I’m upgrading my laptop… finally. Why? Because the damn thing ran out of space half a year ago (128 GB SSD), and I’ve done all that I can moving files off of the drive and into the cloud or onto an external drive. Every few days, my shit still maxes out, causing the computer to freeze multiple times a day. Argh.

When I got my Dell Adamo three years ago, I’d researched it all on my own. John had been peddling the MacBook laptops, but after I decided to stick with Windows and PC, he removed himself from the purchasing process. My Adamo was a real beauty when I got it, and even though the order process through Dell was an absolute customer service nightmare (they kept fucking up the specs),  in the end, I was beyond pleased with the product. And everywhere I traveled (overseas and such), people complimented me on finding such a beautiful, thin, light, powerful computer. Yeah, I patted myself on the back with this one. And certainly, I’ve subjected my Adamo to some intense use. I mean, you know me: I’m on the damn computer nearly 24/7. Even when I was working during the day at the office, I would come home and push Adamo to the limit for several hours every night.

So a few months ago, bubbles started appearing on Adamo’s display. At first, I though the issue was damaged pixels along the edges, but after I took it to the repair shop (the guys there was also impressed with Adamo!), the techs determined that it was some kind of screen de-lamination. Since I have SquareTrade warranty for the unit, I figure I’ll get it fixed and then re-sell the computer. Always hustlin’, I tell ya!

So tonight, I plopped myself down for a good couple of hours and researched my Adamo replacement. Typically, I always seek something small (13″ display), light, fast, and beautiful (high screen resolution). This time also, I want to make sure to get as much storage space as possible (SSD and RAM). The conclusion of my OCD search? The Acer Aspire S7-392. It arrives next week; I’ll have to set it up with all my programs and files. Setup will easily take an entire day. But I’m stoked.

I’ve been playing around the last couple of weeks with John’s old iPad. I like the tablet a lot, but still, nothing comes close to the full functionality of a laptop/desktop. Seriously: Photoshopping, using spreadsheets, formatting docs, using multiple windows and tabs… I need the whole shebang in order to achieve peak productivity. Haha. I know, I sound crazy. Well, what can I say, tech is my line of work. Gotta have the tools to optimize.

Speaking of productivity, after a week of getting zippo responses from several info interview targets, I finally got a bite on Tuesday. I’m calling the guy tomorrow afternoon. And I sent out a ton more requests to other people in my spreadsheet. I can’t be discouraged by the no shows, know what I mean? Gotta keep plugging. Also, for the ranch, I have been doing some cold calling/emailing to area cities. I got several bites today. Yee haw! Gotta start bringing in those riding reservations if I want to start seeing the money!!

I’ve cooked three nights this week: all new dishes. Last weekend, I went to the Harvest Festival in San Mateo. One of my Lean In classmates had a booth selling her gourmet sauces. I bought a bunch of them, and so I’ve been trying out her recipes. Pretty unique flavors and so crazy easy!! Using the sauces cuts out a ton of steps!! I guess it does kinda help that my kitchen skills in general are improving also. Thank goodness! Now that my food comes out edible, I’m actually starting to enjoy this cooking phase!! The true test might have to be Thanksgiving. I’m making a meal just for John and me this year– small and simple.