Laptop down

My laptop is seriously troubled, possibly boned. It spent about 5 hours running a hard drive scan, dispatching bad sector after bad sector. It seems to be working now, but my faith in the thing is shot.

Even worse, I don't seem to have the Dell/WinXP disks I thought I had, with which to mop up this impending mess. This surprising lack of media strikes at my very core, and I had to take a deep breath, step back, and crack a beer before I put something through the nearest wall. The rest of the day has been salvaged, but only as a result of fastidious control of nearly uncontrollable rage.

So, that's how it's going... I am so disheartened.

Testy dispatcher

I took a 3-hour test today for a gig with the county Sheriff's department. It was a tough test, timed and unforgiving. My reading comprehension and note-taking are strong, and they helped counteract some drawbacks from some skill sets that were maybe a little less robust than I had hoped.

The test was pass/fail, and I am confident that I passed. I should know for sure within two weeks. I gave it my best, and I feel pretty good about it. The time-sensitive nature was a bit of a surprise, but after the first five minutes, I realized what pace the thing demanded, and rose to the occasion.

There were about 12 other applicants testing. I am surprised how many people show up to this type of thing looking... well, pretty casual. No flip-flops today, and it wasn't like it was an interview, but some people didn't show up dressed to play.

Big props to Grandma for helping with childcare and transportation, or I woulda never made it.

Easter laughs

My Dad and his fiancé Denise came over last Sunday, and we had a good time. Some of the laughs:

Brian, carrying a plastic hog to show to Grandpa, the former peace officer: "Pig?"
Tom, to Brian: "No son, he's retired."

Grandpa, to Mackenzie, defining sleep apnea: "That's where a fat person goes to sleep, and the fat from their neck slops down over their throat, and they can't breathe."

Both those exchanges still crack me up.

jogging

I went for a jog last evening. I saw 2 jackrabbits, navigating the natural channels of the foothill brush. I still get a kick out of random wildlife sightings.