Ugh!

Well, I did it.  Back to the older MS Office Home and Student 2007.  My left hand typing is just as bad in the new version as the old one, and the old one loads and runs faster, so there you have it.

I ran Microsoft Office Diagnostics, and when it finished, it took me to a web page that said my hard drive was probably gonna crash, my RAM was walking the thin line, and why am I still using a 32 bit core 2 processor when there are much more expensive 64-bit quad core  I-7 systems out there?  Every non-Microsoft diagnostic tool I have says my voices are saying Microsoft’s voices are wack.  Who do I believe?

Given that I’m certain code for runtime Microsoft Word, and the other pre-Winders 3.0 runtime apps are still buried cumulatively in every version since but simply disabled, I think I’ll trust the non-MS diagnostics.  None of them are trying to sell me any kind of upgrade.

‘Diagnostics’ comes from two Latin words.  ‘Diagonis’, from which diagonally (not to mention Diagon Alley) is derived, and literally means ‘sideways, as if to distract’, and ‘gnostis’ which is Latin for ‘huh?’.  Coming from Microsoft it mostly means, “We don’t have a clue – you’ll have to wait for the update patch in Vista to arrive from our developers in Bangladesh.”

Two of the last three nights – mostly insomniac.  I know it’s a common malady, and I shouldn’t really lose any sleep over it, but I can’t help myself…on so many levels.  You know – like that groaningly bad punch line.

I refuse to accept that I’m suffering from depression, but just don’t have the energy or will power to do anything about it.

Did you watch the BCS National Championship between Auburn University and the U of Oregon?  It was destined for overtime but a funny thing happened on the way to midnight.  An Auburn freshman running back appeared to have been tackled shy of the first down marker with the clock running out.  Oregon fans went wild with the score tied at 19 all and the clock running out (I think I just said that, didn’t I).  Suddenly, the freshman realized that not only was he on top of the guy who tackled him and no part of him touched the turf during the tackle, but the ref’s hadn’t whistled the play dead.  What does he do?  Gets up and starts running.  His alertness got Auburn close enough to kick a tiebreaking and game winning field goal as the clock ran out.  BCS means Big Cash for Sponsors.  They’re thinking of renaming it the SEC National Championship.

    My cat is out here switching back and forth between rubbing against my leg to comfort me, and flogging me with her tail.

I’m having a Jimmy Dean turkey sausage and egg white with cheese English muffin for breakfast.  I’m trying to lose weight.  If you should find any laying around looking lost, please do not feel obligated to return it.

We have the only green grass in our neighborhood.  It’s in a 4 x 8 x 1 inch tray on the Sunroom window sill, and it’s for the cats because they like fresh veggies with their friskies.  I found Ms. Skittle grazing there earlier, while Jazzy was looking on scowling.

And if I may be serious for just a moment, it will be 4 years ago this spring that I lost my sister.  She was the first girl in the family.  This week I learned that my baby sister has colon cancer.  Suddenly my problems don’t seem so major, you know.  We all just call her Kat.  Please pray for her.  And while you’re at it, a sweet young lady I know back in Pittsburgh.  Liz is a college freshman, an absolute powerhouse for the Lord, great spirit, genuinely nice kid.  She’s had stomach pain for as long as I’ve known her, and the docs are as clueless as a Microsoft Customer Service Engineer.  Please put Liz on your prayer list.

And finally, as depressed and out of sorts as I was last night, I did pray and heard from some of you who also offered prayer on my behalf.  This morning’s Bible Gateway Verse of the day was this:

I called on the LORD in distress;

      The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.

The LORD is on my side;

      I will not fear

      What can mere mortals do to me?

Psalms 118:5-6