Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Una loves the new computer, too

After my computer lobotomized itself, as The Gryphon put it, on Thursday night, we were faced with a situation.

Early Friday, we went to the local computer store to try to take care of it. Unfortunately, the quick and easy solution, a new power supply, turned out not to solve the problem. He was stumped, as was the computer store owner, who had allowed him to hook up the part in the store, just to see if his hunch was right.

The computer store owner said if we wanted to leave the computer there, he could diagnose it and fix it for us, but it would take a day or two. The problem was, I really needed a solution by 1, when I had my first assignment of the day, telecommuter that I am.

We had talked about this Thursday night, and The Gryphon had offered to buy me a new system to have on hand as a backup in case my original system failed. We had talked price ranges and things like that.

So for an alternate solution, we looked at the systems in the store, built in the computer store. The first one we considered was at a very reasonable price but had already been sold. The second one we looked at was more expensive but had a lot more power. The Gryphon and I agreed it would be a good system for me, so he bought it.

Naturally, I treated him to breakfast at Lewis Black's health club, the International House of Pancakes. I also told him, though he never requested such a deal, that he can consider himself covered in terms of presents for Christmas, Valentine's Day and my birthday next year!

Then it was a matter of getting the computer home, hooking it up and making sure it had the proper software installed so I could do my work. It's a little different using Windows XP instead of Windows 2000, but I'm getting used to it and am customizing the system.

Later in the weekend, we installed some of the other programs I use, such as DreamWeaver for page design, and The Sims, my favorite game of the moment. On Sunday, while The Gryphon was at his usual gaming group, I got quite a bit done of page design for Wild Violet. Our next issue is coming out the end of this month.

This morning, I was up early, in part to take my dog, Una, for a checkup. This past spring, the vet had discovered a heart murmur and told me to bring her back in six months to check on her.

Now, I'd already had a dream that the vet gave me good news and that Una was fine. The actual visit played out much the same. The vet told me that her murmur hasn't gotten worse; in fact, it's gotten a little better. Rather than hearing the murmur every beat, he only hears it every three or four. And the murmur hasn't gotten more pronounced.

He said I should just plan on bringing her in twice a year and to pay attention for signs of heart trouble, like trouble breathing, lack of energy or coughing.

I heard this morning the sad news that Christopher Reeve died this weekend. The news reports said he contracted an infection common to quadriplegics, which led to heart failure on Saturday. He lapsed into a coma and then died on Sunday.

Although I was saddened to hear the news, I had to smile during the reports of him, reviewing his career and his life. He was always such an inspiration to me.

First, of course, as Superman he was my first movie star crush: powerful, strong, funny and kind. But he was much the same in real life. Perhaps not a Man of Steel, but a Man of Iron Will. He didn't let adversity get him down.

After a 1995 horse riding accident left him paralyzed from the neck down, he kept fighting. He kept finding ways to be productive in society, to continue the career he loved (a movie he directed about a quadriplegic girl, The Brooke Ellison Story, will air on A&E later this month), and to fight for research so that others could have a better life.

He was a very courageous, very gentle-spirited man. And the world is better for him having been here.

Copyright 2004 by Alyce Wilson

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