Author: Johnnyboy

Johnnyboy is a queer recovering alcoholic. For the moment he is also the primary caregiver for his mother, who suffers from age-related cognitive impairment. She is happy as a lark and is surrounded by a crew of sober women which gives him the freedom he needs to get out of town. When he is not at home in Somewheresville, he is searching out the proper path to travel for happiness and joy. He is a photographer who believes in the digital age, but feels that film is still where its at. He has a darkroom and works in it. He is single and is in remarkably great physical condition for all the damage he has submitted his body to. His cardiologist is very happy. Johnnyboy is over the age of 35.

A bit of an update….

Johnnyboy

This morning I unplugged my large laptop, reset the monitor setup for the little Averatec I have, and proceeded to bring the old unit to the shop for an overhaul. Everything was fine, until I suddenly realized, during the drive home, that the paper I have been writing, and hoped to hand in tomorrow before I go away for a week, is in that PC, and not backed-up on my flashdrives…dammit! I’m not worried about losing it, but this means instead of handing the thing in on time, with me out of the country, I will have to wait until I get home, pick up the unit next Wednesday, hook it all back up, edit the paper, etc…and then the thing will be late.

Shit.

Oh well. I’ve emailed my prof and related the scenario, and hopefully my ‘A’ average will serve me well and help with an extension. I’m not worried, but the fact is that I had it all figured out, and it was going to be so smooth….Step Three acts like a street cop and tells me to “Move along, nothing to see here…”.

Tomorrow I head off to Spain and another International AA Convention. AA has booked the entire seaside resort of Tossa de Mar on the Costa Brava for a week. All the major hotels are completely full with sober drunks from all across continental Europe and elsewhere. I won’t be the only Yank in the crowd, but I doubt there will be many of us. I am very excited and will not pack until tomorrow morning. I have everything I will be taking, however. I’ll be sure to update from a cybercafe…

I read this quote from e.e. cummings the other day and thought I’d share it with you all…

“To be Nobody-But-Yourself–in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else–means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”

I like that a lot.

Adios!
Johnnyboy

…a new monitor!

Johnnyboy


I griped already about the old flip-top monitor that is attached to my rather large laptop (17″ viewable!). The corruption of the screen has continued and an expert at school told me that I should think in terms of “weeks not months” before it goes kaput. So I took the plunge suggested by Aravis and others and purchased a new external monitor from CDW. It is a Planar 1700 and it comes with a 3-year comprehensive warranty (parts and labor). That means when it shits the bed in 2010 and the warranty has expired I can probably pick up what ever new fangled replacement for half the cost of a new one…does that make sense? This piece ran about $250 with 2nd day shipping FedEx, and I am very happy. With a little fiddling about I adjusted the screen rez and shut off the old damaged screen. I really like this much better, especially the added 2 inches of height. I think it’s better for my eyes.

I found a PC repair joint nearby who will babysit my Toshiba while I’m in Spain. They’ll give it a good cleaning, re-lube the CPU, and take the top of the clam off of the clamshell. I feel like I’m leaving the cat at the vet for a grooming and shots…When I come home, I’ll pick it up and slide the new monitor behind the keyboard, because to be honest, typing like this is apt to give me a sore neck. The picture above gives you a better idea of the situation.

Oh, I almost forgot…whose blog is that anyway?;)

Johnnboy