New computer!!!

I did it...took the plunge into the world of Mac.

For the longest time, every time I had an issue with my PC and posted my frustration on any social networking site, I'd get a flurry of "Get a Mac!" comments. I'd said "No way, Jose!" for many reasons. I was used to a PC...that's all I knew. No desire to take the time to learn something completely new and foreign. My husband's uncle was our PC guy...he did our maintenance and was the go-to guy for any issues. If I got a Mac, I'd lose him. And lastly, let's be honest, Macs are REALLY expensive, at least for what I'd wanted/needed.

So, fast forward to last week and me, for the umpteenth time, being completely frustrated with my 5 year old laptop. Hubby gave the a-ok to go ahead and get a new computer. Now the big question: stay PC or try a Mac. Hubby leaned toward Mac, which kind of surprised me since it was more expensive. We headed to the mall and the Apple Store to check them out. NOT a good place to be on a Saturday at the biggest mall in our area.

So...we made plans to go back mid-week, mid-day, when we could have some one-on-one time with an Apple person. In the meantime, I did my research, I asked my Twitter friends, I sought advice from a trusted friend who is a Mac fan. By the time we went back to the Apple Store, I was 95% sure I would be walking out with one. I went armed with a notebook sheet of dummy questions. And the Apple guy was so nice and awesome and answered them all without making me feel stupid. I think that's what sold me right there. The people who work at the Apple store are A-MAZE-ING!

The price was most definitely way more than I could have gotten an ample PC for, BUT I did opt for the bigger machine. I wasn't sure I'd be perfectly happy with a 13" screen...I'd been using a 15" for the last 5 years. 2 inches doesn't seem like a lot....but it really is. (So glad I got the 15") And so far everything has been great. Amazing how much faster a brand spanking new computer is!! And I did opt to purchase Microsoft Office for Mac....well worth the extra $150. I just cannot learn a whole new OS AND a new word processing system at the same time!!

So far I am very happy!! How about you? Do you love your computer? Whatcha got?? Would you ever switch??

Even after 4 days without my beloved, my book is finished!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

What a crazy week this has been. On Wednesday, I could barely get my computer to turn on, let alone do anything. Hate when that happens. And it never ceases to amaze me how lost I feel without it. I have our older PC in the basement that has virtually nothing on it and mainly hubby and daughter use it for internet stuff. So luckily I could check email and such. But I could not write. Everything is on my laptop.

And that meant ending Karma Kameleon, the sequel to A Bitch Named Karma, was put on hold. And that made me mad. I had a goal of finishing by the end of October. It was just a personal goal, but for me, that is just as important as a deadline from an editor. So we took her to the computer doctor and I wrote the very last chapter in a notebook. So technically it was finished...but for me...if it's not in the computer, it doesn't count.

My laptop was fixed and good as new...picked it up yesterday morning. But with Halloween festivities, I could not get on it until after 10 at night to actually transfer my scribbles into the computer. Yay!!!!! It feels so great to have it finished!!

So now we start the self editing process. But I've already been through the first half once. And my writing is getting cleaner and stronger with each book. There shouldn't be as much to fix. My new goal is to have it cleaned and ready to submit by the end of the month!

Yippee!!!

I can’t survive without the internet

Yeah yeah, I know what you’re thinking. This girl is addicted to Facebook, email, blogs, message boards, yadda yadda. Well, yeah, I guess that is sorta true. But I am addicted to the internet for more than just that.

I am so lost without it.

Lately I have been having to do without the internet. For some bizarre reason, my laptop keeps losing its connection with my wireless router. (I will be talking to my computer guy about this asap.) And I can’t tell you how it bothers me when I try to click on a site and I get that “problem loading page” message. I look to the lower right hand corner of my screen…that red “x” glaring at me…laughing and saying “ha ha, no internet for you!”

It’s most frustrating when I am working on my writing. I have become so accustomed to having the internet that I use it everyday while I am working on my current project. I use Dictionary.com for its thesaurus—and it’s so irritating to have a word that I know I want something else for and I can’t look one up. (I have Word’s synonym function as a backup, but it’s not as good.)

And just research in general. Remember when we were kids and doing a report meant spending some time in the library to look up the info you needed? Well now, everything you ever wanted to know is at your fingertips, literally. I hate when I’m working on a project and need to look something up and I just can’t.

I love the internet!

Finally back to work...got lots to do!

My laptop had to be rushed to the Computer Hospital AKA hubby's uncle's. We have always gotten our computers from his uncle, who builds them for a living. He is also a fantastic computer surgeon. He had her back to me in only two days, which I appreciated to no end. She is mostly good as new...but I fear she will never be 100% :(

But anyway, I am now working on selecting the excerpt that will be listed on my page on Lyrical Press's website!! And wow is it hard!!! They want a scene toward the beginning of the book...something that makes a reader want to read more, obviously. But I don't want to give away something that is meant to be a surprise!

Laptop is going in for maintenance today...

It is in desperate need of some cleaning out and updating and all that good stuff they do. Lucky for us, our computer guy is my husband's uncle...so he takes real good care of us. I have complete faith, but will be backing up all my files before she goes in....which I do from time to time anyway, as we all should. But the hardest part is being without it for a day or two. He said he isn't backed up right now and can probably work on it this afternoon, but still. I hate being without it!! Gonna try and get some editing done this morning before she goes in.