Woes have improved. Regular insanity can now commence.
I'm back. Not that I was terribly missed I'm sure but I'll at least try to be an active participant in my flist instead of being barely alive the way I have been this past week or so.
1. The computer gunk: I emailed schrutefan aka Larry who gave my external HD (as I stated in my previous post it's really 2 30GB drives in one case) and sent him to read my last post which layed out the whole problem much easier and better than I could go threw it again over email. Plus he could see what those of you on my flist were suggesting as well. He said he had never tried the ZAR software, but that if it worked that was fine. I did download the demo but couldn't find a keygen to get it to really recover like I needed it to. He uses and suggested GetDataBack, and told me he would send me a copy, but that in the meantime to check the torrent sites for a serial and keygen for it. Well, I found it and got it to work. Long story short - I have recoved everything I basically needed and wanted to recover over the past few days and have burned up almost an entire 50 pack of CD's burning files. Then I have been shuffling stuff home and burning back up copies onto DVD's (don't have a DVD burner here at work) - having backups also being his recommendation. So basically I'm a file shuffling fool right now. But at least now me and my precious files will be protected.
As for the HD that went fluey I guess it's done. So now I'm in the market for another external HD. I would like to use the 30GB one I have left just for backup storage. I only have 80GB (70 usable since Vista automatically backs up all of your operating systems and has 10GB allocated for that) on my laptop and quite frankly I'm tired of having less than 10GB of extra space at any one time. I would really love to have at least another 100GB of disposable space at my fingertips.
2. My ex-husband did buy a house in Arkansas. Mena, Arkansas which is on the western border alongside Oklahoma. It is 6 1/2 hours away. He did get a new job, in which he will work 28 days on and 28 days off and supposedly the company will fly him anywhere he needs to go for jobs in the world (they are based out of Houston), so they could live anywhere. Some of this information is from him, some via my mother threw his mother - but the long and short of it is that they will probably be getting Megan about 1 weekend a month and a few weeks in the summer. More or less not much more than they get now so we will see how it goes. I'll repeat what I said in my last post - at least they aren't living here. That is really the only thing that would send me over the edge.
3. Ben is still happy as a clam here working with me. I am very glad he is over at the other shop but overall I guess it is working out fine so far. I can't shake my overall skepticism that things could go south but I'm trying not to let that dampen things too much. I have kinda set up 'rules' about not talking about work at home that seem to be working pretty well. And we are saving a ton on gas by carpooling and he is able to help me more with the weekly household errands and such.
Money is going to be about the same once insurance kicks in here. We decided not to do the Cobra from Home Depot since it was like $1000 a month. Our few regular prescriptions have generics and I just got them the other day and they came to $40 total. If one of us or the kids gets sick a doctors visit is only like $70 - and none of us has ever been put in the hospital for an illness. For getting hurt sure, but we still have our Aflac accident policy so that would cover us there. It's a gamble sure, but one I'm willing to take until February 1st. I'm putting almost any extra income we are having (and for the first time in a while we do have a little extra with not paying insurance yet) into savings just in case.
I just couldn't see paying that big of an amount for the Cobra that we might not even really need to use. Plus it would shatter us financially to even try. Plus I told my ex-husband he would have to take Megan back on his (he is supposed to per our divorce agreement, but when we had our family policy threw Home Depot it was just easier to add her to that than for her to use his based out of the country), so she will be covered come January 1st when his new family policy (now based in country) goes into effect.
4. TV and stuff: *sigh* I am terribly worried about some of my shows. Not really because of anything that is happening but just this strike business. Expecially Friday Night Lights. Then again I should hope that the way they had more episodes knocked out before the strike could boast well for them in terms a renewal for next year if this strike continues the way it looks now like it might. Plus you would think that Jason Katims would have cut some deal for saving their asses on Bionic Woman or something. I sure as shit would have. Again, I'm all about the strike and I support the writers 110% but as the fandom whore I am I can't help but be nervous as hell.
Speaking of the strike, I'm still finding that Whedonesque is my favorite source of information(they have a RSS feed for LJ ;D). Any post from Joss is both massively entertaining as well as informative. If anyone lives close to LA, they are having a Mutant Enemy Day (more details from Joss HERE) on Friday, December 7th. And from the current standings via Joss, more of his former stars will be there than any fan convention EVER.
Since most of my recent entertainment has come from other sources outside of TV (when I'm not fighting HD's and such) I was really looking forward to seeing Atonement when it releases in the US finally this Friday. And since I don't really plan on seeing but about 2 movies a year on the big screen that's a pretty big deal for me. Well, it seems it's only opening in limited runs - very limited and doesn't start here then. Arg! It better be here by Christmas that's all I can say. Actually that would work out grand since I love spending Christmas afternoon at the movies and after all the insanity.
