Like so many loved ones in denial, I ignored the signs: the i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-y slow start up, the way he seemed to not want to respond to anything I wanted him to do.

Start–> Internet

Wait. Wait. Wait. I got pretty intimate with that little hourglass that hung around my screen for minutes on end. Finally my requests would “time out”. The time out is your computer’s way of telling you, “Dude, I have no intention of doing what you asked me to do. I can’t believe you sat around waiting that long… but I’m not even going to pretend that I’m trying anymore.”

Then last night it happened. The Blue Screen of Death. Chances are you’ve witnessed this horrendous site at one point or another. There I sat. I had just written (poorly, and without spell check) my “Rickrolled” post and I hit the “publish” button. I waited, and I waited, like I am so accustomed to doing. Then I started getting “not responding” things all over. Nothing worked. Nothing would shut off. Nothing . So I just turned off ‘ol Blue Brick, thinking he may just need a kick in the pants. I then turned him back on. Bright. Blue. Screen. Telling me that something very bad had happened. *crap* Turn it off, turn it on again. Same thing. Tried running it in “Safe Mode”. Nope. He wouldn’t even do that.

Blue Brick suffered a fatal error. Time of death: 10:05 pm.

Yeah, he was old. Yeah, he weighed 18 pounds. But he and I spent countless hours writing blog drivel and children’s stories together. We spent almost that same number of hours perusing the virtual pages of Crate and Barrel, the the virtual clothing racks of Old Navy. I loved Blue Brick. I loved the Lego Knights sticker that my son stuck on there; it was “Vladek”. Maybe I can salvage the sticker. What will be infinitely harder to salvage are all of the family pictures, and the YA novel I started 5 years ago, and the rhyming picture book that I started 2 years ago, and oh… my bookmarks.

Here I now sit composing this post (and ninja-editing the “Rickrolled” post) on my husband’s much sleeker, much silvery-er, laptop. It’s skinny. It weighs almost nothing (you can’t see me, but right now I’m balancing it on the tip of my pinky). And this laptop means nothing to me. It’s no Blue Brick. There is no “Vladek” sticker. I press buttons and it does things. Promptly. Like it doesn’t even have to think about it. There is no drowsy lag. It is efficient and quick. And cold. No personality.

Damn you, Blue Brick!!! Why?? Why??

It is a sad day in this house. I am crying. The kids ask me what is wrong. I say something about a death. “Is grandma ok?” they ask. Yeah, grandma, bless her old bones, is fine. It’s Blue Brick. “Who?” They look puzzled. Blue Brick! The entity I spent so many hours clicking away with while I ignored your cries for food and attention and band-aids! “oh, yeah. him.”

Yes him. Rest in peace, Blue Brick.

3 Comments »

1. sniff,sniff….if you need to talk, I am here for you. That really stinks, I have yet to experience this, but I know that someday, I too, will experince such remorse. Sorry to hear, may Blue Brick rest in peace

   Comment by Cassie — June 26, 2007 @ 2:01 pm

2. Oh, Suzanne! I’m so sorry. R.I.P. Blue Brick. You are gone, but not forgotten.

   Comment by Leslie — June 27, 2007 @ 1:32 am

3. Don’t give up on your hard drive and it’s contents! Do you have a reliable computer store in your area? Call them, they may be able to back up your pictures for you. Then you can transfer it to a new computer. Good luck, it can be done.

   Comment by Jenny — June 28, 2007 @ 6:38 pm

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