Well. Emil has been having virus problems lately, so he scrubbed the hard drive on his (rather new) computer and installed G-OS. It is too, too entirely awesome: It's Linux, and it uses all the open-source apps that Google uses, in a very Mac-like desktop. (It's got those icons on the bottom of the screen, and when you mouse over 'em, they enlarge.) It's very cool. I want it.

But, alas, I can hardly scrub Windoze off my work computer, and I really can't buy a new laptop - or an old one - if I hope to get a kayak at LL Bean in May.

But I've been wondering about my old laptop, thinking that perhaps there was an issue with the battery or something. I called LCC's help desk to ask, because they happen to have gotten laptops just like mine several years ago. The tech guy suggested that I remove the battery, unplug it from the wall, hold down the power button for 30 seconds (I think that's what he said, but in retrospect that makes very little sense), then put the battery back, plug it back in, and turn it on. I tried that. No dice. Then I tried holding down the power switch with the laptop plugged in but the battery out (which made more sense to me, but still didn't work).

So then I tried booting it, and just for sh*ts and giggles (as Austin Powers says), before it cut out, I tried entering the BIOS setup utility. It worked; the laptop stayed on. (Of course, the BIOS setup utility doesn't offer much in the way of computing power, but still, it was a step forward.) I was about to try something else (wiping the hard drive, perhaps, since it was the most interesting option on the menu), when EB suggested that I simply try booting into Windows. Apparently, he says, Windows can become confused from time to time and not remember how to boot up. (He may have used slightly more technical language than that.)

I looked at him like he was slightly crazy, I'm sure.

But I tried it, and voila! The laptop lives!! I am beyond excited about this. I have been schlepping my work machine back and forth, and while that's not a bad solution, I don't really want to carry it on my bike, and I really don't want my work stuff mixed up with my personal stuff.

So I'm happy. Now I'm off to back everything up so I can wipe the hard drive and install G-OS . . .