Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Today was not a good day
I walked into the Computer Room at Chez Boca to a pair of unpowered computers and a UPS that was turned off. Okay, perhaps a brownout of something and the squeal got to Bunny so she did as I instructed and just turned off the UPS. I went to turn it back on and … nothing. It did not turn on.
That was not good.
But even though the UPS might not turn on, the “surge protection” side might still work until I get a replacement. The Apple Mac I have turned on, no issues. The Linux box, my main development system, did not.
That was even less good.
Okay, perhaps it's too much draw for a nearly dead UPS. Next step, a replacement UPS from Best Buy.
“Yes, can I help you?”
“Yes, where are the UPSes?”
“The back wall over there to the left, with the car stuff.”
Odd, but … “Okay, thanks.”
Nope, just car stuff over by the back left wall. I corner a clerk and ask again.
“Where are the UPSes?”
“The what?”
“A UPS.”
“A …?”
“UPS. You plug the computer into it, then plug that into the wall.”
“Oh! A battery backup!”
“Oh, is that what you young hipters are calling UPSes these days?”
Pricy, but I have a new UPS.
The illustrations didn't indicate that you had to connect the black wire to the battery before the red wire to the battery, but perhaps I should have known that prior to learning the hard way with a large pop. Fortunately, no magic smoke was released, and when I plugged the UPS into the wall outlet, it seemed to be fine.
I plugged in the Linux box and … it still didn't come on.
XXXXXXXXXX!
I wasn't terribly upset—I do have backups and even if the computer died, the harddrive could still work on a new machine. It was just the severe inconvenience of it all.
I then recalled a weird premonition I had last night. The weather forcast for today was thunderstorms, and I had a notion to shut the computer down “just in case.” But I thought better of that—after all, the UPS should be good, right?
Ha ha.
It was then I received the news about Uncle Dale.
![[The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades]](https://www.conman.org/people/spc/about/2023/1023.t.jpg "The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades")