This weekend's been a grab bag. FNFF's SeSa has started, though by the time I'd wandered by, half the prompts were claimed. I'm sure I'll figure out something with the prompt I snagged.

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Yesterday, after (over) six months, the Pretty Monster was finally returned to me. They were supposed to have backed up my music and my writing files, but something got fucked at some point in loading things back on, such that the backup file they put on my desktop was over 250 gigs. All of the "copies" of my music and writing files were endless repeats of empty files (e.g. "ghosthunting.txt 0 kbs" "ghostinghunting(32).txt 0kbs"). Then there were tons of things copied over that were not mine, copied for no discernible reason (like all of the files for IE copied a second time), or just copied over 400 times.

They were supposed to call back today after checking to see if they have deleted the original backup or not, but that did not happen. I'll be calling again in the morning and making the drive over to copy what I need over myself if it still exists. If not, well. I'd already braced myself for much worse when turning on the computer. Said bracing did not stop me from boggling at the sheer ineptitude of the so-called experts. At this point, I am just glad to have my laptop back.

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I finished out my last round of antibiotics, and I cannot tell you how much better I feel. I still have a slight cough, but this is apparently because the bronchitis and sinusitis are viral. The antibiotics were just in case and to also prevent my becoming infected with anything else in the meantime, I have been informed. If I had known this earlier--well, I probably would have still taken them, but with a better understanding that my side effects misery was possibly unnecessary. But whatever, I feel much better!

Earlier today I raided the pantry and fridge to throw together some makeshift vegetarian stroganoff, that is how much better I feel.

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My mother's television has lately been making attempts to communicate with us its displeasure while off, and now will turn itself off and then beep angrily some more if you try to turn it on. I fear at any moment it could transform and try to eat the household. It is unplugged in an attempt to keep this from happening. One plus about this happening is that it is very close to Black Friday, so I may get my very first near death by shopping experience this Friday. I have generally tend to avoid the mall around the holiday season, so this will be an Adventure.

(Hold me. I am very afraid.)

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Attempts to vid Chuck--specifically, attempts to vid Bryce Larkin--are actually quite soothing. This is possibly because no vidding is actually accomplished because vidding requires doing more than staring at his pretty, pretty face.

In other things, sleep still hasn't happened, bringing my average hours per night the past four days to something like three. If I do not sleep on the plane, I may find out if Disneyworld is the happiest place on Earth to have a sleep deprivation related meltdown. Even if the answer is yes, I'd rather forgo the whole experience.

The latest news on the Pretty Monster is there is no news. The local Fry's finally received the computer back from Sony. There were no details included as to what was wrong, no apparent attempts made to fix it, no pictures of the supposed damage as had been requested now weeks ago, and when the local Fry's cracked open the case, the motherboard was undamaged. On one hand, yay, they are no longer trying to demand $650 for a motherboard that I knew I hadn't dropped and damaged as Sony and corporate were trying to claim. On the other, what the hell were they doing with it for the past two and a half months? Was it sitting on the shelf collecting dust as they made up ways to try to gouge me for money? I have no clue.

It's edging toward five months since the time I originally gave it to them for the corrupted RAM problem (and got it back in a state of total meltdown). They've had possession of my laptop for over a quarter of the time I've owned it. Is their current endgame to keep it, give it back to me when the warranty runs out, and then demand money to fix it when I bring it back in because they've done absolutely no work on it?

I know I've said this before, but I will probably be repeating this for the rest of my life: Never buy from Fry's.

You may also want to avoid Sony in general or the Vaios in particular. If you absolutely must buy from Fry's, purchasing a warranty is apparently worthless. The warranty just means that when the computer inevitably breaks, you will give it to them and never get it back.

Now that I've riled myself up thinking about corporate evil again, it's time to make another stab at vidding. By which I mean staring, helplessly charmed, at Matt Bomer and his gorgeous face.

p.s. I know I still haven't done VVC vid recs, but while I'm on the topic of Chuck: jmtorres's Get Off is still just as amazing the 74562th time around.

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Either tonight or tomorrow, my desktop will be ready for me to pick up. Even the tech people couldn't manage to open Malware Bytes (or anything else) to annihilate the virus, so the poor desktop is going to be mind-wiped and reinstalled. Before that could be implemented, I got everything off that I could. I now have a shiny little external hard drive with entirely too much of my college years on it.

No word yet on the Pretty Monster, and I still hate Fry's like burning. I think my raging hatred could be taken as a given at this point.

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My brother and mother are going to a football game today I think it starts soon, actually? Obviously this is one of those things I will likely never understand. Football games to me were an excuse in high school to have our parents drop us off at a place to meet up with friends and skive off to cross the highway and hang out at Steak 'n Shake. I didn't attend a single game in college, though I suppose I ought to have for the novelty of it.

Either way, I'm sure my family will have a good time. I'm told the Colts (they're the Colts, right?) are quite good.

And I'm going to have a fabulous evening in writing. I have delicious coffee beside me, my notebooks and revisions surrounding me, and have located the bit that hooks up to the next scene I meant to send out. All in all, today looks very promising.

Maybe I will even be adventurous and order in pizza.

