Friday, October 23, 2009

Heading to Arizona, Day 4

This was to be a layover day and we intended to really lay low. In reality, it was a busy day. In the AM, we decided to get really serious with our backup computer and install the external wi-fi adapter that I purchased about a month ago. The only problem was I couldn't find the adapter. We had picked it up in the mail at Beth's house 2 weeks ago and I remember returning it to the motorhome when we were ready to leave. The adapter was the size of a large sized flash drive with a 6 inch antenna.

So today I look in my computer case for the adapter and could not find it. Then we checked Sandy's computer case with the same result. Eventually we ended up outside at the basement to look in two of my older computer cases, again with no success. I think I rechecked the cases two or three times and could not find the adapter. It was getting close to noon and I was getting very frustrated, as I knew we had it someplace. So back to the primary computer case and I opened up each pocket very wide. Then for some strange reason, I wondered what was in a brown envelope. Wups, there was the adapter, in the mailing package, just as I had packaged it. What an embarrassment.

In the PM I did get the wi-fi installed and it works well. I also was intending to install a hard disk boot manager so that the computer could boot to Windows or Linux. I downloaded a couple free manager programs but gave up before we lost what we had. I need to learn more about some of this Linux stuff.

When I was outside looking in the basement compartments, it also became obvious to me that there must be a water leak, as several of the papers, some maps and a couple of boxes had water damage on the bottom. So it being a dry day with a strong wind, we emptied both compartments to find the source of the leak. However, other than one small box, all of the wet items were really on the floor and the floor was not entirely wet. (The floor is covered with a thin carpet material and it was not really wet.) We never did find the water source. I suspect that it might have been from the bucket fill line which ran on the ceiling of the compartment and yesterday when I had used the hose fill connection to our holding tank, I had over filled it and water had back flowed out of the bucket fill door, under slight pressure. Perhaps the bucket fill line is cracked, but we'll wait until another time to resolve that issue.

At mid afternoon, Sandy and I decided to take a short walk for some fresh air. All went well until we were on the final leg going up a small hill when Sandy tripped on her own feet and went flying to the ground. Of course it is not a graceful fall, but she stiffens up and topples over, hitting her head on the side, and jamming her arm into her side. It was not a pretty site, but eventually she recovered her composer, and we got her up and back to the motorhome. After she was settled down, I went for another 2 mile hike, perhaps a bit further than I should have, as my legs are complaining tonight.

The real results of the fall became apparent tonight when Sandy was making dinner. Just about every movement caused a groan of some sort. Just opening a drawer requiring a slight pull caused a noticeable groan! I think she bruised every muscle in her body and especially at her joints. The one activity she seems to be able to do is operate her computer resting on her lap. (But there is a groan when she moves it off of her lap.) It will take a few days for her to recover from this episode. (I can wash the dishes, but don't ask me to do the cooking.)

Tomorrow we are on the road again. Our intention was to make a quick stop at Greensburg, KS and see how their recovery from a devastating tornado is progressing. We'll make that determination when on the road tomorrow.

Gene

2 comments:

  1. "I also was intending to install a hard disk boot manager so that the computer could boot to Windows or Linux. I downloaded a couple free manager programs but gave up before we lost what we had. I need to learn more about some of this Linux stuff."

    Check carefully on the web for your specific Windows system, but when you install Linux, it should install a boot manager that will recognize the fact that you already had a Windows system. The Linux installer should save off the Windows boot information and add it to the Linux booter. Thus, when you reboot, you will have a choice of either system. Some Windows systems are rather nasty about re-installing the MBR (master boot record), which is why the process must be checked ahead of time.

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  2. Another thought: try VirtualBox which is a freeware virtual machine you run as a separate window in your current operating system. You could install Linux in the virtual machine, and load whatever software you want there. You don't lose your current operating system (maybe you WANT to?), but only boot it up before starting the VM with Linux in it.

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