I posted very little here in December, and ought to bring you up to date on what’s been happening at this end.

Pain

I declared my flare more or less over in early to mid-December. The pain never really ever goes away, it just becomes a little less oppressive. It’s hard to explain why being in pain this morning is not in flare, even if it’s more intense than when I think I am in flare, but I’ll figure it out at some point. Essentially, it’s a question of how worn out and worn down I am by the experience. I have a bit more vim and mobility lately, at least. I feel better, if still quite sore. A bit more alive, a bit less depressed.

Computer repairs

Still ongoing, if you can believe it. I picked the computer up on the 12th — much later than it ought to have been, given that it was to fix a problem that occurred during the last repair — with repaired fans but a new problem. The techs reported various software related problems which necessitated, they said, an erase-and-install, which I duly performed. The computer functions much better now: memory management seems better (fewer disk caching delays), programs (especially Safari) crash less often, and Front Row finally works with iPhoto. But the built-in iSight camera was no longer functioning. Initially, the activity light was on constantly and the computer could not find the camera. Now it’s mostly like that, with intermittent bouts where the computer can see it. My best guess is that it’s a loose connection, probably inflicted, by the techs, during the last repair.

So on the phone with AppleCare again. Apple was not happy that my computer was encountering problems after two trips to that store, and that new problems cropped up after every repair. In an impressive move, they decided that the right thing to do was to send out a tech to fix it here, on site, rather than have me make two trips into Ottawa to drop off and pick up a computer, be without its use for a week or two, and still run the risk of having the incompetent tards at CompuSmart bollix something else up again.

Except that it’s taking a while to set up. First there was a delay inherent to setting up a service call in Canada from the U.S. Then the local service bureau, which called me on the 19th, still hadn’t received all the necessary parts when I called them on the 28th. Plus, you know, the holidays. So I’m willing to cut them a little slack: I know that the camera will be fixed eventually, on their dime, and in the meantime I still have my computer. Better this than having it sit in a service depot for two weeks while I make do with Jen’s G4 iMac. Besides, the iSight is nice but not mission-critical: I’d rather go without it for a month than the entire computer for a week, for example (and I have an external one available if I truly need it).

I’m still pissed at CompuSmart, though. I’ve been debating whether to mete out blog justice and post all the details that reflect very poorly on them, or just note it, as I’ve done here, and move on.

Christmas loot

I gave Jennifer a microscope and an iPod shuffle; she and my mother conspired and got me a digital SLR — a Nikon D40. Holy crap! I thought she was a little too interested when I mentioned its release. There were some other items, as well: DVD sets, a few books, that sort of thing.

All in all, I felt that my family was far too generous to me, especially since I had to scale back at my end for financial reasons — I thought it unwise to be paying this off over the next six months — and felt I had done an insufficient job at it as a result.

More on each of these eventually — I just wanted to give you the bare bones for now.