SBC Packers Version Two::Deep Molar Extraction::A Tale of Desktop Reincarnation

Ahahahahahah! Rex Navarette is the man! We'll pack anything! We're the best packers in the world! What's the number to 911?! Pucha!

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I woke up around 3 am this morning, my left molar deciding to give me his best impression of a nuclear strike in pinpoint precision. Ever woke up because of a toothache? It drove me almost mad, even medicine doesn't work at all. And I keep harboring thoughts of getting a pliers and pulling the damn thing just to end it all.

So it was that I went to the dentist as soon as the clinic opened and, after an excrutiating half hour, pulled out the offending tooth. Pucha, it looked big! Perhaps one and half inch! And the dentist pointed out the problem: there a little bag of gelatinous substance growing at the base of the molar, like a pus of some sort. Gross.

He said it was the right time to remove it, before the bag got bigger and I had to be strapped down just to extract it. I looked to see if he was joking. Nope all seriousness there.

So now I'm don't have two molars in the left side of my mouth, the first one was removed a couple of years ago because of a different problem. Arrrgh.

At least I get to to go home straight after the dentist, if only to recuperate lost sleep.

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Last month, I finally decided to find the time to upgrade my desktop PC, which have been with me for 6 years ever since I first landed in Manila. So many memories, since most of the time was spent right in front of the computer screen, either doing homework, chat some people or play some games. Today I hardly use the Dinosaur, a term well given because of its bulky size and weight, with very old hardware. But it still runs perfectly, until the time before I went to China where it kinda fizzled out in the screen, gave a put-put sound in the fan, sputtered and died. Repeated bangs on the top hood gave nada reaction, a first in my book. Initial reports at the service center indicated that the motherboard had gone menopausal and left me hanging out to dry.

Okay, I guess it was time to move on. But knowing that I will be leaving for China in a couple of weeks, I decided to go for a laptop, first because upgrading the PC now would be useless, better when I come back with new tech around and second because at least I get to carry the laptop when I go to Beijing. So I scrounge up some cash and got me my own Compaq Laptop, on an installment basis. Happy, I prepared myself for China.

A year passed. After getting back from China, I never did find the time to put together a new desktop. So it was that my dead desktop was left alone in desk, sometimes serving as a paper holder, bulletin board or clothes hanger. I had my laptop, contented I could surf the web and update my blog with, only I couldn't play with games because of the limited memory and space.

But my memories keep hunting me, until at last I couldn't take it anymore and decided to take the old girl for a tune-up and perhaps some spiffy new hardware. I bought me a brand new motherboard, hook it up to the system, and turned on the PC.

Nothing.

Ok, its been a long time since I tinkered with one of these, perhaps I'm getting rusty and missed some cables. But there was nothing. So I got it back to the shop and asked the technician to help. After a brief look-see, he annouced I needed a new videocard. Okay, I said, I'll get me one. After installing it, he turned on the power.

Still nothing.

The technician was surprised. He made an in-depth analysis of my desktop, somewhat akin to strip searching. In the end, he shook his head and said I need a new power outlet, a new hard drive, add some more ram ( I only have 256mb ) and get a pinless P4. Oh, and add a new cd drive, since mine was pleading euthanasia.

After a short shock period, I asked him if all those hardware he said are really broken. Not really he replied, just that these are old models, you can't get anything compatible from these, especially with this new motherboard. Even the your old power outlet cable is of different size, and it cannot be connected to the motherboard ( hence answering my question why the damn thing didn't start in the first place...I knew I forgot something ). He showed me the items in question, and yes, it won't connect.

I asked him what if I just change the motherboard, one that would be compatible to all my old models? Well, its possible, he mused, granting if I could still find those, since they're all out of production.

Hay...

So, a month after that episode ( and repeated visitations to the store for troubleshooting ) I now got my new desktop, this time called Dinosaur II. Not that it looks anything like the original, but continuity is important.

And I'm back to computer gaming.

Laugh all you want, but now I'm busy playing the best games LAST year. Black and White 2, Warhammer: Dawn of War, Warcraft: Frozen Throne and some DnD RPGs. I have a lot of catching up to do. Maybe after this I'll get Doom 3 and Half Life 2 ( yes, snicker all you want but I'm playing the best games last year with TODAY's technology! And that's good enough for me ).


State of Mind: Reeling in Aftermath Pain
Now listening: Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root
Now Reading: Lone Wolf and Cub Volume Three: Flute of the Fallen Tiger
Looking for: Downtime