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Friday March 11, 2005

We've all done very well

There I was, sat sitting in front of my computer, poised to format a new file for my journal when there came a shrill burbling sound from deep inside the tower case, closely followed by a gentle "chinky-clinky-clunk" which stopped, abruptly, to be replaced by a low-volume "tinkle, tinkle, tinkle".

"Oh, shit," I said.

"What?"

"I think my hard disk just crunched."

"Oh, shit," said Graham, putting down his pasting brush. "Shove aside and let me have a look."

After a small amount of cussing, very small in the circumstances, he emerged, looking glum.

"I'm afraid the patient is dead," he said.

"Arrgh."

"Have you got a back-up?"

"Oh, yes, from last night, as usual."

"You're gonna need it. Let me finish this piece of wallpaper and we'll go get you a new disk."

Which is what, shortly afterwards, we did. When we got home, Graham did his disappearing act inside the computer, pulled out the old disk, stuck in the new, connected everything, and announced the patient resuscitated once more.

"Oh well," I said. "I suppose I'd better get cracking with the rebuild, then."

"That'll keep you quiet."

"Apart from the shouting and swearing, you mean."

"Oh, yes. Apart from the shouting and swearing."

"Tell you what," I said. "Before I start, do you think I could borrow your computer to make a quick entry, just to say what's happened?"

"Sure. Go ahead. I'm back to wallpapering anyway."

Actually, it all went very smoothly, and there was no shouting. A couple of exceedingly strong epithets as I suggested something along the lines of "Oh, get on with it, do," but you expect that when you're waiting for updates to download from Microsoft and Norton. Then it was the long, long job of reinstalling programs and copying files from my backup disk onto the new hard disk. Not difficult. Just tedious.

And, shortly after midnight, I switched off and sat back, job done.

"Oh, drat it," I said as I tucked up for the night.

"What."

"I haven't done a postcard."

"Not to worry. I doubt you'll have time to do one tomorrow, either, if you're to catch up with other stuff."

"No. Like as not."

"Good night."

"Good night." And then, a little later: "I think we've all done very well."