The Blue Screen of Death

Just last week, I mentioned to The Hub that I really should get an external hard drive for a backup. Hub, I said, My desktop computer (the one I use a good 6 hours a day, every day) is 9 years old, and it's running Windows XP, which isn't even supported by Microsoft any more. The computer runs very well, and it's been totally reliable (outside of the fact that the floppy drive gave out almost immediately, and the CD burner doesn't work any more) but time is going to run out eventually.

Of course, after I said this to my husband, I forgot all about it. The computer, on the other hand, chuckled evilly, and exactly three later, had a total meltdown.

Luckily, I am anal about backing up the really important stuff- all of my book and photo files have been saved in multiple places, and most of those files are also kept on my e-mail server, so I can access them from anywhere. Unfortunately, there were a few things that I didn't save anywhere else: all of the Adobe Illustrator original files (I do have the png and jpg versions but those won't allow me to work on them efficiently in Illustrator, which was on that computer too, come to think of it), all of my music (I was never able to connect the Zune to the laptop), and.... the paper doll scans. Well, I do have a backup of the paper doll scans, but I don't have a backup of the scans all resized and in a uniform format. Sigh.

So, there won't be any Thursday Tabs until I get a new desktop computer. If I am very lucky (and if the Blue Screen of Death involved something other than total file corruption), Chuck and The Nerd Herd will be able to transfer my old files to the new hard drive (otherwise, I'll have to do the resizing and uniforming all over again, and I just don't have time for that now). So for the time being, I'm suspending the paper doll uploads, unless anyone out there has sets they'd like to share with everyone. e-mail me if you have sets you'd like to share.

In the meantime, I still have the laptop (and the mini that I use when I travel) so I'm not computerless (which, quite frankly, would drive me around the bend. Addicted, I am).

In the non-computer-disaster portion of my life: I haven't been in the mood to decorate yet (I can't remember the last time my trees weren't up by Thanksgiving),  but I have been doing some baking/candy making. I've made Vanilla Heath Bar Fudge, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Fudge, and Mocha Fudge (no, they're not low-carb... shame on me). Yesterday I made these:

No, that's not a tray of disembodied breasts... These are carrot cakeballs. Not so pretty, but very tasty.

And I'm making progress on the mitered square hat (though I've spent more time sewing lately than knitting, but I still can't show you the sewn projects).

Maybe Santa will bring me a new computer...