This is Some Wild News!

Unbelievable. In the past week I've bought a new TV, printer/scanner/copier and other various electronics. And then my spacebar jammed on Old Grumpy -- so I replaced him! That's right! You've heard the rumors and it's true -- I have a new baby in my house!
HP Pavilion Notebook PC
• AMD Turion® 64 ML-32
• 100GB hard drive
• 15.4" WXGA widescreen
• Double-layer DVD+R/RW
• 1024MB of DDR memory
• LightScribe technology

Feature

The basics: This notebook features the 1.8GHz AMD Turion® 64 ML-32 processor, 1024MB of 333MHz DDR memory as well as an 100GB 4200RPM hard drive.

Bright display: The 15.4" WXGA high-definition screen displays an 18% larger picture than standard 15" screens, and offers up to an 18% improvement in contrast ratio. Enjoy bright razor-sharp graphics and plenty of room for your widescreen movies.

Combo drive with LightScribe: The double-layer DVD+/-RW drive records up to 8.5GB of information on just one double-layer disc. LightScribe laser-etches beautiful images onto your discs with the same drive that burns the data.

Designed to entertain: The built-in Altec Lansing speakers and ATI Radeon® Xpress 200M IGP graphics card will bring your music, games and movies to life.

Instant cinema to go: Enjoy digital film and music within seconds with the press of the external buttons and HP QuickPlay. The included wireless remote and stereo earbud headphones will elevate your experience.

6-in-1 media card reader: Enjoy seamless video and photo transfers with your camcorder and camera. This card reader accepts Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, SmartMedia and xD cards.

ExpressCard/54 slot: Be ready for the next generation of faster, lighter PC card expansion products. When you use the ExpressCard/54 slot, data transfer rates jump from 10MBps to 500MBps.

Software bundle:
Microsoft® Windows® Home Edition with SP2, Works, Money, MSN® Encarta® Plus and Office 2003 Student/Teacher Edition (60-day trial), Windows Media Player and Movie Maker
Norton® Internet Security
Muvee AutoProducer DVD Edition with Burning
Sonic Digital Media Plus
HP PhotoSmart Premier and Quick Play
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®
RealRhapsody

It's just now on the market, brand new! I can't take all the credit, two lovely, sweet, precious friends helped me find it: Suki and Raven. I am so happy! I couldn't have -- probably wouldn't have taken this particular leap w/out them. All the way back to the ranch today I couldn't help wondering what in Sam Hell I'm gonna do w/ 100GB hard drive?? I've not removed it from the box yet ... I'm still busy gazing lovingly at it. The box, I mean. Later I'll take it out and gaze lovingly at it w/ the lid closed. And then maybe tomorrow I'll gaze lovingly at the notebook w/ the lid open ... And so on.

Meanwhile I'm still using Old Grumpy. But not for long! It's just all the setup and customizing to make it "mine" that I dread. Needless to say, I'm not spending another dime for the rest of this whole year. You'll be calling me El-Cheapo. This year has severely traumatized me, given me a serious case of the vapors and I'm thinking I might even have to take to my bed.

But not tomorrow because it's my big baby's birthday! Indeed, my Snickerdoodle was born on Tax Day! In addition to the usual festivities I'm going to groom him for show. He adores being groomed, it makes him feel good and he loves the attention and all the adoration I have for him. He's a magnificent boy ... If you only knew -- but I simply can't put it into words. Naturally, I'll forward all your birthday wishes to him so feel free to email them! *LOL*

Now I really am taking to my bed -- for the night. I'm more exhausted than I have been in a very long time. I guess it's to be expected: Last night I slept five hours, the night before that only three ours and the night before that I didn't sleep at all. But I still got into the garden to plant! Now I'm dead. The Notorious Laptop Saga is finally over so now I can sleep. Yes, I have been known to occasionally obsess about things ...

And now it's my Big Man's birthday.

Later!