snow on the sahara

Tonight I ran two miles for the first time! I've been doing the Couch-to-5k program and this was the forst stage where I ran a significant distance with no periods of fast-walking. Went faster than usual, too-I usually have it set at 5 but I got up to 5.5 tonight. (I don't know if that's MPH or just an arbitrarily numbered setting on the gym treadmill.) I feel really good about myself! I did the initial stages way more than the plan suggests, but that's the cool thing-you can move up to the next bit whenever you feel ready, and you're still building endurance the whole time. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to trim down or just get more fit, and I am not a natural runner.

BTW, some of the comments to this post came after I was home and netless for about another 24 hours, but I wanted to update those who were kind enough to try and help or just sympathize. I don't know exactly what landlord did to fix it, although I told him to just try resetting the router-I was away all day on Saturday and it was on when I came home, so I'm guessing that's what he did and that's what worked. So it wasn't me. SO THERE.

Let's hope it doesn't cack out for a while now. I get the shakes when cut off from the Intertubes for too long.

My new computer arrived.

It's...beautiful.

...I think my secondary hard drive just died.

This is not as bad as it sounds. It's the drive that was originally the primary for this computer until a couple of years ago, when it was having some issues and dialogue's daddy made it the secondary slave drive. Since yesterday, it's been a bit freeze-y, and now whenever I try and explore the files on that drive, it's all "lulz, you wanna format this drive? :D" Annoying, but I think all I had on that drive that I don't have on the main one were some video files.

Regardless, I think I'll head to the mall tomorrow. I've been wanting to get an external drive for rewritable, larger-scale backups for a while now, and it seems now is the time. But this makes me think I should also be looking at a new computer entirely. Not that I'm gonna run out and do that next week, but this one will be 6 in the spring, and I'd wanted to upgrade. (Y'all, it actually has a floppy drive. How quaint! I don't know if I've ever used it, mind you, but still.)

So I ask you, LJ--what's the best way to go about investigating a new computer? I have some specifics in mind. As much as I would love the convenience of a laptop, I log more hours on the computer at home, and a laptop feels very cramped to me. A nice shiny mac is likewise tempting, and I am not entirely ruling it out, but the gamer dork in me wants to stick with PC so I can get back to playing City of Heroes/Villains one of these days. I already have a swank monitor and related peripherals, so I don't need some pre-made package of everything put together, but I am also not even close to being familiar enough with a computer's guts to buy parts and build my own.

So where are the best places to investigate? Any recommendations/warnings? I know I'm NOT getting a Dell. Hahaha no. Other than that...not sure. I have $800 coming to me from some freelance work plus my $600 security deposit from the last apartment floating around. Obviously I want to sock as much of that into savings as I can, but I've got some wiggle room now that the car is paid for, painful as that was.

Give me thoughts? I give you kisses.

My network is being a pain. Suddenly it started doing that thing where, if you look at the network activity, it's sending packets of info but not really receiving. A installed a Windows update shortly before it happened, but I don't think the problem is in my computer, because I can still get online by connecting to the unsecured upstairs network (fadingembers, don't tell!)

My WLAN and Status lights on the router are blinking, and the Power and WAN lights are steady. (Well, WAN is flickering very rapidly, but I think it's what it looks like when steady.) Any idea what this could be and how I could fix it without calling Comcast tech support? The account isn't even in my name, it's my roommate's, so I'd rather avoid the hassle if possible. Bah.

Back when I had to install a new hard drive and slave the wonky drive to it and had to reinstall lotsa stuff, my DVD drive stopped recognizing anything was inside it whenever I popped something in. I'm guessing I need to install drivers or something to wake it up, but I don't know specifically what. James? Other smart people? Any suggestions?

My computer is hosed for the moment. There's evidence that it could be a RAM problem, but I don't know for sure yet, and it could be very easy or very expensive to fix. We'll see. dialogue's generous father is going to help me check it out tomorrow, since on my own I'd crack the case and then scratch my ass and say "yep, them's the guts of a computer all right."

I sound very calm about this. This is because I waited until I was done crying to post.

My brother is being a huge help about this, as much as he can be from Texas. He's looking out for me re: the parents and has looked up various replacement possibilities. I said he was being the big brother looking out for me to make up for all the time he spent being a dick when we were little.

I have the laptop from work, but until this gets fixed my internet access in the evenings will depend on the wireless network I leech use, and it's not always available lately, so...time will tell.

Shit, I better be storing up some GOOD karma because of this.

1) uncountedchimes, how do you Photoshop that comic book-looking effect you have in a couple of your icons? I need a minor Photoshop trick for tomorrow and nothing cool I know on my own is really anything people won't know already.

2) CHAR, THE NET PROGRAMS ARE DOING IT AGAIN HELP MEEEEEEE!

Okay. So that wasn't really a question. I think I get a pass because my computer is being a hosebag.

I HAVE FINALLY BEATEN THE COMPUTER GAME I STARTED PLAYING WHEN I WAS TEN!

Empty your temporary internet files folder more often. Yeowch.

I seem so have accidentally uninstalled my sound card or something. And of course I have no idea what to do or even what exactly I can to do fix it and no one's around who knows anything. GAAAAAH!