about it. Maybe I can drag everything into my writing office and immerse myself in papers like a pig wallowing in the mud.
Actually I'm probably making all this sound worse than it really is, but it's #IWSG day and I wanted to come up with some drama--a seemingly insurmountable situation of insecurity. Insecurity of epic proportions--a writer's worst nightmare. Losing everything. Having nothing.
In addition to all this, my most recent Battle of the Bands post used the song "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" and I'm still taking votes on the readers' favorite versions. It's a heck of a contest right now but I'd still like to get more votes on it. If you haven't visited the post and cast your vote please click on this link. I've gotten a lot of votes so far, but being avaricious about my BOTB posts I want to get as many votes as I can.
Yeah, I'm terrible I know using this #IWSG post to promote my BOTB post. But there is truth in this post and I really am insecure about having nothing and all that rot. In fact, I am assuredly insecure about everything. Sorry about my shameless plug. I didn't mean to shamelessly promote anything here.
Oh, and by the way, sign-ups for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge begin on January 26. I'm not promoting anything, I'm just saying it. Who me--promote? Would I ever do such a thing?
Do you ever think about just shucking it all and starting over from scratch? What do you know about Lenovo computers? Are you planning to join us for the A to Z Challenge in April?
I've lost everything before - it was devastating. I still have the hard drive and a friend who says it can be retrieved - we'll see.
ReplyDeleteI've never done the A-Z challenge - maybe this year.
BOTB - not sure what I'm doing - this might be the only battle I do.
A very interesting post - it's nice getting to know you(smile).
Hope you do more BOTB posts. I thought you took a very nice approach to it.
DeleteI'm sure the stuff on my old hard drive can be retrieved, but I don't think I know how and I'm not sure how much it would cost to do it.
Lee
{{hugs}}
ReplyDeleteI know that feeling of wanting to chuck it all - I suppose because I'm a pack rat, too, and could never really part with all my papers. But sometimes I dream of how nice it would be to have none at all...My house would be empty if I had no papers and books!
I love the A to Z!
ReplyDeleteHope you'll help us spread the A to Z word! We love you too!
DeleteEven when I lived on the road I carried a lot of stuff with me. A life of non-materialistic vagabondage might nice--in an idealistic way of thinking.
Lee
I've heard Lenovo is supposed to be one of the best computers around. My Toshiba cracked apart when I went to shut the lid and that forced my hand into a new laptop too. I went with Toshiba again but not before I frantically got all my pics off the old hard drive before it completely died. It still works as long as the lid stays up. I won't be doing A-Z this year.....I helped out Tina last year but her passing took the wind out of my sails.
ReplyDeleteMaybe new wind will come your way and not just be a passing wind.
DeleteLee
I have a Lenovo and mostly like it, though am not thrilled with Windows 8 or the pre-loaded software. As for your hard drive from the HP, for about $30 you can buy an "external hard drive' and remove the one from the HP and use the device to plug into the Lenovo. If the computer death was a system failure, you should still have pretty much everything. (I know from experience when my HP died)
ReplyDeleteFortunately this Lenovo that I have now has Windows 7 and not the dreaded 8 that I've heard so many bad things about. I'll have to look into seeing if I can retrieve the data from the HP.
DeleteLee
It's a good thing you had another computer to fall back on.
ReplyDeleteI hoard stories. I still have the notebooks I used for short stories when I was a teen. Dozens of them!
If I actually finished everything I've started or wrote down ideas about or even just thought about, I'd have a considerable library to show for it all.
DeleteLee
I think anyone who's owned a computer has done that. Now I back up to the cloud, to much vital stuff to lose it all, again. Carbonite is only $59 a year I think, and Dropbox is free. I do both, not taking any more chances! I've also found that sometimes it's just gone and after awhile you don't miss it because you don't know what you're missing. Not a hoarder - I hate clutter!
ReplyDeleteIf it was forgotten, then it probably wasn't worth remembering anyway.
DeleteLee
I think I'm the opposite of a hoarder.
ReplyDeleteYou should be able to recover those files from the hard drive. Take it to a computer expert and have them retrieve the data.
I'll keep the computer for now and eventually figure out how to retrieve the info and if I don't retrieve it then it's really no big deal anyway.
DeleteLee
I think you've hit on it. Thank you, Karen, for that vote of confidence.
