I Got It Back

I got a call from Cyberworks, the computer fixit place this morning that my laptop was ready to be picked up. I went to get it after lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon reloading all of my files, programs, and apps on it. I even loaded Kindle Create and opened it, twice, fearful each time that it would crash the system but so far so good. I'm going to upload Spies Don't Retire tomorrow and get the front and back matter put in too so that it'll be ready to publish. If I can get it all set then I can save it and not lose it if Kindle Create decides to fail again. Fingers crossed.

 

I filled the feeders today and, as usual, spilled a little seed on the patio. First to arrive was this quartet of Sparrows pecking away at the seed and cracked corn.

 

Next came a critter I haven't seen all winter--a chipmunk. They must hibernate because I never see them in the snow but as soon as it starts to warm up a little here they come to claim their share of the birdseed and corn.

 

Spending hours reloading the computer didn't leave much time for anything else. I turned to the third warm-up exercise in Sketchbook Challenge and it was interesting. It said to first use a black brush pen to make marks on paper. I did that. But I used an indigo one too down in the right corner. Shh, don't tell.

 

Then it said to take black paint (I used gouache) to paint on bigger pieces of paper. She said not to paint stuff but just make marks. I liked the way the paint ran out of the brush as I made lines on the paper. I'm not as happy with the second page so I'm not showing that one.

 

After supper I dug out some old yarn that's wool and silk to cast on a sock. I'm not inspired by the hat project that I keep ignoring so I decided to cast on a sock. I can knit that without thinking except for the heel, gusset, and toe parts.

 

It was a very good thing that I had my old laptop handy because I could use it to see what bookmarks to put on here and what programs I wanted to download. I had to re-download the printer driver and Microsoft Office too. It didn't take as long as I thought it would but it still took hours and attention. And I was happy to have the little password notebook I bought not too long ago because it's impossible to remember all my passwords. I just hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow and I get my next book all loaded and set up ready to be published at the end of March.

--Barbara