Posted December 31st, 2003 by Michelle

December 30, 2003

It’s all too obvious that I’m back in the land of no wireless internet connection. My dad and I actually discussed the idea of hooking up satellite internet today, but I have yet to do any serious research. Night falls, I’m thinking about blogging and I hit my head once again for not pursuing this matter during the day. But what I can do is write every night, and post when I can post. I hope you, my fair readership, will not mind a little scrolling when it comes time to check into my wee world.

I’m sick again, which is both ridiculous and baffling since I was ill less than a month ago. Sick enough to be sent home from work, sick enough to be told not to touch anything in fear of infecting the household. But I had an inspiring day: I finished Richard Russo’s “Empire Falls” and watched “Whale Rider” on DVD. If a girl has to stay home, miss out on work and therefore desperately needed cash, and is too sick to enjoy a brilliantly beautiful post-rainstorm California afternoon, she might as well absorb some great art. I also did two crossword puzzles. It has been an infinitely satisfying day if you don’t count the quart of snot that, by exiting through the proper channels, has destroyed the delicate skin between my mouth and nostrils.

I watched “Whale Rider” on my laptop. Which is also immensely satisfying. The resolution is terrific, and frankly, I’m pretty sure this computer could poach eggs if only I could find the right program. I’ve already lost hours researching Africa with the included “World Book” software, and accidentally watched the “Forest” screen saver for about ten minutes. I feel better knowing that my little white miracle machine is here waiting, beckoning, daring me to do anything other than slap away at the perfect little keys. Do I sound a little overenthusiastic, a little nuts? Well. I might be the most fortunate writer I know, having at my disposal a computer I could never afford, and a welcoming roof over my head. I do not take these things lightly. It’s the break I’ve prayed for and I’d be a total putz to not appreciate it and do my best by it.

The strangest thing about this computer is the version of Word. When I’m working on a document, there is a little dialogue box with an animated computer that watches me type. Obviously I could close it, but it is far too amusing. When I screw up a spelling, it jumps up and fixes it for me, When I ignore it, its little legs jump in the air and it plops down and hits its feet together like a six-year-old. When I stop typing, it looks to the right to see who has disturbed me. Geeky as hell, aren’t I? But I wonder who created it, decided that it would be so entertaining? Whose baby is this?

Ahh, the late night musings influenced by Nyquil…