So, I was doing an editing assignment on Tuesday morning. I was 5 pages from being done when I had to stop and go to one of the day jobs. I shut the computer down. As the lights went off I thought, "Hmmm, maybe I should put that manuscript on my flash drive." I didn't bother. When I got home from work and wanted to finish those last 5 pages, my laptop wouldn't work.
Of course I was beating myself up about it. I emailed the client and explained why I wasn't sending the manuscript back. Then I panicked because that has become my lifeline. I do everything on that laptop- apply for jobs, search for jobs, accept sub jobs, research my books, visit blogs & websites, send and receive email, and write my own stories on there. (Which makes me wonder why I still have a desktop...)
For a while I even wondered if this was the universe's way of getting me to sit down and actually write that 2nd Scottish suspense novella. :\
Luckily, things will work out. The client was extremely unerstanding (even when I told him it wouldn't be returned today either). I'm able to use my friend's computer (dowstairs from me) for emails and posting here. I took the computer in to get it fixed and it started right up for the tech. (Of course!) I left it with him to have a cheap "tune up" since I bought it about 2 years ago and I've never done any kind of maintenance on it. (He talked about cookies, browser, defragging and a whole bunch of other terms I don't really understand. He assures me what they're going to do will make it work better.) I should get it back within 72 hours. I did manage to get the client's manuscript put on my flash drive before I handed the computer over, but the computer I'm on now has no place to plug it in. (Seriously, it's got a spot for a floppy disk, though!) So the client will have to wait yet another day!
Lesson learned. BACK UP EVERYTHING!
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