I looked down and the screen was black…
I didn’t see the screen saver go through it’s normal routine, strange.
Meh, tap the space bar and nothing…
Uh oh.
The game has begun and after some tinkering I get the screen that tells me this computer did not shut down in an appropriate manner. Okay. Breath…
Then black.
Yup this is beyond my abilities and I have a few suspicions but nothing can be done here in the middle of nowhere. My mac is dead for the next week or two. My “spare” time just got a very unceremonious adjustment. All projects are on hold and I’m not freaking out. Good start.
Call the girlfriend to let her know. She is more worried that I’m not freaking out and figures I’m having a complete breakdown under the surface. I’m not sure if she’s wrong yet, my mind is extremely good at compartmentalism of my neuroses. The thought of buying a new MacBook is not sitting well.
With this my girlfriend told me I could get the 3D printer I was looking at or put the money towards a new computer. I SHALL WAIT NO LONGER FOR MY PRINTER!!!
So the printer is ordered the laptop will end up in the shop and in the meantime I will take her piece of crap PC and learn how to run Linux, OpenOS, or some other free OS on it. Why? Because fuck windows 8 & 10 that’s why. With a deep breath I realize I’m excited to fight with this computer and learn how to get it free.
That’s the real win. As many who know me know how I pretty much spew how great open source is every chance I get while being a complete iWhore. It’s comfortable, and comfort isn’t the breeding grounds of growth or greatness. I’ve gotten lazy listening to great ideas and big thoughts while sipping my shitty camp coffeee eating crappy camp food with my shiny iTech easing the slow death of quiet desperation.
So I’m leaving the comfortable pastures of Mac (yes I’ll still have my one computer to ease the transition and transfer over my projects as they come up.) and venturing out into the land of open source OS… In fact I believe I will be seeing how much open source I can bring into my life over the next year.
Also how much can I give back. I will be doing my best to bring all my projects forward as they become some form of recognizable for anyone to build upon and criticize.
I think this is what a midlife crisis is, it’s the realization you’ve wandered to far from yourself. Who did you want to be? Who have you become? Are you happy with the difference?
I keep hearing the same question, “What would you do if money wasn’t a concern?”
Really not much different, I build things. I must build things. Now what I build has to change considerably. Right now I build refineries, extraction units, and all sorts of crazy big things up in the oil sands. Ever since I was a child I dreamed impossible things that now I know were totally possible just outside my scope of abilities and resources. Much of it still is and that’s where the open source community comes in. Much of the parts are already out there waiting to be put together or just repackaged into what my mind has floating around in it. The same goes for anyone else. So let’s start with baby steps. Let’s build a robot. A puzzlebot.