The final shutdown

Among all the prepping I have been doing tonight for our trip to Provincetown, one task was to back up all the drives in my old server before shutting it down. I had disconnected it from the WAN/LAN but left it running till I could do the backups. I was afraid that once it was shut off for any length of time, I would have problems getting it restarted. You see, that old thing has been running constantly since late 1998. It only was stopped a few times, for upgrades and cleaning, but honestly, the old box was a 99.99% uptime beauty. I got to thinking today if that old computer could talk, it would have some stories to tell.

And I felt a bit sad.

In the countless terabytes that have flowed through it's network cards, there have been friendships made and lost, relationships dissolved (me and Kit), a wonderful relationship begun (me and Jeff), pictures, sounds, video, the war, my health issues, Mom's discovery of lung cancer and her ups, downs and eventual death, Bear, Kodi, new cars and trucks, projects, emotions, etc, etc, etc...

A lot has happened in ten years. And who would have guessed some old, oversized computer could have been an unseen companion through it all. I took in so much information in that time, and I sent a lot of words out as well. I dont have the heart to strip it of usable parts and toss the rest. For now, I think I will let the old beast have a much needed break. Yeah, it's just a computer, but I put it through so much. I hope it's replacement can live up to it's legacy.

If this does not let on how much of a nerd I am, nothing will.

Provincetown bound

In a few hours from now, Jeff and I will be heading up to Provincetown for Bear Week. A stop tonight in PA at Jeff's 'rents to drop off Kodi and hitch up the trailer, a good night's rest and an early rise on Friday morning to head on up. Hopefully we get there with some time to spare, allowing us to set up everything then head downtown for a while. Last year we arrived late, in the middle of a downpour and had to set up in the dark while getting soaked.

Both of us can't wait.

How many LJers plan on being on town anywhere from from the 11th to the 19th? I know rootbeer1 and qbear will be there, slothel and his giant pooch are going to be there all week, and griffmoss will make a showing later on. If anyone wants to get together (and since my internet access will be nearly zero), IM me via my profile page or call me at 443- eight one two -6030. I will have email via my cellphoneofmanybuttons as well.

Can't wait to see y'all!