UPDATE 2: On the "new computer" front... someone I was talking to on my lunch break suggested a place to look at computers I had completely forgotten about... "Sam's Club". Only other places in town I could think of that sell computers locally are "Wal-Mart" and "Office Depot"... the place I bought this one, Radio Shack, seems to have gotten out of the computer selling business. Looked online, to see what the local Sam's might have in stock, and they had a couple of nice HP's, with better specs than the ones that Office Depot seem to be chronically "out of stock" of, at a price around $200 less. If my feet and legs can handle it tomorrow afternoon after work (getting off at 4, off all day Friday), I'm driving across the river to Sam's to see what I can get (already have a membership card that I got while working at the Wal-Mart remodel last summer that is still good).
Already got the new ethernet DSL modem I ordered from
If I get the computer tomorrow afternoon, I'll probably be spending most of tomorrow evening and Friday setting the thing up. I'll also need to buy a router, because I've already told Andrew that he can have this old computer (but not until after doing a complete "system restore" using the original CDs to wipe everything I've put on this one off it, then loading SP2 and all the subsequent updates... probably won't get around to that until my NEXT day off). The "fun" part will probably be setting up the "network". Up until now, there's only been one computer in the house, and I've never had any dealings with a router in my entire life! Feel like I'm moving into "uncharted territory"...
UPDATE 3: Now for a bit of a "rant"... nearly killed myself trying to play "catch-up" after getting to work yesterday morning at 10am. The 7am person scheduled to come in to work on getting shopping carts to the front of the store called in, and no one was called in his place. I was the only one there until a little before 1pm, when Hank showed up. Hank, I, and to a lesser extent, one other guy, are the only three out of the six cart collectors that seem to actually want to work. The other three are constantly showing up late, calling in, or when they are there, spend most of their time just standing around or talking to each other, letting the lot get even fuller of empty carts. Unfortunately, it seems management isn't doing much by way of "discipline" at the moment, because they say it is very difficult to find people that are willing to work outside.
A couple of managers and the personnel manager have told me I'm doing a good job (even though I can barely move after getting off for the day), and the personnel manager said she was "pulling" to try to get me to an "inside position" as soon as it would be possible.
Well, need to get off this thing, fix a bite to eat, and finish up the laundry, before leaving for work....