I'm still reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I'm on the third book "Voyager" and still loving it. I must confess that Jamie Fraser is one of the best leading men I've come across on the page in a while. He's no Edward Cullen mind you - but seriously, who is? In a pinch I'll take a tall beautiful redheaded Scotsman in a kilt any day - or night. But back to my beloved Edward. The entire fandom is eagerly awaiting the announcement of his casting in the movie. If that Colton Haynes guy gets it it wouldn't break my heart - he is completely gorgeous and physically he most definitely fits the part. Plus he fits the 'unknown' bill. Although I have been about Gaspard for current fanart - I won't lie that ever since Stephanie picked Tom Sturridge I have had open mind about his casting. If this model can act he could easily become my Edward. We just need more pictures of him pronto.
I haven't been reading as much lately since I have been dealing with my computer issues AND I downloaded all 5 seasons of Queer as Folk and have been watching a few episodes every night for the past few weeks. I totally blame my reading of man!love in book form on my total devotion to my newest ship of Brian and Justin (Britin - hehe). I'm turning into an all out Slasher chick. But I can honestly say that I don't see me being a canon shipper more than anything changing in the least. I just find that I am enjoying some man!love when it is portrayed as canon - in all media. I didn't think I would like QAF as much as I have, but I do. It is very well written, smart, funny and generally just good TV.
As far as my regular TV watching, there hasn't been a whole lot going on. Most notably is the fact that my precious boytoy Tim Riggins got himself back on the team on FNL. Plus if the spoiler birdies are correct he will not be homeless for long - and it will be made of so much win that I can't even fathom words. On House the 'game' is finally over. Poor Cut-Throat-Bitch. I'll miss her name more than her I admit. But honestly I don't give a shit for any of them. The more this has all gone on the more I miss Chase and Cameron. At least we still get them in repeats. :/ I'm still downloading Dexter and Moonlight every week to help to entertain me when the strike really kicks our asses in the spring. We get one more episode of Supernatural before January which is a great thing considering I really need me some Dean right about now. And I must admit that Heroes got really damn good there these last 3 episodes. They have never had even 2 kick ass episodes in a row up until now - and here we got 3. Kudos.
Well. That should do it. I have hopefully provided enough word vomit for the masses and can jump back into this LJ fray in fine form. *hugs*
1. The computer gunk: I emailed schrutefan aka Larry who gave my external HD (as I stated in my previous post it's really 2 30GB drives in one case) and sent him to read my last post which layed out the whole problem much easier and better than I could go threw it again over email. Plus he could see what those of you on my flist were suggesting as well. He said he had never tried the ZAR software, but that if it worked that was fine. I did download the demo but couldn't find a keygen to get it to really recover like I needed it to. He uses and suggested GetDataBack, and told me he would send me a copy, but that in the meantime to check the torrent sites for a serial and keygen for it. Well, I found it and got it to work. Long story short - I have recoved everything I basically needed and wanted to recover over the past few days and have burned up almost an entire 50 pack of CD's burning files. Then I have been shuffling stuff home and burning back up copies onto DVD's (don't have a DVD burner here at work) - having backups also being his recommendation. So basically I'm a file shuffling fool right now. But at least now me and my precious files will be protected.
As for the HD that went fluey I guess it's done. So now I'm in the market for another external HD. I would like to use the 30GB one I have left just for backup storage. I only have 80GB (70 usable since Vista automatically backs up all of your operating systems and has 10GB allocated for that) on my laptop and quite frankly I'm tired of having less than 10GB of extra space at any one time. I would really love to have at least another 100GB of disposable space at my fingertips.
2. My ex-husband did buy a house in Arkansas. Mena, Arkansas which is on the western border alongside Oklahoma. It is 6 1/2 hours away. He did get a new job, in which he will work 28 days on and 28 days off and supposedly the company will fly him anywhere he needs to go for jobs in the world (they are based out of Houston), so they could live anywhere. Some of this information is from him, some via my mother threw his mother - but the long and short of it is that they will probably be getting Megan about 1 weekend a month and a few weeks in the summer. More or less not much more than they get now so we will see how it goes. I'll repeat what I said in my last post - at least they aren't living here. That is really the only thing that would send me over the edge.
3. Ben is still happy as a clam here working with me. I am very glad he is over at the other shop but overall I guess it is working out fine so far. I can't shake my overall skepticism that things could go south but I'm trying not to let that dampen things too much. I have kinda set up 'rules' about not talking about work at home that seem to be working pretty well. And we are saving a ton on gas by carpooling and he is able to help me more with the weekly household errands and such.
