Time goes very slowly when you're waiting to hear if your computer is dead. I priced a computer on Dell, and I ended up spending way too much money. I'll have to really think about what I really need because it seems very easy to spend over $2,000 for a new computer.

I'm definitely buy a laptop before the end of the year. If I had a backup system, I could have finished my screenplay. My LG Phenom is a great little tool for writing on the go and for checking email on the road, but it's no substitute for a laptop. If I was a freelance writer with an article due, I'd be out of business by now. Luckily I'm not dependent on my writing for income, but I'm going to have to start treating my computer like a business investment and have system redundancy (two systems in case one fails), daily backup procedures, and on and off site data storage. I even checked out solar laptop batteries, and found solar panels used by Peace Corp volunteers to power their laptops.

Part of me wants to buy a laptop today, but I keep telling myself to wait until I know the fate of my pc. But waiting is so hard!!!

I spoke to Gordon Zaft, a regular reader to my blog, yesterday. I've met people through online dating sites, but I've never met or spoken to anyone this way or any othey way for that matter. He was my first. We had a nice and long conversation about all sorts of things, and it's cool to connect a voice to an email address.

I've been reading PC and notebook reviews all day. After much thought, I've decided I will purchase a new PC next year, and will get a Dell PC. I worked with the Dell sales reps in 1999, when I was working on a Y2K desktop replacement project. My company wanted to purchase 3,000+ desktops, and I attended the meetings with all the major vendor reps; Dell, Compaq, and IBM. I was impressed with Dell's customer service, and their willingness to bend over backwards to meet our needs. Plus, I've had a Dell PC at work since 1999 and I've never had a problem.

I'll probably end up getting a mid range Dell for under $1,000. Since I'm not a gamer and only use my computer for writing and checking email, I don't need a lot of firepower. A mid range pc will be however be good for the few games I'd like to play, like The Sims and that civilization game I keep hearing about.

In the meantime, I'll probably pick up a used IBM Thinkpad. My last company issued Thinkpads to their sales reps, and I heard horror stories of how they treated their laptops. Those Thinkpads amazingly can take a lot of punishment without breaking, and that's the kind of laptop I want; a workhorse laptop to check email and write with when I travel.

I'd like to keep some of my old pc equipment, but it seems cheaper to just buy a whole new system with everything included. I have a great set of speakers with a subwoofer, and a great monitor, but they are 5 years old now. I'll probably keep the scanner and the printer though. I'll donate my old equipment to some charity if I can, and take a small tax write-off.

I took my computer to CompUSA for fixing. They did a good job last year, and it's near my office so I can take care of it without missing any work. Boy, do they have a backlog though! It will take them 6 days to even get to my computer, so I won't find know my computer's fate till next week.

Thank god for my little laptop, so I can still write and check email at home. And thank god I backed up all my writing awhile ago on CD. My screenplay didn't get backed up however, because it's so new. I didn't back up my email either, and I'll have to do that if I get my computer back. I need to also back up my pda files as well.

My poor computer. It's so old. I bought it in 1998, and it has served me very well.

My computer died again on Sunday, right in the middle of Game 7 of the world series and just as I was about to finish the second act of my screenplay. My computer did the same thing last year, so I'm hoping it's the same problem. I had a power surge in my apartment on Wednesday, just as I was turning on my computer on and blew a fuse. When I replaced the fuse, the computer was working fine. Last night, when I checked the back of hard drive, it was very hot. I wonder if the two incidents are related.

Thank god I have my baby laptop, so I can at least check email and not feel totally computer deprived. My baby laptop runs pocket explorer and Blogger Pro doesn't support it, although regular blogger did.

I'm not ready to buy a computer yet, although a friend just purchased a computer from Gateway for $1,000. Buying a new computer is going to take a lot of research. The tech guy at work told me he would build me a new one for a fee. I just need a new hard drive, and want to keep all my other peripherals like my monitor, scanner, cd burner, modem and printer. On the other hand, my last computer was built by a friend of mine and it wasn't without problems, so I'm wondering if I should just order a new computer from Dell. Then there's the process of transferring my files, and I'm not looking forward to that.

I'm also still torn between buying a pc and just getting a laptop with a docking station, but I'm starting to think it would be nice to have both in case one breaks.

I think I can get another year out of my old computer, if it can be fixed, so I put a note in my Palm to buy a new computer in August 2003. Delaying a new computer purchase till then buys me time to figure stuff out. What I could do is buy an old laptop for now, and start migrating my files to the laptop, so when I'm finally ready to get rid of the old computer it won't be such a big deal. An old but serviceable laptop would also be insurance in case the computer decides to die again.

I doubt now that I'll get my computer fixed in time for me to enter my screenplay into that contest. But if my computer isn't fixed by Friday November 1 when Nanowrimo starts, it's not a big deal because I start writing on my baby laptop since it has Pocket Word.

I definitely want to finish the screenplay with or without the contest. I'm trying to look on the bright side. I'm telling myself that I was arrogant in wanting to send a second draft of my screenplay to a contest. I know some of the people entering the contest probably wrote 8 or more drafts of their screenplay before submitting it, maybe even more. Some of the people entering the screenplay contest have written at least three or more screenplays, and are submitting their best work, and not just their first ever written screenplay like me.

I'm surprised by how calm I am. I don't know if I'm in shock, or I'm not being fazed since the same thing happened to me last year. I used to think that in my ideal world, I wouldn't have any problems. But that's not true. I think if you live in this world, you will always problems. Maybe an ideal world means that when bad things happens, you don't freak out and you have faith, supreme faith that everything will work out and works out for the best. That maybe you'll stumble a little, but you won't fall flat on your face, and if you do, you won't die, you'll get up and live to see another day. Now that's an ideal world.