Strange Days

Last week, my computer died. It wasn’t unexpected at all, the computer had been behaving weirdly for a while and I knew I would have to get it seen to or to get a new one. Last week, the computer made the decision for me by killing off its own motherboard.

I had to catch up with someone to help me with saving my data, that much was for sure. Unfortunately, my computer guy, the guy I went to with computer troubles and got most of my new computers from since my teens (aka. a long time ago), closed up shop a year or two ago, somewhere alongside the beginning of the pandemic. That was why I didn’t do something about my computer earlier, even though I should have. I didn’t know whom to go to.
I had even already picked someone I wanted to call a few months back, but hadn’t been able to bring myself to call them and discuss things. I called them last week on Friday, but it was one of those days many people take off here in Germany, because Thursday, the day after my computer died, was a bank holiday here (Corpus Christie, the last bank holiday before summer starts properly). I called him again on Monday, as we’d agreed.
We’ve come to the agreement that I order a new computer from a website he gave me (it’s good — I could configure my computer to make sure it has all I need for it to have, including Win 10 instead of 11). It’s probably going to arrive on Friday and the guy will help me set it up (I can do that on my own) and transfer my old hard disks to the new computer (or help me transfer one and get all data I still need from the other, I hope for the first option, but the second one would be fine as well — I can live without my old Windows hard disk, provided I can pull my podcasts, pictures, documents, and some roaming data off it first).

That is not why I’ve titled this post “Strange Days”, though. I currently have an ancient laptop from my dad in use. It can run Scrivener, proving that the program is really nice, as I can even use it right now. All my projects, unfortunately, are on my old computer and not available right now…
On the day on which my computer died (in the late afternoon), and on the bank holiday afterwards, I spent time listening to audio books and read my way through the whole “Miss Knight” series (a review post will come in a while). On the day afterwards, I mentioned to my dad that I would be looking for a laptop, so I had an emergency computer to fall back upon and he mentioned his ancient laptop. I thought it would at least work for internet surfing, if nothing else — and it does. When I had it set up, updated a few things, etc, I checked and found it would also run Scrivener. Currently, I’m running the trial version and I’m really glad it only counts the days on which I’m really using it.

When I was suddenly without computer, I realized how much I use it all day. It’s the first thing I start up in most mornings and the last thing I shut down in the evenings. For most of the day, I sit at my desk, I even eat there usually. I do my diary-writing at the computer desk. I prepare my bullet journal at the computer desk. I only sit on my couch when my dad comes upstairs for tea and, some days, in the evenings for some watching TV together. Needless to say that, with the audio books and the DVDs I watched (and using my smartphone to stream TV programs and YouTube videos to my TV), I spent a lot more time on the couch so far.
I was desperate on the first two days, partially fearing for my data, partially because I didn’t have anything to do — I couldn’t really write, I couldn’t really go online, I couldn’t have most of my regular amusements. Then I got the old laptop and realized it would run Scrivener and I was a little calmer. After talking to the new computer guy, I was much calmer, so now I’m merely waiting for my new computer to ship and for the guy to help me with the data.

I’ve begun to realize that I really love writing, that I really love sitting down with a word processor and getting some words into it. I have a little project going for getting through the days without computer (and I’m thinking of all the games I will be able to play or play better on my new computer, as I can finally dive into “Planet Zoo” I bought ages ago which wouldn’t really run well on my old computer!).
If nothing else, the days without a proper computer have motivated me to write again, showing me that while I make some money with my writing now, it’s still something which I do because I love it, not just because it brings in money.

Even if your writing sometimes frustrates you and you feel like you can get nothing done (as I’ve felt about “DI Colin Rook”), keep in mind that you love telling stories. You want to write things down, spin your yarn, entertain people. Don’t let the hard work part of it get you down.