alexist

I got my sister's wedding invitation in the mail yesterday and today Mom asked if I'd gotten it.

I said yes and mentioned how there wasn't loads of stuff in the envelope--no directions card, etc. Mom was puzzled, and I said, well, maybe she did mine that way on purpose. Then I say, "Hmm, she stuck a stamp on the return envelope."

Mom: "So? She wants you to reply!"

Me: "Yes, but it was an American stamp!"

Mom: *laughs*

Around lunchtime today I left to go into town and pick up my laptop.

When I got to the station it was closed. I decided to get a bus. I didn't think it was serious, so I headed off to the bus stop and got an 82 into Golders Green. I got a message from Neil about what had happened and got off, thinking I'd head back. Then, for some godforsaken reason and no I do not know why and yes I am crazy and no it wasn't just laptop desperation because I'd have Neil's PC to myself anyway tonight, I decided what the hell, go for it.

The next bus was a 460, so I got on that and took it to Willesden Green, where the Jubilee line was still open. While I was at Willesden Green, my mother phoned, slightly hysterical. I calmed her down and told her I was fine. Unfortunately, a train chose that moment to go past and my mother freaked. I had to promise her I would head straight home without using the tube. (I crossed my fingers and lied through my teeth.) I decided to change at Baker Street rather than try to make my way down Oxford Street (my laptop bag was crammed full of stuff, including my current book [Mao biography] and I didn't want to carry it around). Cross the platform and... no Bakerloo line. Hmm. Head outside, get a 13, get off at Oxford Circus.

I went into the Apple store, handed in my paperwork, and waited. Laptop came back and I booted it up to check. Err... none of my data was on it! Asked the tech what had happened, he went in back, said they'd made a mistake and forgotten to restore the backup. If I came back in an hour it would be fixed. Fine. Wander around, come back, purchase a backup drive and swear to use it (but resisted very cute slimline one that cost about 4x more per gig). Go back to counter. And I am given the bad news... the drive was completely dead, they couldn't get any data off it. :-( I have all my music on my iPod, but oy, all the stuff I've lost! I'm crying. Good news: They gave me a brand new PowerBook. Which means a faster processor and more hard drive space, so I'm not complaining. (It's also got a British keyboard layout which will take a little getting used to!)

Getting back was not so good. It was fine as far as Golders Green, albeit crowded. Unfortunately about half the 82s were terminating there rather than continuing to North Finchley, so they'd stop and disgorge passengers, all of whom wanted to continue going north but couldn't. Eventually I got on a 460, which then decided to terminate at Hoop Lane. It took about an hour to get from Golders Green Station to Finchley Central. :( (Obviously I am an idiot for travelling etc etc, so this is just a bit of letting off steam rather than a serious gripe at TfL.)

Anyway, made it home, trying to get new laptop set up properly. It doesn't like my wireless network now... (I've upgraded it to Tiger, it came with Panther.)