Okay, so check this out.

My computer's optical drive, though now it actually will open, doesn't seem to detect when it is inserted into the machine.  I'm not sure what's going on with it, but today I'm going to get a free diagnostic for it today.  (If you couldn't tell by the text mods, I'm getting frustrated.)

Until I have a working machine my updating will be erratic at best.  I'm not sure when I'll have the chance to really be active again but until then I do have a contingency plan.  I'm keeping my brain working by using some old technology.  It's called a spiral journal with a hard cover and a Zebra F-301 pen.  (There's a rant in there somewhere about writers' neurotic habits but it's going to have to wait until I've actually gotten it written and junk.  No use in getting too far ahead of myself, right?)

What the hell?

Uh, yeah.

So, apparently, as I ordered from the Toshiba site, by selecting the Bill Me Later option—the next best thing to getting guaranteed merchandise—I was categorically denied.  Not knowing what the hell was going on I went to that one site, FreeCreditReport.com, to see what the hell was up with that.

Nice thing to find out that your identity has been stolen four times in the past two years, you know?  >.<

I guess there is an upside to this though.  Now that I know about it I can see if I can get those three things fixed.  Oh, forgot to mention.  Apparently the last thief had a guilty conscience and saw fit to pay it off and close the false account.

But.
THAT ISN'T HELPING ME GET MY LAPTOP!

*huff*  I guess I'd best get to work on fixing this.  I call Shenanigans on the whole schtick.