Comme ci, comme ca

AND THEN my computer required a hard restart.

"Well, that's annoying," I thought.

My iBook chimed and the grey apple screen hung like a heavy mist over a crypt.  It went black.

localhost:/ root# + blinking cursor of death.

Just like that my computer was hosed.

This is icing on the cake, really.  Because I was only using my laptop as a constant lifeline to the people I love back home.  Oh, and for the music, because I can't stand silence.  Never have.  

So, okay, my apartment is equipped with a computer, yes, but it's possible that the G3 desktop (you know, the old self contained ones that are just a monitor?) is slower than even my laptop was.  I cannot silmutaneously run two applications at once.  For that matter, I cannot have more than one internet window open at a time.  Forget being able to switch from MSN Messenger to Gmail Chat and back while streaming audio from Philadelphia and writing a blog! HELLS NO!  I'll be lucky if I can type out an email in less than fifteen minutes.  

Then, as if it was laughing at me, the G3 restarted itself and reset the language to English.  Which would be fine, if I didn't have a french keyboard on it.  Try remembering where the english keys are while looking at french ones.  It can't be done!  I had to simply hope my fingers remembered where all the punctuation was and force myself to not look down.  (I was able to change it back to French, thank God, but that is another battle all together.)

I want to hope that my laptop can be salvaged and - oh my god how sweet is this? - my host dad was up until nearly one last night trying to work on it BUT I think that I have just acquired a very expensive paperweight.

This has not done anything spectacular for my mood by the way.

Oh, and did I mention that Paris does not have a Mac Store?  I find, lately, that I really just have all the luck.

...To be fair, I have to admit that even though I am depressed (which is just something on it's own isn't it?) my life doesn't actually suck.  I am starting to meet some people I really like and beginning to find some neighborhoods I enjoy.  Last night I had dinner with a hilarious couple from Austin and regularly I have coffee with a bloke from London and a woman from New Jersey who were in my French class.  I have Sarah and her husband, who are always welcoming me and don't even hate me when they have to leave a good party early because of my puking.  And of course there are the wonderful women I met through Sarah, bloggers who are so wonderful about keeping me in the loop and on the invite list.

Also not so bad - I get to go on vacation next week.  One of the perks of being an Au Pair (and living in France, yes, I'll admit it) is that I get to take vacation whenever my host family does.  I am welcome to go with them, of course, to their brand new apartment in the Alps, but not required.  So this weekend I am hopping a train to Caen, in Normandy, to see a couple of old friend from Austin.  I haven't seen them since they moved back to France in May or however many eons ago it was, and I am looking forward to re-acquainting with them on their turf.  We're going to catch a concert and take walks and photos and they will probably force me to speak french, which I will try not to fight too much.

So life's full of shit you step in right (especially in Paris! It's the poo from the little dogs that will get you every time!)?  But my sister told me to just stop worrying so damn much, so I'll do my best.  

In the meantime, if anyone has a free logic board they want to throw my way, you just let me know and I'll give you my address.