The value of backups

Disaster! My laptop's hard drive has completely died, taking all the data with it. I have some backups, but the most recent is from May this year. At least I did a more recent backup of my mail file in the days before the crash so that'll be a bonus.

Thankfully, laptop hard drives are a lot cheaper than they used to be - I've replaced the original 60 gig drive with an 80 gig. The original install of Windows is back on, now I've got the fun job of installing all my programs and restoring data from the May backup...

Even though we all know on an intellectual level that backups are important, why it is human nature to put off doing them because "I've never needed it in the past"? I think it might be time to become a little more self-disciplined about backing my data up...

A1 Grand Prix

Watched the new A1 Grand Prix from Brands Hatch last night and it's pretty damn good! This is what Formula One used to be like, before they started messing around trying to slow the cars down.

I'll defintely be watching more A1 races when they come up...

Broken Lift

There's nothing worse than getting to work and finding that the lift is broken ... again.

It's only two floors I have to go up, but when you're carrying a bag, a coffee and a bacon-and-egg sandwich and you have to organise opening doors and stuff, it's a pain in the backside!

(Plus I'm terribly unfit and arrive at the 2nd floor puffing and panting)

Lost Camping Gear

That's odd... I seem to have lost some of the gear I bought to go camping.

Went looking for the cutlery set (knife/fork/spoon in a little plastic wallet) tonight and I can't find it anywhere.

Either it's lost, or I've got an extra special hiding place that I don't remember :-)

I think I'm going senile...

Got home from work and decided to do a load of washing. Got all the clothes in, closed the lid, pressed the go button and everything's great.

Except for one thing.

No detergent.

AAAAARGH!!!

So after giving the clothes a very good rinsing, it's now getting a proper wash :-)

Driving vs Public Transport

I was having a bit of a think this morning about which is better, to take public transport to and from work, or to drive the car.

After throwing together a bit of a spreadsheet to calculate the fuel and parking costs for driving vs the cost of a Multi-Rider, it looks like it's a little bit cheaper to take public transport - only by a couple of dollars a week, but as fuel costs go up, the savings will increase.

Free Parking

Got to work today and realised that it *wasn't* my rostered day for the spare parking bay in the basement.

But rather than pay for parking (all-day in the City of Perth multi-storey car park is $5.80 I think) I'm spending the day doing the free-parking shuffle.

Started off in a bay behind the office - that got me 2 hours. Moved to over near Wellington Square - another 2 hours. Just finished moving the car back to near work which'll get me to 3:30. Then I just have to find one more bay to get me through the last hour and I'm done :-) (Looking in the basement, there's two of our bays currently unoccupied by managers. If one of them is gone for the rest of the day I might just sneak in there)

Yep, I know I'm a cheapskate!!! :-)

Seen on the road

Saw a plumber's van on Hutton street with the number plate "POO WEE" :-) How cool is that!

Sunday Movie

Just finished watching "Strange Bedfellows" on Channel 9 with Michael Caton and Paul Hogan. I hadn't had a chance to see this movie before but I'd heard it was funny... They were right, it's hilarious! :-)

For more info, see this page on IMDB.

Toddler + Keyboard = Chaos

My 15 month old nephew was sitting on my lap while I was using the computer. Suddenly Bash Bash Bash on the keyboard and chaos starts - windows were opening, things were being deleted, all sorts of fun :-)

But what can I say - he's cute and adorable ... Better to give him a keyboard of his own to bash on while I can do my stuff.

First Post

Wow. First post.

I have no idea what to write - publishing one's own blog seems like such an easy idea to begin with, UNTIL faced with a text box to actually write something.

Watching the V8 Supercars at the moment from Sandown Racecourse. 30-ish laps to go and it's raining. I've been concentrating so much on setting up this blog that I've lost track of who's in the lead. :-)