--

eta: I just answered the phone, and the tech people told me that they decided to try one last time before mind-wiping the computer. This time, they managed to finally open Malware Bytes and are in the process of getting the virus off my computer. The desktop is not being mind-wiped after all! This is very exciting news.

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I am down to borrowing my mother's laptop, because I'm having desktop troubles, too. I know how to fix them in theory, but in practice, my hands are too slow. Don't ask. At this point, I am letting someone else take care of the problem, because I can only spend so long shouting imprecations at the screen before realizing that it's time to back away slowly before I lose all ability to regain my calm.

The Pretty Monster is still in Fry's hands, and at this point they are claiming that the motherboard is cracked because someone broke and dropped it, and that that someone is me. Despite the problems NOT EXISTING before the month and a half I gave it to them when it had corrupted RAM. They want $650, despite the warranty, and at this point, I would rather set that laptop on fire before giving them a cent. Though I'd have trouble with that, considering I haven't seen it for months. This is another problem I am handing over to someone else, in this case to my father, who is much better at making angry phone calls.

In happier things, and at an appropriate time, considering how I feel: death_bingo is now open.

Other things of interest:

The Bechdel Test and Race in Popular Fiction Also check out the comments for shows that pass (or don't).

( Video stolen off my read list )

Excuse me while I am quietly fangirling this ad and trying not to cry into my sweater. I mean, it's not like I have a girlfriend to marry, but still.

And in the time I've been putting together this post, my Death Bingo card came! I know I already have a bunch of other things I need to finish, but I've got a while to do my Death Bingo, and I am sure I will find it soothing. It will keep death from popping up in other, meant to be happier fic. Because right now? Flames. Up the sides of my face.

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I don't know if a computer store has ever filled me with more frothing rage than Fry's. I really don't. I held a great deal of rage for Best Buy, but at least I got it back eventually in working order and when they had it they could tell me where it was and what was being done to it.

I've finally delegated talking to them to my willing (but growing ever less so) mother, because my sympathy for people in any service industry is drowning in a frothy sea of rage. And even my mother, one of the sweetest, most upbeat people I know is beginning to sound like they are sucking out their soul and has become a force for the campaign to Never Buy From Fry's. A warranty is no good if it means that when it is broken, you give it to them and never see it again.

(For those who are only just joining the saga of The Pretty Monster and Its Capture by Fry's, the Pretty Monster first went in in mid or early May. It has been long enough I don't rightly remember.)

--

In more cheering things, I forgot to mention, but hng_deathmatch has finished! Lots of delicious fic to read. I managed to mix things up and defaulted in Round Two, but that life for you. It was fun while it lasted. I'm really hoping that at some point in the future, we can all play again.

At some point, I will clean up some of the mistakes made on my entry in round one while madly dashing it out, having realized the first deadline was only five hours away. It'll be re-posted on my fic journal, but I'll probably mention it here for anyone curious.

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I know I already asked about people going to VVC, but more specifically, will there be anyone in Chicago tomorrow (Thursday) around eleven-ish nine/ten-ish interested in brunch breakfast? Also, if anyone is, do you have any recommendations? I'm thinking the West Egg or Original Pancake House, but I am always open to new things. My only restriction is vegetarian, and breakfast-y foods are very good to me that way.

eta: I have plans for noon/afternoon! \o/ Obviously I still want to grab breakfast-y type foods with anyone interested, but it will have to be actual breakfast.

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Hello, dear desktop. It's been a while. A very long while. I'm so glad to see you're still in working order. Allow me to shower you with hugs and love and gratitude.

So long, dear car. I hope you will be fixed again tomorrow and that things in you stop falling over and not getting back up again. Thank you for not leaping into the ditch like you wanted to when bringing the new issue to my attention and only lunging for another lane, not actually going in it. I'm sure the car next to us appreciated that, too.

Oh, pretty monster. You are the shiniest of the computers I have ever had and yet also the most high maintenance. I hope to see you again soon and that when you return it will not be to only throw yourself into the abyss once more whilst making me watch. Thank you for at least surviving long enough this time for me to load all the writing files I could find onto a thumb drive.

To a certain nameless computer store, fuck you in the face. Right in the face. You get no greetings, and I can only wish that when I once more have the pretty monster back, this will be the last I see of you.

Dear fandom: The writing is going well, but the morale is low. Very low. Please send help and vid recs where possible. ILU all. Going to throw myself in a corner now.

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My desktop, though found, is still not all hooked up, but--

The computer people did lie to me again, this time being a good lie. Four days ago, they said my regular laptop would be done in ten days. For keeping the exploding rage behind my left eye and not hurling it at the poor tech guy on the phone still waiting for the parts to arrive from the company, the universe rewarded me with him calling again yesterday to say it was finally fixed.

Of course, on the way to pick it up, I discovered the wheel bearing has some Issues since the pothole waiting as a trap of malicious intent on the way back from Chicago. Yay for having a computer, because I won't be going anywhere until my car is returned. Fortunately, I know better than to send it to the place that kept it for two months. This time, it is going to the local, non-dealership guy who managed to fix the last problem and return it in a couple days. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the same can happen again.

Other than all of that, I have been very uninteresting while forcibly away from the internet. I've been writing, went to Taste of Chicago with good friends, and dealing with allergy concerns. More about Taste of Chicago (and some very tasty restaurants) to follow.

What have the rest of you been up to?