California

The Great Crash of November ’07

The Great Crash of November ’07 is where we had two computers die within a few days of each other. First, the laptop stopped working and a couple of nights later, the power supply in my old desktop computer went out. This made me wonder what could be next. My question was answered the night before last when the big 36″ TV croaked with a loud snap and burnt smell right after. I’m not asking about anything else for fear of another self-fulfilling prophecy.

The hard drive in the old laptop started making noises like somebody doing something bad to a cat. It completely died shortly thereafter. I’m going to try and see if there is a way to recover the data from it, but if not, then it’s not going to be a big deal. Last year, I started backing up all our photos and other files to one of those monster external hard drives. We might lose some data, but at least it’s minimized.

Dell 1721 NotebookThe old Dell desktop didn’t lose any data – it just stopped working. I removed the hard disk from it and installed it into another desktop that we use upstairs. The upstairs computer is now downstairs to fill the gap caused by the failure. All of my old files are there although there are some problems activating some of the software I use. Also no biggie.

Moving the computer downstairs was the only the start of our recovery. The next step is shown in the image (click for a large view). The new Dell 1721 Notebook arrived yesterday as an early Christmas Present.

Now to figure out which flat-screen HDTV is going to replace the old smelly CRT-type TV.

Fog

sun-clouds.jpgOver the past several days, it has been quite foggy. Over the weekend, it seemed to stay foggy all day long. I snapped this picture of the sun through dense fog. It was its only appearance the entire day. “They” tell me that it will be clear and warmer for Thanksgiving and the weekend to come. Fine with me. Click on the picture to enlarge.

Opossum

I set the small animal trap to try and catch the squirrel that gets in Verna’s garden and raids the bird feeders, but this little ‘possum wandered in much to it’s dismay. Not to worry, though, he got released back into the “urban wild” shortly afterwards.

trapped-possum

Opossums are probably more beneficial than they are destructive in urban areas. Consider this description from the National Opossum Society:

Opossums help to maintain a clean and healthy environment. They eat all types of insects, including cockroaches, crickets, beetles, etcetera. They catch and eat rats, roof rats, mice, and they consume dead animals of all types (carrion). They like over-ripe fruit, berries, and grapes. And they think snails and slugs are a delicacy! Nature’s little Sanitation Engineers!!

Typically they go about their quiet task late at night, and you usually won’t know they were around…unless your dog (being territorial) starts barking, or you happen to take a midnight stroll when one is munching insects or snails in your yard.

Verna’s Diner

chix-fried.jpgWelcome to Verna’s Diner. Over the weekend, we indulged ourselves by preparing this delicious blue-plate special: chicken-fried steaks with mashed taters and country-style green beans – served with a frosty mug of winter lager.

Although the meal seems a bit waistline-unfriendly, we did clean up the fat act somewhat. Verna fried up the steaks in light oil in a pan (rather than deep-fried) and low or no-fat dairy products were used to prepare the mashed taters and gravy. The green beans were accented with onions, garlic and bacon bits. By the way, we used fresh-picked green beans that are still growing in Verna’s garden.

Click on the image to enlarge.

Lean Cuisine

bbq-chix.jpgWe had a busy day today. We visited the recycle center, did our weekly shopping, maintained the lawn and garden and, finally, grilled some chicken breasts up on the barbecue to go with steamed broccoli and orzo/veggie salad. Served in reasonable portions, it was a waistline-friendly meal – and delicious too! Click the image for a bigger view.