Speaking Bookishly

Some books I recommend -

Solomon's Oak, By Jo-Ann Mapson

A young widow, struggling to hold onto her California farm famous for a large white oak, decides to earn money by hosting weddings in a chapel her husband built before he died. She also takes in a foster child, a 14-year-old with lots of issues. They meet up with a former New Mexico cop and crime lab photographer who wants to photograph the tree. Through lots of effort, healing takes place. I found this to be a good read about acceptance.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea, by Patti Callahan Henry

When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed. This book made me think a lot about the things folks go through during wars, and the concept of family.

Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver (Pulitzer Prize winner)

This is the story of an Appalachian boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer. Demon braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.

A World of Curiosities, by Louise Penny (though you might want to start with the first book in the series; this is #18)

Darkly intricate plot and a good read by Louise Penny, who so far has not failed to entertain me and leave me with a book to think about for a long time.

These are books I've read in recent months and enjoyed. Some are thoughtful, some are thought-provoking, and some are a bit difficult, but they have value for most readers.

 

Smoky Day Yesterday

There are mountains back there, I swear. That's not a pile of low clouds, that's smoke.

Not fog! Smoke!

 

Just a county over, maybe an hour's drive away, we have over 11,000 acres of national forest burning. It's called the Matt's Creek fire.

Much of the eastern seaboard has had forest fires in the recent weeks. We've had a drought. I have been saying "drought" even when the weather people were cheerfully declaring yet another sunny day for dog walkers. They didn't note that we were not having enough rain until it was well past overly dry and into "burning up." But now we are in drought.

Yesterday the smoke billowed down from the fire into our area. It was so thick the mountains disappeared. I could barely see across the road to my cousin's house. It was a good day for me to stay inside, or wear a mask if I went out.

We woke to rain this Tuesday morning, though, the first good rain we've had since at least June. We've had about two inches, and it is not running off or rolling down the hills. The dry ground is sucking it up, and the grass, though dormant from a recent frost, is turning greener every time I look out the window.

We have a heavy, thick fog this evening, and I don't know how much of that is cloud and how much is smoke. The smell of a forest fire still lingers in the air a little, even after all of that rain, so I imagine it's a bit of both.

I have no doubt that the climate is changing. I also don't doubt that humanity's industrial age has helped this along. Whether or not we do anything about it remains up to those who have more power and influence than I, and whether or not the initiatives currently underway are feasible or enough, I cannot say. I do think it is stupid to ignore it and not to attempt something, even if it turns out to be wrong. After all, what can it hurt to try to cut back on hazardous emissions from smoke stacks?

A recent "smokestack" release from the nearby cement plant. I took this photo about a week ago.

Oops

Picture it: Friday, the day before my 40th wedding anniversary. My husband oversleeps, meaning he doesn't get his deer hunting in quite as early as he'd planned.

I also overslept. Everything felt "off."

He received a call that his motorcycle, which he'd sent to the shop to have repaired back in the spring, was finally running. However, it needed an entire engine rebuild. He told the man he'd pick up the bike.

My husband on his bike in better days.

I offered to drive him to the shop so he could ride the bike home, but the inspection sticker was out of date. I suggested he take it and have a sticker put on it, but he said no, he'd take the trailer and bring it home.

He arrived back here about a two hours later. I went outside and asked if he needed help.

"Yes," he said.

He had the bike on the trailer and there were tie-downs on it. He took several off but then had trouble with one. It was something called a "come along" that he'd bought at a tractor supply store. It hung shut and he couldn't get it undone. He went after it with a screwdriver.

I stood awaiting instructions, and I started looking at the remaining tie-down/come along thing where I was standing. I wondered why he was having such a problem with them, and I began inspecting it.

He moved to the toolbox on his truck. I hit some button on the come along, and zip! The thing came undone.

I felt jubilation for about 1/2 second that I had helped until I saw the motorcycle fall.

Motorcycles aren't supposed to hit the ground. Or the side of the trailer.

My husband had this stricken look on his face as he looked at his baby. I tried to help him set it upright, but the two of us could not lift it. He had to get his cousin to help him. They set the bike upright. The handlebars had hit the side of the trailer in such a way that the throttle cable was cut.

