well, i've been trying everything to get my speakers working (stacy, i believe i had already tried what you suggested) from what i've read, it's some sort of glitch in the xp pro that when you wipe your computer, you'll lose the sound. so my research shows that i need to reinstall the chipcet (or something like that) for my model computer (old, refurbished) then reinstall all the drivers. the other option is to from the dell site, take my computer back to the original factory set-up, but to do this i will need to back EVERYTHING up and i don't have a cd burner, just a player, soooooooo i have to buy an external one (the boy doesn't want to mess with trying to install and internal one for me) before i can take that step and it's even kind of up in the air that i can do it since this is a refurbish...

so i did get the chipset, and installed it, nothing...but then again i haven't uninstalled all the drivers first either.

i don't want to do anything else until i can get an external cd burner to back up my stuff.

in the meantime, i decided i would just invest in a nice little boombox. that way it's portable from room to room (and maybe i can actually get some art accomplished since all my supplies are downstairs but without music or tv, which is too much a pain to haul downstairs, i really don't want to be down there...a tiny bit more on this later)

so i made my way to target (one of my favorite stores) and bought a new cd/cassette/am/fm radio/ player. i have tons of cassettes still, that i like and that i want to listen to (even the boy enjoyed many of them on the way down...rush and loverboy in particular...hehe). i was going to buy some of my older (well, not THAT old) music but target was sadly lacking in some of my favorite, long lost cds. damn, tho, come to think of it, i got sidetracked, i really should have picked up the styx greatest hits one tho...sigh.

anyhow, i have lots to keep my listening...cds i really didn't listen to much because the iceback was not too kosher on many. i mean really, how can you not like the eurhythmics or blondie, for god's sake? blondie was a pioneer in punk (yes, yes, don't talk to me about the sex pistols or the ramones, both contemporaries of blondie, i might add) and annie lennox "sweet dreams" ushered in the "techno" age.

the boy was surprised to recognize rush riffs in some of the music he loves (yes, rush was credited as an influence in many a grunge and indie music bands in the early nineties)

so seeing as it's saturday night and there is usually not much on the telly, i will be jamming to some tunes!

as for my downstairs...well, surprise, surprise, benkins showed up yesterday morning with my grandmother's furniture. i was afraid it wouldn't all fit. the twin mattresses i know wouldn't fit in z's room with all his other stuff, so we had them place the loveseat up there for him to sleep on (he's been sleeping on the floor until now, but the kid can literally sleep anywhere) and i'll be saving the twin mattresses for when he goes to school (should he need them)

but now my living room is full of furniture and it finally looks like a half way proper home. i do have boxes lying around because in anticipation of my next move hopefully by july 1, i don't want to unpack and then repack.

but as my little vanity desk is what i'm now using as my computer desk in my room (and it's leaning horribly) i wish i had had them move grandmother's desk upstairs. however, really the less that is upstairs to move downstairs and out, the better. (believe me, i'm hiring big strong men to move me when i go)

so anyhow, ya'll have nice evenings. lala is finally back in the musical saddle again. whew!

;-)