I am so horrible at updates…

So on a whim, I decided to sit down at my PC and do some real work on it… you know, clean out old unused files, run the Windows Update (the very same updates I yell at people for not running, yet constantly fail to do so myself) and, in a moment of sheer stupidity, update to the latest version of Windows, “7”.
Yep, that was mistake number one.  My computer, while not exactly what one would call “ancient”, was certainly not streamline.  Intel P4 (3.2Ghz with hyperthreading) and 2GB ram, feeding a 512MB video card… yep, this is where your eyes glaze over, right?  Don’t worry, techie talk is done for a few.  Anyway, the machine was certainly capable of running Windows 7… or so I thought.
12% into the Windows install, the freezing would start.  Not just a stall, but a compete system freeze.  Bluescreens everywhere (so many bluescreens that the wall behind my chair was starting to glow from the haze off the monitor), and a lot of language that is not fit for print.
Who would have thought that a motherboard that was way beyond it’s prime would pick that very moment to decide that it was, essentially, cooked.  The real pissoff, was that it decided that not only did it not want to install Windows 7, it was sick of even having Windows XP on it.  That’s right, my PC developed a personality that was most definitely Anti-Microsoft and prejudiced against Windows.  Damn computers.
So came the shopping.  That’s right, I spent money that I do not have, and Tami and I went in search of an NCIX that would actually be open on a Sunday (trust me, this is not an easy task).  This was after exhausting all other avenues first (did you know that you can buy everything needed to build a computer from Best Buy, EXCEPT for a MoBo and Processor?  Seriously, WTF BestBuy???).  Our journey of enlightenment took us all the way to the new (and rather awesome) NCIX in Coquitlam (insert plug here).  We managed to walk away with $600 with of components for only $404 (bundles and hidden sales), and I was well on my way towards a new toy.  Again, or so I thought.
Let me be the first to warn you, even when you back up absolutely everything on your computer… every single file, every single folder, every single setting… you always miss something.
Glazed over eyes moment again?  Yep, apparently it is.  AMD 6 core processor, 8GB RAM, pushing a 768MB Video Card.  So yeah, it is a slight update on my prior system.  Video is OMGCLEAR, and the system is so fast compared to the original.  There are, of course, a few things that are taking some getting used to… not too keen on the Windows 7 Security thing, and stuff that was made simple by XP has now been made complicated by 7… all for the sake of “oh, you don’t really need to do that, because the average user didn’t need it… so we disabled it”.  But I had the same issues with XP when I first switched to it from Windows 2000, so whatever, right?  Consider it growing pains.
And how is this for typical?  Finally managed to get the computer to a state I was content with… and pzzt pow *flash*.  Blew the power supply.  It would appear that the power supply I had been using decided it missed it’s component friends, and committed suicide.  Alrighty then, we have lots of computer parts around the house, I’ll just liberate a power supply from one of the “spare” computers.  No problem, good to go.  Yeahno.  Half way through my game of Civilizations, I started to smell… something.  Within seconds, the now-familiar pzzt pow *flash* happens, yet this time the flash manages to actually light up the wall behind the computer.  First thought: Damnit, that was the last spare power supply.  Second thought: tell me I did not just melt something on the motherboard, please tell me I didn’t, cause that had one Hell of a power kickback.  Amazingly, the system survived 2 full blowouts in a period of 3 days, and is now running with a “Fatal1ty” 650 watt power supply.  Yep, apparently the system pulls so much power that it was going through 450 watt supplies faster than this house goes through caffeine… well, maybe not that fast.

In other news, things are going well on the home-front.  Tami is still going strong with Village Gamer, and we are actually slowly working towards rolling out version 2 of the site, turning it into a more mature, well-rounded, and Nationwide website dedicated to all things Canadian Industry.  While her “outside job” takes so much time away from her passion right now, she keeps on pushing through each day to make sure that the stories are up on the site before she leaves for “the other job”.  Though events in Vancouver have tapered off a little for the Winter, she still tries to get to every one she can, just so that the rest of the Country can see just how awesome Vancouver really is (assuming you can look past the traffic, the construction, the wall-to-wall people…).  We make it to almost every VFS Game Design Presentation night, we are regulars to SIGGRAPH Vancouver events (on a side-note, SIGGRAPH 2011 is here in Vancouver as well, so the World is going to be watching our city again), we have recently attended such events as the preview for Nintendo’s newest Pokemon title (see Village Gamer for that), the preview event for the Nintendo 3DS (again, check Village Gamer), Global Game Jam (yep, it’s on VG too)… you know what?  Just hit up Village Gamer and find out what we’ve been up to in the Vancouver scene.  Good stuff is coming, like the Canadian Video Game Awards and Canadian Game Conference (both in May), SIGGRAPH 2011 in August… and of course, Tami and I will be there.

On a more personal side, we had layoffs at work again.  This time, 8 people were let go, due to “staff cuts”.  Managed to survive this round as well, but it’s never good to see happen, even if it’s not to you.  It seems like people want their companies to do more with less… they comment that our store will be getting busier and busier, yet they cut the staff down at the same time.  It doesn’t really make sense to me, but then again, I’m just the shipper and not management.  Like many decisions in the work force, what looks good on paper may not always look quite as good when put into practice, but usually it’s too late to go back and change things so everyone has to simply make due.  The best I can do is take it one day at a time and hope that this is just a “growing pain” in the company, and not a signal of what’s still to come.

At any rate, I may as well get this posted, or I’ll find something to delay the process again… and before I know it, 6 months will have gone by (my poor neglected blog that pretty much no one reads anyway…).  Hope everyone is doing well, and congratulations to Matt and Rachel on the birth of a healthy baby girl (their first child).  Be sure to check back for my next update… hopefully before the World ends, per Mayan Calendar (maybe my update schedule is what plays a part in the end of mankind).