I Do Such Dumb Stuff!

This relates back to my Big Computer Changeover Event this week (see the Coming Up For Air post).

Before I start, I want to tell you that I’ve been using computers since I had to put the phone’s handset in the modem cradle ok? I’m no tyro. I’ve built and loaded many many computers from scratch. I was the “guru” for friends and family with computer problems for a lotta years. I’ve wiped and reloaded more drives than I can count. In short, I’m not new at this. Well…*I’m* not…but the brain that’s in my head was reset 12 years ago.

One of the first things I did was backup my files on the source computer. So I got them all organized so that I could put them onto my external drive in a tidy fashion. Then I stopped to do a few other things – not related – came back and wiped my hard drive clean. Formatted it. Yes, all of those neatly organized files were GONE. I missed that one very important step… My former brain would never have let me do such a thing, it was sharp and always on top of the game…

The 2nd dumb thing was I didn’t partition my hard drive when loading the o/s. I KNOW BETTER THAN THAT! I was taunted with knowing that I used to be able to watch TV, talk on the phone, make dinner, and do this very task all at once, without a single glitch. I don’t remember how much space Linux Mint 20 allots itself, maybe something like 40GB…? And I have a 1TB hard drive. Not a horrific thing, I can still partition, worst case I could start over again actually, but it was just DUMB!

I’ve never been one to tolerate DUMB in myself. That was previously a source of great pride, that I didn’t do DUMB.

But both things worked out in the end – YAY!

I was able to gather up most of the lost files from elsewhere since I’ve had to learn to duplicate everything; I’ve learned that I will forget where something is or just plain lose it or destroy it…so my files are all over the place. Just had to gather, then tidy them up again, in the end losing maybe 10% or less of them.

And – this was a happy surprise – Mint had already designated the rest of the hard drive as “FILES”! Which is what I was going to use it for anyway – back up storage for my back ups of my back ups (see above)!

There were other glitches that fall into the I Can’t Believe I DID THAT!!! department, these were enough to share for now :). I won’t be getting another laptop for a long time, I’m counting on my old Envy to last and last, so I don’t plan on going through this again, but it’s enough to know I’ve been humbled.

2 thoughts on “I Do Such Dumb Stuff!

  1. 12 years ago was a tough time. The stroke left you with nothing coming out of your mouth but “NO, NO, NO, NO”.. I feared I would lose you to a nursing home where your Mom once lived and also I had seen another woman there saying the same thing.
    God did a backup of many things. The emergency room staff never thought to bring in a computer (laptop) – I did. Even though vocally you were saying NO you were able to type I AM HERE (with a few misspelled word).
    Then when they took you for your MRI, Casey and I both feared we had lost you but when you came out, God had you speaking normally..yes, God still does miracles.
    God used the music to reconnect some of your wiring in the brain – only God could do that!
    You didn’t lose your abilities to play your keyboards (which I am thankful to God for that) as that is your first love (music) besides me of course and God who is first place in your heart and mind. Thank you God! Sometimes what you lost may be a blessing which keeps you in focus of what is more important. I am so glad to have you back from that horrific day.

    1. I’m going to post about that day on the 16th…I’ll probably share this comment in my post…it was a day neither of us will ever forget I don’t think.

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