ReplyDeleteLee
I am not a hoarder either. My laptop is it. When I make a few notes on a legal pad, I throw them away once they're added to my story. I delete old ms or notes on the computer. I do need to back my stuff up, today, like right now... :)
ReplyDeleteBacking up data requires a diligence that I often don't have.
DeleteLee
Lee I heard about your mother's passing and I think I left condolences, but I'm whacked out sometimes. What do I know? Anyhow, I definitely understand what you're saying about doing a double take on one's own mortality. My lovely MIL died last June. She was like a mother to me. After all, I'm married to her baby boy going on 36-years this summer. Yikes, I'm sorry to hear about your computer crash. Some times data from hard drive failures can be retrieved. It depends on what kind it is and how much you want to pay. One time an old lap time died and I bought this little data transfer cable that I attached to the HD after I removed it and connected it to another laptop. It was just a matter of dragging stuff off. Then, our big powerhouse Dell crashed and that wasn't an easy fix, which resulted in taking the drive to Best Buy who then sent it off to a White Room to pull the data off. We feel we got everything off or pretty close to it. You do have options, if you're interested. As for Lenova, the only thing I've heard is they are made by the Chinese government. That being said, we won't consider any of their products period. However, since that big crash in 2010, we predominately use MacBooks and love them! Oh well...the best of luck to you with the setup process. It's a nightmare sometimes!
ReplyDeleteOh crap, Chinese government? Now I'm annoyed. Then again what don't the Chinese make? I was looking at Panama hats in a store recently and noticed they were made in China. Let's face it, the Chinese are going to take over anything. Thank goodness I like Chinese food.
DeleteLee
It's good that you backed up all of the important stuff. Hopefully everything will work out with the new computer. I'm definitely doing A to Z this year. I had a lot of fun last year and this time I actually have a theme idea!
ReplyDeleteGlad you'll be joining us for the A to Z fun in April 2015!
DeleteLee
Gads! You've motivated me into backing up sooner than later - as in, Now! My Dell has been sputtering like an old mustang with a shoelace strategically tied beneath the hood. I like how you write from the hip - only way to be as far as I'm concerned :-) Keep at it!
ReplyDeleteI was lucky. For years I just thought about backing up data, but didn't do anything until this past couple of years. Thank goodness for that. Now I'll see if I use any of what I saved.
DeleteLee
I use Carbonite. It has save my you-know-what twice and is so worth the $50/year.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about your mom. I lost mine in November 2013 and I'm still picking up the phone to call and say hi to her before I realize I can't. It takes time. . . more than I thought. . .to wrap my head around losing a parent.
I won't hold it against you for starting the AtoZ. But in April you'll be on my mind. :-)
Now I'm thinking of that Willie Nelson song "You Were Always On My Mind". I wonder if anyone has used that yet for BOTB?
DeleteLee
Did you feel like James Caan when Kathy Bates lit the single copy of his manuscript on fire? I've become a little bit obsessive about sending writing files to my Google Drive. But then I get paranoid that the Google monsters have their clutches on it.
ReplyDeleteYou might feel like you've got nothing, but you've got at TON. You may not realize this but you've got celebrity status in my eyes and in the eyes of a whole bunch of others.
I do have a ton, though I wasn't thinking "Celebrity status"--you are so sweet. I feel humbled by your words. Please save them on Google Drive for me.
DeleteLee
Oh man, the dreaded computer crash. Ugh, technology--love it and hate it! I'm about to get a new laptop myself in the hopes of avoiding the same fate. My current one is...well, let's say continuing to work on the power of prayer.
ReplyDeleteNever underestimate the power of prayer! I've always heard of computers crashing, but this is my first experience. I guess I was mostly ready for it.
DeleteLee
When my home burned to the ground, I lost my own laptop, but all the external hard drives and back-up's also burned! It is daunting.
ReplyDeleteSometimes life seems to sucker-punch when we can least afford it emotionally. I grieve that your mother died. It hurts so deep. Right before my home burned, my own mother died.
It taught me to appreciate the good while we still have it in our lives. You are a fighter. I know you will bulldog your way through this. May 2015 bring you only happy surprises!
I didn't want to bring up the topic of houses burning and losing everything--didn't want to jinx my life with that, but it is a fear that has lurked in the back of my mind on occasion. I can imagine how devastating an event like that would be especially paired with a sad event such as losing your own mother.
DeleteBut we live on and do what we can. Surviving is the only way to keep living and hopefully to learn to live with greater quality.
