No, I haven’t abandoned this blog.

Actually, I made a New Year’s resolution to try my very best to update two of my three blogs every week. Well, that resolution had to be put on hold for a while. The reason: I was without Internet access on my desktop computer for more than three weeks.

That wasn’t what I expected when I cancelled the dialup, disconnected the computer, keyboard, and printer and very carefully packed up everything for the move. I thought I’d have the computer set up and running a few days after moving into the new apartment.

Alas [sigh], during the first two weeks after the move, getting us settled in the new location took priority over setting up the computer and getting back into cyberspace. I spent way too much time unpacking boxes of stuff and searching for things I desperately needed—but couldn’t find. When I wasn’t doing that, I was either running errands or on the phone, calling various companies to change our address or to set up services in the new location.

I’ve been “on the Internet” for twelve years. Without access to it, I sort of felt cut off from the world. Fortunately, I do have a netbook. I took the netbook to the nearest Starbucks a couple times so that I could update my social media sites, check my e-mail, and add minutes to my Tracfone. But the netbook isn’t conducive to posting entries on my blogs—at least for me it isn’t.

When I finally set up the desktop, instead of beeping once and booting up, the CPU beeped four times. Then a message flashed on the screen: NO SIGNAL INPUT, CHECK VIDEO CABLE.

Well, that seemed ominous. It also seemed familiar. I’d had the same problem with the computer in January 2011. I know nothing about the inner workings of a computer. So I hauled the computer off to a Staples store where a tech told me that a “piece of RAM” was loose. He fixed the problem, and the computer behaved for a year.

I suspected that the piece of RAM had come loose again. I told Other Half that he had to drive me to the nearest Staples. NOW. But first, I had to figure out where the nearest Staples was located. No problem, I called a friend who had an Internet connection.

I lugged the CPU into the store, described the issue, and let the tech deal with it. A couple days later, she called and said that the computer had a defective memory stick, aka piece of RAM.

After the tech replaced the memory stick, I hauled the CPU home and had the techs from the cable company come over to set up the Internet. The computer worked great that evening and the next day. I got busy doing other things and didn’t use it for the next two days. On the third day, I turned on the computer, expecting it to boot up right away. But it just beeped four times. And then that annoying message about checking the cable flashed on the screen.

I was not happy. The next day, I hauled the CPU back to Staples. The tech tested each memory stick in each slot. Everything checked out. Hmm…. So maybe it was me. Maybe I didn’t tighten the connection between the computer and the monitor well enough. Or something.

However, I decided that I couldn’t depend on the desktop any longer. So, while the tech checked out the memory sticks, I checked out the computer display. Now, in addition to the desktop, I have a brand new laptop—with an extended warranty.

Guess that means I will have to try my very best to keep that New Year’s resolution. I really do have good intentions, so here’s hoping.