Archive for April 13th, 2009

I find that when something painful happens, such as the burglary of February 27, I tend to not feel much at first. I suppose you could call it shock; I just don’t allow myself to feel feelings. Then, as the weeks go on, small twinges set in, and I feel the pain over a drawn out time. This is the only way I can cope.

I still haven’t gotten a new computer, I’m typing this on my daughter’s laptop.  I have just begun to be clear enough about the matter to realize that I need to stop grieving about the robbery and buy my own computer again. I need this so I can return to my desk in the early morning, listen to songs, journal, update this site, and perform other writing projects. But in order to be able to do that, I’ve got to acknolwedge and accept the losses of all my accumulated music, pictures, and writings that went out the back door when the computer was stolen.

It’s a tall order that I can put off thinking of until I get a new computer and face that gaping void of non-me disk space that will need to be customized and filled. My whole life was on that computer. Do I have enough time left in my existence to make a new one?

Okay, let’s not be maudlin here. A month is long enough to grieve and by all signs, yes, I have enough time to make a new computer-life. Let me make a plan. I have decided that I need another desktop computer, and that I would prefer an Apple because I think they’re more reliable (when I announced this at the dinner table last night, cries of “elitest” were heard, but I don’t care) and this is too important to mess around with.  What will I need to do to re-establish myself?

1. I will need to get a computer. I can do that by buying one used from the computer shop up there street or from the TCU sales list my daughter gets from school, or from Craigs.  It will need to fit my budget, less than $500.

2. I will enlist the help of my husband or son for setup, including getting the printer to work, because I am not good at these things. 

3. I will make a plan for backing up my documents. I will buy the DVD’s I will need for the time being.There are three important areas: writing, photos, and music.

4. I will buy a few office supplies to “freshen up” the desk, including ordering a new fountain pen and ink, paper, and then I will throw some stuff I don’t need away to clear space.

5. I will need to get all my music CD’s ready. Some of the music CDS are lost, but a good start can be made.

6. I will need to write to friends and family, asking if they have pictures of us in digital (or other!) format from the last five years. I will use these to start a new catalogue of photos. I also have a few stored on-line at photobucket.

7. I will re-organize my writing and make a new plan for submission and development of my projects.

8. I will get up in the early early morning, go to my desk, turn on the music, and write, and feel normal again, I hope.