I've fallen behind on my NaNoWriMo word count this week. Significantly. Obligations and responsibilities and happenstances, oh my! At least I can refuse to take credit for the happenstances.
The old computer finally gave up the ghost. I saw it coming and didn't even need to rely on my astute precognitive prowess to foretell it. Poor thing had been making an awful racket for quite some time--somewhat akin to the sound a car with a manual transmission makes when the driver doesn't understand the purpose of a clutch.So, I stripped the old girl of her goods. I pulled out the three hard drives and plugged them into the new PC I had purchased a while back anticipating her untimely demise. So I now have 2.7 terabytes of disk space spread out among four internal hard drives. My USB external drive brings the count to five. I hooked up the old VGA for a second monitor and am now pondering the next purchase.
Laptop or desktop, that's the decision I now must make. I love the expandability of desktops, but appreciate the benefits that portable units provide. And I do have the Orson Scott Card Writing Workshop coming up next month. (T-Minus 37 days and counting.)I'm hesitant to spend the bigger bucks on a laptop, however. There just aren't that many times I need the portability. My foresight sees only two days in June that warrant one. And I do have my Android tablet if I were to suddenly be whisked away on a business trip.
But busy pursues me. My son is getting married Saturday. Mother's Day is Sunday. A six-day workweek awaits me beginning Monday. I have writing to critique. I have short stories waiting to be finished. And my NaNoWriMo project refuses to write itself.
And I can't shake that nagging suspicion that busy will be a little less persistent once my NaNo month has concluded. Is that not the way of things?
Congratulations on your son's wedding this Sunday!
ReplyDeleteI downloaded the Pages app onto my iPhone, so I've been doing some writing on that as well.
If you don't already, I recommend you back up all of your projects on Google Docs just in case something disastrous happens to your computer and you lose everything. It's something new I've started doing. It's easy - all you do is upload it to Google Docs (though I'm not sure if you have to have a Google account to do so). It'll keep your stuff safe, and so, if your computer crashes or something equally as bad, you can always resort to the internet.
-Matt
Thanks, Matt!
DeleteI haven't used Google Docs yet, but I have been making good use of Dropbox. I'm completely compulsive when it comes to backing up things. I have backups of my backups of my backups. In this case, there were only a handful of files I'd have lost if one of the three drives had gone bad, and then only the most recent of changes.
Having said that, finding the install CDs for my three-year-old printer proved a challenge.
I finally got tired of relying on one computer and bought a PC, a laptop and an IPAD. Laptops don't last as long as PC's do, but are great for occasional use. I mostly use the IPAD for reading, but it comes in handy for trips.
ReplyDeleteMy way is the expensive way, but my son and I went through 4 laptops in two years so we each got a PC for main use.
Congrats on your son getting married! Have a great weekend!
Many thanks! And yes, laptops do seem to age much quicker than desktops do. I've never figured out what that is. I may end up breaking down and getting one of each, but that just feels excessive and I'll be plagued with guilt for at least a full day. ;-)
DeleteI have heard that it's normal for NaNo month to get incredibly busy. I'm sorry to hear your computer's dying though. I'd love to give you some deep insight into the best thing to get, but I can't. I don't own a desktop pc, though I'd love to have one for most of my writing. I make do with a little netbook at the moment. One day I'll have both. Maybe when my brother upgrades?
ReplyDeleteI've read that many NaNo participants fall behind early in the month and make extraordinary progress as the deadline approaches. Here's to hoping I fall into that category.
DeleteBoth laptops and desktops truly are handy. It's a little scary though how much we've come to rely upon them. It keeps me employed though, so I'm not complaining. Just sayin'.
Just imagine how long it would take to write books by hand. I doubt I'd even start. Though I bet my handwriting would improve.
DeleteI seriously doubt my handwriting would improve. If I don't write slowly then even I can't read my handwriting. So, to write a legible manuscript without electricity would not only take me forever, but might well get me shot by whomever had to edit the thing! LOL
DeleteI'm a laptop fan myself! Enjoy the versatility of it... type wherever I want :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's what I picked up today. You must have been sending me "laptop vibes" today. :-)
DeleteI hope the wedding went well!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've been loving this blog so I'm giving you a "Kreativ Blogger Award". Check it out:
http://adamsapple2day.blogspot.com/2012/05/kreativ-blogger-award.html
Had a blast at the wedding! Thanks! My son and new daughter-in-law are enjoying their honeymoon.
DeleteThanks also for the award. A TMI alert may be warranted.