Otherwise, it appeared undamaged. But that was enough to make me feel mighty bad. Later, he told me the bike needed so much repair in the engine that it wasn't going to be good for anything but parts anyway. So, he wasn't as upset as he might have been.

And it was an accident. And he had not told me not to fiddle with the come along. He said he was having so much trouble with them that he never thought it would come undone like that. I had thought the motorcycle was securely seated on its kickstand. I didn't see that there was another tie-down on the other side (that's what pulled it over).

After he and his cousin got it off the trailer, he stowed the motorcycle in the garage where it used to sit, but it reeked of gasoline and oil, so he put it back outside. The next morning, after he'd gone hunting, he put the bike back on the trailer (with his cousin's help, not mine) and hauled it down to the shed. Which, frankly, is where he should have taken it in the first place.

My husband is almost 65 years old. I have never told him not to ride his motorcycle, but he hasn't been on it much. After he injured his hand in 2014, one of his first concerns was would he be able to ride? He could, but he didn't. And then when he has his ankle fused together, that was another question. Would he be able to ride? He could, but he didn't.

And that's why the motorcycle has issues. It sat. It sat in the garage taking up space, and last spring when he got it out to start it, the gaskets on the carburetor blew and filled the motor with gas and oil. Or something like that. At any rate, the motorcycle is 20 years old. It still looks good. But his ticket to ride is null and void.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. People I'd like to thank and why: 

A. All of my wonderful readers, known and unknown, who have ventured into my world via this blog. And my husband for putting up with me.

2. Something I rebelled against as a kid:

A. My parents (who didn't?). Also, I was not fond of doing the dishes. I still am not fond of washing dishes.

3. What I need to accomplish before the end of the year:

A. Get through Thanksgiving, purchase presents & wrap them, put up a tree, send out Christmas cards, finish up the bookkeeping for the taxes, write more in my blog, find an exercise routine, lose about 100 pounds.

4. Guilty pleasures right now:

A. Playing video games and eating chocolate.

5. Local landmarks:

A. Mill Mountain Star, the entire Town of Fincastle, Roaring Run, the Catholic Church in Roanoke.

6. Cause or purpose I deeply believe in:

A. I deeply believe that justice should serve everyone equally, and not only the wealthy. I am also into historic preservation. Look at us today, not learning from the past.

7. Things I never learned to do:

A. Cook well, ride a horse, fly an airplane, be at ease around other people, master the language of the corporate world, sew a dress.

8. Seasonal traditions I’m always excited for:

A. Mostly I'm just glad when it's all over.

9. Something I’d like to be mentored on:

A. Nutrition and food prep.

10. Exotic animals I wish I could keep as pets:

A. None. Exotic animals should be left alone to live out their lives where they belong.

11. Something normal to me, that might be odd to others:

A. Me.

12. The last book I quit reading and why:

A. Hillbilly Elegy, by J.D. Vance. It was (and is) a very untrue accounting of life in Appalachia. You can't take one family and try to say that's an entire community or area. And this was before he turned into a crazy statesman.

13. Right now, I appreciate . . .

A. My husband, who is fixing lunch today.

14. When “the holiday season” starts for me:

A. Usually after Thanksgiving.

15. Holiday foods and treats I love the most:

A. Fudge, Cella's chocolate covered cherries, Chex mix (although I haven't been able to eat that for a few years now), and Claxton fruitcake.  

16. “Terrible” movies that I actually like:

A. I liked the original Planet of the Apes movies. I know some people don't.

17. Cooking all day for holiday dinner vs. ordering carry-out:

A. It's a personal choice. Do whatever feels right to you.

18. If I were trapped in a holiday movie, I’d pick . . .

A. It's a Wonderful Life.

19. Which holiday tradition I wish lasted all year long:

A. None of them.

20. Favorite books, tv, movies and music this month:

A. I don't really have favorites, though I do try to watch Lord of the Rings during the holiday season, and my husband has to watch Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer before he considers it to be Christmas.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Last Train to Clarksville

Saturday 9: Last Train to Clarksville (1966)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 

1) When did you most recently take a train?

A. Sometime around 1979.

2) The lyrics promise "coffee-flavored kisses and a bit of conversation." Have you more recently had coffee, a kiss, or a chat?

