16 October 2001
Last year: I didn't think stuff like that happened in real life, and now I know better.
Yesterday was good. I mean, it started okay - my manager was nearly human when he talked to me about the report for my project, and he actually listened to me when I told him that what he wanted me to do couldn't be done.
When I stopped at the travel agent's office on my way home, I arranged our trip to Chicago for Christmas with little trouble for a good price, and even managed to have it set up so that we're not travelling early in the morning or late at night.
But it was when I got home that the real goodness started.
To begin with there, was a slim package in the mailbox. It was about the size of a CD mailer, but too thin to actually be one. Geez, I thought, the environmental folks have sent Matt something else. But I was wrong - it was the additional memory chips I'd ordered last week for my computer!
I grabbed the memory installation instructions and a small screwdriver, and immediately commenced taking my computer apart. Slightly nervously, because mucking with the memory myself is one of those things that can void my warranty if I screw it up badly.
Pull out the keyboard... remove the two screws holding in the heat shield... remove the screw holding in the preprocessor... pull on the tab until the preprocessor pops out... turn it over... release and pull out the old RAM... insert the bottom RAM chip at a 30-degree angle, and push down until it snaps into place... put the preprocessor back... push down until it connects to the motherboard... put the screw back... insert the top RAM chip at a 30-degree angle, and push down until it snaps into place... put the heat shield back... put the screws back... put the keyboard back...
I hit the power button.
Nothing.
Pull out the keyboard... remove the heat shield... push gingerly at the preprocessor to make sure it's connected... put the heat shield back... put the keyboard back...
Nothing.
The instructions say the computer won't turn on if there's no RAM in the bottom slot. Maybe that RAM chip is bad. I'll put the old chip back in.
Pull out the keyboard... remove the heat shield... remove the preprocessor... release the RAM chip... insert the old chip... put the preprocessor back... This time, as I'm getting ready to put the heat shield back on, I push down on the preprocessor again, just to make certain, and I hear a SNAP! and it shifts a little further down into the computer's guts. I continue with some trepidation. Put the heat shield back on... replace the keyboard...
By now, I'm a real pro at getting in and out of the computer. I push the power button...
And am rewarded with the start-up chord. In breathless anticipation I wait for the system to finish booting, and check the memory... Yes! The top chip, at least, has been recognized by the system!
So either the other new chip is bad, or that snap! was significant. Keyboard... heat shield... preprocessor... swap out chips... preprocessor... (This time I push until I hear it snap into place again.) heat shield... keyboard... Holding my breath and crossing my fingers, I hit the power button...
Startup chord. The preprocessor fits onto the motherboard very tightly. I check the system memory... 512 megs - the maximum that my system will support! Whoo-hoo!
I was still high from the memory upgrade a couple of hours later when I decided to give Ashby a call. He'd been without internet access for almost precisely two weeks at that point, and I've been trying to call him every few days, to keep in touch and offer my sympathies.
For a wonder, I actually got through - at least 75% of the time when I call Ashby's house I get the answering machine - and his sister got him on the phone. We chatted for a little while, and he said the cable guy had been out, fiddling with things and trying to get the connection to work. He hadn't been able to log in a couple of hours earlier, but he thought he'd try it again, just in case they'd fixed it in the meantime.
(Anyway, it was better than cleaning the kitchen, which is what he'd been on his way to do before I called.)
And just like that - SNAP! - he was in.
"Really?" I demanded, delighted.
"Check your computer," he chortled. "I just said hello!"
I'd been in the kitchen so my talking on the phone wouldn't conflict with the TV show Matt was watching. I went back out into the living room and looked at the computer. Sure enough, there he was!
Ashby's been missed these last couple of weeks (and not just because he's pivotal in several ongoing plots) so that only made the evening better.
Of course, he would have to come back right after I've declared that I'm going to cut out caffeine for a week or so... Heh. Yeah, my ass is draggin' this morning.
Word of the Day:
tocsin - 1: an alarm bell or the ringing of it; 2: a warning signal
Song of the Day:
My Boyfriend's Back (the Angels)
Currently Reading:
- Dragon by Steven Brust
Current Projects:
- drawing
- Kris' afghan
- Hall stuff