Dear me, where does the time go?

Do any of you feel this way? Surely, I am not the only one. I thought that by the second week of the year I would have recovered from Christmas and be ready to tackle all that this new year has to throw at me. But no, I am seemingly more behind than usual and in dire need of an organization session. So far I feel swept away in the current of the infant year, and this is not at all what I had in mind for my fresh new beginnings in 2009. My "To Do" list just keeps growing and somehow I don't seem to find time to tackle the things on it.

One of my biggest problems is something that should have been a blessing... getting my computer screen fixed. My Dell (gr-r-r-r) Inspiron 6000 (which turned 2 years old in February 2008) laptop screen began to go all pink on me around this time last year. Yes, it was not even 2 years old at the time. Then it just would go completely black. Because I do web design, I could not be without it. So for many months I used it with an external monitor while using my son's laptop for times I needed something portable (which, it turns out, was the majority of the time.) My wonderful, precious, patient son has put up with this for most of a year. I decided that it was time to de-sequester his computer.

So off to the nearest computer repair place I went... then after a $30 diagnosis fee and a new screen to the tune of $166 (did I mention that the computer was LESS than two years old when the screen went out?), I thought I would have a "new" computer. What I actually have is a new computer SCREEN. However, my battery only holds a charge for about 30 minutes (if that), and when I boot up my operating system does not "recognize" my adapter... you know, the Dell A/C adapter... the one that came with my computer... the computer that was less than TWO YEARS OLD when all this started! If I take out the adapter while the computer boots up, then I don't get the error message. But then I must be ready with the power cord so that the battery doesn't give out. Then by inserting the cord slowly and turning at just the right angle it will begin to charge the battery and provide power to the computer.

I have spent the past week cleaning up my son's computer from all the files, photos, e-mails movies, etc. that I had put on it over the past year and trying to make my Dell work like it is supposed to... loading files, reconfiguring 10 different e-mail accounts, etc. This has proven to be more of a challenge than I bargained for... I will spare you the other details. They would put you to sleep. (Insomniacs may e-mail me privately.) It really is amazing what a time-sapper computer configuring can be. Oh, and did I mention that as I was walking out of the computer repair shop feeling so good about having my PORTABLE computer back, the fellow who worked on my computer told me in broken English that I had better be very careful when moving around my computer and that I might not even want to open and close my laptop because the HINGES ARE WEARING OUT! So my laptop, which is supposed to be portable, is actually not all that portable because I CAN'T CLOSE THE LID! How's that for twisted irony?

Yes, it's been a frustrating week and worst of all, I don't have all my blog links so I haven't been able to make the rounds. Hope you're all doing well and that you'll forgive my absence (does it really make the heart grow fonder?)

One of the other things on my "To Do" list was to post the commissioned artwork I had done which could not be posted before Christmas. So here's one of them:






Love to all!