State of the Union: NYC

[ellenkushner]

We got home from Finland, and I immediately began crunching deadlines: 18 hrs after we landed on Monday evening,  had a 3-hour phone meeting on script revision for "The Witches of Lublin" with our fabulous new producer/director, Sue Zizza of SueMedia Productions. . . then on to the thrill of getting all the final work done on Welcome to Bordertown - everything from finalizing author bios (and jacket copy) to meticulously going over the copyedited ms. of the story - well, um, novella - that Terri & I wrote & sent off 12 hours before I headed to the airport for the Finnish adventure . . . . So at 5 pm Thursday, right on schedule, it was ALL IN and I announced that I would now be taking my official Collapse, thank you.

Delia went into the kitchen to cook dinner for the hero.

And then a horrible yell was heard . . . .

What do you do with a sliced thumb?  In NYC, you can either try a home remedy, or go to the E.R. in 90 degree weather and wait for 3-4 hours amongst the seriously ill and the uninsured who can go only there for medical care, to find out if you need stitches . . . . In the end, we called a doctor friend, who gave excellent advice which we followed to good effect.

But what if Peter hadn't killed the wolf . . . what then?  What if we didn't have an MD to call?  It's into the Broken System with you, me girlies, and good luck to you.  Grrr.

We've spent a fair amount of time sleeping at odd hours, and unpacking & organizing the vast number of "little things someone might like" that we acquired as we crisscrossed Finland . . . Had a lovely picnic with Daniel Rabuzzi & Deborah Mills down at Battery Park - omg, an entire thriving district of NYC that didn't even exist last time I lived here!  With bike paths and odd little exquisite gardens and views and Japanese lanterns . . . . It looks like a mockup of "the City of the Future" - only we're there. Damn. Also have begun writing to pals in Sydney & Melbourne to let them know we're coming at the end of the month, and combing the guidebooks for Things We'll Be Annoyed if we Miss.  (The tradeoff for going to Finland was not being able to thoughtfully & thoroughly plan the Australia/NZ trip - and vice versa!)

And then, late last night, my laptop died.  Most definitively.  A MacBook Pro, it is quite dark when I turn it on - only the little light at the closing latch gives 3 rapid blinks, repeating like an S.O.S.  (And yes, I called my techie pal who talked me through the most obvious possible fixes.)  I've got an appointment this afternoon at the Genius Bar of the new Apple Store in my neighb.  And I'm fumbling around with Delia's new Airbook (which she bought over my protests), meanwhile. (And may I just say, for the record, that it happened as I was trying to download the new version of Adobe that the cool new video site insisted I need?  And that, since we've been home, I have not backed up my hard drive, which is an omission I never, never commit - usually, I am very scrupulous - except it was so hot here and I was so tired and under deadline and the backup drive was in the room with no A/C and . . . well, damn.)

So one way or the other there was going to be a trip to the E.R. this week.

Comments

[elissa-carey.livejournal.com]

That's terribly frustrating. I'm sorry you and Delia have to deal with all this. Here's hoping the Apple geeks can get you up and running in no time.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

My machine will be away while I'm in Atlanta - which is just dandy!

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

Waugh. Best of luck reviving the laptop, at least enough to rescue files. Much sympathy to Delia and her thumb. A couple years ago, the first time we had a new friend (met at WisCon) we wanted very much to get to know better over for dinner, I was in the living room, showing new friend and older friends some Takarazuka (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takarazuka_Revue), and we abruptly heard from the kitchen, "I'm very sorry!"

Our response was, "But we're having dessert right now?"

And akycha responded, mournfully, "No, we're going to have an ER run right now."

Which galvanized the lot of us. New friend pulled her car up out front and drove the two of us to the hospital down the street, and older friends mopped up the blood in the kitchen. It was a rather startling (and painful) end to the very pleasant dinner party. There was novocaine and several stitches involved.

Fortunately, new friend returned, not just to see the rest of the show, but for other occasions as well. :)

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

You're Takarazuka fans? Hmmm... I have a few things here I've been trying to find a home for....

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

Sarah and I are extremely torn about using some of our very limited time to go see a Takarazuka show this week. Noises were made when I found the flyer in the train station tourist info rack.

(I bet the Cordon Bleu bits are wonderful.)

Alas we fear that time and train schedules will not allow.

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

Often, I understand, it's hard to get tickets on short notice, so your choice may be made for you.

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

We are WILD Taka fans. :) Particularly the various Elisabeth shows (I don't yet have a legal [and therefore long-lasting] copy of my favorite version, but I have 2 other version), but I've been acquiring shows from people rehoming their DVDs and VHSes on the takarazuka community.

Someday, we'll go to Japan.

