Off the road

Well, i haven't been "on the road" in a painfully long time. Actually, it is only 4 and a bit months since europe, but it feels like a lifetime. I spent those last months writing my thesis like a fiend... a few weeks ago someone asked me about my trip, and i really had a mental blank on 2 of the countries i visited!

Anyway, poor me - I know.

My thesis submission date is rapidly approaching, 3rd May... only 5 days now. After that i am going to Melbourne for 3.5 days - as i have never been and I feel i have earnt it. I got cheap transport ($60 train and $80 flight) there and back, and $22 a night hostel accomodation lined up. I don't plan much except catching a comedy show or two, wandering the city and taking lots of pictures (finally spending some time learning more on my DSLR camera). So yay, thesis almost done, and back on the road ASAP!

Laptop Crash.

Monday night. 7pm

I came back to my room to find my computer switched off. I tried to switch it back on, no good - figured i had forgotten to plug in power and the battery was dead. Checked all the plugs, still nothing... must be the outlet or the adapter... nothing. Checked another persons transformer and plug... NOTHING. - Cue mad panic and nausea.

Tuesday 9am.
Take the computer to my trusted computer store, pay $50 checking fee and leave it with them.

Tuesday 3pm.
They confirm that the hard drive is dead, not sure yet if data is recoverable, or what else is damaged - will confirm the next morning. Quote a fee of between $20-50 for data recovery if the drive is responsive at all.

Wednesday 10am.

They have not checked any more. I ask if they will write a letter for my insurance company and the run around begins - being told one thing from the boss, then another by the shift manager...

Wednesday 2pm.
Now realising i am desperate to recover some data from my thesis, suddenly the data recovery fee jumps to $130! (to cover labour costs!) And they agree to write a letter to insurance company, but that letter will cost an extra $100! I tell them no thanks, and will pick up the unit at 5.30. Still waiting to hear what else is damaged - whether it will need replacing or just repairs.

Wednesday 5.30pm
At the store they guy double checks if i wanted the data recovered, i say no (got the feeling they had already done it and just playing hardball on the fee after seeing my desperation). They tell me the Motherboard is dead, but lo and behold - the hard drive is fine after all! They would have taken my $130 for doing nothing! (and presumably let me think that it was damaged and irrepairable when it wasnt!) I felt like getting violent - left instead.

Wednesday 7pm.
Took it to another store to double check the computer (didn't trust original diagnosis anymore). They confirmed the motherboard was dead and the cause - promptly wrote up the needed paper work. They showed me how difficult the data recovery was - we put it in an external case (1 minutes work and $25 hardware) and plugged it in - and everything is there, nothing is lost! And the replacement machine has been ordered....

So finally, despite wasting time and money (and stressing out of my brain), the outcome is no where as grim as i had anticipated. If only i had seen the other company firs, and avoided all the haddle and bullshit of the first one.

Now i just need to catch up on 2 and a half days of work. I cant tell you how stressed i was about it all - i couldn't even sleep thinking of the bits and pieces i may loose... oh well. Luckily i had the chapters of my thesis all backed up. Less than a month to thesis submission!!