Now I remember...

I remember why I left the Internet for so long. 8 million passwords and login names to remember yech!

So, in my continuing saga of hate for getting re-married, I thought I would wax about how screwed up things are in Fear's World.

First off, I "lost" my cell phone that had all of my contacts. Not just one, but two phones mysteriously dissapeared after I had to attempt to get some of my contacts back the second time. Now, I can't find diddly for contacts, and it is my fault because I got lazy and stopped making backups. Not only that but the old backups I had from the old days have mysteriously vanished as well.

Okay, so my laptop has been returned! Yea! Unfortunately all of the data that I had stored for the last couple of years is "missing", but I should be happy I got the machine back right? I was fortunate enough to have a few hidden backups of some more critical files, so it isn't a total loss. I had some account information and a few other files I lost, but for the most part I am well on my way to "TAXI TO VICTORY!"

I live in what most folks call "The Sticks" here in CO, and they just started getting DSL service... Good stuff right? Almost... My dad decided to install the latest security on his DSL/Router (Sweet Router with Modem all-in-one), and my laptop has an on-board wireless (B) card that doesn't recognize the newer encription. Option 1: switch the router to WEP? Nope, Dad likes it the way it is. Option 2: Buy a PCMCIA card with wireless (G). Great Idea! I just need the money and my current job is only 1.5 days a week at almost minimum wage... This might take awhile. Option 3: Go plug the laptop into the router. The only downsides to that are that the router is in the basement, I am lazy, and it is cold down there. No more sitting in my bed (couch in the living room) and playing on the Net if I do that. Option 4: Connect my Linksys to the DSL router and set up WEP encription for wireless. Great idea too, but my router is not powering on for some reason. I have tried to reset, change outlets, and shake it. None of these have brought me closer to a solution. The upside is that there is an unencripted router out there at one of the neighbors house. So, I do get access to the Internet when the signal is going in my direction. It actually works most of the time, but too unreliable for anything serious.

I have reinstalled and set up accounts for many of my favorite activities on the Net. I have even started producing new artwork for Karaoke stuff and found some really neat archived files on CD to play with. I also got both of my PDA's working again, although I don't have much use for them at the moment.

My external hard disk drive is starting to fail, and the estranged wife has the backup drive plus the other 2 computers I had specially built for Karaoke. I mentioned this drive failure to her, and she said "I know you will think of something." I was like erm, yea, give me my 120 gig drive and the other two computers with 200 gig drives and I will be fine. It sounded like I may never see my storage units again. These are of course the drives I keep all of my media files on for Karaoke, so I would be devistated if they were lost. Fortunately, my nephew has a 200 gig on his computer and was kind enough to let me borrow some space pending a new external hdd purchase.

My phone service doesn't work out here either. Although, I hope to be paying for that soon, my Dad is currently got me on the cheapest Cricket plan that has no hope of working out here or being changed to another service any time in the near future. I can still make calls on the family "land line", but with 7 people living under one roof, phone time becomes a privilege.

I did get a real job! So that is one thing going in my direction. I am only "on-call" at the moment, but I am confident that I will yield more shifts as I show them I am worth every penny they pay and then some. The manager knows I am grossly over qualified to do the current job, but I assured her I wasn't going anywhere until I got a car and my Karaoke equipment replaced. My friend Craig and most of my family would like to see me back in computers, and that may be a possibility some day. I would need a car for that too, so we will see what happens.

I have finally paid all of my fines and whatnot for the ticket that had my license under suspension. Actually, the ticket was for failure to yield my bright lights to oncomming traffic. A $10.00 lightbulb turned into a $70.00 ticket wich was "accidently" misplaced by the estranged wife, then turned into a $112.00 ticket and a suspension on my license. There was also a $60.00 reinstatement fee, and did I mention that my license also mysteriously went missing? Well, tack on another $16.00 for that plus a ride back down to DMV. I also picked up an ID while I was working on reinstating myself, so that is another $14.00. A grand total of $207.00 whoop!

What does all of this have to do with Shadowbane? Not a darn thing!!! I haven't been playing a whole lot, but I have been taking another serious look at what I have installed here on the laptop. I still have Never Winter Nights, UO The Second Age, and Black and White. Does this scream upgrade to you? I found a whole bunch of my online games like Earth and Beyond, EverQuest and like 4 expansion packs, Dark Age of Camelot, JumpGate... Kelly is trying to get me into that other space game Eve, which I really want to play. I just need to settle the Internet connectivity issue first.

Anyway, things are progressing slowly but somehow I think I will once again be able to dominate the universe with my L33t skillz. Well, maybe I should just concentrate on getting my arse out of the ringer first, who knows?