I sometimes forget how completely dependent I am on my main computer. I spend a good portion of every day writing on my NEC Mobilepro, which is an outdated but incredibly useful PDA/Computer hybrid that is very small and portable and holds a great charge. Then there's my new Nook Color (and Karen's Kindle when I can wrestle that away from her) which I use for reading and for quick Internet access. And of course there's the laptop, which I'm using now and which is convenient for when I'm downstairs or otherwise don't want to be tied to the desk. But the desktop is where I run my PhotoShop, which I need for book covers. It's where I keep my excell files that I use to keep track of sales.  It's also where I have my e-mail folders. I use e-mail folders for just about everything. Most especially, I use them for keeping track of my correspondence with my authors and for storing submissions.

When I got home from our holidays yesterday, my computer simply didn't respond to the power button. I'm hoping that perhaps a connection broke or maybe the power supply is out. If so, it'll simply be a matter of spending a few bucks and getting a new power supply. If the entire thing is dead, I should still be able to get my data...but it might take a bit longer. In particular, the e-mail might cause problems if I have to upgrade to a new computer that's no longer compatible with Outlook Express. At any rate, while I'm confident I'll be able to get everything operational, I am running around worried now. I'll report on progress.

Have you checked out Michael A. Kechula's WRITING GENRE FLASH FICTION THE MINIMALIST WAY yet? I think it's a good one. Just go to www.booksforabuck.com and click on the cover.

Rob