Hibernating

We're getting hit with some of the cold weather from the north. Nothing serious, but miserable weather for working outside. We've battened down the hatches, and secured all the animals with food, water and draft protection. Now we wait for this front to move out. It should get better by Thursday.

For the next three days we plan to put some logs in ye olde fireplace, make some of our favorite foods and partake in a film festival of classic movies.

Over the weekend, we hit a great garage sale. The find of the day were dvds of old movies. Some of my favorite actors too. Cary Grant, John Wayne, Errol Flynn, and Stewart Granger. Each dvd only a buck. We were in movie heaven.

If we have to cocoon for the next few days, that's the way to go.

Last week, we finally rented The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It was a surprisingly good movie, albeit subtle in its message. We found ourselves discussing it even days later. It's about British pensioners at an Indian retirement hotel. Nothing is what it seems, yet that's both the irony and the charm of the movie.

Anyway, in the movie, Evelyn, played by Judi Dench blogged about her daily experiences in a foreign country.

It got me to thinking about blogging and bloggers in general. My favorite part about reading blogs is getting to learn a little bit about the blogger's culture and/or lifestyle. I see precious little of it on most blogs, so when they share some little tidbit about the way they live, I almost always comment on it.

Once my computer re-assimilation is complete, I'd like to do that, only for a week at most. For one week in March, I'll blog about whatever I found remarkable, enlightening, or interesting in my day. Call it a little sociological experiment. 

If you consider doing the same, let me know and I will definitely visit.

And speaking of computers...I have a new one.

I don't want to count my chickens before they're hatched, but so far, so good.

I bought an Asus. Top of the line, all the bells and whistles, and the fastest microprocessor currently available. My old computer was 9+ years. For the last three years we've been babying it to keep it going. Greg convinced me it was time to retire it.

My software seems to have uploaded without a problem. I paid for a data transfer because I couldn't get my old machine to boot up, but that where my troubles began.  The tech left out all my emails (pst files). He said they weren't there. His manager made him show me all my files in front of me. And there it was.

He swore it wasn't there before, but that only made me wonder if he had left anything else out. 

Sure enough, when we finally hooked it up at home, one of my most important bookmarked folders was missing. I can't find it anywhere. I've got a call in to the Geek Squad to see what they can do. I sure as heck don't want to travel in this weather to fix something they messed up.

To be fair to Best Buy, they did price match the computer to their competitor's much lower price and even discounted the monitor (a very nice 27 inch) to their online sale. The sales person was very patient with me and answered all my questions in non-geek terms.

I'm hoping we'll eventually find all my missing links.

So how was your week? Are you snowed in? Or basking in the sun? Yes, I'm looking at you Australia.

Have you ever kept a diary? My social experiment won't be a blow by blow diary, but rather the highlights, things that caught my attention.



Comments

B.E. Sanderson said…
I love Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (so much so that I'm afraid to watch the sequel coming out soon). I stumbled on it one day by accident and now I watch it whenever I can find it on. "Everything will be alright in the end, and if it's not alright, it's not yet the end." Words to live by.

Can't wait for your sociological experiment. It sounds fun.

Not snowed in anymore, although they are predicting more for today, so the weather might make a liar out of me. Stay safe and stay warm and enjoy your movie marathon. =o)
Stacy McKitrick said…
Got snow, but not snowed in. However...my pile of used Kleenex is starting to get out of hand!

I used to keep a diary (journal) when I was YOUNG. It's somewhere in the house (I think). It would be kind of neat if I could find it and maybe post some snippets. But that would require LOOKING for the journal. Of course, I could find it and discover it's all drivel. That really wouldn't surprise me. :)
Maria Zannini said…
BE: I really liked that movie. We're going to buy it the next time we see it in the store.
Maria Zannini said…
Stacy: We got snow! Well, I think it's mostly ice, but there's a little white stuff on top. We've had icy rain all night.

Re: journal
You should try to find it. When I was cleaning out my old house to put it on the market, I found a journal I kept on the emu and rheas we were raising. I was shocked at how much I knew about those birds.
Raelyn Barclay said…
We're being hit with a cold front, too. Sat was gorgeous shorts and tank weather then Sun a 30 degree temp drop and rain. We can use the rain so no complaints here.

I've never been a diary sort. I remember giving it a go when I was a young teen. As an adult, I've done Morning Pages which I guess is kind of diary-like though I look at it more as a mind dump to free up creative space. I certainly wouldn't want anyone to read said mind dump, LOL

Ref: computer
How frustrating. Hope you find all your files!
I've journaled and still do at times. I love hearing little tidbits about your day. Having grown up on a farm, your daily life makes me feel nostalgic.
Maria Zannini said…
Raelyn: It's the temperature spikes and drops that are maddening. One day we can be in the 80s and the next it's freezing.

