..."byte-ing" the hand that feeds you

my life flashed before my eyes today...
God has been giving me messages...
regarding "dying to self "...
so to illustrate the point...
today we experimented with life...sans computer...

this was NOT a planned experiment...
I was trying to "access" something...
and inadvertently "changed" my administrative password...
without realizing what I changed it to...
preventing me from downloading a software upgrade...

it wasn't until I tried to re-start my computer...
that I realized I was "locked out"...
I tried every password and variation I'd ever used...
no luck... so I went to "help"...



they said to re-install OS X...
then I could reset my password...
so, since I was locked-out anyway...
I put in the install CD...

after a few minutes of clicking "agree"...etc...
I was asked for a destination...
so I choose my "old" hard drive...[I have 2...]
they warned that the drive would have to be "wiped"...
but I didn't care...it was all old OS 9 stuff...
that didn't work anymore, anyway...

so, literally, 30+ minutes later...
I "re-start"... get to the administrator screen...
re-set my password... and proceed...

on to a desktop...DEVOID...
of ANY of my files...
my bookmarks are gone...
Quicken can't be found...
and my web browser [ Safari ] is MIA...


panicking...

I click on the "new" hard drive icon...
where all this stuff lived...

*NOTHING*

there are none of my files...ANYWHERE... !

and I'm wondering if the re-install
wiped BOTH hard drives...
because I can't "find" any traces...of my life...



after informing my computer for the umpteenth time...
"I hate you..." [with escalating venom...]
and repeating, "no, no, no..." as a demented mantra...
I sink into despair... but only briefly...

desperately... I search my mind for solutions...

at this point...
the place I take my computer for repairs...
is closed until Monday...

and then ... I hear the small voice...
telling me to trust Him...
everything is "under control"...
so I take a deep breath...
and wait...

I'm NOT very techno-savy...
but I DO know about "cache"...
where files, hide in plain sight...
and my dual processor Mac G4 has a LOT of it...

I decided that installing the new OS X.5...
[that I had been dragging my feet on...
there are always glitches... think "Vista"...]
as an UPGRADE.... rather than as a new install...
would suck all my MIA files back into being...

at least, it made sense to me...
[divine inspiration, perhaps ? ]
upgrading had always worked that way in the past...
and God did tell me that
everything would be alright...
"just trust Him"...

so with high hopes...
and another "deep breath"...
I jump through all the upgrade "hoops"...
and leave it to "install"...

projected to be over 2 hours...
which I considered a positive sign...
since integrating older files always takes longer...
than just installing on a "blank" hard drive...

so, I prepare to take a walk and collect myself...
still getting a very clear message to "trust"...
I take a deep breath...
[OK... several deep breaths]
and go walking...
making my "circuit" in a record 13+ minutes...
[it used to take 20... generally takes 15+...]

then I clean the kitty water fountains...
and watch some TV...[anything for a diversion...]

finally....I hear the "chord", announcing the re-start...

after working through the welcome junk and registering...
I get to "re-do" the administrative password...
and I finally get to the place where the desktop appears...

AND THERE IT IS !!!



MY CLUTTERED DESKTOP !!!

all my files... my browser...
Quicken [12 years of bank records...]
and all my bookmarks and links !!

I've never been so glad to see a bunch of clutter in my life...

of course... now... there are "issues" with the keychain...
[a Mac security thing...]



Safari keeps asking me for my password...
and hates every one I try...
[that's how I got INTO this mess...]
fortunately...I can just "cancel"...
they keep trying though...every time I turn around...
and things are a bit s-l-o-w-e-r... than they were...

but all things considered...
things could be SO much worse...

I think God made His point...
about "what's important"...
and just how much "in control"...
He is...