The last couple days I've spent a fair amount of time finding a solution for backing up our computers. Between seeking software to do what I want, choosing media, figuring convenience, and thinking longer term, it finally got worked out: 120 GB external hard drive.

It's amazing what they have available these days for little dough. 120 GB is more than double the size of my and Shelley's entire systems, so that leaves plenty of room for panorama backups as well.

After giving it a go with CDs, it quickly became apparent that they just wouldn't do -- far too much time spent burning them and then keeping track of the scores it would take for a whole backup. Plus having to insert a blank CD every half hour or so ain't much fun. DVDs somewhat better, but a DVD burner is about the same price as the hard drive, and a lot slower.

Now, plug in the drive, tell it go, and voila! No mess, no fuss, and very, very fast. Gotta take the hard drive to work and keep it there for off-sitedness, but no big deal. Will use CDs or FTP server for incremental backups.

Okay, enough boring stuff.



Played a new (for me) game on Saturday: Tigris & Euphrates. Apparently it's been around for a while, just never happened to play it before. Takes only four players, but it made it to my wanted games list instantly.



Today: off to the LA County Fair. Saw all our usual favorites there, including the table setting competition, stained glass entries, sheep and goats, Frisbee dogs, house & garden displays. Also got the usual food goodies of funnel cake, bloomin' onion, and ice cream.

Overall not as good as other years. Rather crowded (possibly because it was the last day of the fair), plus unexciting exhibits and displays. None of the tables settings came across as especially inspired or cute. The Frisbee dog show this year was put on by one guy, who didn't do all that much, and refused to give up letting a girl throw for one dog, even after the 10th time the disc she threw sailed off in the approximate direction of alpha centauri.


Two things to share with you though:


Gorgeous bonsai made to resemble a redwoods forest, complete with a hiking path and bears (look closely at the bottom left). The "trees" are about 30 inches tall.




The livestock barn had about a dozen large open pens for animals to run around in (never seen anything like it before). Here's one for goats, sheep, and llamas. There were others for hogs and cattle. There were a few nusery pens too, with VERY young babies and their mothers.