Money is going to be about the same once insurance kicks in here. We decided not to do the Cobra from Home Depot since it was like $1000 a month. Our few regular prescriptions have generics and I just got them the other day and they came to $40 total. If one of us or the kids gets sick a doctors visit is only like $70 - and none of us has ever been put in the hospital for an illness. For getting hurt sure, but we still have our Aflac accident policy so that would cover us there. It's a gamble sure, but one I'm willing to take until February 1st. I'm putting almost any extra income we are having (and for the first time in a while we do have a little extra with not paying insurance yet) into savings just in case.
I just couldn't see paying that big of an amount for the Cobra that we might not even really need to use. Plus it would shatter us financially to even try. Plus I told my ex-husband he would have to take Megan back on his (he is supposed to per our divorce agreement, but when we had our family policy threw Home Depot it was just easier to add her to that than for her to use his based out of the country), so she will be covered come January 1st when his new family policy (now based in country) goes into effect.
4. TV and stuff: *sigh* I am terribly worried about some of my shows. Not really because of anything that is happening but just this strike business. Expecially Friday Night Lights. Then again I should hope that the way they had more episodes knocked out before the strike could boast well for them in terms a renewal for next year if this strike continues the way it looks now like it might. Plus you would think that Jason Katims would have cut some deal for saving their asses on Bionic Woman or something. I sure as shit would have. Again, I'm all about the strike and I support the writers 110% but as the fandom whore I am I can't help but be nervous as hell.
Speaking of the strike, I'm still finding that Whedonesque is my favorite source of information(they have a RSS feed for LJ ;D). Any post from Joss is both massively entertaining as well as informative. If anyone lives close to LA, they are having a Mutant Enemy Day (more details from Joss HERE) on Friday, December 7th. And from the current standings via Joss, more of his former stars will be there than any fan convention EVER.
Since most of my recent entertainment has come from other sources outside of TV (when I'm not fighting HD's and such) I was really looking forward to seeing Atonement when it releases in the US finally this Friday. And since I don't really plan on seeing but about 2 movies a year on the big screen that's a pretty big deal for me. Well, it seems it's only opening in limited runs - very limited and doesn't start here then. Arg! It better be here by Christmas that's all I can say. Actually that would work out grand since I love spending Christmas afternoon at the movies and after all the insanity.
I'm still reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I'm on the third book "Voyager" and still loving it. I must confess that Jamie Fraser is one of the best leading men I've come across on the page in a while. He's no Edward Cullen mind you - but seriously, who is? In a pinch I'll take a tall beautiful redheaded Scotsman in a kilt any day - or night. But back to my beloved Edward. The entire fandom is eagerly awaiting the announcement of his casting in the movie. If that Colton Haynes guy gets it it wouldn't break my heart - he is completely gorgeous and physically he most definitely fits the part. Plus he fits the 'unknown' bill. Although I have been about Gaspard for current fanart - I won't lie that ever since Stephanie picked Tom Sturridge I have had open mind about his casting. If this model can act he could easily become my Edward. We just need more pictures of him pronto.
I haven't been reading as much lately since I have been dealing with my computer issues AND I downloaded all 5 seasons of Queer as Folk and have been watching a few episodes every night for the past few weeks. I totally blame my reading of man!love in book form on my total devotion to my newest ship of Brian and Justin (Britin - hehe). I'm turning into an all out Slasher chick. But I can honestly say that I don't see me being a canon shipper more than anything changing in the least. I just find that I am enjoying some man!love when it is portrayed as canon - in all media. I didn't think I would like QAF as much as I have, but I do. It is very well written, smart, funny and generally just good TV.
As far as my regular TV watching, there hasn't been a whole lot going on. Most notably is the fact that my precious boytoy Tim Riggins got himself back on the team on FNL. Plus if the spoiler birdies are correct he will not be homeless for long - and it will be made of so much win that I can't even fathom words. On House the 'game' is finally over. Poor Cut-Throat-Bitch. I'll miss her name more than her I admit. But honestly I don't give a shit for any of them. The more this has all gone on the more I miss Chase and Cameron. At least we still get them in repeats. :/ I'm still downloading Dexter and Moonlight every week to help to entertain me when the strike really kicks our asses in the spring. We get one more episode of Supernatural before January which is a great thing considering I really need me some Dean right about now. And I must admit that Heroes got really damn good there these last 3 episodes. They have never had even 2 kick ass episodes in a row up until now - and here we got 3. Kudos.
Well. That should do it. I have hopefully provided enough word vomit for the masses and can jump back into this LJ fray in fine form. *hugs*