A. A chat.

3) The record opens with a guitar riff inspired by The Beatles' "Day Tripper." Can you play guitar?

A. I can!

4) The lead vocals are performed by Micky Dolenz. He is the only surviving member of the Monkees. Without looking it up, can you name his bandmates?

A. Davy Jones and Peter Tork. There's some other guy, too, but I can't remember his name.

5) The Monkees starred in an award-winning sitcom for two seasons. In Season 2, Micky surprised fans by appearing with a curly perm. Do you curl, straighten or color your hair?

A. I use a flat iron on it sometimes.

6) Micky also did a stint at WCBS radio in New York. He spun the oldies every morning and helped his listeners get ready for work. Do you turn on the radio or TV when you first wake up?

A. No. I turn on the computer.

7) Micky's daughter, Ami, followed her father into show business, appearing in several movies and a recurring role in General Hospital. If you followed your father into his profession, what would you have done for a living? 

A. I'd be selling rubber hoses and o-rings.

8) In 1966, when this song topped the charts, miniskirts took the fashion world by storm. What have you recently added to your wardrobe?

A. A jacket.

9) Random question -- You order chicken noodle soup and a packet of saltines arrives with the bowl. Do you: 1) break the crackers into pieces and stir them into your soup or 2) squeeze them in your hand and sprinkle the crumbles into your soup or 3) leave them untouched?

A. I break them into crumbles while they're still in their bag and then dump them in the soup, which I guess is closest to #2.

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

 

We Made It!

Today is our 40th wedding anniversary!

Thursday Thirteen

My 40th wedding anniversary is almost here. I suppose being married for 40 years could make me a marriage expert, but honestly, no. I do have some ideas about relationships, though. Many of these apply not only to marriage to to friendships, family relationships, etc. But here are 13 things I've found that have helped us maintain our sanity and commitment to one another.

1. We are friends. I think this is likely the most important aspect of a good marriage. If you are only lovers but not friends, then the laughs are few and the grouchies are many. Your partner should be someone you can laugh and cry with.

2. Communication is next. My husband is a manly man and doesn't communicate well, leaving me to guess a lot as to what is on his mind. I've had to patiently teach him to speak up. It is necessary to be open and honest with each other. Share thoughts, feelings, and desires without fear or judgment. Learn to use "I" words, as in, "I heard you say that you feel thus and so because of this or that. Is that right?"

3. Learn patience. Don't only be patient with your partner, but also yourself. Reacting in anger or frustration doesn't help and generally only starts needless arguments. Try to understand your partner’s perspective and needs.

4. Respect each other’s individuality. Don’t lose yourself in the relationship, but keep your own hobbies, interests, and values. Everyone needs some alone time.

5. However, is important to also have shared interests, values, goals, and beliefs. Having these things in common can help you overcome differences of opinion and other challenges. (I mean, can you imagine a marriage where someone loves #45 and the other person hates him? I can't.) Common interests might include gardening, bird watching, enjoying the same kind of TV or movies, etc.

 

6. Support one another in various ways. Help the other person grow personally and professionally. Encourage your partner to pursue dreams and passions. Celebrate achievements. For example, I attended every promotion event my husband had as he rose through the ranks of the fire department. I could have been elsewhere, but I chose to be with him during these special times. I also made sure his shirts were clean!

7. Make time for each other, even if you are busy or stressed. Do fun and meaningful activities together. If nothing else, go have lunch.

8. Show appreciation and gratitude. Express your thanks and praise for your partner’s efforts and contributions to the relationship. Don't take your person for granted. After all, tomorrow is not guaranteed.

9. Be flexible and adaptable. Don’t be rigid or stubborn but be willing to compromise and adjust to changing circumstances. Stuff happens. Old bodies begin to break down. Things don't always go as planned. Learn to roll with it.

10. Resolve conflicts constructively and quickly. The longer an argument festers, the harder it will be to overcome it. Don’t avoid or escalate problems but try to address them calmly and respectfully (this is difficult in the heat of the moment, I know). Listen to each other and seek win-win solutions. Sometimes you have to leave the room and come back, but don't just let an issue dissolve without resolution.

11. Trust and be trustworthy. Don’t lie or cheat. Be honest and faithful to your partner. Believe in and respect your partner.

