Assorted mumbles

10 days to go until a well-deserved break. While the Canucks sucked and Vancouver was... mucked up..., I attended a nice little technology event after work. The computer lab fanatics showcased their awesome work for a handful of parents and a smaller handful of staff. I care little about hockey and I don't even have a TV, so I went and enjoyed the show. I went home last night feeling a little euphoric about the whole thing. Amazing how good I've felt lately. Things are feeling very right for me these days. I don't know how else to explain it. Again, it could just be knowing that the end is very much in sight. Today was the last actual school day for the kids and next week will be activities and the like. Of course, the library will be open during lunch and I'll enjoy yelling at my favourite annoyances for a few more days. On the other hand, I've been doing my librarian's job of late as well (providing information), which really made me feel good. Next week I'll be closing the library for a couple of days to get some inventory done. Feeling pretty good about that as well.
Listening to 'Reveal' by the awesome R.E.M. this evening, which continues the happiness for me. It's such a summery album.
On the literary front, I've nearly come to the end of 'The shape of things to come' by H.G. Wells. I was inspired to find this book by TCM, which showed the movie adaptation a few months back. The book (natch) is better than the movie, but I'm astounded at how good it is. The writing is informative and clear, and I'm really enjoying it. Of course, other minds might say it's Saharan in nature and I would agree. Compared to the movie, however.... I plan to visit this book in a year's time as well just to see if I still like it as much as I do now. I hope to have more info concerning the book posted here once I've come to the end of it. The big Dad's Day is this Sunday. There's a plan in place, and this time we're prepared for it. I apologize for the shortness of this entry. I need to get back to reading. BYE.

Resolution?

It would be a more pleasant day if the weather was cooperating. It rained through most of yesterday and all through the night (granted, I slept through it, so I'm not really sure). The sound of rain pattering against the roof of the shed woke me up. The dreams I was having were incomprehensible, so I was glad to wake up. Someday I am going to share some of the nightly meanders I've had. Not a recurring dream in the bunch, although I've had recurring themes and images. I haven't read a whole lot of insightful material lately, but I'm trying to dive into 'Te-Tao-Ching', so I might have something later. Keep'em crossed! As far as music is concerned, I'm listening to the Grateful Dead and will be following that up with Ravi Shankar. Child of the 80's fully entrenched in 60's music? Meh. It was what I was raised on.
Moving along, my computer seems to like the new video card. I'm not totally sure I like the resolution the computer is set at, but it was the best and clearest setting available. Going with the flow. I installed 'Sims 3' and have been playing it. Everything seems to working well and I haven't had a crash in the last two days. My sims also look very well defined and the bushes and trees behave more realistically. They actually sway and move in the breeze, which looks pretty creepy for the moment. This is probably the newest thing I've come across. I won't bore you with further details of Sims 3. I've got a blog running on the website custom-made for blathering about the game.
Windows has this cool feature where one can check the 'reliability' of one's computer. I keep checking it every morning to see if there's something I missed. The last two days, as I've already said, there hasn't been a crash, freeze, or anything else to mar my PC's operations. I guess, if this good behaviour keeps up, I'll do a lot more gaming and a lot less typing. Maybe. I mean, I've got one more chapter to type up and that will be the end of that project. I'm thinking about getting back to typing out older diaries. We shall see. C'est tout. BYE.

Miscommunication = Frustration

The hardware is not to blame. Microsoft Vista is wholly to blame for the mess. It's an easy charge to make and most people would not blame me for making it. I apologize for not having a whole lot to say this month, but not having a working computer really screws things up. I would love to know what possesses the computer programmers to mess up so royally! Why can't these people talk to each other once in a while and iron out the bugs? My computer's fallen pretty hard against one of these dreaded bugs and I'm getting really ticked off about it. A slave to frustration, I'm entertaining visions of travelling to Microsoft's head office with a rubber mallet and the will to use it! If I wasn't so cheap and couldn't find ways to calm down and find other ways to channel my frustration, I might go and board a plane. Geez!
Anyway, without my computer, I haven't played Sims 3 all that much, so I've been typing and writing. I've already mentioned this, so I won't go any farther with it. My computer came back from Staples the other day and (quelle surprise!) the buggers didn't find anything wrong. I get it hooked back up and the damn mess crashes on me! Staples didn't tell me they wiped the PC clean, however. I found that out when I started it up. I had been expecting this, and told them they could do it if absolutely necessary. Apparently this is how Staples 'fixed' whatever problems my computer had. It fixed nothing! Well, my computer is running all right this second, but Sims 3 isn't loaded and I'm not going anything heavy-duty with it. I suspect there would be some problems if I did install Sims 3.
Another problem is that my video card is horribly lacking. Nothing that a visit to a computer store won't fix. This PC is mainly for gaming (other things might happen down the line) so I need a really good video card. Something that can more than handle Sims 3 and games to come that need that added oomph. Above all, I'm irritated that Vista doesn't like to behave with my computer all of a sudden. I've had this PC for a little over a year, and only now are there problems. Something to do with Service Pack 2, I'm lead to understand. If there's anyone out there with some advice, I would be greatly appreciative. Thank you. BYE.

On the Literary Front #5

Apologies for the lengthy absence. My computer's been giving me grief so I sent it to the shop. Something to do with Vista not liking me or something like that. Anyway, without my computer and my beloved Sims to keep my fingers busy, I've been doing a lot of writing and typing. The writing is mostly in my diary and the typing is at my laptop, where dormant stories are getting looked at and updated. I'm presently working on a book about two sisters, which makes sense considering I have a sister. The plot's different from the one I'm living, and I'm finding it a nice change to type rather than plan out what my Sims are going to do from one hour to the next.
Instead, it's what my characters are doing from one scene to the next. I was able to get a chapter and a half typed out over the last few days and I'm feeling really good about all the work I've been able to do. Perhaps, when my computer gets back, I'll fall back into playing God and plotting my Sims' futures. That or I'll spend my summer typing and writing. I suppose I could do both, but one cannot worship two masters. I think, in the grand scheme of things, I would rather be in service to the Muse than to the Game. The Muse is more tempermental, but it doesn't make my computer crash nearly as much.
Oh, and I have to get my hands on a new video card for my computer. I think that's what's causing all the strife. Sims 3 is just too much for my 'high-end' computer. That's why I like my laptop. Sims 2 was too much for it, so all I can do with it now is play Pinball and type my brains out! And that's what I'm gonna do this summer. That and apartment hunt. That's showing some promise as well. I've got some apartments to check out tomorrow. Wish me luck! BYE.