toddler style: toms boots, old navy floral leggings & hoodie, mama made hadley hat.
(Adding the title of this post to my list of memoir slash country album titles.)
I mentioned last week that my laptop went on the fritz. I didn't mention that this happened while I had about 16 tabs open (including Hulu) and while I was editing photos, writing a blog post and working on make29 webpages. I think this was the universe saying "SINGLE-TASK, BLAHA."
Whenever I have computer issues, I find myself frantically on my phone googling the exact description – "MacBook Pro yellow screen with odd beeping sound" this time around – it's always reassuring/horrifying to see that tons of other people have googled the same. I always land on a Yahoo! answers page first which is never a good thing and then I wind up on the Apple help page. This time, I found out how to safe boot (turn on while holding the shift key) and that allowed me to pull up a really poor graphics version of the screen. From there I could back up key things (via dropbox, email and our external harddrive).
It's interesting what become "key things" while in crisis mode (I titled the folder on our external harddrive ELISE PANIC MODE BACKUP). This time it was my December make29 stuff first. Then my problogger presentation slides second. Then, when I realized the whole computer wasn't going to go up in flames I started backing up blog graphics and photos and podcast files.
(Obviously the lesson is that I need to just be constantly backing up on the cloud or something.)
(But part of the problem is I rely on my programs as much as my files. I still use a student version of Dreamweaver 5 from college – yikes! – and have other downloaded programs: batchPDF merger, Fetch, Screencast, that I use constantly but don't think would transfer? Plus, it's the little things, you know? Like the way my bookmarks toolbar is set up.)
Anyway. I took my laptop in Thursday morning and then was without a computer until today (Sunday as I type this up). The Genius at Apple said it was possible that I'd get everything back the same but that it was also possible they'd have to wipe it clean.
It was oddly refreshing to think about getting back a completely wiped laptop. I'd have to Just Restart and that was exciting. I started planning out a new blog design (because I would have nothing else to do?!). I decided I'd pair this new computer up to the cloud FIRST THING. I'd upgrade to Photoshop immediately. I'd think about being better at archiving my photos. I'd never have more than two tabs open! OH SO MANY PLANS.
And then, of course, on Sunday, when I walked in and the guy told me that the video drive had been replaced but all the data was the same I was thrilled. THRILLED. I fresh start would have been nice. But my familiar, fully-loaded BFF laptop restored? That's even better. (Especially with a MAKE29 launch in just a week.)
So what's the moral? Back up your files. (I'm going to get connected to an automatic system.) Single task! Learn how to safe-boot!
But also, really, the moral is to take a few days off from the computer once in awhile. I so enjoyed my three day break. I got to read a lot. I started cleaning my office (there is still so much more to do, follow twitter and instagram for more de-stashing giveaways). I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I played an absurd amount of Candy Crush. Most important, though, I knitted the sweetest hat for Ellerie (with so many plans for so many more).
I would almost say it was worth the hassle.
ps : and, thanks to this, I am seriously so excited to get started on a new blog design. It's been over three years since the last major overhaul and man, is this space ready for it. Look for that in a few weeks.
enJOY it 
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