Computer problems and other woes!

Added on Wednesday 11 Mar 2009

Courses in Salignac 2009

Photo: barry paton. Just because we live in a rural part of South-West France does not mean that we are immune to all the problems that all computer users must know about. Crashes, corruption of data/files and losing material...all par for the course...or should I say all par for the curse! I remember reading that it was not a question of IF it might happen but WHEN it will happen... all so true. I just thank God that I have this old one to work on while our other one is being worked on! While I am in moaning mood I have to say that my leg had another infection and I have been doped up with antibiotics for the last ten days which has been rather unpleasant in the sense that my sleeping patterns have been completely disrupted, not sleeping at nights and sleeping most of the day has been slightly disturbing to say the least! Also the cats have been coming and going out of the door constantly, 5 times in the last 15 minutes no less and although spring is just around the corner it causes one hell of a draught as I sit and write this. I think that I have vented my spleen enough (even though I don't have one...don't ask!) as an opening paragraph to this update for the beginning of March!

On to brighter things and happenings around Salignac.

Photo: the table. Salignac on the verge of spring.

Somehow the topic of conversation recently was about food in this area (with whom it was I can't remember) but the fact that is is so desired by tourists, the fois gras, walnuts, ducks, the cheeses etc., that are served by most restaurants in the area kind of leaves out most of the residents (including Fiona and myself) wanting some real food for every day eating. Too much of the rich stuff gets us a bit wanting mince and tatties sort of thing if you know what I mean!

Apart from the food element it is also our wet season, many people who only see the area in the hot sunshine of summer do not realise that the area is so green and lush because we have a lot of rain in the early part of the year and this year it is no different as it has started in March. In fact I looked at the barometer this morning and I have never seen it so low in all the time that I have been here. However, with the weather getting brighter by the day it is time to clean windows, get rid of cobwebs and do a spot of painting, this damn low, bright sunshine that comes in does show up all the little imperfections in the house, of which there are many that become obvious! As part of this springtime regime I have stopped smoking cigars, I haven't smoked a cigarette for over 30 years, I have never been a heavy cigar smoker, about 8 to 10 per day of the small ones but having stopped for 10 years in the 70's and more recently I stopped for 6 months before I went into hospital last year so I reckoned that financially and physically I would be better of without. I do not have a big problem with this, except with my coffee in the morning, but the problem before was that one becomes complacent and thinks that one could just have one occasionally...therein lies the thin end of the wedge. I don't intend to go down that route this time but we shall see!

While writing this update, with another few paragraphs, the power cut out and I lost all that I had written..so I am having to start all over again...very frustrating especially as I can't remember all I was talking about! It is supposed to auto save but it all disappeared into the ether, such is the joy of computers. Anyway, I digress, so I shall try and remember everything. With the village still very quiet at the moment, especially on a Sunday afternoon when I am trying to write this, very little traffic is about and no one is out and about in the streets it reminds me of my time in the North of Scotland, but without the dreich weather but as March progresses towards Easter it at least is sunny and not too cold (about 12* C) at the moment. All very pleasant. While I was in spring cleaning mode, yesterday I went upstairs to our living room and fixed a chair that had been a bit legless, sorted out a pottery dish that the cats had knocked over and one or two minor things that have needed to be fixed, all this has made me feel quite good, although having said that there are still a thousand and one things needing done about the house. In fact I have just thrown a few kitchen implements into a basin of caustic soda. This is maybe a big mistake because I have just read the label which said DO NOY USE ON ALUMINIUM and I think some of them are! I will just have to trust to luck that they are OK when I get them out in about half an hour.

Old Photos and Things.

One of the many other things I have been doing is going through my archives of photographs, negatives and transparancies which have been lying about an had not been properly catalogued for many a year. As a professional photographer/film maker there are many thousands of these and it surprised me how much I have forgotten, there are many jobs I have done for many publications over the years and there are such a lot that I cannot remember at all. Some have stood out, even stuff I did over 30 years ago, but there are still ones that I did, that were obviously important at the time, that have not been imprinted into my memory bank! Is this a first sign of senility? I wonder. Apart from that I am still trying to sort out computer problems which incuded having to phone up my ISP's helpline after a weekend of tearing of hair out, only to find out that the problem is at their end not mine. I really do not know why I bother sometimes?

Rural France, I love it (even though it is frustrating.)