Techy New Me

Well, it might not be the new year yet, but I am in clean it up and clear it out mode. This morning, thanks to two little girls waking me up four times around 4:30, I could not get back to sleep, so I decided to do something rather than just lie there forever.

I am in the process of putting my home office together. When we moved in over a year ago, the movers decided it was too late and pretty much dumped my office furniture in the home office room and left. It has not been functional since. Well, I finally got the new computer I needed to keep up with my office work from home, and now am awaiting the time when Franz and possibly a strong non-pregnant friend of his can move my wall units into place. They are standing at odd angles around the room, and there is nothing I can do about it.

Well, at any rate, the old computer was taken apart and set on my kitchen counter last week, awaiting its new fate at Costco, which I understand, recycles computers and will pay a small fee for them. First, I had to figure out how to wipe the hard drive. We also uncovered a really old laptop while turning the office upside down. So, both of these computers needed to be cleaned up of all our things before I could get rid of them and were waiting for me on the counter. Quite a terrifying site, really.

Since I was already up this early morning, I decided to try my luck with them. I sorted through old files and came up with the original disks, and taught myself how to reinstall the operating system on an old computer to wipe away all traces of whatever we'd been doing on it, for security reasons. I think it's working. As I type this, the desktop rigged up on the counter in the kitchen is progressing through setup, which had to be launched from DOS, might I add. Whew! That made me nervous.

Now, at least, I can take the CPU and the laptop to Costco, and the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers to the office storage for backup. I've also elicited promises from Franz that tonight my furniture will be put back into place, and the picture I've had leaning against the back of the couch in the family room will be hung. Hopefully all goes as planned! I had to unload my four office wall units in order to start this project, and my hearth, futon, and love seat in two different rooms are piled with craft and office supplies, which are driving me batty! I always like the AFTER part of home projects, but the BEFORE and MIDDLE parts can be hard to live through. Geez! I probably would be a terrible subject for a kitchen/bath remodel or something serious like that.

Anyway, I was just pretty proud of myself for figuring this out in the wee hours this morning, although I hope not to have to do it again anytime soon!