10 to 15 Days

Here I am! But I’m only back for a minute. Horror of all horrors: I have to ship my computer away for a while to be fixed. Nothing wildly wrong with it – just an internal part that charges the battery – but I want to get it fixed while still under warranty.

But this: It’ll take ten to fifteen business days! Oh, sweet Jesus. I’m one of those TechnoReliant people. If you’re reading this, chances are good you are one, too, and god knows if you have a blog, it’s a certainty. How am I going to do this?

Oh, I’m terrified. Isn’t that silly? It’s not even the thought of being cut off from blogging, which I’m sad enough about, but the thought of sending my whole little baby out there into the world. I’ve seen what the postal services can do to packages. Hell, when I ordered this laptop from HP, FedEx never delivered it. Two weeks later, after many tedious phone calls, it seemed that my computer had just walked away from their Oakland office. HP cheerfully sent me another one, overnight, but WHAT IF THAT HAPPENS TO THIS ONE? I am sentimentally attached. Silly, I know. But I’m not wiping the drive before it leaves me (although I have backed everything up), which means that 477 pages of my novel will be crossing the country without me. All my photos of Italy (also backed up). Lord. My finances, in all their bloody chaos.

Will it miss me like I’ll miss it?

I’m going to have more time, though. I’m giving myself a break from the novel (always an easy thing to talk myself into – hooray! One more excuse to procrastinate). I’ll write, the morning pages at least, but that might be all.

I think I’ll mop. Yeah. I haven’t mopped.... wait, let me think.... Maybe not this year.

Hey! I Swiffer! Big Swiffer girl, me. And I Wet-Swiffer, which cleans the floor with some kind of liquid chemical cleaning agent, so I call it mopping. But actually sponge mopping, down on the floor scrubbing? Not in a looonnnnggg time. Maybe I’ll do that with my extra time. And clean the hall closet. And decide on an archival method to store my knitting patterns (all ideas cheerfully accepted). I’ll knit, of course, but that’s obvious.

So if you don’t hear from me, don’t fret. I’ll be checking email from work when I can, and perhaps browsing a few blogs when I duck into them, but that’s just not the same as reading from home, tucked on my couch, knitting at the same time. Now THAT’S happiness. Browsing blogs at work is rushed and half-assed. I doubt I’ll post at all – half-assed reading is one thing, half-assed writing another (not that my posts are things of great meaning or content, but I like them to be somewhat edited before plastering them up on those great BlogWalls).

For a goodbye – here’s from this morning, before Thanksgiving dinner (fabulous, Christy did it all), before watching Love Actually (silly but JUST the holiday ticket), before the drive up the coast and home. We're all wearing sweaters I made! Not planned, but cool.

I’ll miss you. Come back in a couple weeks? Mwah.

Comments

[Stefanie]

We will miss you, Miss!

I'll be thinking of you, I now how it feels to be separated, and it's difficult. Take lots of pictures so you can show us what you were up to while away from the computer!

[Bliss]

Terrific trio shot! Cries pitifully at how much I am gonna miss you. We will expect all the details of what we missed. Hee!

[Mopsie]

Oh my gosh I would die if I had no computer access for two weeks. I would shrivel up I know it. Okay, yes, I'm being a little dramatic this morning, but still -- my prayers are with you!

I miss ya already!

[Steph]

I'll miss you too.

Take care and back everything up--again--two backups are much better than one. Or, you could create a private blog, dump the novel into one post and let typepad save it for you.

Love the gruop sweater shot.

[marcia]

No! No! Don't Go!

[Tiffany]

Your sweaters rock... all three of them! How cool is that? Wishing you well through the next couple of weeks without the computer. Yikes, I don't know if I could be so brave.

[Chelee]

It will all work out with the computer. (as I secretly do a happy dance it's not mine...yet(-:)
Scrub that floor.

[Mariko]

Great photo! Looks like you had a nice Turkey Day. Sorry to hear about your computer. I get really stressed out when anything happens to my computer, but hey, think of all the extra time you'll have for knitting and reading and swiffering!

[Ann]

Oh, dear. I am very attached to my laptop, too. (Much more than the desktop box it replaced.) Godspeed, Rachael's computer.

You three are lovely, and beautifully dressed :)

[maggi]

OH, honey, that is a scary letting-go. WIll cross fingers and toes. Makes me even happier to be sending you a diversion (but the box is still on the chair in my office, so don't hold your breath!) Love the trio photo -- happy family.

[Em]

NOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo!! 10 to 15 days without my pal? The horror! I'm going to send good shipping vibes out toward Cali. To echo Ann: Godspeed, l'il 'puter.

I LOVE the picture and the sweaters.

[greta]

O.M.G. We'll miss you,terribly.
Doesn't HP have a loaner program?
Guess it will be good practice for me
cuz ONLY 13 days until surgery (but WHO's counting, *hee*)and then I'll be in the same boat....
which I would much prefer to be a gondola,
dontcha know...
there is always snail mail I guess,
at least I think so....
sigh, it just won't be the
SAME.
(sob)

[Ginny]

Oh, I'll miss you Rachael! You're one of my best virtual friends! Try mopping with a scrub brush... there's a primitive glee to be had by scrubbing the crap out of something. Kiss!

[Debi]

I'll miss you Rachel!! Godspeed to the puter, you brave woman, you!

Love the "Family Portrait in Yarn, Sweaters for the Generations" by Rachel....hehehe

Hurry Back!!

[nakachi]

oy.

2 weeks? you gonna be alright? well, just be alright, anyway!

and, yes, a lovely collection of sweaters and smiling ladies there. lovely.

[max]

Hmm. I don't know what is more gorgeous, the ladies or the beautiful sweaters! Just use your blogging time to knit! Can't wait to see you back!

[Cari]

Oh no! Sob! Sniff! Whine! I miss you already!!!

[Sara]

We'll miss you! I've said this before, but I'll say it again...Your Noro Cardi looks so good.

[alison]

EEK! Say it isn't so! Is there an internet cafe in a convenient spot? Be sure to pop in and leave comments, OK? Take advantage of the break, anyway. I expect that hall closet to be spotless, young lady! How wonderful is that photograph? Herron ladies in Herron sweaters. (p.s. Your computer will be just fine, and it will miss you, and it will be back before you know it.)

[Charlotte]

Are you near a library? Most libraries give you 30 minutes of Internet access free. Sometimes if you're lucky and no one else wants to use the computer, you can stay on longer.

[eve]

Hi

I'll miss your blog and your pictures !! I have started a simular scarf as your weave scarf. It's lovely to knit and has to be a christmas present, so I have to hurry!
eve

[Joanna]

We'll miss you but I'm sure your computer will miss you more and will hurry back to you as soon as it can.

Nice sweaters!

[Amy in BC]

Whaaaaaaaa? Away so long??!?!?! My computer addiction would kill me if I were you... Not to mention how much I am going to miss your witty, interesting, informative, illustrative, addictive, and loveable blog... Sheesh, who is going to miss who more? All your blog fans keeping in touch or you??? ;)

Hoping your computer is speedily making its journey home dammit!!

BTW I would have felt mighty flattered to have sis and mom so stylishly outfitted in my creations for a fam holiday. All perfectly accented with jeans no less! My kinda fashion!!

Hoping you are back soon :)

[sarah b.]

And I thought it was bad to be away for three days for Thanksgiving! Here's hoping you get your "baby" back really soon! :-)

[Teresa]

I'm behind on my blog reading!
Will miss you lots!
Hugs!

[Pioneer Melissa]

dabbing tears! It's just not the same without my daily hit of Rachael! *sobs*