12. Respect each other’s boundaries. Give your partner space and privacy. Don’t demand or expect. (I find it hard not to have expectations. I mean, there are certain things one expects people to do. Be polite, for example. Fix the dripping sink. Occasionally compliment you on a good pork chop. Whatever.)

13. Be supportive and understanding. Empathize and validate your partner’s feelings and opinions and listen and respond to your partner’s needs. I have found the older I've become, the more I tend to judge. I think it's just my personality, but I try to keep that in check.

Lastly, you have to know yourself if you're going to have a relationship. If you don't know your own good points and bad points, it only makes things that much more difficult. I highly recommend a good therapist occasionally for everyone, no matter who you are or your marital status. Everyone can benefit from some good inner work.

______________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 833rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Posing for the Camera

 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. If you were a vegetable, which one would you be, and would you ever let yourself be smothered in cheese?

A. Oh boy! A Barbara Walters question. If I were a vegetable, I would be asparagus just so I could make everyone's pee smell. :-)  I don't care about the cheese. I don't think people eat cheese with asparagus anyway, do they?

2. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be, and how long do you think it would take before you got sick of it?

A. I would drink something like Boost, that has lots of nutrients in it, so I could stay healthy. I'd probably be sick of it within a week.

3. Would you rather have fingers made of licorice or spaghetti noodles for hair?

A. Spaghetti noodles for hair, so long as they don't have sauce on them.

4. What's the most unusual pizza topping combination you can think of that might actually taste surprisingly good?

A. I'm afraid I'm not very original with food. But let's go with pineapple, chicken, onions, green pepper, bacon, and pretzels.

5. If you were an ice cream flavor, what would be your name, and what would the ingredients be?

A. I would be Ferocious Bitch flavor, and my ingredients would be dark chocolate chunks in vanilla and strawberry with dark cherries in it, too.

6. If you could make a smoothie out of any three foods, which ones would you choose, and what would you name your concoction?

A. Strawberries, milk, and chocolate, and let's call it Strawberry-Cocoa Supreme.

7. What's the funniest thing you've ever seen someone do with food?

A. Throw it.

8. If your favorite food could talk, what do you think it would say about you?

A. She eats funny.

9. If you were a chef, what outrageous names would you give to your dishes to make them more interesting?

A. I would give them names after local things, like the Roaring Run Tabasco Burger, the Fincastle Firehouse Sub, the Botetourt Burger, the Mill Mountain Star Milkshake, etc.

10. If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be, and what food do you think they'd be surprised to see on the menu?

A. I'm pretty sure any historical figure born before 1960 or so would be surprised by pizza. I would like to have dinner with Eleanor Roosevelt.

11. What's the weirdest or grossest thing you've ever eaten just to impress someone else?

A. I have never done that. I don't eat foods to impress others.

12. If breakfast cereals were characters in a TV show, which cereal would be the comedic sidekick, and which one would be the evil villain?

A. Captain Crunch would be the chief hero, and the comedic sidekick would be the Trix Rabbit. The evil villain would be Tony the Tiger.

13. If you could turn one vegetable into a superpower, which one would it be, and what could you do with it?

A. I would turn carrots into a superpower, and it would give you incredible eyesight so you could see through things, or maybe have laser eyes to burn things.

14. What do you think aliens would say about our strange Earth foods if they came to visit?

A. Blech.

15. If foods had personalities, which two foods would make the weirdest couple, and why?

A. Wendy's Junior Cheeseburger and a Kentucky Fried plate of chicken nuggets. I have no idea why, it's just what I thought of.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: PS I Love You

Saturday 9: P. S. I Love You (1953)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 

1) In this song, a man fills his lover in on what's going on in his daily life, including that he was in bed by 9:00 PM. Do you have a regular bedtime?

A. Generally speaking, we do, yes.

2) He reports that yesterday it rained, but all in all, he can't complain. Do you often find yourself discussing/complaining about the weather?

A. Right now, everyone's talking about the drought in Virginia/North Carolina and the fires we are having. As farmers, we live and die by the weather, so it's a constant.

3) This song was recorded many times, by artists as diverse as Rudy Vallee (1934) and Bob Dylan (2017). It's endured because the theme -- reaching out and staying in touch across the miles -- is universal. Is there anyone in your life with whom you regularly correspond? If yes, do you prefer cards/letters, emails or texts?

