One of my FB friends asked, "What did you have to eat last night???????????????"

We'd a celebratory meal at Ciao Bella, a very well deserved celebratory meal. I had beet salad with feta cheese, then scallops with risotta. The dessert was amaretto chocolate mousse. And I drank about half of Julia's wine, maybe a whole glass' worth! (It was VERY tasty!)

I tucked into her wine more heavily than usual on account of the immense struggles of the day. Computer troubles! I'd ignored its frequent memory alerts, requiring frequent shut downs and restarts. I had ignored the 'end of support' regarding Windows XP. But yesterday morning, it started a new trick, a very loud hum. I backed up as best I can and shut 'er down, and gave notice. The old Dell had lasted a long time, so the new one is another Dell, 'professional' grade, whatever that means. I didn't want to settle for the 'everyday' grade, because I give computers a hard work out with all my Photoshop photo and artwork.

Everything was easy about installing the programs, except for finding a driver for the SCANNER! First, we had to turn it off, load the install disk, then follow the disk's link to the manufacturer's website. They kept demanding the serial code. But every time they told us wrong number. Was this scanner no longer supported? But they said drivers for Win 8.1 64 bit were available. Finally, I told Julia, look on the bottom, maybe the number on the lid is not the right number. FINALLY! Bottom number was the one. It works!

By that time, I was feeling really loopy, and that wine was awful tasty.

After I was feeling buzzed, I saluted Laura, and told her spirit, "Look, Laura! We've managed to get another computer up and running! Aren't you proud of us?" As I thought of her, I remembered her birthday fell on the 14th, five days earlier. I then realized my mother's birthday was five days later. I raised the glass to my mother, too.

Laura sure wouldn't have recognized this new computer. The last computer she'd used had Windows 98, and it had lasted for quite a few years after her death. It always felt like her spirit was still in it somehow, or at least visited us through it. Windows 8.1 is quite a bit different. I understand it is because they are designing it to be more like the tablets. I did find the 'desktop' from the 'start' page, and wasted no time in getting my my background image up. I managed to get Word and Excell via an "Office Suite", but, no, we do not own it, we're only renting it, next year, we pay another 69, no 75 bucks with tax, "rent". And I couldn't see the icons on the desktop. I hunted and hunted. Then I spied an arrow at the lower left of that curious 'start' page, which led to the "apps". All the "programs" are now "apps".

But I like seeing the weather on the start page. Oddly, it knew right away to give me Yuma weather.