Technology sucks
Came home very late from weekend trip to Anytown for a family reunion. Fully intended to go straight from the driver's seat to bed. The Wife was bugging me to hook the computer back up so she could look at some web site. I refused, refused, refused, refused, and finally gave in. Plugged everything in, turned it on, watched the usual startup procedure happen and then ... nothing. Tried that again. Nothing. One more time, just for kicks. Nothing. I was facing something I had never before faced: The Catastrophic System Crash.

Because I am who I am, I couldn't go to bed with a f----ed-up computer. So I spent some time on the phone with the Support Guy, who led me through several procedures, none of which worked. It was time for the Final Solution: re-format and re-install. And, oh, by the way, you'll lose EVERYTHING.

My computer is relatively new. Bought it back in February with the proceeds from the Freelance Gig. Have been singing its praises ever since. Because it's fairly new, it wasn't teeming with hyper-important stuff that was stored nowhere else. I lost a lot of archived e-mails, and a couple of programs I had just purchased via download -- I still have to figure out how to get those back -- but everything else was stored somewhere online. Basically, it's costing me a lot of time to re-install all this software and re-set the settings.

But it was a reminder of why I hate shopping. I hate shopping because I always make the wrong decision. I had some money to burn and an afternoon at the local Really Large Computer Store. I had a choice, basically, of buying more RAM (makes the computer really fast!) or a CD burner (so I can make backup discs, of course.) I chose the RAM. Really should have chosen the CD burner. Another chance for me to learn a lesson.

I have little faith that I have done so.