There is no snow in the three-day forecast. That makes this a good day.

Is it really Wednesday night already? I try to do the Random Dozen each week, but I seem to have misplaced Tuesday. I think that was the day I was overwhelmed with bad news of the impending snowstorm (our third? fourth? I can't remember.) and the slow, painful death of my computer.

But there's always a bright side, and if you want to play the glad game, come along. It may be hard to find the bright side of MORE SNOW when you live in Northern Virginia and have never seen this much snow at one time in your entire life, but yea, it is there. The good news is that my area only got 7 of the predicted 6-12 inches, and the snow plow actually got here the VERY DAY it snowed! Absolutely amazing. (I can't believe I just said "only 7.") There's so much snow out there I didn't even venture out today. I thought about taking a few pictures from the comfort of my house, but I figured you were totally sick of that same blinding white view of my deck. Tomorrow I'll be brave, I promise.

The computer. Poor old Hoopty has been having issues, and at 4 1/2 years old, I really can't blame the old girl. It's like hardening of the digital arteries. She's been moving slower and slower despite all my scanning and defragging. I know that sounds like I know what I'm doing, but really I have no clue. I just pick these terms up at the dinner table. Anyway, Kit, the bilingual techie (he speaks clueless as well as tech-know-it-all) broke the news that old Hoopty's memory is failing along with her control electronics and a withering hard drive he likened to an Alzheimers patient—it can't remember what you just asked it to do. For now, she works, mostly. A few times a day it gets to be too much and she freezes, I yank the plug, wait a few  minutes, and plug her back in. It makes you save your work with amazing regularity.

I was distraught about the whole situation, and after backing up my entire life on a thumb drive, I tried to figure out how to break the news to Ben. But since directness is the best way (I just made that up), I came right out with it when he walked in last night. I was into the second sentence of Kit's dire prognosis when Ben shook his head and said, "You need a Mac."

I was stunned into silence. Then I thought about arguing, but caught myself before rational thoughts escaped my lips.

A Mac. Old Hoopty might get taken off life-support.

Be thankful ~

Karen