The Boston Diaries

The ongoing saga of a programmer who doesn't live in Boston, nor does he even like Boston, but yet named his weblog/journal “The Boston Diaries.”

Go figure.

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.

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