Lee
Never thought about shucking it all but I've done some cleaning lately. Lenovo computers were used at the school where I taught. Easy to update and very durable which made them good for school use.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a plus mark in the Lenovo column.
DeleteLee
My computer died right before Christmas. We were able to salvage the hard drive, and I didn't end up losing anything, but I often have that fear.
ReplyDeleteBut the couple of times I have decided to start over with a project and rewrite all or part of it has been some of the biggest jumps in my skills as a writer. So, maybe there is something to starting from scratch...
There might be an advantage but then again I'm kind of too lazy to just totally start over.
DeleteLee
I've woken up to the "why won't my computer turn on?" issue myself. There's nothing quite like that moment of panic.
ReplyDeleteBest Buy has a service just for what you need, but it's not cheap. However, it's also not more expensive than most other places will charge.
Money is an issue with me these days now that I'm on social security. I've definitely been in a more of a do-it-yourself mode and sometimes I put everything off until I'm desperate for a solution. With my back-up computer now in operation I seem to be in good shape for the time being. May have to resort to the Geek Squad someday, but not yet.
DeleteLee
Oh computers & me don't mix well and I have done weird things that even computer geeks shake their heads at. Why not plug away? Keep plugging away and have fun. Yes I will be participating in the challenge:)
ReplyDeleteGood to have another challenge acceptance. And you can plug away in your blog posts as well. After all people can always plug their ears and eyes and even their brains if they want to.
DeleteLee
Cheat! Why I call CHEAT! Shame on you taking extra time on your BOTB post and posting such a shameless plug as this!!! Just kidding, of course. I notice that quite a few of the BOTB participants never even post the results AT ALL. That kind of saddens me. I mean I really don't care so much what others do on their blogs, but I do enjoy going back and seeing who won and the reading the commentary on why the host voted the way they did. It's just a big part of the whole thing, at least for me. Ah, well, you've just made it so I have to keep coming back to see what the results of your BATTLE were (not such a bad thing).
ReplyDeleteAs far as your insecurities with respect to having nothing, well I can understand that, but when I read your Wrote by Rote blog I think you have great stories to tell.
When it comes to the computer issues, I'm right there with you, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing if there s something out of the ordinary going on with my machine. I have learned to save everything I can after I had a major crash last year.
I thought part of the point of BOTB was to have a winner and shouldn't we hear about it? I like it when participants not only announce the winner, but analyze the contest and maybe add a bit more about the artists, the song, or some personal perspective about that song.
DeleteThat's what I've tried to do. I've even cross-blogged the topic on my other blogs. Maybe some people get sick of all of my BOTB stuff, but I hopefully make it interesting and maybe even entertaining.
Winners of my current Battle will be announced on Friday with some other sidelined related material.
Lee
Hi, Lee,
ReplyDeleteHappy 2015!
I never heard of a Lenovo computer. I'm an Apple man myself. Eat two a day. LOL. OH, that was bad.... sorry.
I'm like you, I keep all my writing. Mostly in word docs. But I hate to get rid of them. I am still working on my first two novels ....years now. The second is complete, but I plan to go back to the first. GEEZ will I ever learn/finish?
I think this new experience will be good for you. I love learning about new technical things. I always enjoy upgrading my technical devices, whether it computer, phone, tablet, etc.
My next big adventure will be a new digital camera. I haven't bought anew one in YEARS. The iPhone camera is just not good enough for what I want to do. I love photography and have used many of my images in book designs, etc, but I need a better quality now.
This year's motto.... "Onward and upward!"
Wishing you and your family the very best this year!
The Apple joke was like some of mine.
DeleteI'm somewhat smugly glad that you are still working on things like I am. Maybe we should start a new monthly blog event for writers who are still working on stuff.
I'm with you on the 'Onward and upward" sentiment.
Lee
I enjoyed reading that. Because I prefer books over computers myself sometimes I never get round to all of these corners of the universe when geeking out on the web but I promise some day, I will... The A to Z meltdown is going to be a blast! I joked once we should run a Trek ATOZ blogfest because in classic Star Trek theres a librarian believe it or not called Mr ATOZ! But scratch that idea, one A to Z a year is top gun enough for me.
ReplyDeleteWe can always have subcategories of A to Z in April. Star Trek certainly has the followers to warrant that.
DeleteLee
I have roughly one dozen completed/semi-completed novellas & short stories that are just begging me to pay attention to them. More often than not, my attention wandered just enough so that by the time I came back to them, I couldn't pick up the loose threads to do anything.
