Tragedy has struck...and other weirdness

The laptop....has died. As in won't even turn on. Which in reality probably is NOT a tragedy--you know, compared to world hunger, the war in Iraq, AIDS. But in my own little world, it is somewhat a hiccup.

First of all...I don't know how to post pictures from the desktop. I've tried, they've showed me, but the software is different and once I get them downloaded, I can't ever find them. So much more difficult than just plugging my camera into the side of the laptop and hitting a button.

Secondly...I now have to fight three teenagers (doing homework, Facebook, and checking email), one husband (finishing a dissertation), and a two year old (watching Dora) for the computer.

Thirdly...ALL of my school stuff that I have created in the last year and a half is on that laptop. Unsaved to disk, of course.

And perhaps most irritating of all...it is very hard to assume the "Oh my gosh, I think I'm going to die or throw up" position while on the desktop. It was such a luxury to be able to lay prostate on the couch in the evenings, in the middle of the night, in the early morning hours while still being able to enter grades, type newsletters, create worksheets, surf the net, answer e-mail etc.

Oh well...maybe a sign that I was too dependent on it? That my time could be better spent elsewhere? That my enjoyment of other people's blogs and Facebook (so very very cool) was bordering on addiction?

In other strange going ons...
This afternoon is our international potluck at the church to celebrate missions month. Each year, Josh and Daryl attack various ethnic dishes (mostly Asian, and mostly involving some sort of fish sauce--yuck). This year, Sarah wanted in on the fun and Maranda came over to experience it as well. As I was putting Hannah to bed last night, they were off to the International market to get supplies. When Hannah and I finally moved downstairs to our bedroom because it was "too noisy" and sounded like "scary monsters," they were chopping and food processing and banging around in the kitchen. When Daryl came and got Hannah to put her in her own bed at midnight or so, there was a distinct smell of ...well, I don't know...but under normal circumstances I think it would have been rather pleasurable. As it is, it made me sort of nauseous.

So when I got up this morning at 5:00 am (yes...on. a. weekend) and went into the kitchen to find something that would settle my stomach, I notice a clean kitchen. Odd. Pleasantly so, but still odd. But the kicker is this. Their culinary creations are nowhere to be found. Not in the fridge. Not in the freezer. Not on the counter. Nowhere.

Full moon maybe?