New Laptop and a field trip

I finally got my new laptop last night. This is my first LJ entry written on the new machine, which I have dubbed Tiamat after the planet/sybil computer in Joan D. Vinge's The Snow Queen. I used my thumb drive to transfer some documents and programs and music from the desktop to the laptop, but some of the stuff I want to transfer is big and will need to be written on CD. That, or I have to find something to connect the computers directly. I plan to go to Radio Shack or someplace soon and see if that's possible, because burning all those CDs is going to be difficult and my desktop doesn't exactly behave well with CD burning anymore. I installed most of my games on the new laptop - Sands of Time works perfectly, as I hoped it would. I can't seem to install Diablo 2 because it won't read the play disc on installation. I managed to get Deus Ex on, though. I also copied the EV Nova install files, which means the version I have on the laptop is not registered. It won't accept my registry code either, since it's apparently expired. I'm going to try copying the installed files off the desktop, which may take a while but I hope it will work. When I can get on the Internet I need to get new spyware cleaners, download StepMania and a good dance pad driver (if I can find it) and see if I can get Opera or Mozilla. The Wall Street Journal says Internet Explorer is particularly vulnerable to spyware.

Some other things I need for my laptop: a neoprene case, maybe a special carrying backpack (this machine is 7 pounds, so I don't want to carry it in a shoulder bag), a cigarette-lighter adapter for the car (I think such things exist), maybe an extra battery (the one I have says it lasts for two hours: Dad said that means it actually works for one and a half). I've reconsidered buying a "Don't Panic" bumper sticker since the laptop finish is so nice.

I also bought a GRE test prep book yesterday. It has a four-week and an eight-week study plan. I have six weeks, since I'm planning to take the test when I get back to Bryn Mawr but before classes start. I've already gone through the first four chapters, so I don't think I'll have a problem getting the book done. It also comes with a CD that has computer-based tests. I guess I'll have to do one of those some time. If they include the analytical writing it will be 3 hours, just like the real test. Well, at least I can do that part on a computer so I won't kill my hand writing with a pencil. The fourth chapter of the book deals with the "analogies" section of the verbal test. It's a little hard for me to swallow some of the techniques they're teaching because they're designed for people who don't know a lot of the vocabulary on the test - but I do know most of those words. I looked at some of the vocab lists later on in the book and saw only a couple of words I don't know. The book also says that more people have trouble raising their verbal score (because of the vocabulary) than the math score. Well, I may be good at the verbal, but I'll be screwing up on the math instead. Dad thinks I should do a few review sessions with a math tutor who worked with me in high school. I'll check out the kind of problems in the book and see how hard they are first.

Hmm, I got a letter from Marjorie yesterday. I haven't read it yet. I should do that and write a reply soon.

Today I went with Sarah, Carla, Rebecca and Julia to Fairfax, Virginia, where Infinite Photo and Image is located. I said earlier that it reproduced historical objects: I was wrong: the place is, as the name suggests, an imaging company that prints pretty much anything on almost any surface for lots of different purposes. They actually fabricated and painted a lot of The Enemy Within exhibit at the Spy Museum, and Decatur House uses them for the temporary exhibits. Sarah decided to use a particular board-and-plexiglass layout for this exhibit. Each board will feature one person, with a faded picture of them on the board and text in frosted letters on the glass and inset pictures. It's hard to describe, but it will look pretty cool. Though the material and images don't cost as much as one might expect, the cumulative cost will be...well...lots.

I was really impressed with all the stuff I saw. These people make displays for the Discovery Channel, they make menu panels for restaurants, signs of all sorts. They're also making the temporary ceiling for the NASA meeting room, which is where we got the board-and-plexiglass idea.

We're almost back at Decatur House now. I just caught Sarah saying that it's not worth it go get a Master's degree in Museum Studies, which was something I was considering. You have to do a more academic, focused subject if you really want to work in a museum. A good thing to keep in mind.

Since then...

I got the wireless optical mouse for my laptop to work. I also learned that optical mice (meeses? mouses?) do not like shiny or reflective surfaces.

The entry before this one was written yesterday but I posted it today because the LJ server was down when I tried to post it. I didn't connect up my laptop - instead I used my thumb drive to take it to the downstairs computer, convinced Benji to get off for a bit (he's now obsessed with some game thing on the Nickelodeon website) and gnashed my teeth when it failed to update. I used my laptop to watch some Babylon 5 and played Sands of Time, which works marvellously (haven't given Deus Ex a go yet, but I have high hopes). I tried copying Nova right off my desktop with the thumb drive, but when I tried to play it on the laptop the program knew it was on a different computer and wouldn't work. Since the registry key is expired, I shall have to contact the manufacturer. Dad says I should tell them that my old computer died and I had a backup of the install file, which I put on my new computer. If I give them my registry key - which was valid and legally obtained, but is now expired - they'll probably issue me a new one. I already paid 30 dollars for the game so I shouldn't have to do it again.

