back that thang up...

hi all.

it's time for an update... just about me.  not that i don't enjoy the random posts, funny videos or political commentary, but for now... just a story about my week.

Tuesday afternoon, I came home from work as normal and began working on a project I've been working on FOR MONTHS for my church ... our pictoral directory.

I've been doing it in Publisher and have had some trouble over the last few weeks with some editing, finalizing, cost shopping, etc... all those things... but finally, we were getting to the end, hoping to get it printed and ready to pass out at our member's meeting this coming Sunday.

Anyway, so I'm in the middle of working and suddenly, the screen is filled with blue...  that annoying "error blue."  There were tons of words on the page ... and I did read it, but all I remember is seeing "If you've never seen this screen before, restart your computer."  

I was a little freaked, and maybe should have been a little patient, but I restarted.

nothing.

it turned on, but it wouldn't boot. hmm.  let me try again.

nothing.

so, i confess, i spanked her.  Della.  that's my laptop's name.

yes, it was out of anger, but still... she was disobedient!

nothing.

I call Martin Graham.  I am still calm at this point.  We talk and decide that I will come on over.  Martin looks at it, does some fancy things, runs a diagnostics and says, "Hmm.  Nicole, how big is your hard drive?"

"I think it's about 70 or 80," I say.

his face doesn't make me happy.  

i was on the phone with Kristin C. at the time and I tell her that Martin looks like he has some news for me.  he does.

"Nicole, there's no partition."

I have no idea what that means... so he explains a little and then tells me that basically, he says that the diagnostics says that the computer has about 75 GB of free space.  

Yeah.

I know.

So, we talk a quick minute and I leave.  I was basically in shock and went on in to work at TCC. I talked to Julie W. about it and got a little quiver in my voice... then Travis W. comes in the room and I tell him what happened.  At this point, I'm seriously holding back tears.

Then Casey calls me... and  I lost it!

You see, three days prior, she and I were discussing what I should do about my hard drive... because it was within a GB or 2 of being full... and none of my pictures or files were anywhere else.  

I decided that I would take Della to the Geek Squad at Best Buy.  I paid 60 bucks, and almost 4 full days later, they tell me everything that Martin did... and that it appears nothing is on the hard drive anymore.  

Including Windows.

humph!

Then, 15 minutes later, I get an automated call that I need to come pick up my equipment because it's taking up space and it's a worthless piece of junk.

well, they didn't say that exactly, but still.  i felt like i was late picking up my kid from daycare, so i got ready and left.

I decided that for now, its not best for me to reload the hard drive with programs and special files of mine when we still don't know why it happened.  If it happened again, I just don't know what I would do!  Besides, what if the information is still in there somewhere?

They told me that the next thing I could do was ship it off to Data Recovery and pay anywhere from $200-$1000 (with no guarantee) for them to try and get the info.

humph.

no way.

meet Millie.  Millie the black mac.