Sony VIAO goes bye-o.

Sony Dies!

The "Old Computer"

It happened so suddenly.  I have known of this issue for a while, but I unwittingly turned off my Sony computer (named: RED...after my favorite cat of all time) ...and it has never come back on.  Sad, isn't it?   When you lose a computer.   Like losing a friend...or worse...a really cool cat. 

But,  as with all things,  a Broken Heart is healed with Time.  Lots and Lots of Time... BUT, even faster with....a REPLACEMENT!
However, similar to cats,  Computers are difficult to just substitute in a new one.  Cats have peculiar behaviors that you may find either endearing...or annoying.   Place new computers in that same category...without the hairballs and litter smell. 

The "NEW" computer

Cheryl,  having lots of luck shopping.....online....for pretty much everything,  suggested that we try Amazon.com to find a new and improved laptop that fit our budget of nearly zero dollars, while performing above and beyond the Sony Corporation's best and brightest.  Add in that it came with no taxes and free shipping from AmazonPrime, ( because Cheryl is a "Preferred Customer") and I was all over it.  Call me a sucker for a bargain!

Three weeks later!...Really,  should I even say more?    THREE WEEKS LATER.....  we finally receive our computer....and it is the wrong one. By Wrong...I mean NOT the one we purchased!  (different model number all together!)

May take some getting used to.

Half the memory, No CD drive,  No windows 10, Blue Tooth, No HDMI! ...basically the one that was WORSE than old RED, the Sony VIAO.  The Computer we paid for ( with the time ticking.. Hurry! "only 7 left!")  was now  resupplied  AND almost $100 more than the price we paid.  The one that arrived had none of the features we purchased...so we sent it back the same day and headed to BEST BUY.   Currently, I'm wrestling with a similar model that we wanted and it cost $100 LESS than what we paid for on Amazon.com...and, Best of ALL.... I have it NOW!   The three weeks of waiting, instead of healing,  caused me Great Irritation!

Sure, it has it's bugs  and hiccups that I have to figure out.   Even now as I type this, the keys feel funny compared to Old RED's   But I'm sure I will get used to it.  Perhaps I will even grow to like this one.  Similar to the Outside Cat that rummages through our Garbage. 
 I thought I could "fix" the Sony, but things look pretty bad.

My invasive surgery on "Red"

I admit I really worked that computer hard.  I'm not even sure if I can save the RAM from it. (Perhaps it is a good thing I never entered the field of Medicine...)  I have already upgraded the RAM in this computer, so hopefully I will see a noticeable improvement.  We shall see.

Another successful failure!

So what have we been doing for the last three weeks with no access to Porn , er... I mean Anime, News and Blogger?  Uh,    Well,   The weather has been pretty bad, but we managed to get in a walk on most days.  

For ONCE we captured the Eagles from the car!

Sometimes we even see an Eagle or two....or 8!   Check out these guys on this Deer Carcass.   This deer was possibly one of the bucks we saw during  early December.   ( He was only about an 8 pointer in the same location where three crossed the road that day.)

Meal time on an 8 point!

Just as the group flew away!

They come back after we pass by.

The Baldies pretty much picked him clean as the next day there was only a ribcage left! I guess Eagles replace the scavengers during the winter months.

Cheryl back to running...a little.

Not the safest running conditions.

At times like these,  Best to Walk around

Cheryl is finally able to run again.   10 WEEKS after her injury she is back to taking the slow baby steps of a newbie runner.   Well,  It is ridiculously cold outside this time of year,  so speed and traction were never going to be in the cards.  Best to play things safe and take them slow.  With warmer weather about a month away, I'm sure that will be the perfect time to get back on track for the upcoming Marathon season. 
As for me,  I was up to 32000 words when the computer died.   I have not written anything since.   With three weeks of mind numbing time on my hands, you may think I have accrued a decent cache's  worth of material.   But alas....I have to rethink things over.  Inspiration is like the wind;   Fierce and powerful one day,  Soft and still the next.  With Cheryl busy scoring, I'm sure I can get things back to operational levels soon. 

Freezing Rain and Snow have Finally Arrived in Iowa

The Warning was sent out.

Snow and rain, and Freezing rain?

So it is snowing today.   Mere moments after blogging about how it has been a green Christmas,  I learned that there was a storm heading our way.   I'm not sure when it started, but it was called to begin around 4 AM.  The Freezing rain is always a game changer.   No matter how good your vehicle may be at handling snow,  a frictionless surface will make the most reliable vehicle look silly as it slides off the road.  For that reason,  we had prepared to stay home today.

Snow like sugar....just like this.

Subie LOVES the snow!

I guess the idea was on everyone's mind.   The other tenants all skipped out on their jobs today,  choosing to stay home in the safety and warmth instead of sliding off the back country roads and having to hitchhike in the cold.   However,  we noticed that the snow was more like a granulated sugar and not like a sheet of ice or slush.   Subie actually had pretty good traction in this form of snow.

AND the Rain!

So we decided to see if we could make it to Iowa City.   I took the back roads because I did not want some 4x4 Chevy or Ford blowing by me thinking they can handle the slick spots better.   I was able to go around 50 mph most of the way,  but it was nice being able to slow around curves where I needed to .

Taking it easy around the curves....

 By the way,  I'm SOOO happy I fixed up Subie YESTERDAY.   Before this slop came down.

We didn't check out the pool today.   A couple of reasons.   One:  It was possibly that they might have not been open.   Two:   I'm missing my swimming goggles!   And three:   Cheryl was not to hip on swimming after she scoped it out last time.   I guess the bad form must have strained a shoulder muscle  for a couple of days.   So instead....we decided to take a walk.

Snowmanned!

Walking in a rain and snow mixture is a bit of a challenge.   The grainy snow was similar to walking on the beach.  Only you are walking in heavy boots and coats.    The heavy snow that is falling sticks to your clothes and begins to create a snow man effect.   Snow man.   Where you look like a snow man because you are covered in snow...   Am I the only one who has ever used that term?

Other Crazy People

There are advantages to walking in miserable weather though.   The first is that you are the only one ( usually) that is stupid enough to walk out in a snow mixed with rain storm.   ( There were foot prints on the trail, suggesting there were "others".)   And second,  you get to see things that you may not see on a typical day.   Today..that was Deer.  

So Field and Stream stories are TRUE...if you live in Iowa.

We have seen the deer before,  but today there was a flood of them.    11 in all ran by us as we walked through the hills.   The best part was a large buck that followed the herd.   It was like I was reading a field and stream "how to" article.   All those stories  about bucks and their harems I thought were fictitious.   Well,  they are TRUE!...  but only here in Iowa I guess.

Currently, the snow continues to beat against the windows and scare the cat.   It sounds like someone is throwing sand against the glass.   But I hear it is supposed to stop around midnight tonight.    The snow is heavy and compact, so it does not look like there will be a huge thick fluffy blanket.   I just hope it does not freeze on the roads for tomorrow.    It's quite heavy and sloppy.  Perhaps we may even be able to swim a few laps tomorrow....even without the goggles.   We shall see.

As I write this,  one of the neighbors just got stuck in the Driveway.   A Ford I think.....Should have bought a Subaru!