Ok, so, my work disappeared in an instant...

Yup, my Mac crashed 20 minutes before the "live" blogtalkradio show this past week. Yup, it just went kaput. No warning, no bells, no whistles, nada. I was getting ready to log into blogtalk when it started to slow down and make noises like an airplane taking off...So, I did what I've always been taught to do, I rebooted. Well, let's just say my little mac world never came back. I got the dreaded "gray-blue" screen, more airplane take-off sounds and no sight of a years worth of photos, work, slideshows, etc. etc. nothing. I knew it was a done deal. I just had that feeling. Here's the really bad part: I didn't, no, I didn't have all my photos backed up. While I had the "important" events double backed up (my son's matriculation, other ceremonial stuff, holidays, etc.), my day to day pics, you know the one's...they are gone. vanished. in an instant. I know this for sure as I got the "confirmation call" this morning. The only way to get the data off is to do a manual-take apart of the drive ($1500). Now, my mac is under warranty, so they will replace it, but what about all those memories, all those photos of my day to day mundane stuff? It's gone. Nothing to show for it except a pile of rubble.
So, as you can imagine, I've been totally out of sorts. I feel so shaken. Mostly because I realized in an instant how everything and anything can be wiped away in a second. It's also made me realize how nothing material can every truly be sustained. I feverishly record our day to day with photos, montages, etc. I'm left thinking how many hours I wasted...all for not. Is it real or is it memorex? I don't know. I have to sort that all out. In the meantime, I need a backup plan.
Be back soon. xo lia

Comments

[leah]

oh, that stinks, lia!! i'm sorry to hear about your computer crash. seems to be going around.

[Mary Jo]

I'm here for you girl! My iBook HD gave out a couple weekends ago and had to get it shipped to get the HD replace. Luckily it was pretty quick, but it definitely makes you think about backing up. I think I'll get another external HD and setup to backup pictures and documents every weekend or so. Luckily this iBook is only for travel and browsing. If my music library on my Mac mini went kaput, I would cry. 40 GB of music takes time to rip!

[mary ann]

(((((HUGS))))))

xoxo mars

[Kimbo]

That sucks big time !!! We sure have become dependant on these machines for recording our lives, haven't we ? I am doing a major backup this weekend ! Too many horror stories to ignore, and it has been awhile for me....
Whether it is real or memorex, I am unsure but the pleasure I get out being the keeper of the daily records of my life (another journal of sorts, right ?)is precious to me. If I lost it all, I would be ok in the end and I know I would just start again from where I am...Here's to new beginnings !
Cheers,
Kim

[Seuss's Cat]

Thats a real shame. Its hard because we do record so much day to day stuff it is hard to lose it all. But that doesn't make it not real, just because you don;t have the picture there, doesn't mean you don't remember it and won't be reminded of it by other things. Think of the days when there were no computers to keep all this on, you only had the actual photo and the negative. It is hard to lose all your stuff, it hurts most at the beginning but soon you will start collecting new memories and you will have them.

[sarahelizabeth]

that is my absolute worst fear. it happened to me once with my website, it took me two months to redo everything. but to lose all your photos would be misery. i'm so sorry that happened to you. i think i'll go buy a back up hard drive now.

[lucy]

Oh my goodness--I am so sorry Lia!!! This is devastating, I can truly understand how you feel! I had a fire 2 years ago this July in my home. I lost about half of my stuff in the home-and ALL of my artwork at the time. Before I started selling things and when I primarily worked in watercolor. The pieces that survived were smoke and water damaged. I was heartbroken. I was able to turn on my computer 2 times after the fire and quickly uploaded everything I could to a disk. As I did that, my computer was making a sound like a hair dryer--not good right. I no sooner finished getting my pics from the computer on disc and it completely died. Since then, I've tried to upload things to disk every so often (not often enough...because you never know when things are going to go kaput). Thankfully we have our blogs and flickr on the net to keep another back up just in case.

Anywhoo--I am sorry this happened to you!!

[DJ]

While you're living and recording and backing up, don't forget to take those all-important "heart pictures".....those alone are indestructable, my friend.

[Laume]

I'm so sorry. I've lost writing but, knock on wood, not photos. I knew I was pushing my luck with no back up so I finally got my act together and have double back up - I have my photos uploaded to CD and also to Flickr. It's so hard to keep up with all the details of our life though, so easy to fall behind on back up. Again, big hug. Ouch.