ReplyDeleteI have completely chucked one thing and started from scratch, and that was my blogging. I had a main blog (along with 5 other offshoots) for about 5 1/2 years and built up a decent/respectable readership/subscriber base, but by 2014, I became slightly burnt from doing it. Took some time one weekend to think about it, then retooled, regrouped and started a brand new blog from scratch.
Been doing pretty good, but it's tough building a reader/subscriber base from scratch again.
Losing momentum after stepping away from something also has created problems for me. Building that blog audience is a lot of work and I'd hate to lose what I have now.
DeleteLee
Hi Arlee!
ReplyDeleteIt's been quite a while since I've stopped by and I'm sorry for that. I'm also very sorry for your loss! What a business it is taking care of things AND yourself when you lose a loved one. I do hope you and your family are healing.
Yes, I DO often feel like chucking it all and starting over. Clean slate and all that. In a way, I kind of have. My computer died three weeks ago. THANKFULLY I have everything backed up on an external hard drive but no way to access it. A new computer is in the future but not as near as I'd like it. But you know what? Without access to all those ideas, I've been able to narrow it down to something that's been nibbling at the back of my mind for several years now, something I shrugged away as "not what I do" or "tried it and didn't work". But it's there now, thanks to all the extra space in my brain (that didn't come out right...HA!)
I hope you're able to get your info back soon (if you really want it)! Happy New Year to you! I missed the A-Z last year but I'm super ready this year!
Best,
Jen
So glad you'll be coming back to A to Z. Starting from scratch can be just the thing we need to stir up old embers and get a new fire roaring.
DeleteLee
I feel your pain Lee. I used to have all my "projects' and other information in hard copy form and had boxes and file cabinets filled with the stuff. One day, I decided to scan it all. I went through it and reduced down by about 50%. Then consolidated what I had and scanned it all. I had it all one my computer and backed it all up to an external hard drive. About a year later my computer crashed and only a tiny bit of the data could be recovered. That sucked, but I still had my hard drive and felt better about that. I got a new computer and when I tried to copy all my stuff off the backup drive, I got a "data corrupted" on the screen. I got a tiny bit worried at that point. I then tried to look on the backup drive again, using my wife's computer. Her computer also indicated that the data was corrupted.
ReplyDeleteI freaked out! Years worth of journals, several book projects, a lifetime of family documents and a lot of other things I don't remember. I took everything to a professional and paid about 300 dollars to have him recover the data. There was still hope! I went to pick up my computer the next day and the guy had only been able to recover about 10% of the files, half of which were gibberish.
I was DEVASTATED! Now I backup all my files onto two different external hard drives. One stays in the house, one stays in my car. When we on our trips, one hard drive stays at home. The computer goes into the RV with us and the other hard drives stays in the Jeep that we tow. The next thing I want to do, is have an external hard drive that automatically backs (in real time) up any file that is created and/or altered. I'd like that to happen via WiFi, but I haven't found one yet.
You've described the ultimate nightmare of the techno age. What a loss to deal with but at least you came away with something. With all of the backing up you're doing now it sounds like you'll be covered for the future unless something really big happens.
DeleteLee
I hope you are right, I don't want to go through that again.
DeleteP.S. I forgot to tell you how very much I enjoyed your punnage at my place today. You made me :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for acknowledging my comment! Sometimes I wonder if people read what I've left because I never get a response.
DeleteLee
Sorry for your losses. Losing someone close to you and old is sad. I live in dread of that happening - my mom is 81. Losing your computer and everything on it - I'd consider it tragic, especially for a writer. BACK UP OFTEN! I do it every few days. I should do it every day but I'm lazy. Hopefully, by the next IWSG Wednesday, you'll be better. See you then.
ReplyDeleteI'm better already. Every few days? Maybe not a bad idea.
DeleteLee
You have got something - you've got determination!
ReplyDeleteI am saddened to read about your mother's passing away - hugs are coming your way. My mother is now 83 and I see how precious time is… I don't know what it's like to lose a parent, mine are both still here, but I can only imagine it's hard.
I sure hope that Lanovo makes your life easier. There’s nothing like computer trouble to make one go crazy. I was an HP user until 2000 when I switched to my MacBook Pro by Apple. And yes, it does have its issues too! But, the backing up process is painless so I do it often.
It’s hard to throw things out, isn’t it? I don’t think you’re alone in this - many of us are in the same boat. Due to my epic renovations I have found myself having to purge so much stuff that now I’ve become quite used to having less stuff - weird how that happens.
