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A week later, the 30th of December, me sitting where I am as I write this. In the middle of an afternoon of work. Typing away one moment, laptop gone dead the next. Dead the way the car battery went dead, only deader. Screen dark, nothing producing signs of life. Dead.
Called the shop where I'd purchased it 2-1/2 years earlier, gave them the picture. Their response: bring the bugger in. Half an hour later, I stepped into the store, handed over the recently deceased for a fast post-mortem. Tests confirmed death (motherboard). Prognosis: since the body would have to be shipped back to the company for repairs, I was looking at anywhere from several days to two weeks of life without laptop. Not acceptable, said I. So we discussed alternatives, talked about what would have to be done to produce a loaner I could use. Until, between cost and the age of the deceased, it began to look like pulling out plastic, buying a replacement, proceeding with repairs to the old unit and then selling it on consignment might be the best alternative. They had one laptop in stock that would work, at a decent price. I went for it.
And as cold December darkness fell, I found myself paying a bunch of shekels, arranging for data transfer from old hard drive to new to happen the next morning. By lunchtime on New Year's Eve day, I had a new, stronger, faster machine, and life went on.
Once again, this all happened far enough in advance of a holiday weekend, with all the right elements falling into place, that problem led to resolution quickly, with minimal disruption. Leaving me feeling taken care of.
In between those two episodes: Christmas, the long weekend spent staying with friends. One of the easiest, most relaxed Christmas holidays I've had in... a while. Centuries, if not eons.
Traveling had originally been planned to happen on the afternoon of Christmas Eve day, as that time slipped closer, the timing of it began to feel bad. Weather not so travel-friendly, too many things to take care of here, me and my adorable bod tired, wanting extra time before making a shlep of 3+ hours.
Made the trip early Christmas morning, instead. The interstate stretched south from Montpelier, stretches of it frozen, snow sloppy, combining with a mischievous gusts of frigid wind to produce some scary thrills. But little traffic, some of the easiest driving I've ever done to the Boston area. Bringing me to Cambridge, Mass. quickly, ending trip by easing car into a parking spot across the street from friends' apartment building, an almost unheard of event. Settling in, spending Christmas morning/midday with two of the people I enjoy most in this world.
Peace, tranquility -- urban holiday version
[continued in next entry]
España, te echo de menos
rws 6:52 PM [+]
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