Please Backup your Data

How many times have I heard this? 80,124
How many times have I watched my labmates do this? 97,540
How many times have I actually backed up my data? None.
How many times have I regretted not backing up my data? None...until today.

Let me tell you a little story about the mac mini. It's pretty much self contained. It's like a little pod. I could probably dunk it in the bathtub and it would be okay--provided that you taped up the CD slot and the ports in the bath. Sort of like bathing in a cast or something. The mac mini is the little engine that could. It's tiny, it's quiet, it's dependable. Sometimes I even lose it on my desk under a pile of papers. It is THAT inconspicuous. Unfortunately, today, there was an accident.

I was reaching for a piece of delicious Brazilian candy when the ring finger on my left hand ran into Glass of Water, which tipped over and sploshed all up into the CD drive. That's right, the proverbial Achilles heel of my little workhorse. Immediately, lights went out. I stared in disbelief for a second before frantically clearing the debris off the top of the computer (papers, my current manuscript, sea shells, candy wrappers) and tugging all the cords out of the back. I up-ended the mac mini and water poured out of the CD drive. Shock. That's all I can say. Besides, of course, "bye bye dissertation, bye bye data, bye bye 4 years of work! Peace out!"

I popped the cover off and set it up on a shelf. I'm hoping against hope that when it dries out it'll feel better and turn on, or something. I guess there's ways to recover data off messed up computers, but hopefully it won't come to that. If any one is keeping track, this is the second lab computer that's met it's end with me... let's not tell d lc.

!!!!