Have laptop, can travel

Dec 30th, 2009

by Dan.

Our house very much resembles a clown car – in that it looks functional and orderly on the surface, but it doesn’t take very long until things start falling off and bursting into flame at comedically inconvenient moments. Take the death of my Xbox on Boxing Day as a prime example.

The task of keeping up with the repairs is almost Herculean in it’s magnitude. As soon as one finger is stuck in the dam, seven more leaks spring up elsewhere. Consequently we’ve ended up becoming rather defeatist in our attitude to home maintenance. Accepting with an almost Russian stoicism that half the plug sockets don’t work and that the shower switches from hot to cold the back again at seemingly random intervals.

Sometimes we are able to snatch the occasional victory from the inevitable march of decay however. Today, for example, I managed to replace the broken screen on my MacBook. I did this single handedly, with only an internet guide for assistance. Not only that, but i also managed to upgrade my hard-drive at the same time. Instead of the measly 60GB I had previously, I’ve now got 320GB purring under the bonnet. Rock and roll baby, rock and roll.

Of course it will all probably explode in a deadly fireball by this time tomorrow. But for now I have a laptop that I can actually use on my lap. And that means only one thing: I can once more engage in my favourite activity of all time – blogging from the toilet.

Look here’s a photo to prove it:

Unfortunately the lights in the bathroom haven’t worked since the beginning of summer, so you’re just going have to take my word that I’m writing this from the bog.

But If people really insist they need proof I suppose I could always re-take it tomorrow in daylight. I’ve been eating a lot of eggs recently so I’ll probably be publishing quite a lengthy post tomorrow, and so can easily tack it on the end.

Speaking of which: If you haven’t checked out the Midnight Movie Club recently then head on over as this week we’re discussing the ultimate 80’s classic Back to the Future. And if you haven’t already, you can download the historic (ahem) first episode of our podcast – The Breakfast Bar. It’s all good stuff (providing your expectations are low enough of course). You can even subscribe to us on iTunes

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Who am I?

My name's Dan and I live near Huddersfield in the North of England. I’m a 34 years old part time stay at home dad. For three days a week I'm also a community mental health nurse but you won’t find me blogging about that here. I’m married to Kerry and we have two children - Amy (6) and Evan (3). I keep chickens, grow veg, and take the occasional long walk. If you want to know how other's describe me then take a look here. If you haven't been here before feel free to say hello in the comments.

Mini blog

www.virusstompers.com. Jeff from View From the Cloud and his son have just set up a new business. If you have a computer virus in need of stomping then Jeff's your man.

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Some Vague Utopia. Hadrian's Walker Catherine has caved into per pressure and just started her own blog. And distressingly good it is too. already she's probably better than me. Damn.

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All 11 Dr Whos unite for a special. It's just a pity that it's a 15 minute Children in need thing rather than a proper 2 hour extended episode.

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Congratulations to Xbox4NappyRash. Now he has to think of something else to write about.

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22 Comments on “Have laptop, can travel”

#1 SingleParentDad
on Dec 30th, 2009 at 11:24 pm

Have you ordered Dishwasher parts yet? Would love to have you write a blog post from the karsey of trying to fix that bad boy with only the internet for help.
SingleParentDad´s last blog ..Top ten festive festivities

Dan Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 10:12 am
@SingleParentDad, I’m going nowhere near that dishwasher. But have yet to decide if we are going to try and repair it or just buy another.
Dan´s last blog ..Have laptop, can travel

#2 Dad who writes
on Dec 30th, 2009 at 11:31 pm

Haven’t replaced a screen but I did replace the hard drive in my 12″ G4. God, I felt rough, tough and ready to rumble. Then I felt a bit camp and changed the subject as quickly as I could.
Dad who writes´s last blog ..Wrong About Japan: A Father’s Travels With His Son, Peter Carey, 2005

Dan Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 10:13 am
@Dad who writes, I know the feeling well.

