Switching the monitor which went 'mmmm-BRAAAP' for one that still works should _not_ result in both of us being exhausted and covered in sweat.

On the up side, I now have a _really_ kickass monitor on my graphics box. Also, the air conditioner is still working.

Friederich Eisenmaus died this afternoon.

I'm only a little upset. I had him for a year, and he was old when I brought him home; mice don't generally live more than a few years at the best of times. And he was _very_ old.

But he was still a sweet little guy, and I'll miss him. And so will Miki, I think.

---

It was a long week, what with one thing and another. Not much sleep; not a lot of writing done. Not a lot of cooking, either. I did get an article done for the kingdom heraldic newsletter, with which I am fairly pleased.

Also two logos for Mom, which is more money, whenever I get off my butt and add up my hours for her.

I'm writing this on my new/old computer - this is the one Lewis lent me last December, on which the network card died after three days, with the hard drive from the computer I used most of last summer, which kept turning randomly off. So far it's behaving, and since he installed Gentoo it's quick as shit. I'm loving it.

Though I'm still getting used to having a normal-sized keyboard and stuff. I got awfully used to that laptop. I'm likely to use this as a primary writing machine, but I'll have the laptop to haul around with me. I spent last night and this morning 'moving in', as twere, and I've got all my files copied over and everything set up. Sound doesn't work, but Lewis says he'll poke at that.

I also got a new CD player this morning, since the old one would only play my Machaut CD. It's cool - looks like an old-time radio in a wooden case. Much prettier than most modern CD players, which appear to want very badly to be spaceships and succeed only in looking very, very stupid. So now I'm listening to Clam Chowder and enjoying myself thoroughly.

---

We got the lawn mowed this afternoon, during which process we ran out of gas twice and Lewis managed to bend the blade. Fortunately, we have a big hammer.

I also picked up a lot _more_ sticks from the yard, and I'm convinced that I'll be picking up sticks from the yard for the rest of my life, or at least until we move. I'm seeing how much wood chippers cost, so we can do something about the coyote pile. I also hauled some of the now-dead forsythia off of the back porch, but that's going to be a bit of a project.

Apparently wood chippers are insanely expensive. Maybe I'll just napalm the lot.

With some effort over two days Lewis got the thing working again, even the mouse. Sound isn't back up, but we'll get there.

I washed all of the sheets and blankets and everything involved with the bed except for the bed. Okay, not the pillows either... I hung stuff outside as it came out of the washer, but it started raining mid-afternoon (it wasn't supposed to start until evening...) and I wound up having to dry everything in the dryer anyway. Most of it still smells outside-good, though. Lewis just got home and we flipped the mattress.

I got some stuff out of the van; we want to pull out _everything_ and vacuum it. That's gonna take a lot of quarters, or an extension cord and the wet-dry vac. I think I'll opt for the latter.

No gardening today, with the early rain, but I went walkies out to the store and bought a packet of lettuce seeds that I'm hoping to put in tomorrow. Barely restrained myself from getting basil and oregano and big pots to put them in, but they'd've been too heavy to carry home...

Friederich Eisenmaus is running all over his cage, and twice in the last few days I've caught him on top of his wheel. Spring has perked him up in a truly lovely way and I'm wondering how old he really is. I'll never know, of course, but it's been an interesting speculation... His fur still looks awful, but then it always has.

Miki's sprawled out asleep on top of a pair of chausses I've been working on. There are pins all the hell over the things. I'm assuming he hasn't stuck himself, though possibly he just hasn't noticed.

It's so nice to be back in my room.

We seem to have finally managed to spend a day doing Nothing.

Slept up, got up, frotzed around on the computers for a while. Retired back to bed, then napped for about three hours.

Got up, frotzed around on the computers for a while longer. Ate something lunchish requiring no work whatsoever (cereal for me, cookiesanmilk for Lewis). Showered. Alternated between reading and playing with computers for a while.

Eventually, went out for food, then Drove Around Randomly, something we haven't had time or inclination to do in _years_. (Driving Around Randomly involves getting far enough away from home that you don't know all the roads, then driving, turning anywhere that looks cool). Saw a lot of really cool old houses, all of which we want. Eventually headed home.

Likely to do Not Much the rest of the evening, then retire to bed fairly early.

The most useful I've been so far is typing in some of the names for my Geirr-Bassi project, and I'm not sure Lewis has done anything useful at all. Oh, no, wait; he got the thingy working for the Brechenmacher project I'm doing once the Geirr-Bassi project is done. But I don't think he spent much time on it.

A good day.

It's morning. I really don't do mornings well.

Had weird-ass dreams about Gulf Wars. Really not so much what I would _expect_ to be dreaming about, either. Something about camp, and something about heralding Great Court which is a _damned_ improbable thing for me to be doing, now, innit...?

Off later today to van-shop and visit Gise and hubby. Ought to be amusing.

I should really rave about my new computer - it's really speefy. Smaller case, so I have more room on my desk. It's _quiet_ which I'm all into. Happy big flatscreen monitor which is a joy to look at. The mouse-wheel isn't working yet but we'll get there.

The funny part? My favourite bit - the keyboard. Dell. Picked it up used at the computer show for two bucks. It has _absolutely_ the sweetest action I've ever laid fingers on. I love it.