We have now gone from being a 4 computer family to 3. One of the computers left standing is the one I'm using now (Marie's). It was purchased for $400 about 4 years ago when we realized that one desktop wasn't big enough for the both of us. We also have the Fujitsu laptop, which my father-in-law bought me for b-school. It has miraculously survived various trips, and is barely hanging on to life, given its overmatched Crusoe processor. I also have my work computer, which is always around. It works well on our wireless network around the house. Marie is using it right now, since it's easier for me to blog on her computer.

My desktop, which was purchased in 2000, and was quite the machine at that point, finally died two weeks ago. Actually, I accidentally killed it with my can-do (read: ill-advised) approach to computer maintenance. It all started a couple of months ago when the computer started making this loud, annoying, repeditive beeping noise in the middle of computing sessions. I have no idea why it did this, and after restarting failed to remedy the problem, I ripped off the cover and searched the motherboard for the offending buzzer. I thought I found it, and after shutting down, I drilled a hole in one of the places in the motherboard where I thought the buzzer was soldered in. No dice. I tried to just ignore the beeping for another two weeks, but I couldn't take it, and drilled 2 more holes in the motherboard just to try to kill the buzzer. Well after that, (surprise, surprise) the computer wouldn't boot up any more. It's not a big deal, though. I just slapped all the useful components (hard drive, DVD-RW drive) into Marie's computer, and use my work computer a lot more than I used to.

The heat wave finally broke this week, and we are enjoying a run of 75-78 degree days.

This week I sat through 4 days of meetings, and was taken aback at the prolific number of truly bad doodlers there are in this world. I happened to see a few of the pads people left after the meetings, and they definitely should have disposed of their artwork before leaving to catch their flights. Come up with a system, people! Get with the program! Draw a series of squares and make little patterns in the squares (for example) - it's really not that hard. I know Tamsin to be an excellent doodler. Maybe she could give lessons.

Here are a few pics from this week.