Martina made a stuffed chicken dinner last night. She's going to leave on Thursday, so I plan to make her some cookies tonight (it's Wednesday) as a present. I'm pretty sure we have all the ingredients but I'm going to get the ones I'm not sure about at Giant when I go there this afternoon. I also have to schedule my GRE today and call Grumpy, because it's his birthday. I still have to write Marjorie a letter, and I plan to write a thank-you note to my father's parents since they're writing the checks for my college education (I have a small scholarship through Dad's union, but Grandma and Grandpa are paying most of the money).

I'm getting ahead of myself. I want to mention a dream I had last night. I dreamt I was in college, but I wasn't. I was taking some kind of class or classes that had overnight homework assignments, like they give you in elementary or middle school, and there was too much for me to finish in one day. I hate anxiety dreams. I hate anxiety in general, and I shall have a lot of it when I get back to college, because I'm paranoid that way. At least it saves me having anxiety fits later on when I really have something to worry about. Since I don't need that book arcessita gave me to take notes in the LOC anymore, I think I might start using it for a dream journal, so I can write my dreams in the morning before I forget them and maybe use them for stories later.

It's about noon now, I've been awake for four hours and I've already had a strange mix of good and bad (life in microcosm, I suppose). This morning when I went downstairs Benji was watching TV. At first he kept switching channels because he can't seem to watch one thing for more than sixty seconds at a time. Then he started saying and doing disgusting things, one of which was mooning me. I chased him out, he went to the kitchen, pulled out a steak knife and brandished it at me while cursing and making threats. I wasn't scared, because it's not the first time he's done that and he was just being a drama queen, not really losing his temper. I don't think he'll ever really try and hurt me with the knife - probably I could have just walked up and taken it from him. After a couple of minutes of this foolishness he put it away. I told Dad about it and he told Benjamin that it's not appropriate to threaten people with knives, though he didn't really yell at Benji, much to my disappointment.

Dad drove the van this morning so he could drop his shirts off at the drycleaner's. The owner has been cleaning and tailoring Dad's clothes for years. His name is Sarkis, and he used to live in Beirut (though he's Armenian by birth) until a bomb went off near him one day and he decided he'd had enough, packed up his family and moved to the U.S. Of course Beirut's not that bad anymore, so he went there a few months ago to visit his mother.

After the drycleaner's Dad and I cruised the Rockville Pike looking for a place where I could buy a laptop case, which I was at the time carrying in a tote bag. We stopped at Staples, where they had some bags and cases. We found a nice Targus backpack, but Dad said it wasn't ideal because Targus makes things specifically for carrying laptops and accessories and everyone who saw the brand name would know I was carrying an expensive piece of equipment. We managed to find a nice red Samsonite backpack instead. It'll fit my laptop, accessories, and CD case with room to spare.

We went to the Metro. Dad got off at Farragut North as usual, but I went to Metro Center and then Capitol South because I need to check some stuff out in the Library of Congress (where I am now). At first I went into Madison building (which was a mistake, since the stuff I want is in Jefferson). I set off the metal detector so they had to wand me. That's been happening a lot lately, and I thought it was because of my Evenstar necklace, but it wasn't - more on that later. When I put my bags through they picked up my little pocketknife in my purse and told me I couldn't bring it in. This is funny in a sad way, since they never caught the damn thing in the dozen or so times I've been here before. The security guards told me they weren't allowed to keep it up front, so I went out, thinking of what to do. I realized then that I had to go to Jefferson anyway, so I did.

There I had an inspired notion. I decided to put my knife in the flowerbed that faces along the street (it's in a raised stone box), underneath a clump of plants at the end. You can't see it at a casual glance, so you can only get it if you know what you're looking for. It's kind of like a spy-message drop site or something. As long as I remember to get it back everything should be fine.

At the entrance to Jefferson building I started taking off my Evenstar pendant, since I thought that was what set off the metal detector. One of the security guards (or someone else on the LOC staff) was sitting outside on break or something and asked if she could take a look. I told her where I'd gotten the pendant, but that it was sort of expensive (although I did not tell her the exact price). She said she has all the Lord of the Rings series DVDs and that they have order forms for these things inside them. I suggested that she check out The Noble Collection, which sells Evenstars, One Rings and stuff like that. She had heard of them and referred to the Lord of the Rings chess sets they make. I told her that if she orders anything from them she'll get a free Elvish Script keychain (which is true, although I'm not sure whether it goes to the person who orders the item or the one who recieves it). I recently got a confirmation that the Evenstar I ordered for Dinsey was sent - it took a while, I guess because they had trouble with my credit card earlier - so I should ask her if she recieved it, because I haven't heard from her.

I went into Jefferson building, set off the metal detector, and had to be wanded again. I had taken off my earrings, necklace and ring, but not the "old silver" bracelet that Amanda gave me. That made the wand beep, so I guess that's what keeps setting the detector off. For future reference, I should not wear it on those days when I go to the LOC.

Across from the main reading room there's a room with computer terminals to search the database. A sign said that the online database was down, and the librarian was assuring everyone that it would probably be working soon. I was worried because I didn't have the call numbers for the books I wanted. But no worries - the search engine was working after all. Now I'm waiting for my books in the main reading room. I just got one of them. I think I'll write my letters while I wait for the other.

Finished chapter 6 of my Ruse fic. The scene did not quite go as I expected, but it turned out well. Hope to have more done in the near future.