My trees and bulbs are already blooming so I hope this freeze doesn't hurt them too much.
Maria Zannini said…
Susan: Me too! I get nostalgic when people talk about Chicago. The Chicago I knew doesn't exist anymore but every once in a while little memories turn up.
I've learned not to trust the Geeks.

It is worth spending the money and going off site...check their certifications. If they aren't MSCEs keep looking.
Mike Keyton said…
Synchronicity. Bernadette recorded it last night on our sky-box. Something to look forward to. No snow here, at least in South wales, just blustery and cold. Our fig tree is showing some bud.

Ref computers, ours is at the stage of thinking about it before starting, and doing 'memory' sulks with our brower. Need to keep on nursing it a bit longer before re-entering techno-hell.
Enjoy the week, Maria, enjoy your bargain DVD :)
Angela Brown said…
Texas is getting a huge blast from the north. I'd just like to ask those in the north to kindly take this back. lol!!

Glad to hear you got a new computer but darned if you just can't avoid some kind of trouble. I hope they get things all squared away for you. Meaning someone from Geek Squad should hop into their little VW bug and make their way to your place to correct what needs correcting.

It has been a while since I did a diary. But I've got a good reason for getting back into it... sort of.

Enjoy your hibernation time. You and hubby have MORE than earned the fireplace warmth and relaxation.
Rebekah Loper said…
I'm psuedo-hibernating, too. We're getting snow at the moment, but hubby's work is only two miles from the house (and it's not sticking to the roads), so I still have to leave the house to drive him there, but I'm pretty much pretending that nothing else exists, lol.

Except the chickens. Since the wind chills are nearly single-digits, I am going and checking on the chickens every few hours.

I hope you get the rest of your files with not a lot of hassle!
I'm with you-- the posts that reveal something about a blogger's daily life and way of thinking are the most interesting to me. Blogging is such a personal medium, I think that's why I enjoy it.

As I'm sitting here in my perfect 70 degree sunshiney weather, I realize how much I depended on the cold, snowy winters of Utah to encourage hibernation, i.e. getting stuff done like writing that goes better when I'm hibernating. Not that I'm complaining, it's just a thought!
Maria Zannini said…
Mac: All Geeks are not created equal. I've dealt with some very smart people who are on the ball.

Sometimes I get lucky. Other times not so much. :(
Maria Zannini said…
Mike: I missed covering my small fig tree during an earlier snap freeze. Time will tell if my forgetfulness will cost me its life.

Hope you enjoy the movie.
Maria Zannini said…
Angela: Even though I whine about the cold, the people up north have it worse. I spoke to my mother the other day. Their high for the day was -2.

And this is why I never returned to Chicago. LOL!

You have me intrigued about your diary incentive. Hope it pans out.
Maria Zannini said…
Rebekah: The animals require a lot more attention in weather like this. I'm due to check on them again as soon as I finish here.
Maria Zannini said…
Karen: You've got a point. Unless the weather is bad, I don't take a break.

Maybe Mother Nature's intervention is what I needed.
Jackie said…
Maria I waited on purpose to see what the day here would turn out to be to respond to this post, so far cold-dreary-damp outside but no icing that know of. However come sundown as in 30's now probably freezing on roadway bridges/overpasses will become more of a problem overnight into the early am hours for travelers.

Congrats on the DVD haul and super dooper congrats on the new machine, still sticking with Apple as they seem to have less problems overall and even though much more expensive initially the not having to pay for virus software and etc overrides some of that cost over the years.

Be happy when this week is over, looks like low temps-dreary overcast and rain all week long our way!
Maria Zannini said…
Jackie: It's just ice for us too which is more treacherous than snow, and a lot less pretty.

Re: Apple
Greg is a real Apple fanatic. I started out with Apple, but switched years ago because the graphics software was so expensive.

If only their prices weren't so high, I'd be glad to switch back.
I've only kept a writing journal, and it was mostly whining about writing being hard.

We're staying inside down here, too. We should have bought more food at the store...
Maria Zannini said…
Barbara: My friend said she had gone to Walmart the day before it iced over and the shelves were nearly empty. It's kind of scary how quickly shelves can empty during a minor emergency.

Next week will be better though.
Sarah Ahiers said…
well, not snowed in, but it is snowing.
Also i love Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. I'm excited for the sequel
LD Masterson said…
I loved Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Especially the cast.

Occasionally, I get the urge to blog about life around here. Maybe after I read a couple of yours next month (you do it so well), I'll put one out there.
Maria Zannini said…
Sarah: I'm looking forward to the sequel too. I'm sorry it took me so long to see this one.
Maria Zannini said…
Linda: You can't go wrong with a cast like that. I love Judi Dench in everything she's played.
LD Masterson said…
And Maggie Smith is incredible.
Maria Zannini said…
Linda:

Re: Maggie Smith
Yes! We absolutely adore her on Downton Abbey.