Password Paranoia

I was recently prompted to change one of my many internet passwords. The do's and don't's for password selection were neatly listed and can be summarized as follows: An acceptable password is 8 to 15 characters long, using both upper and lower case letters and at least one number, which can not be the first or last character. Additionally, a password can not contain any part of your name nor any word found in a dictionary. A password can not be repeated within a one-year period; however, punctuation marks are permissible characters.

Suggested passwords were UGZ34Bbc3k and similar combinations. I have one such combination memorized but am blocked from using that password for the next year because it was my previous password.

The point? This is ridiculous...

Update: In response to this blog, A.J. wisely suggested that I use words like sk8. Thanks A.J.!

Laptop Surgery: The Final Chapter

I can't write very much about the last round of work on my beloved laptop. The new screen arrived today and was installed before I came home from school. But I can convey the extreme excitement I felt upon seeing my computer in one piece and the even more intense excitement that occurred approximately ten seconds later when the computer powered-up in a completely normal fashion. Once again the screen displays a clear and visible picture. Time, patience, $100, and a handy husband gave my HP DV2000 a second chance at life. The screen transplant was a resounding success!!!!

Laptop Surgery Continued

The parts for my laptop arrived last week. The first part arrived in a simple envelope; the second part arrived in a long, narrow pink box with a bow...??? Re-assembling the computer and installing the new parts was more intense than the previously described disassembly, requiring Chris to bust out his head-mounted flash light. Once the essential parts were reconnected, we anxiously hit the power button. On the upside, everything powered up as normal. Phew - everything was connected correctly. On the downside, the screen image was no better than before. More parts are on the way and only time will tell if our laptop surgery will be a success.

KFC

Went to KFC for the first time in years. Ordered the item advertised on the window. Person taking the order didn't know what the advertised item was, even after pointing to the window advertisement. Food was all over the floor. Ten dollars for a snack. Remembered why I don't eat at KFC.

Irony

As Chris and I were driving into Taos, we spotted a familiar landmark. The Giant Buddy Holly glasses in Lubbock are also in Taos, New Mexico. Check it out!




Lubbock may be the home of Buddy Holly, but Taos has us beat in scenery.

Laptop Surgery

A couple of months ago my beloved HP Pavillion DV2000 got sick. What I hoped was only a ferocious virus turned out to be a serious hardware malfunction. The estimated cost of repairs: $350 to $500, plus another $50 for a new battery. The amount of repairs covered by my one-month expired warranty: nothing. As I began perusing for a replacement computer, I soon realized there was not an economically comparable replacement for the laptop I am so fond of, despite its sub-par components.

And so began the laptop surgery. Two nights ago Chris removed the rubber screw covers from the plastic frame around the screen and began disassembling the machine in a last ditch effort to restore it to a workable condition. The do-it-yourself remedy was the only way to avoid investing more money in repairs than the laptop is worth. Chris successfully located the first possible culprit; however, there was a kink in disconnecting the part from its life-line wires. This unfortunate mistake required further disassembling the key board so that the broken part could be removed and a yet another replacement part could be ordered.

So, as I write this, my laptop is in multiple pieces. The key board is gone. The screen is disconnected. The lid cover is no longer hinged to the base. An array of screws are meticulously divided and labeled in the slots of an empty ice tray. And the laptop will remain in pieces until the necessary parts are shipped from Hong Kong to Lubbock (7 to 15 days), at which time the laptop surgery will resume.

One Year and Counting

This past month Chris and I graduated from being newly-weds to become regular married people. To celebrate this milestone, we loaded up the car and drove to New Mexico for a relaxing week in Santa Fe and Taos. Of course we had our share of alone time during the week, but we also found time to go skiing with friends and to visit Chris’ family, feasting on their delicious, cheesy, authentic Mexican food.

To say that there was a sudden change in our relationship would be misleading, but to say that we are the same as when he first wed one year ago would be even more misleading. Not too long I ago I did something that was absolutely ridiculous. I thought to myself, “Chris must think I am so weird sometimes.” Just a few days ago Chris did something equally ridiculous and then said, “I could never be myself around anyone else.” And that’s how we’ve changed. Rules and boundaries have been challenged or all together broken (in part due to the afore-mentioned delicious, cheesy, authentic Mexican food; see blog on Month Three for clarification).

After Chris and I had been dating a year or so, my coworkers began asking me when we would move in together. I didn’t hesitate in replying that cohabitation would only occur if we got married, and that’s exactly how things played out. We went from being single, living separately, and reporting to no one about our time or money to just the opposite. To all those who say that you should “try it before you buy it,” I beg to differ. You miss out on the excitement of coupling a new, lifetime commitment with a new life. I can’t imagine the first year of marriage being even half the fun if we had lived together prior to the wedding. THIS YEAR WAS AWESOME! I praise God for the blessings he gave Chris and I and I pray for a lifetime of similar years to follow, even if it means breaking an occasional prudent rule.