LAST WEEK WAS NOT A GOOD WEEK FOR ELECTRONICS......

at my house.  Tuesday, took all three laptops to Best Buy.  The very first HP I bought runs on XP, which is no longer supported.  Norton has run out.  The hinge is broken, so, when you open it up it just lays flat.  It was determined too old to fix, so, just keeping it to play games on.  The second one is a POS Dell that only operated for about a year.  They looked at it and determined it needed a new mother board and processor.  Ouch!  It would be better just to buy a new laptop.  The third one is the HP I use everyday.  It needed a laxative and a good clean, plus the fan runs all of the time and the keyboard gets so hot you can't touch it.  Cat hair you say?  Nah.  Anyhow, Best Buy's infamous Geek Squad performed their magic and I picked the POS Dell and HP up on Sunday.  Going to visit my cousin Jack sometime this week, he fools around with computers so will see if he wants to tinker with it.  Would like to keep it as a backup.  The parts to fix it would only cost a couple of hundred, it's the labor that drives up the repair bill.  Just glad I don't drive an electric car.

So, spent five days without a computer, and, the house is surprisingly clean.  But, then on Saturday, the TV died......dead.  Did all that I could do.  Moved it out and check all of the cords, plugging it in to another socket, pushed all of the buttons.  Nothing, Nada, Zip, Zero, Goose Egg.  When I plugged it back in, the Dish box came on, when I turn the TV on, the Dish box went off.  Stopped at the store where I bought it yesterday.  Nice couple, Ginny and Harry.  Dog lovers.  Sometimes I just stop in to say Hi.  So, explained what I did on Saturday and again on Sunday.  He kept telling me to try this and try that.  "Did that, Harry."  So he tells me, "I'll come down tomorrow morning, but, I know I will probably hit a button and it will come on, then I'll say....'I told you so.'" 
So, this morning I get up, do the morning chores, even run the sweeper.  Cat hair? Nah.  And he calls to tell me he's on his way and will probably take the back off to look at things.
 
Eww! Get out the Windex and start cleaning the TV.  It has a little O in the front that you put your finger in to turn it on.  [Don't go there]  As I was wiping it off, I hit that.  Yeah, everything came on.  Quickly called Ginny to tell her so she could call Harry back to the shop.  Guess I'll go in today and watch him gloat.  Might as well get it over with.

Had a tragedy on Thursday.  House fire down the road from dad's.  A young mother, 26,  that's been a firefighter for 10 years, just had a baby boy 2 months ago.  She and her husband, also a firefighter, heard the tones go off and got up to respond.  She had a massive heart attack.  They called the ambulance to take her to the hospital but she didn't make it.  I heard later she had blood cots in her lungs.  The firefighters at the scene knew what was going on and still had to fight the fire.  It went to 2 alarms, and they called in 5 other companies.  The house was empty as the tenets were evicted.  Haven't heard the cause yet.  It was just a typical old 2 story frame house, probably 75 years old.  Fully involved when they arrived, went up like a tinder box.

Later................. 

WELL, WINTER IS ON ITS WAY FOR CERTAIN..............

no doubt about it.  Monday, when we got to Dad's, he was in the barn, messing with the chains for his John Deere 1020 Diesel.  He had taken them off this summer 'cause a friend, Dick, asked to borrow it to move some dirt at his father-in-law's place up the road.  So, I asked Dad where was Dick to help put these chains back on?  No answer.  So, we started straightening these nasty things out.  Got the first one on and hooked.  He was really tired, so we quit for the day.  Tuesday, we went over early and I asked him when was he going to do the other chain.  After lunch.  OK.   Needed to go get cat food as they were totally out and I was lucky to get out of the house alive.  Told him we'd be back after lunch.  Went for the cat food and when we returned, he was already back in the barn.  IT TOOK US 2 HOURS TO DO THE SECOND CHAIN!  Stupid thing was all twisted up.  Thought we'd never get it figured out.  Boy, did I hurt this morning, I imagine he does too.  But, the chains are on, winter is coming, snow will be falling.  Still trying to figure out how he's going to move the walker thru the snow to get to the barn.  Think I'll talk to Crocket and warn him of Dad's plans this winter.  Maybe he'll get to Dad's driveway first.


It's been raining every night, and windy during the day.  Did manage to get the yard mowed on Monday as more rain is in the forecast for Friday and Saturday.  Been burning the wood stove in the birdroom mostly in the evenings.  Need to cover the A/C's and close off the bottom of the house.  Just can't let go of fall quite yet.  Have some firewood to cut up when the spirit moves me.


Soon time for Elliott to go to the vet.  His little gonads are growing.  Been trying to break the news to him gently, but, he doesn't get it.  Asked my vet if I could watch, she said she didn't care.  Stopped yesterday to chat with her employees*, but, she was there so I had to wait.  Mean while, I watched her spay a 1 year old Chocolate Lab.  Really cool.


*The 4 ladies that work for her want the artist, Tom, that did the portrait of Archie, to do Mary's four dogs for her Christmas present.  I talked with him on Tuesday, he gave me the particulars and I gave them his phone number.  As luck would have it, Mary is going away next week, so, they should be able to make this happen.  Fingers crossed.


Later...............