Ahoy, Mates; I'm BACK!!!

Went to fire up me auld Gateway last week and it said; "Hard drive? What hard drive??? surely you jest! There's no 'Hard Drive' here! Please insert bootable media in the appropriate drive and perhaps we'll talk..."

About a week and $260 later, we have a new 8.4 Gig HG (in stead of 3) a 200Mhz processor (up from 166) and some other ruffles and flourishes the details of which I don't particularly recall. It has taken most of the weekend to re-install software and restore data from backup CDRW (which I am REALLY GLAD we backed up, by the way) and re-establish internet settings etc. (what a pain- but a learning experience) we are back in the world!

I did miss e-mail and this little community, but I did manage to put in some shop time restoring an antique revolver and tinkering on one of my inventions.

Havn't been posting much here even before the crash, but do enjoy checking in to keep track of what's goin on. Do I detect a resurgence of civility and.. could it be... just a bit of human warmth breaking forth here??? Glory Hallellujia!

I'm hoping... in a manner occasionally confused with casual prayer.. that as more of my beloved fellow Mudcatters get beyond some apparant assumptions, preconcieved stereotypes, and misconceptions sufficiently to come to know my Amigo MAV a little better, that they too will come to accept, appreciate, respect... and dare we ask?... even like him... as it has been my priviledge to do sice we met a couple of years ago. To the best of my knowledge, he doesn't eat cats (intentionally anyway, although he delights in Indian cuisine) bite little children, breathe fire or persecute anybody... for anything. I never knew just what "ragtime" meant until he explained it to me, and he plays a really mean blues harp. That's a harmonica for those of you down in Palm Beach County.

It's good to be back!