Minnietaur and I always pondered the answer to that question and thanks to Darci we finally got to find out and put that nagging question to bed. The answer: 6. 7 if there was no copilot.

A few blog entries ago I mentioned my need for either a KVM switch or a cheap crappy LCD monitor so I could fit my backup computer on my desk along with my main computer. When Darci called about a week ago to ask how my mother was doing (awwwwww) I asked her if she had a spare KVM switch which she didn’t recommend because in her experience they go bad often. So I figured I would buy a second hand LCD monitor for like $60 or so after Xmas, but thanks to Darci there was no need.

She called the house two days ago to let me know that her job just upgraded everyone’s CRTs with new LCD monitors. Knowing I was looking for a spare monitor she asked her job what they were doing with the old CRTs. Turns out they were donating a few, tossing the rest out and after asking received permission for us to nab as many as we wanted.

Minnietaur and I raced down to Darci’s job and loaded up Minnie’s Saturn with 5 monitors (had room for one more, two if there was no passenger, three if there was no driver). The people at Darci’s jobsite were all too happy for us to take them and after testing all the monitors work great; just like new! SCORE!!!

Kevin wanted me to load up a monitor for himself in Darci’s car, a 19″ Viewsonic, Minnietaur grabbed a 17″ Viewsonic and I scored:

1 Shamrock 22″ C102L-D Monitor
1 Viewsonic 19″ E90f Monitor
2 Dell 17″ Black monitors

I quickly replaced my folks’ blurry KDS monitor w/one of the razor-sharp Dells and now I have a few spare monitors to sell with the older systems I’m putting together from the parts I got from my friend the maintenance guy.

THANKS DARCI!

Minnietaur, Darci and I joked around with each other trading friendly barbs while we were grabbing monitors and later Darci kept calling to see if we didn’t die in a fiery car wreck. Later on she called my mom and told her we were being mean to her but since I stopped listening to the lady who bore me, I didn’t get into any trouble.

Quotes from the other day:

Darci: What do you mean you were surprised I dressed like a girl? Don’t you think I always dress like a girl…
Me (Immediately): No.
Darci: …answer carefully.

My bad. Thanks Darci!

Later on I told Darci I’d be nice to her for a year and a half in return for her finding us all those monitors but she said I didn’t have to so hehehehe… we swiped a TON of her business cards. :-)

…I’m typing on my computer while behind me my backup computer is loading Service Pack 2. This feels weird. Backup computer? What’s a backup computer? I’ve never had more than one. NEVER! This feels weird.

See, since my first computer (a wonderful brandy new $188 Vic-20 many years ago) I always had just one computer. Usually after saving my money I’d sell it and get a better computer, or add components/redo my existing computer (a great thing about the PC world) making it a better and better computer. Or get parts from friends when my computer went SIZZLE and try to do right by them.

No, I didn’t get a new one for Christmas, this was a piece of “junk” someone didn’t want anymore and they tried to throw out about a month and a half ago. A stripped HP Pavilion 7915, no hard drive, cdrom or outer plastic covering. All it had in it was the mobo, 1.1Ghz Celeron chip and a stick of 256MB PC-100 RAM.

Junk?! Excuse me?! I added an old 20gig hard drive and a few other parts I got from a friend who works in maintenance in the complex and viola; I have my first backup computer! I played around with it for a little while experimenting but I really didn’t have the time to start turning it into a loaded and tweaked backup computer. So I’m doing that now thanks to a borrowed old monitor.

I have a backup computer! YAY! This feels weird. Weird but good!

It took me seven years from start to finish to finally watch Titanic. If you want to read my review it was just put up on IMDB.com, the Internet Movie Database.

I highly recommend reading it.

This afternoon I slipped that I had ordered Minnietaur’s Christmas present. The conversation went something like this:

Vinnie: I got you a present.
Minnie: Ok.
Vinnie: It arrived today.
Minnie: ‘k.
Vinnie: I won’t tell you how big the box is.
Minnie: Ok.

Could you imagine how it might have went if we were like 5? Hehehehe…

It’s been one of those crazy couple of months at the home offices of Navarino Unincorporated! For details on why I’ve been out of it for a while look towards our fine drama-free messageboards.

This is the holiday season, which is either good or bad thing, depending on the person. It’s either a Ho-Ho-Ho or a Hum-Hum-Hum affair for people these days and to help lift people’s spirits here are two wonderfully delightful flash games I found on the net. You can either play them right here or download them. Enjoy! Oh, and please post your high scores.

HOHOHO-HUM!

Play Slingshot Santa - Catapult Jolly Ol’ St. Nick into a snowbank for points or how about a lovely game of Santa Fighter - Help Save Xmas by Kung-Fuing Evil Santa into a coma

(Hey, look Billy, it’s Santa. PULL! *splat* Hohoho!)

Yep, it’s that wonderful time again where I let everyone know that my good friend Scott Herriott is done with his new documentary, This Exit Only. This latest work of Scott’s is about 17 places in America that are truly one-of-a-kind…and obviously in need of some visitors. Meet interesting people, like Adam Horowitz who is duplicating Stonehenge (only with refrigerators) or Malcolm Forbes (no not that one) who is creating a field of giant cement ears of corn in Dublin, Ohio. These places don’t visit themselves people so go buy the DVD, grab a map and roadtrip to adventure!

I’ve never been disappointed yet at Scott’s take on the subjects of his documentaries and it’s been a great pleasure to let people know about his next project when released; they’re really fun to watch. And edumacational too. Double yay! So go on over to his This Exit Only website and learn more about Scott’s most recent documentary. And don’t forget to order your copy on DVD for $18 while you’re at it. Makes a great gift!

Well, what are you waiting for, people? Tell a friend. Tell a stranger. Tell a talking parakeet. GO! GO! GO!