It’s interesting how my ideas of machoness are so un macho
Dan´s last blog ..Have laptop, can travel

#3 Kevin Spencer
on Dec 30th, 2009 at 11:48 pm

Well, I’m commenting on your post from the toilet mate, so don’t get all showoffy on us. You’re not the only one with class.
Kevin Spencer´s last blog ..Starting The Tradition

Dan Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 10:13 am
@Kevin Spencer, I’m suitably impressed.
Dan´s last blog ..Have laptop, can travel

#4 People in the Sun
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 3:35 am

When we bought the house in 2003, we quickly put these see through Home Depot temporary screens: pieces of paper with some glue on top. I took them off yesterday and put real blinds up. Only in the two bathrooms, but still, very proud of myself. Sad day for the neighbors, though.
People in the Sun´s last blog ..The Missing Piece

Dan Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 10:14 am
@People in the Sun, you’re a man after my own heart. We moved here at a similar time and have done very, very little. And it’s really starting to show.

I did build my chicken coop though.
Dan´s last blog ..Have laptop, can travel

#5 Gail
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 9:17 am

I will never again be able to think of you blogging without that image in my head. I guess the pile of Readers Digest or whatever will now be redundant?
Happy New Year!!!

Dan Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 10:16 am
@Gail, Happy *nngg* New Year
Dan´s last blog ..Have laptop, can travel

#6 Arjan
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 9:33 am

320gigs won’t be enough..I’ve got 320 and it’s always running out of space :(
Arjan´s last blog ..I´m a pyromaniac

Dan Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 10:15 am
@Arjan, I couldn’t really afford the 500GB. I do have three external hard drives, and will be keeping video on those. But I know – I’ll run out of space eventually.
Dan´s last blog ..Have laptop, can travel

#7 mark
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 11:05 am

So is that what you’d call ‘bogging’?
Any more of this and I’ll be reporting objectional content.
Mark

#8 Heather
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 2:08 pm

your house sounds very much like ours. various lights blow light bulbs so frequently we have stopped bothering replacing them. all plug sockets seems somehow to be linked to one in the kitchen which you should never unplug at all or everything stops, the dryer is broke, the handle on the dishwasher door has snapped off making it nigh on impossible to open, the kitchen has been half decorated for about 12 months, the satellite only works in good weather, half the windows are cracked.

Everything is just fine and dandy as long as you don’t touch anything. Ever. Cause then the whole house might fall down, or explode or something. and what ever you do, don’t flip that seemingly spare light switch in the hall. you’ve been warned.
Heather´s last blog ..Best Reads of 2009

#9 Rosie Scribble
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 5:19 pm

have you called into my parents’ house recently? Only, their toaster blew up yesterday.

Having said that, half the light switches in our kitchen don’t work but we’ve lived likie that for years so we sre used to it now. Our tumble dryer broke down three years ago but if we threw it out we would lose a surface to put thing s on.

Anyway, I’m rambling. Happy New Year. You’ll be seeing it in my candlelight I imagine.

#10 Erin
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 5:48 pm

How about you do something useful while you’re in the loo and build me a MacBook?
Erin´s last blog ..Smarty pants!

#11 Kelloggsville
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 5:50 pm

Nooooooooooooooo: that’s like hearing a flush when you are on the phone to someone. It is wrong wrong wrong hahahahahaha xxxxx (ps my house falls apart at inopportune moments too – one day I’ll blog about when my bedroom door handle broke with me trapped in there and toddler daughter with full house at her disposal!)
Kelloggsville´s last blog ..Panic…what was I thinking!!!

#12 MrsW
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 2:28 am

Classay. If you were ever to bang on my front door I wouldn’t have to grab a coat and pretend I was just leaving.
MrsW´s last blog ..10 things and me this past decade

#13 Muddling Along Mummy
on Jan 3rd, 2010 at 9:35 pm

Your first sentence is officially my best ever start to a blog EVER … !
Muddling Along Mummy´s last blog ..High five meme!

#14 Seattledad (Luke, I am Your Father)
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 6:12 am

Did you get a flux capacitor in your new hard drive?
Seattledad (Luke, I am Your Father)´s last blog ..Character Flaws

#15 Holmes
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 8:34 pm

I dare say you wrote this from the inside of a cave.
Holmes´s last blog ..Crazy Shit

#16 Moonbadger
on Feb 1st, 2010 at 11:26 am

House repairs are a never ending circle of despair. recently just had the bathroom done so now the shower works fine, but we still have loads of 3 slot circular plugs in the house, it’s all pretty bad. I hate DIY
Moonbadger´s last blog ..The Land of Oz

Have laptop, can travel

22 Comments on “Have laptop, can travel”

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