You would not believe this if you saw it.



The windows are there, and the messages keep bleeping, but I can't see the text. I might have to skip the iPod and just get a new computer. What can I get for $60? ;-)

My first home computer [inlink]paul,4124[/inlink] was the Mac LC III. I worked on 100s of computers long before I ever imagined buying one. At Bitstream I worked on all kinds of Macs and PCs to test their digital fonts in different configurations. That was fun. When I was offered a job at PC Week, I asked if there was any chance there'd ever be a Mac on my desk if I worked at PC Week. The director of publishing was good to his word - although it took three years. I couldn't wait that long, so I bought one for myself in the early '90s and promptly named the hard drive "MineMineMine." I got hell for that from Mark when he moved in.

My youngest brother (exactly one year younger than (e:Paul)) was the only kid still living at home when my parents finally splurged on an IBM PC Junior circa 1985. Definitely should have bought a Mac. It was so painful watching my Dad trying to format church bulletins and newsletters and member directories on that thing I eventually "donated" my LC III to his church - pre-loaded with QuarkXpress and Filemaker Pro. That probably didn't look so good when he eventually left that church after 14 years. Oops. Stupid software registration splash pages!

I could go on and on about computer hand-me-downs, but I have to get to Macworld! I'm finally going to buy myself an iPod [inlink]twisted,126[/inlink] this year. I asked for and got two $30 (the family limit) gift certificates to the Apple store for Christmas. Hee haw - it's about time.

"Aunt Lisa, you're not really a grown-up, right?"
"Um, it doesn't seem like it."
"Good. Then you can be the technical wizard on our team to spy on the grown-ups to see what they really do."

Sounds like more fun than anything else I had lined up this week.

One other classic family moment: After Dad's traditional reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, he announced he and Jean had gotten all the grandkids a special group gift this year: A goat. They didn't seem as surprised as I would have been at that age.

It's nice to have a family that doesn't mind looking like complete idiots. It sure makes doing the family calendar a lot more fun.



p.s. - if my laptop crashes one more time I'm going to kill myself.