The Motherboard of all problems

Computer update: my PC is in a coma. It wasn’t well for a bit, but I ignored it’s pleas for help. Finally, last week I grew concerned at his erratic behaviour and bought myself an external hard drive. A sort of life-support machine if you will.

But it was too late. The day I brought the hard drive home to my flat, I turned on Rupert (Rupert Computer, to give him his full, and unimaginative, name) but he failed to show any signs of life. Only a blue screen with “Fatal System Error C000021A 0×00000000 (0×00000000 0×00000000)” comes up. A sort of binary suicide note.

Bad timing, huh?

Cue panic. I have about 2,000 photos and 5,000 songs on my hard drive that I want to keep. Nay, I need to keep. It’s like my house is on fire and I want to get in and save my valuables before it burns to the ground.

So, now I am frantically googling ways to save stuff from a C000021A 0×00000000 (0×00000000 0×00000000) error. There are lots of different theories, and they might as well all be written in binary, as far as my computer knowledge extends.

But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Some puter-minded friends have recommended some back-up tips (which include making a ubuntu disk?), so fingers crossed I can get in, SAS-style, and save my photos and songs before they are lost into the ether forever.

Here’s hoping…

It’s going to be a busy few months…

Right, here’s a bit of a breakdown of my America plan: I start soccer coaching work for six months in early July. Where? I don’t know. I’ve asked to be posted to California, but could be sent to any of the 49 other states.

I really hope its Cali because a) I haven’t coached there before (but I have been. I travelled across the state in 2006 and stayed in San Diego (awesome), LA, (less awesome) and San Francisco (awesome, again)) and b) my best mate Rob lives in LA. He’s getting married to his awesome fiance Laura in June. (I’m saying awesome a lot today).

Which is the third reason I’m hoping it’s Cali because the wedding is on June 25th in Sacramento, two weeks before work starts. And, oh my word, is there a lot to sort out.

When Rob asked me to be joint-best man I was so honoured, but only now is it dawning on me how much there is to do before the big day: there’s the bachelor party (which I have earmarked white water rafting in the American River, near Sacramento. Cool, huh?), there’s making sure everyone coming over from the UK knows where to go/to stay/what to do, there’s helping Rob with his vows, and I am keen to make sure I can help the who day go as smoothly as I can. But it’s hard doing that from 6,000 miles away.

Still, I will try my best. Because it’s Rob and Laura’s big day and I want it to be brilliant for them.

In the meantime, enjoy me failing my driving test – http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/video.html?id=40905

Hello again

Right, it’s time to inject some life into this blog. And here is a good enough start: I quit my job on Friday.

Well, sort of. Due to massive re-structuring we’ve all been made to re-apply for our jobs – only there are now less of them. So everyone is in competition with one another for their jobs. And it’s probably ok  for the younger types, like me, but there are other people who will have been tehre for years and will now have to find a job in an increasindly volatile market.

So I tried to make things a little easier for the big wigs by stepping aside. The reason? I’m moving to America for six months! And I didn’t think it was fair to stay there  when I knew I was going in July anyway.

But, it’s not as simple as that because not applying for a job does not automatically mean voluntary redundancy. The company could put you in a job and then make you resign. As I haven’t been there long enough to apply for redundancy I figuered I might as well just go.

Anyway, back to the good news: America. The reason I’m going? There’s a few: 1) I’m bored of life here. 2) I need an adventure (maybe that’s the same as 1). 3) Why not?

I’m going back to coach soccer for MLS Camps, like I did in 2003, 2005 and 2006. I don’t yet know where I’m going but I’ve asked for California. I won’t find ot for anoter six weeks. Here’s hoping.

In the meantime, here’s a photo-laden website from my last visit in 2006. Enjoy! http://fiveyearplanfanzine.co.uk/america/