A. I have a friend in England I email, and I send letters to two people. Other folks I text and/or email.

4) This 1953 version was a hit for The Hilltoppers. The band members met at Western Kentucky University and took their name from the nickname of their school's athletic teams. What was the name of your school's team?

A. My college's athletic team had no such name. Generally, it goes by Green & Gold, the school colors. My high school's athletic teams were called the Cavaliers.

5) The Hilltoppers always performed in W sweaters, for Western Kentucky. Do you own any sweaters, caps or jackets that celebrate your alma mater?

A. I have a sweatshirt in my closet.

6) By 1960, The Hilltoppers' records weren't selling anymore. But they continued to perform and in 1970 they became the house band at The Holiday Inn in Fort Walton Beach, FL. They were so popular with tourists that they played at that Holiday Inn for years. When did you last stay in a hotel, motel or airbnb?

A. September 2019.

7) In 1953, the year this recording was popular, the Eisenhowers moved into The White House. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower was known for her down-to-earth style. For example, she often shared her recipe for Million Dollar Fudge, saying that since it's easy to make and foolproof, she recommended her fudge as the perfect hostess gift. When you're invited to someone's home, do you bring a hostess gift?

A. I do if it is a party, but I haven't been to something like that in years.

 

8) Also in 1953, radio personality Arthur Godfrey made news for having one of the nation's very first hip replacements. Have you/would you ever be part of a clinical trial, either for a new drug or medical procedure?

A. I was part of a control group that had something to do with hormones and pregnancy, a very long time ago.

 

 9) Random question -- Do you fold your socks or roll them?

A. I roll them now, but I folded them up until I married. My husband grew up with his rolled and that's how he wanted them. I grew up with mine folded. It's not something I care much about, so long as I can find them to put on my feet.

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

The Battle

 

Two young bucks having a go at one another. As best I could tell, it was a draw.

Thursday Thirteen

We all know that the prices of food, in particular, are particularly galling these days. It's easy to blame Biden, the Democrats, or the Republicans, but I put the blame on Corporate Greed. I think that's really where the fault lies. They want to see how much they can get before they have a backlog of something or another.

They are also changing products. I was sad today to see that they've made Ritz crackers thinner and less buttery. You just can't count on anything anymore.

To help with the wallet-punch at the checkout, here are tips to save money on groceries.

1. Check what you already have and make a list before you go shopping. This way, you can avoid buying duplicates or items that you don’t need.

2. Limit your shopping trips to once a week or less. The less you go to the store, the less you spend on impulse buys or gas.

3. Stick to your list and avoid unnecessary purchases. If you see something that is not on your list, ask yourself if you really need it or if you can wait until next time. (I know, sometimes you have to have the ice cream. Indulge, just don't over do it.)

4. Pay attention to prices and compare different stores and brands. You can use apps or websites to find the best deals and coupons in your area. (I personally do not find this helpful because of my location. It's too far between stores to make it worthwhile. I buy certain things on one trip to one store and certain things on another trip to another store.)

5. Buy the Sunday paper (if they still have one in your area) or look online for coupons that apply to the items you need. You can also use apps to get cash back or gift cards for buying groceries.

6. Shop at warehouse clubs like Costco or Sam’s Club if you have a membership. You can save money by buying in bulk and getting discounts on gas and other services. (We gave up our Sam's Club membership because we weren't using it. We saved a whole $34.35 with a $55 membership fee. Not cost effective.)

7. Buy seasonal, local, and organic produce when possible. They are usually cheaper, fresher, and better for the environment than imported or conventional produce.

8. Buy frozen, canned, or dried foods when fresh ones are not available or too expensive. They can last longer and still provide nutrients and flavor.

9. Buy generic or store-brand products instead of name-brand ones. They are often cheaper and have similar quality and ingredients.

10. Buy cheaper cuts of meat or seafood and use marinades, sauces, or spices to make them more tender and tastier. You can also stretch your meat budget by using less meat and more vegetables, beans, or grains in your dishes.

11. Plan your meals ahead and use leftovers creatively. You can save time and money by cooking in bulk and using what you have in your fridge or pantry.

12. Cook from scratch and avoid buying pre-made or processed foods. They are usually more expensive and less healthy than homemade ones.