I hope life’s treating you well, Lee. All the best.
Cheers, Jenny
Life treats me wonderfully, but I'm not always nice about my life. Whatever that means.
DeleteLee
Do you think if you joined Duotrope for a year you might get some submissions done? I forget what the price is, but maybe if you paid for it for the year, you would feel you needed to use it? Either way, good luck getting everything set back up, and with pursuing your writing. You've lost an awful lot in the last year, so I'd say the important thing is figuring out what would make you happy, help you to feel fulfilled, and pursuing that.
ReplyDeleteNot familiar with Duotrope. I'll have to look into it.
DeleteLee
I'm sorry about the recent loss of your mother. My father and mother passed in 2000 and 2001, respectively, so I know that feeling of loss.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I don't know anything about Lenovo computers, so I can't help you there. Depending on how the next month or two play out, I'd like to join the A-Z Challenge for April. This year would be my first time. I'll have to see how it goes. I just signed up for your blog via email. Have a great night. Eva
Thanks for signing up to my blog posts and hope to see you here often. Hope you do join us for A to Z in April!
DeleteLee
Madness is not a ad trait Lee.
ReplyDeleteI lost a bunch of photo's and video of the grandkids and kitty when I sent my tablet for repair. They send a new one, but I forgot to remove the SIM card. I keep all my revisions and changes. When I delete something, I seem to need it back. Yep, if my computer files were physically stacked in my house I'd be a very dangerous hoarder too.
Pictures are some of the worst things to lose. You can always rewrite stuff, but you can't go back to retake pictures.
DeleteLee
So sorry about the loss of your mum xx
ReplyDeleteMy laptop has become pretty much unusable, so it's been handed down to Ella to watch You Tube on. For Christmas my husband bought me a Lenovo ThinkPad laptop, and so far I am loving it :) x
That adds to my optimism. Let's hope Lenovo lasts for both of us.
DeleteLee
Computer crashes stink and make me cringe. I backup, so it's not too bad. It's the inconvenience of starting all over on a new machine that drives me crazy.
ReplyDeleteI threw out all of my early drafts and floppy disks from the 90's and early in the millennium. I had no room for them, plus my early writing was bad and pretty much unusable.
So far it's been pretty painless setting up things on this new computer. I guess the basics were already installed and now it's mostly been a matter of remembering passwords and stuff like that.
DeleteLee
I never though about chucking everything out and starting afresh before but now you have put the idea in my head lol. I think I will be taking part I the A to Z challenge, think, but am not yet sure. It's one of those things I jump from yes to no on like crazy lol.
ReplyDeleteCrazy last minute decisions are sometimes the best ones.
DeleteLee
OH NO! It's horrible and we've all been there, even an ex-techie like me.
ReplyDeleteStarting afresh isn't such a bad idea, but a new computer means it's not yours yet and that's a pain. Good luck.
Then just when I get settled and all comfortable I have to start again. The seemingly endless cycle of our relatively short lives.
DeleteLee
Sorry to hear about your computer. I hope you are able to retrieve the data from it.
ReplyDeleteIf I can't retrieve it I'll still survive. Others have made it through much bigger losses that this.
DeleteLee
I've been out of the loop for a bit Lee, sorry to hear about the loss of your mother.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a comp backup, though. That always helps.
I've been out of the loop for most of my life. At least it's not a noose.
DeleteLee
Sorry to hear about your mother. Sending love your way.
ReplyDeleteI've recently shifted to a paperless organizing practice and I have been thinking about the risk of having it all digital. Most of the writing I've done through the years is on computers. I think about all the computers I have used over the years and I know I saved the important stuff somewhere, but there is no rhyme or reason to where it all is at the moment.
There is something rather freeing in the idea of letting it all go and starting new, though. I hope you're able to get a handle on your computer situation and also find some peace with your writing going forward.
www.CorinneOFlynn.com
I'm not sure absolute dependence on digital retention is the best idea. I'm paranoid about that ultimate cyber-attack on all of society that crashes us all. Those who have it all in a cloud or on machines that no longer work will have lost all that they have saved. Of course, if that would happen we'd have much bigger problems to worry about.
DeleteLee
I once dropped my CPU, got a laptop, and then had no way to retrieve the information from my floppy disk. I wanted to cry! Please don't throw anything away (related to writing, I mean). You never know when you might find a fix to an old story.
