Gucci, gucci, You were a Good Computer...

[lydamorehouse]

 If computers ever become sentient, I will probably be brought up on charges as a serial killer.

Always, too, the universe seem intent on destroying SPECIFICALLY anything to do with Precinct 13. The last time I had a major deadline in this universe, I dropped a frozen turkey* on my laptop and not only killed my PC, but also lost all of the 30,000 words of my novel I'd written to-date (or. at least, to That Date.)

This time, I was checking Facebook and liking pictures that my friend jiawen had posted of a trip out to dinner in Taipei, and I dunno, I guess I just had a flake. My brain sent the signal to my mouth; "open to receive delicious coffee" and some wire crossed and instead sent the command to my hand "open and destroy all the things." Thus, I dropped the entire, full cup of coffee right on my keyboard. Blam! There was so much liquid inside the computer that as I picked it up in a frantic attempt to turn it off before too much damage was done, coffee POURED OUT OF THE SPACES BETWEEN THE KEYS.

It should come as no surprise that the Mac suffered a complete and total loss.

I waited an entire twenty-four hours before trying to boot it up. It doesn't even try to turn on. It's gone to join the Choir Eternal. Kicked the bucket. It's dead, Jim.

Before you start filling my inbox with all the advice about what I should do to avoid data loss, never fear, my friends. THIS HAPPENS TO ME SO REGULARLY that I actually have a back up laptop waiting to take over should disaster hit. And, far more importantly, I had all the words of the current project safe and sound on a cloud. 

It's just... I mean... OMG, what it wrong with me???


*not a hyberpole. I dropped an actual 25 pound frozen turkey directly on my exposed laptop, which happened to be in the driver's seat well. The turkey rolled off the back seat and WHAMMO. It was spectacular. 

Comments

[xochiquetzl]

My niece did that to my sister's Macbook, only with fizzy soda. Alas.

[lydamorehouse]

It was... I mean, I knew it was bad. I can only imagine how much grosser sticky soda would be, however.

[pameladean]

I shrieked aloud in horror at both these stories, though I have to admit that I also laughed hysterically about the turkey. I don't think that can have happened to many laptops; though perhaps I'm wrong, given the propensity of large, heavy objects to roll into the seat well at any even moderately energetic maneuver of the driver. I know this can happen and yet I persistently put the heavy objects on the seat rather than just using the floor to start with.

I'm glad you have a backup laptop. The thought of losing 30,000 words in one fell swoop is not funny at all.

P.

[lydamorehouse]

Even more hilariously, I looked back through my journal entries and discovered that the loss of the 30,000 words was actually due to another, completely random act of violence against a computer. I apparently dropped that laptop while moving locations and managed have to land in such a way that I jarred the hard drive, while it was working? Apparently, the Geek Squad was impressed with that one, as well.

Seriously, there's something wrong with me.

But, yes, as a fellow writer the loss of words cuts deep. I can only imagine your horror would have matched mine when I sat next to Kelly Barnhill at a conference where she talked about INTENTIONALLY deleting a finished manuscript (with no back-ups) because she felt her novels were better when she was forced to rewrite them. Kelly McCullough and I were actually stunned into such silence that the panel discussion was almost entirely derailed by us muttering, "no... no... for real???" over and over. :-)

[yhlee]

Ugh, what a pain--I'm so sorry but glad you have backups!

[lydamorehouse]

CONSTANT VIGILANCE!

[offcntr]

As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!

[lydamorehouse]

Frozen ones certainly can't!