13. Make your own snacks and drinks instead of buying them. You can make granola bars, popcorn, smoothies, coffee, tea, and more with simple ingredients and save money on packaging and additives.

Extra tips:

14. Grow your own herbs, vegetables, or fruits if you have space and time. You can enjoy fresh produce for free and reduce food waste by harvesting only what you need.

15. Store your food properly and use it before it goes bad. You can use apps to track the shelf life of your food and get reminders to use it up.

16. Donate or compost any food that you can’t use or eat. You can help reduce hunger and environmental impact by giving away food that is still edible or turning it into fertilizer for your plants. But don't give away food items that are out of date. The food banks can't use those. Maybe your neighbor can, but the food banks can't.

______________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 832nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

They Come Close

This is not a great picture, but this morning, I glanced out of my office window and this little buck was right there. I could have touched him if there hadn't been a window between us.

Here's a bad photo to prove it. The siding is the window curtain. Really! 

The Long Day

Yesterday, I took my husband to the hospital for MOHS surgery. This is surgery for skin cancer. About six weeks ago, I noticed a small black dot on my husband's face. It was different from his other skin lesions, and I suggested he have it checked.

It came back positive as a basal cell carcinoma and the primary care physician did not get it all in the initial biopsy. Of course, his came back as a rare kind since it was black. Usually, these things are a little white pearly bump. Basal cell is not that big of a deal and is fairly common, although no one wants to be told they have a cancer.

Anyway, the surgery to remove the remainder of his skin cancer was yesterday. We were told it could be an all-day event.

Actually, it took about as long for him to get this taken care of than it did to have his hip replaced.

When he went in, the woman looked first at a place below his ear, which we had thought was a cyst. She said no, it needed to come off, and since she was cutting on him, she did both places. The initial place was across from his eye and down about a finger's width on his cheek.

She did the surgery on both places, and we waited. The test results indicated she'd cut out all the cancer in the first spot, but the new second spot that she'd decided to go ahead with was positive (no one ever said what kind of cancer it was), and she didn't get it all.

So, we had to wait some more for him to go back in for a second surgery on this spot.

We had lunch at the hospital cafeteria while we waited. Then we waited some more in the waiting room. We were there about six and a half hours, and he came out with half of his face bandaged up.

When we returned home, he went hunting. He was supposed to take it easy today, and he mostly has, but he is back out hunting again this evening.

In the meantime, some other family things that are not my story to tell, but which are worrisome, have been weighing heavily on my mind.

It's made for a tough few days.

When the Computer Dies

My Dell desktop, an Inspiron 3850, was purchased in February 2021. I didn't like it from the start.

The memory card access hole broke as soon as I inserted a card. Dell tried to tell me I'd inserted the card too hard; I told them I'd been using computers since they were in diapers and knew very well how to insert a memory card into a desktop. They sent me a new memory card reader, but I had to take the computer apart and install it myself, which I did. And then bought an external memory card reader because the one in the computer is flimsy.

Then I discovered that the video card, which I had been assured was strong enough to handle my favorite video game, Skyrim, did not in fact work with Skyrim. Nor could I upgrade the video card because when I looked to see if I could, I found videos indicating that upgrading generally burned up the motherboard, even to the point of catching the entire computer on fire.

So back in May when the thing started telling me "No Hard Drive Detected," at start up, I think part of me was hoping for a new computer even though I try to use my computers for five years or more before I get a new one. I continued to use it, and nothing I did told me the hard drive was bad. I ran the Windows disk check, and the DOS check, and went to the Dell site and let its little support assistant run a check, and everything said the hard drive was fine.

I did find where the "No Hard Drive Detected" error seemed to happen a lot in Dells and it seemed to be a BIOS firmware issue. I read the instructions on how to enter the BIOS and set everything back to factory default. I did this several times.

The computer would run ok and then the error message would come back. I'd turn the computer off, and it would boot up and I'd go on about my business. But it became more and more frequent, more indicative of a problem.

I started looking at new computers.

We have computer repair stores in the nearby city. One of them has a very good reputation. I decided to take it there and see if it was the hard drive or the BIOS. If it was the BIOS, I figured they could fix that easily enough. Plus, I could live with the boot-up issue long enough to get through the year and finish up the documentation for the taxes, which was my main concern, if the hard drive wasn't bad.

