and so it goes dedunk dedunk dedunk

They couldn't find an error with the computer and suggested it was a USB connection. I pulled everything and replaced my mouse and spent 3 days monitoring, at first I thought it was heat since I still got the error sometimes but then when if was going nuts, I took away the side wall that was just resting against the computer and turned the fan on it. No dice. Then I turned the computer around a bit and it stopped- and stayed stopped. I've had the fan off, the side back on and had it running hotter and still no error. I think there's a connection in the back which is not quite right and moving the computer has got it sitting right ( or a cable that has a dodgy bit maybe). I'm now afraid to touch the computer even though its sitting rather awkwardly.

On other news - the back room is cleaned up, I've been pricing software, I've marked a literature review for work - EVEN THOUGH I'M ON HOLIDAYS!, gone to the graduation (4 hours out of my day) - EVEN THOUGH I'M ON HOLIDAYS!
Tomorrow I'm getting my car serviced and going in to uni to listen to an honours confirmation seminar - EVEN THOUGH I'M ON HOLIDAYS!
I've also had calls and requests to go in to work every day last week. You really need to leave town and lose your mobile to get away from this job. My dad laughed because when I was small he was doing exactly the same (they even called him after he'd resigned and moved on).

I just washed my academic robes today. I figured out since I wear them no more than twice a year, I have to wear them for 70 years to get my $5 a wear rule value out of them. I work on the basis that I can buy any jewelry, shoes or clothing so long as I wear them once for each $5 that they cost - eg $30 pair of shoes must be worn 6 times. It stops me from thinking clothes are too good to wear and leaving them in the cupboard. The better they are, the more I have to wear them.

I've also cleaned all bar one of my bird cages, booked a facial etc for me and Mum and put away the miscellaneous star trek paraphernalia I'd picked up over the last year as well as playing an RPG with C & A, lots of LOTRO and a bit of an online game in beta - but the repeated big downloads, character wipes and limited access time sort of cramps my style.