ReplyDeleteI would never intentionally throw any writing away. You just never know when it will come in handy.
DeleteLee
Sorry about your mom!
ReplyDeleteComputer problems are such a pain. Good luck dealing with your computer situation!
I am among those who have that love/hate relationship with technology.
DeleteLee
There's been times I'e considered just chucking everything and not starting again. Then there's times I thought about starting over, but I hold back because something I currently have might be useful later. Total hoarder mentality. Thankfully, I'm not that bad at holding on to things and can get rid of possessions easily.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think about things that I've lost or left behind and then I forget and move on. Hanging on can be like enslavement.
ReplyDeleteLee
You need a "Scott" like I have: a brilliant computer guy who makes house-calls and has all the answers and solutions to all your computer nightmares. I would venture a bet that you might still be able to access and transfer all your data that was on your HP. I hope you can, because I know how I would feel if I had lost everything. Thankfully you backed up a good chunk of it. Another thing you might consider is using a back-up service like Carbonite. I've had them for a few years now and they provide the ultimate safety net, capturing and backing up everything that's on your computer in the event of a crash.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I have a zillion projects that I've started and never finished. I have a whole room full of them in fact. You're not alone there, that's for sure. I think many of us writer types are like that...
Re: the A-Z: I will definitely be participating. I had so much fun last year. It was my first year and I think I'll end up being an A-Z lifer from here on out. In fact, I've actually been working on my theme and am already on letter S so I'll be well prepared when the time comes. Looking forward to it Lee!
I do need a good tech support friend who can always be on call. Haven't found any yet.
DeleteGlad to hear your A to Z enthusiasm.
Lee
Do you have a Homeowners Association Neighborhood Newsletter that you receive? That's where my guy advertises and he has a lot of customers in the neighborhood. You might find someone who advertises in small local publications or newsletters because they're affordable
DeleteI've been meaning to find out about this and since it just happened here, I'll start by "tossing it out" here because I know you always respond to comments. I ran into this a lot with the recent Déjà Vu Blogfest. When I am on my laptop (an HP) and try to leave a comment on your blog, it won't let me publish because the "I am not a robot" captcha box will not appear. So I have to copy my post, email it to myself then go hop on my iPad, retrieve the email, copy the comment, go to your comment page again and publish the comment. When using my iPad, the robot checkbox comes up and allows me to verify that I'm not a bot. As you can imagine this is a major PIA, especially when it happens with so many Blogspot blogs. I'd much rather use my laptop to comment on blogs so how can I get the robot checkbox to show up when using my HP? There has to be settings that I'm unaware of. Can anyone help here?? And please tell me that people will disable this feature during the A-Z! I truly visited and commented on every single participating blog with the Déjà Vu and it was a nightmare with this robot feature! Thanks in advance for any advice.
ReplyDeleteThe Blogger captcha addition has been a real hassle for a lot of us. I thought I fixed mine with the embedded comment feature--are you saying you still have problems at this site? Hopefully some others will come up with helpful solutions. Maybe we can do a post about it at the A to Z Blog.
DeleteLee
Yes, I always have a problem posting comments on your blog...and anyone's who uses the Blogger Captcha program.
DeleteFirst off, I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your mother. My condolences... As for your computer crashing, it may be a blessing in disguise as you have found out. I've played with Lenovo laptops, but don't have one. They seem nice and have a well designed keyboard so it makes typing more comfortable. Losing everything? That's pretty dramatic! I'm sort of a pack rat myself and couldn't dream of tossing everything. However, with this recent crash, can you use it as motivation to work on and complete one of your books or projects? Your blogs will always be there, but how great would it be to finish one of those projects you always put to the side? That would be quite an accomplishment. I should practice what I preach since I have incomplete projects as well. Let's work on them together. Deal?
ReplyDeleteI need to load a word program into this new computer then I'll start working. We both do need to get busy though. There are a ton of books, articles, and other writing waiting for us to bring them to the page!
DeleteLee
Oi! That sounds rough. A lot of the time, the data can still be pulled off of the hard drive, so long as the disks aren't damaged.
ReplyDeleteI store a lot of my notes in the cloud now, so I can pull them up on any device. Many of them are outdated, but I keep them around to remind myself of my progression. I don't think I've gotten to the point where I just want to chuck it all, yet. :)
The problem I see with having a lot of ideas, etc anywhere is keeping it all organized so that it's easy to find. Filing and organization can be highly time-consuming.
ReplyDeleteLee