[ecmyers.livejournal.com]

Oh no! That's an awful way to end a trip, but I suppose it's best that these calamities occurred on home soil. (Except, perhaps for the sliced thumb--I don't know how Finland's health care compares to ours, but I bet it's better.) I hope you can recover your laptop and/or files.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Everything much better now, or about to be.

[swimtech.livejournal.com]

Sympathies re Delia's thumb--the last time I did that I just wrapped up my thumb, went to Duane Reade, bought butterfly stitches, and took care of it myself (because the last two times I got cut that's what the doctor treated it with anyway). But I guess it depends on how deep one has cut.

Anyway, Ellen, please, please, please cancel your appt. at the Genius Bar. They are no good. Take it to Tekserve on W. 23rd St. They're licensed Apple repairers, really good, and they've got no corporate axe to grind. I'm hoping that your issue is the same one I had last month with my MacBook Pro. Apparently, the logic boards are faulty, and they often just... go. I had mine replaced and it's as good as new, with no data lost.

--Amy

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Was at Apple before I saw this - but, Yes! It is the Logic Board! Which means they were able to jigger it so that it went on again, and I am home with it now, backing up like crazy (because "We don't do backups" at the Genius Bar, the basterds)and moving critical stuff onto Delia's Airbook for the long separation ahead: they're sending it down to TEXAS to be all fixed up - I've also been having problems with the CD/DVD drive, so might as well get it all done while under warrantee.

I do love Tekserve - actually bought the machine there originally, and they have much better decor. But W.67th is so much closer in a panic....and since I've still got Mac contract, seems OK to use.

[swimtech.livejournal.com]

Well, too late to do anything about it now, but Tekserve is a licensed Apple dealer, which means they also take AppleCare (which is awesome, because it made my repairs all free). They replaced my logic board by sending away for a logic board and not sending the whole computer to Texas. They also replaced my battery w/out asking, which was great, because it now holds charge. Something to think about for next time, even if W. 67th is so much closer for us both (especially since I've been spending so much time working outside at Lincoln Center or in the Riverside (not that Riverside) Library).

[deliasherman.livejournal.com]

You can buy butterfly stitches at Duane Reade? I'm so stocking up, so I'll be sure not to cut my thumb again. Because I hate ER's with a deep and abiding hatred.

In the event, we bound it up in gauze and tape until it resembled a golf ball, and it's healing nicely--though I'll have a scar. "I got this in a duel with a green tomato." Hah.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

I nipped my finger pretty good last fall while using pruning shears to cut up twigs and did go to the ER because the pruners were so dirty and it would not stop bleeding. They irrigated it with disinfectant stuff using a pressurized syringy thing over a basin and after poking for a while decided to superglue it together. Nothing I could not have done at home had I known how and had the syringe thingy.

The superglue stuff is excellent. They also gave me a foam-cushioned metal thing to protect it, which really did help me not use the finger and kept it from getting banged against things (and reminded me not to use the finger). I have seen those in the drugstore too! After a week or so I used a rubber finger cot to keep it dry while cooking and so on.

I have the special skin-type superglue at home but having the butterfly stitch things around would be a great idea, I will have to look for them also!

The paint-on "second skin" stuff is excellent too, just to have on hand for small cuts.

[swimtech.livejournal.com]

Yeah, butterfly stitches still leave a scar. I think I have scars on most of my fingers. Liquid band-aids are also awesome.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Poor Delia. I'm glad you had access to help quickly: I hope she heals well and soon.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

She is much better, thanks!

[deliasherman.livejournal.com]

Much better. It actually doesn't hurt at all. Which is a good sign, I'm thinking.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I'm glad to hear that. Two of my friends put themselves in hospital with similar cuts, but they were far less sensible in dealing with it at first.
Best wishes!

[(Anonymous)]

So good to hear it's better. I was beginning to think we should never have let you two leave Finland! :-)

love, Johanna V.

[jay-of-lasgalen.livejournal.com]

I sympathise with you on the laptop (and Delia's sliced thumb. Ouch!) My laptop died earlier this year. My daughter was using it: 'Mum, it's not supposed to be doing this, is it?' The screen was flashing and flickering in a myriad colours. Turned it off. Turned it on again. Nothing. It was dead ... and I hadn't backed up.

Fortunately the local computer shop was able to retrieve the hard drive so I didn't lose any files. I've now got a new desktop computer, and use Mozy for automatic backups every day just in case I forget.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Backup is Good. I am reminded of this anew.

How do they know?

[doanart.livejournal.com]

How is that computers know when you haven't backed up your files when they choose to fail? Do they have a little sensor in there?

Re: How do they know?

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

It really is nothing short of miraculous - like when the dishwasher broke right when we were preparing for Pesach (see April 2010!)....