So Josh is Kevin’s hero for solving the mysterious computer problem. Zeus is back up and running (for now). Life will most likely revert to normal now that the planets have realigned and Kevin’s system is whirling away.

High off of his computer success, Kevin asks me, “so when do you want me to work on your computer?”

“Whenever,” I reply.

“OK. So…. are there any files you really want to keep on your system?”

It’s questions like these that make me nervous. I want to keep all my files thank you very much. Any operation that involves destroying my files, I’m just not really excited about. I mean it’s not like I’m getting a new hard drive for pete’s sake. It’s just a new motherboard.

I wonder if Kevin would be horribly offended if I asked Josh to install the new motherboard on my system.

The charity truck came by yesterday and removed four large garbage bags full of old clothing and shoes. The upstairs bedroom carpet is no longer red with swirls of cat/dog hair. Now, it’s just red and my closet is filled with sun dresses and t-shirts (even though it still hasn’t broken 70 here yet.)

Having completed my week of renovation upstairs, I have moved downstairs to the dining room. Not a lot in the dining room aside from a table, chairs and china cabinet. However, it is blue. Not just any blue but a really deep navy blue. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s very pretty but anyone who watches HGTV can tell you that painting a small room a dark color is not the way to go. It makes the space seem very small and closed. Add to that the fact that the room boasts one small window and you have a rather dreary room. So it didn’t take long to decided that this room project would be painting.

Just a couple of words of advice here. Although I’ve only been at it for two days, I feel I have learned a great deal during my painting experience.

First, I must apologize for the lack of pictures. I have been taking them but, alas, Zeus is still non-functional so I have no computer to download them too. Until Kevin gets him up and running, you’ll have to use your imagination. (Don’t worry, I’ll help you out.)

So I started with a dining room full of furniture and blue walls. (Insert mental image here.) The first task was to empty the room. Here comes my first piece of advice. Paint before you move in. This makes life so much easier. Right now, we can’t get into the guest bedroom or bathroom because that space is filled with dining room stuff. Anything I couldn’t move out of the room got lumped in the center and covered with drop cloths. Unfortunately, this included all the dog food so Artie has been eating good people stuff the last couple of days.

After the room was kind of cleared, I applied a coat of white paint over the blue walls. Since I have decided to paint the room a light yellow, I was afraid the blue would peek though so on goes a coat of white. And, I was right. This morning when I checked the room, the walls were a sort of bluish white color. (Insert mental image here.) I’m hoping that the next coat of yellow will totally cover the blue but I’m not too sure.

Today, I’m going to slap the yellow on the walls and see what happens. Wish me luck.

Oh yes, one last piece of painting advice. No matter how much they cry or claw at the door, do not allow your black cats into a room where the walls are covered with white paint. You will only end up with white walls smeared with black cat hair and a very freaked out cat who runs under the bed to spend the next four hours trying to lick the while paint off her back. (Insert mental picture here.)

So I’m off to Home Depot (again) to pick up some painters tape. I’ll post more (mental) pictures here tomorrow so hurry back!

Oh yes, final price for the can opener via ebay?? 40 dollars and 99 freaking cents.

I’m rich! Rich I tell you!

I feel I should warn you that we appear to be having a major computer melt-down here in the basement. Something about a corrupted registry and updating BIOSes. All I know is that I can hear the swearing while upstairs. Over the TV. It’s pretty graphic and is usually accompanied by loud crashes and poundings. I had no idea it took so much violence to install a new chip set. Although I am, by nature, a very curious person, I also have a healthy self-preservation instinct so even though I would love to stick my head down here and ask “how’s it going”, I refrain because frankly, I’m very fond of this head and don’t want to lose it.

So if there is a lag in postings, do not be alarmed. I’m sure all systems will (eventually) revert to normal.

Love Derby. Wonderdul horseys and lots of mint julep. Very yummie stuff. Horsey lost but decided to celebrate with a coupolde more julep anyhtway. Yippee! Dson’t know why peolele don’t drink juleps at noon more often. will be new ploicy here.

Feel a bit funny really. Kevin says should go upstairs and drink some water or will be sorry tomorrow.

Yipee!!

I am cursed. Horribly and indelibly cursed. For those who don’t know, the Derby came to Portland this year. My very good friend from law school, Erica (aka Southern Spice), kindly agreed to leave Kentucky during the height to Derby madness and fly to Portland to show us Oregonians how things are done. She brought southern ham, derby pies, grits, and a mint julep recipe. Our only responsibility was to choose a horse.

And that is where the curse comes in. You see, I had my heart set on Repent. I thought there was some sort of cosmic humor on gambling on a horse whose name told you not to. I had my pick and was sticking with him. Until last week when his trainer announced he was injured in a race and had to pull out of the Derby due to a bone spur.

Undaunted, I returned to the listing. This time, I went with Buddha. I felt there was a similar spiritual connection here as well. So yesterday at dinner, Erica informed me that Buddha was favoring his right side in the morning and they had pulled him from the race as well. Yes, two days before the big start and my new favorite was out.

Now, I’m afraid to pick another. With my luck, they’ll stumble getting out of their stall and break a leg on the way to their postings. And everyone else won’t pick a horse until they hear who I’ve got for fear of having my curse effect them as well. I’m thinking I’ll just go with the longest shot horse and that way I won’t jinxes anyone else.

I guess my life as an off-track better has pretty much gone down the drain. Ah well, at least I’ll get to drink a mint julep.