It began with some minor computer problems and escalated by one incredible incompetent, and for a change that was not me. So what happened? I literally could not turn on the computer. The button wouldn't work. So I do what is the tech version of hitting your fist against an old 50s TV set to magically make it work again, which is unplug the computer, wait a minute then plug it back in. A minute later it turned on. I then had some other problems that caused the spinning Apple pinwheel of death to go on and on and on and on.

So I called Apple Care, and after a little bit of trying, the decision was made for me to do an archived re-install. That would take about 90 minutes and then I was to call back to find out what to do next.

90 minutes later I called in and that's when the real problem started. This time I got someone in India who it turns out was, well, less than good. He had me do the wrong type of re-install, then had me move files between new User IDs, and an hour or two later the machine was so impossible screwed up he sent me to his supervisor, also in India, but unlike the other guy, knew what he was doing. But after about an hour he realized the machine was in worse shape than we could have believed and needed a Mac expert. I was sent to someone in Sacramento who had me do a whole slew of things but since one of them - I don't remember which - required time, I was to call back the next day after I did whatever it was I was supposed to do. And in the process my "previous system" was trashed, taking with it God knows how much of my software. I could barely access anything outside of Word. I think I may have left out a tech or two along the way as one of them followed my case to not only India but half the cities in America.

I called back, this time getting someone else, but again someone who did know what they were doing. But after a few hours we still couldn't make anything work. The machine was so screwed up it couldn't even access my Time Capsule which is not only the Apple's brilliant back up system but also serves as my in-house network. If we had been able to do that we could have brought everything back the way it had been and then start worrying about what cause the problem in the first place. Since that would have been the easy way to go, it obviously wasn't allowed to work.

I got another tech and we slowly began the rebuilding, but without the Time Capsule it was proving impossible, so he made an appointment for me at the Apple Store and I brought in the computer, as well as my Time Capsule.

4 1/2 days later I got it back. They made the Time Capsule work and brought everything back to the way it had been moments before disaster struck. All my software was back. If you have an Apple and you don't have a Time Capsule, you are making a big mistake. It incrementally saves everything and even without a problem you can go back to any time in the past and find the specific version of a file you want. This has come in handy when I've stupidly erased a file then realized much later I needed it. Wham! Bam! The file's back.

Anyway, about a week after it all began, my computer is back and working well, better than it had before. I've got another year to go on my Apple Care and boy am I glad I bought it with the machine. Between it and my Time Capsule I was saved.

Before this all happened, to help facilitate the game writing job, I bought a new 25.5 inch monitor to go along with my iMac monitor so I can move files back and forth between the two. This lets me keep up the extra long Excel sheets and files I need for the game. I didn't get the Apple Cinema model because they've changed it so it can't be used by my 2 year old computer, but I got a great Samsung for a third the price. It worked right out of the box without even putting in the software disc. I've been working non-stop ever since to make up for the days down without the 'puter.

Last night I took time off however to see Mark Evanier interview Jerry Robinson at the Skirball Center in LA. Jerry has been a vital artist, cartoonist for many, many years, working in an unbelievable number of fields, but for comic fans he's mostly known as the man who created The Joker. The room was packed and I'm not certain everyone there was a comics' fan. Jerry's work covers so many fields you could have come just to hear him talk about something besides comics. Besides the talk, the Skirball also has a wonderful art and comics collection on display. It's really well worth seeing. Among the prize objects is the original art table Joe Shuster (artist creator of Superman) used and the typewriter Jerry Siegel (the writer creator) used.

Today I'm back to work and tonight is a long-postponed date night with Noel. Either I or she's been out of town or busy for so long our weekly "just have a great night together" was put back and back. We've been married 17+ years now and we still look forward to getting date night back on schedule. So until tonight she's out at a doll class and I'm at the computer, writing.

For the moment all is well with the world.  Besides its imminent doom, of course.