last week wednesday i wanted to tell you what happened more on tuesday. but i was just too tired. the next days i was too exhausted. and eventually ill. thus i´m telling you now. and the week of the meantime as well. promise.
still tuesday 13th may
in the morning i had gotten by mail a couple of parts for the old computer (old meaning here 11 years old, in terms of computer speak that is old). while going by bus to the big shopping centre in sindelfingen, i realised that only single persons and couples were on the bus. during school time there are always bigger groups of school children on a bus, but then it was school holidays for whitsun. for the way there i had to change busses at the main bus station in boeblingen. so altogether i used 4 busses. in the shopping centre it took me 2 minutes to find a bakery where i bought bread (my mother was worried there might be no bakery in that shopping centre), went straight to the electronic shop, to the pile of printers, moved an unpacked printer to the side, took one box, went to the cash desk, paid, said "thank you" and good bye" and went back to the bus stop. everything took about ten minutes. which meant i had to wait for about twenty. in each of those busses one or two young girls or boys in the back with load hip-hop-techno-music on. after coming home again i installed the new printer. and it worked after only a little fiddling. fantastic! but i was in that dangerous "i can fix everything" mood. i took the computer apart and tied to change the graphics card. because of some plug it didn´t fit. i took a little more out and tried to take out the processor. i pulled and what i actually held in my hand was the cooling part. i had ripped the cooling part from the processor. when i tried that last time (couple months ago), i thought that was impossible. it obviously was not. i tried to fit the new processor and it´s cooling part, but here some other part was in the way. didn´t fit either. still in that dangerous mood. i remembered, there was still another processor somewhere in the drawer. after about 20 minutes of intensive search, i was even able to find it. a little bit of fiddling and i figured how to put the original cooling part and processor into the computer. with a little drawback: i couldn´t fix the cooler with glue to the processor (i didn´t have any), so i only could try to rely on the remaining bits on the old cooler. which was not too successful. after the processor was fixed, the cooler still moved. i still had to change some switches i could put the computer together again. although i was a little worried the processor with only loose contact to the cooler might overheat, i still wanted to give it a try. i switched the computer on. nothing. i had to open the thing again. i had forgotten some cable to put back again. i put everything together. that procedure i had to repeat about six or maybe seven times. there was always something not, loose or wrong connected. at a certain moment that night the computer started again. but printer and scanner didn´t work anymore. being afraid that it might overheat i could at least write the blog from last tuesday.
wednesday 14th mayin the morning i tried to fix both printer and scanner without success.
in the afternoon i went with my mother to leonberg. my mother had an appointment with a possible new landlady. i printed a little map of leonberg with the place we had to go marked. we took the bus to the main bus station. it was a sunny hot day. this time i didn´t look around that much. my focus was more on my mother´s rollator. the thing has brakes for two wheels, and still managed to move around. i tried a few positions, but none was too stable. on the main station we had about half an hour to wait for the next bus to renningen. outside a bakery we found a couple of tables and chairs. i had a cappucino, my mother was happy to be in the shade. we talked a bit about the changes in boeblingen in the last years. we moved here almost exactly thirtyfive years ago. for about three months i was going to primary school here. i didn´t like it. the smell was unusual and especially strong in the changing rooms for sportsclass. the teachers were friendly. as well unusual to me. altogether a strange primary school to me. fortunately only for three months. then i was allowed to go to grammar school, which was a big thing for me. now i pass it by everytime going into town. the bus ride to renningen was a little adventure for my mother. we used a long bus (long meaning app. 25 meters) and the driver seemed thave a different perception concerning speed and traffic rules than my mother. after having a quick look on the town map in renningen we managed to find the area were my older sister lives with her family. actually she and her beautiful little daughter (my niece!) came walking towards us. her son is with his other grandparents, missing his sister, her husband was on his way back from work and they just on a little walk. after coffee, tea and cake her husband arrived. he works for a big electronic comapy which develops and fabricates some parts for one of the bigger automobile companies (you may guess which one). when i got to his car, my niece was sitting on the driver seat pretending to drive (imagine the picture!). when we were all inside the car (incl. rollator) my beautiful little niece was sitting in the back on her childrens seat trying to put on her seat-belt. but unfortunately - for her - she wouldn´t come with us. and all screaming would not persuade her parents. my mother was sitting with the map i had printed (and am always a little proud, when i am able to help with this or that computer knowledge). after my brother in law started the car some voice said "after one hundred fifty metres turn to the left". i have seen such things in commercials and on telly. but i have never seen such a navigator in real live. and even in action. the thing directed us exactly to the place we wanted to go. who needs a map?we were of course a little early at the entrance of the house. my brother in law had to do something in a nearby bank. my mother and me were waiting and wondering if that was indeed the right place. it was. the lady was there at six o´clock. she showed the house to us and the apartment. a bathroom, and one room with a little space for kitchen and a little separated a bed. the house is one for assisted living ( = "a living arrangement in which people with special needs, especially seniors with disabilities, reside in a facility that provides help with everyday tasks"; i stole that from http://dict.leo.org). a library, a huge terrace, a common room for whatever occasion, and one for recreation. but in the centre of town. from the window a view on bus stop and pub. not what my mother wanted. my brother-in-law drove us home. after dinner i fiddled a bit with printer and scanner. no success. and too tired to write blogs or diaries.
thursdayi decided to slow down the computer again. printer and scanner still on strike. three mails from people who want the toy train.
fridayi installed the printer a new. it works! no changes about the scanner. one more mail about that toy train.
saturdayi feel devastated. stay in bed entire day.
sunday
no changes about my *#!-being. have a bowle of soup. for the rest: still in bed.
monday
am at last starting to recover. my surrounding doesn´t move anymore. at least some things are immobile.
we were running out of coffee. as i am the only one drinking coffee here, my mother preferred a small pack. thus i sneaked some biological fair trade coffee in. i went to the "third world shop" and bought a pack there. they have a poster about a lecture their shop on "africa and globalisation" in their window. the lecture will be held by some university professor. i will see if i can go there.
the printer doesn´t work anymore. again. after a couple of hours fiddling i figure "it is not a mistake, but a feature" (famous quote by jascha and malte). after switching it off i always have to download the firmware anew. whatever that means. at least i know where to click;-)
tuesday
an uncle phoned, he comes tommorrow, to check out what he may pick for himself his family or grandchildren. shopping. fiddling without success with scanner. writing blog.
good night.
burkhard:-)
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