I did not want the computer out of my site. I didn't want to leave it overnight. I never have computers fixed. If I can't fix them, I take the hard drive out them, and put the rest of it in the hazard waste pickup at the landfill. I have a box full of hard drives. 

Also, I did not want to go by myself. You see, in the mid-1990s I went into a local computer store, where I'd had a computer built. Apparently, women aren't supposed to go, even now, into computer stores, and 30 years ago I was assaulted by the owner when I went in for assistance with the computer he'd built for me. I spoke to a detective about it, but it was one of those "your word against his" things, aside from a few finger marks on my arm where he'd held me, and the county prosecutor didn't want to press charges. In the end, the sheriff's office convinced the man that leaving town was a good idea, and he closed up shop and left the state. 

They were satisfied with that outcome. I was not.

So, my husband went with me Friday to tote my computer into the fix-it place. We got there at 9:05 a.m. There was not a woman in site. A man took the computer from my husband, took it in the back and hooked it up, and then said, after about 15 seconds, that the hard drive was failing. Would I like him to replace it? I asked what that would cost, and he quoted me a price for a 215 GB drive. I told him that would be useless to me because I already had 192 GB of stuff on my 1 TB drive. I said put the screws back in it and give it back to me.

Next thing I know, out comes the super salesman, who says he is the company owner. He promises me a 512 GB SSD hard drive along with a secondary 2 TB storage drive, and they would transfer everything over for me and it would be like nothing ever happened. On top of that, he'd give me Adobe photoshop and some other programs. Oh, and it would have Windows 11 on it, but they could make it look sort of like Windows 10. Same price as the one the guy quoted earlier. He wanted to earn my business, super salesman said.

I looked at my husband, who shrugged and said it sounded ok to him. I agreed. What else could I do, really? The man said to come back after noon, and it would be ready.

We didn't call. We made the 45-minute drive back because, well, the man said it would be ready. But it was not ready, and we had to be at a funeral, so even though we killed an hour in the city and called again to see if it was ready, we found it was not. That left us with no choice but to go to the funeral and pick the computer up on Saturday.

Only I would have to do that by myself, because my husband had other plans. I was not happy with any of this. I hadn't wanted to leave the computer overnight. I was worried about my passwords being on the computer hard drive. I also didn't want to go into the store by myself. It was obviously a very male sort of place and women who went in there weren't supposed to know anything about computers except how to turn them on and play solitaire, and maybe use Word.

But I went and got the thing. A nice young man hooked up the computer and quickly showed me what it looked like. I asked a few questions - did I have full administrator privileges, for example. And then I mentioned my issue with the video card and Skyrim. He said it should run Skyrim. I said it never would and I doubted it would. He said to try turning down the graphics, like I hadn't already thought of that.

Anyway, I brought it home. After I downloaded Norton and reinstalled that to ensure my computer was safe, I spent 3 hours changing passwords. Most things require two-factor authentication so I was getting text messages left and right while I was trying to remember what sites would be the most dangerous to have someone get into.

Several of the programs ended up in a folder called "programs you need to reinstall." They were mostly old programs. I can't get the old MS Outlook 2003 calendar program that I prefer to work, but the MS Outlook 2007 program they installed on the computer is something I can adapt too, aside from all the birthdays and anniversaries I have now lost. iTunes appeared to have been lost forever but suddenly tonight Apple did an update and it seems to be working, although everything I had there is gone. Finding my pictures has been a trial, but they are there. Just not where I had thought they would be.

Next time I will do what I wanted to do in the first place. I will buy a new computer and start fresh, or just let them put in a new hard drive with Windows and give me back my hard drive. I back up my documents and photos every 30 minutes to an external hard drive, and installing programs is time consuming but doable. (Note: Windows 11 doesn't have an external hard drive backup app, you have to go around in circles to get that done. I've watched a video on it but haven't set it up yet, which is fine because I haven't done much, except the calendar, that requires any saving.)

I think this has been just as time consuming as setting one up anew, and it's not set up like I would have set it up. It took a long time just to get the desktop to look like something I wanted to look at. This may have been the cheaper route, but I'm not at all convinced it was the better one.