When your child says, “Whoa, Mom, look at what your computer is doing!” you should not expect good news to follow.  Note for your records that a fried CPU may result in a screen that looks the way static sounds, that chronic overheating may result in a fried CPU, and that an extra dusty house may result in chronic overheating.  Well, done is done.  And no, I will not now be vacuuming more often or shipping the dogs to Siberia in a in post-laptop-meltdown overreaction.

Why no expletives?  All of my data was backed up on an external drive using Norton 360.  This is a shameless and emphatic prop for that product, which worked like a dream in restoring to my new laptop all of my files and, most important to me, my library of photographs.  I’ve opened the Pictures folder every day since the Big Crash just to reassure myself they’re still there.  Yes, I have the important ones also backed up online, but seeing the entire collection is like snuggling in a comfortable armchair, safe at home.

Too comfortable and safe, I realize.  So tomorrow, like Mulan and Nemo, the full lot, Balink  photos 2005-2012, will be going to the vault for off-site storage.  Leaving me with a clean slate, free to start anew.

And so, from the history files, au revoir to a few favorite old friends.  I know where you are if I need you.