It was a puttering day again. For one thing, we needed a couple of more camera accessories. I have already described my problems with the two-small camera bag. Then, both of our 6GB drives are getting full. I keep getting "Drive C is full" messages. Both computers are full of the same things... pictures. I have been backing up the laptop on Rich's before going on trips, in case the laptop walks. We also are behind on writing the CDs. Rich wants a better program (the 2000 pictures won't display on our DVD because it's a data disc, not picture disc) and then I stopped sorting 2001 because they're so fraught with emotion. I finally went back, and have nearly finished May, the last pictures I took before my friend died. Anyway. We really wanted an external hard drive. With the CDs, it would be sufficient backup and we could take some of the pictures off our computers.

So, it wasn't raining and we first planned to go to the Jesuit game. Just about the time we wanted to start, however, the skies opened. I'm not a football player's mom, so I didn't have to go, and I'm just not that dedicated. Long gone are the days (1968) when I would sit through a below-zero-degree game just because I like the team. (Actually, that one I gave up on at halftime. Wimp. But I was largely pregnant at the time, too.)

So, we decided to go look for stuff. First, I needed wrapping paper for the two-year-old's presents. I got some cute Winnie-the-Pooh paper and two different gift cards. (They didn't have two that actually matched.) Then it was off to the electronics store. I'm also looking for a replacement for my under-the-counter radio. What I have in mind is a $20 thing that will fit under the counter. The only spacesaver radio was also a CD player, had digital tracking and a remote. They want $140 for it. It's just too much for what I use, which is a little radio in the kitchen so I can listen to the news show.

I also couldn't find the National Geographic Index for 2001, but that wasn't actually a surprise. I'll have to go online for that.

Rich only found two external drives. He'd forgotten the coupon he had for Best Buy, anyway, so we decided to check out Fry's again before making the decision. Meanwhile, lunch at Burger King (hey, we'll have to stop that while they have Shaq as a spokesman!) and we checked out Toys-R-Us for little red wagons. The handles are longer nowadays... it looks like a safety measure but it's going to be nice for the puller.

Then out at Fry's. I looked around the parking lot and at the scads of people walking in and out, and said to Rich "the economy's in TROUBLE?" Again, there are only luxury spacesaver radios. I don't want a Cadillac when a tricycle will do, really! It turned out that they didn't have the hard disc selection Rich remembered. They did have a lot of camera bags. I picked a nice one, not too big, but bigger, for $9.99. I kind of liked another a little better but it cost a dollar more. I already feel wasteful about the too-small one. Then, of course, when we checked out, it turns out to be $19.99 which we just misread. Grumble. In the impulse-buying line, I found a Harry Potter Lego kit which is going to be Casey's Christmas present.

The rain had stopped pelting down, so Rich wanted to check on the J-High game. We ended up there at the last 30 seconds, and it was easy to see who was winning before we saw the scoreboard. Florin's players were a universal mud color, and Jesuit's uniforms were the bright red newly washed.

Back at home, Rich found his coupon and went off to buy the hard drive. He arrived back just in time to leave for the SAMCC (archives) open house, which is really scaled back this time. It was just some tintypes, daguerrotypes, and ambrotypes. However, I did pick up a brochure with phone numbers and stuff so I can continue research on Merci Train stuff.

Back at home, he installed the (40GB) hard disc. It actually does work plug-and-play. I took the 2000 pictures off the laptop, he took a lot of files off his, and I can breathe again!

Emperor Misha's favorite things.