*sigh* When the going gets tough, tough geeks buy electronics.
I learned today that one of my LJ friends has been diagnosed with cancer. I’m sad about this. She lives far away and there isn’t much I can do for her besides light candles and send good energy, which I am doing. I decided to get out of the house, go on up to Nashua and check out Circuit City’s going-out-of-business sale. I’m in the market for a couple of things, if I can find them cheap.
Circuit City was pretty picked over–I don’t really want to spend money, that’s why I didn’t go several weeks ago. The entire computer department was empty and barricaded off, with the remaining computer-related inventory scattered around the store. They did still have wireless printer servers, 50% off. I got a Linksys server, which is the same brand as my wireless router, so I was pretty sure they’d handshake. I’ve gotten tired of unplugging the laptops and carrying them into the kitchen every time I need to print something out.
I just got the wireless server all set up with my wireless network and the main laptop, and it’s working. And the wireless server is such a little thing! It’s about the size of a deck of cards. It’s also sitting in the middle of the kitchen table because I’m not sure where the heck to put it.
I also picked up an 8 GB flash drive for only $41. I presently use two 4 GB drives for my daily backup and it’s a nuisance to swap them around. Plus, I got a 3-pack of mini-DVDs for the camcorder. But that’s all. I am not an impulse shopper.
Besides the wireless server, I’m looking for a projector that I can connect to my computer and use for presentations and talks. Alas, Circuit City had none left, if they carried them in the first place. I checked prices at Best Buy and projectors start at $550, which is way outside my budget for something I won’t be using that often. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for a used one. I also looked for various sorts of cables at Circuit City but most of those were gone, as well.
I’m sorry they’re going out of business–when Circuit City opened here, I was one of their very first customers. I still have the promotional soda can cozy they were giving away at the Grand Opening. When I checked out today, I told the very sweet sales assistant, “I’m sorry you’re losing your job.”
I finished the first editing pass of mss. 2. Now I need to go through it again–reading it aloud, every word–and smooth out some of the language and change a number of the chapter breaks. I also need to do some fact-checking on a few historical details. Then I can proof it and typeset it.
I’ve been listening to audiobooks for my workouts, partly to study the delivery style of various readers. I’ve been listening to Ian McEwan’s Atonement (unabridged, read by Jill Tanner) and it’s quite fascinating. I’m on the last disk and I’m eager to hear how it ends. I didn’t see the movie version, but now I want to!
