It’s not like I’ve never posted late in the day before, so I hope no one is too disappointed. I have a very good reason: I’m teaching a new computer to do the tricks my old one did.

Yes, my once trustworthy HP finally gave me enough trouble that I had to upgrade to a shiny new model with 6 something of RAM and an insanely huge monitor. I’ve already got the printers hooked up as I had lovely things to print out.

One not so pretty rejection from the latest On The Premises contest, an “although we cannot at this time use “Wildflower Wishes,” we did feel the manuscript reflected many strengths…Try us again” from Echo Ink and a “Congratulations! Your story has been accepted for the Patterns issue of the Chrysalis Reader.”

I love acceptances–this one is so fine, too. I’m being assigned an editor to work with, I’m getting paid, I get 5 free issues AND it’s in a magazine I can tell my step-mother and Vikki about without them cringing. As in, Me: “I had a poem accepted by Sex and Murder Magazine!” Them: “That’s nice dear,” while I can nearly hear them tsk-tsking and wondering what my mother would think if she were alive…

So, I also have Microsoft Word installed so I will finally be able to make my own PDF files instead of begging people to convert my files for me (Thank you once again Mr. Tuttle!”). It’s not that terribly different from Microsoft Works, but it is different enough that I have to learn its quirks.

Yes, generally I am much more adamantly opposed to change, but computer upgrades are an inevitably. Also, this change is one I’ve known was coming. I didn’t want to, but on Saturday I resigned myself to it and we went shopping. The upshot is, even though I buggered my eyes in the process, I was able to retrieve my files and pictures from the end of 2006 up to yesterday before a major crash. Yeah! And Husband will now have his own computer to fill up with music and an old Auto-Cad program. Happy happy Groundhogs Day indeed! I love Dunkirk Dave. He didn’t see his shadow, unlike Phil in Pennsylvania, not that it’s been much of a winter.

Take care of yourselves and thank you for reading!

(*The are just my creekside reflections. Your experience may vary.)