I've spent half a century being a "day late -- and a dollar short" most of the time that is; but now, I've finally got a headstart on the competition in one department: Year 2000 Technology Meltdown. The printer was the first to go . . . nearly three months ago now; one day it started growling at me early in the day; then skipped a few beats; gave it a tune-up and new cartridges; no help -- it just got worse and worse until finally it went to the big yardsale in the sky.

Next to bite the dust was the scanner: My trusty old (eighteen months, which in computer time is an eon) $99 special. At first the dead bulb was the only problem; but I could still manipulate saved pictures and update the photo galleries. Then, earlier this week some very necessary file connected with it disappeared. No problem. I've still got the installation CD-ROM. "Not enough free space to install the selected program". Bummer. There went another tool.

Then on Thursday night my Netscape (again, ancient history: Version 3.01) browser started freezing up. Hmm. This is getting serious. Thinking that maybe it was just my service provider's server not, well, serving, I figured that a good night's rest would see it in better humour yesterday. No way, Jose. Yesterday morning I couldn't even save my web files off-line, let alone log on and do any surfing. Time to dig out the box of disks with the Netscape program . . . if I can still find them.

All's well that end's well? Yes and No. I'm back online; minus a few of the features that I once took for granted. I've lost some of the newsgroups that I "subscribed" to. Luckily, the bookmarks file (all 1000 or so of them) came through mostly unscathed. (Not counting one folder -- of 100 -- that I blew up due to a particularly ill-timed sneeze). Somehow though, I've got that sick feeling that some other major problem is going to befall me soon. The hard drive on this old "392" computer has been wheezing heavily for months now and one of these days is almost certain to kick the rods out. Backups? Yeah, did them once . . . the day before I went to Australia in May. Hmm, maybe it's time to do it again, don't you think?

At this point (approximately 1:00 AM, Pacific Standard Time), I'd better finish this quickie update, upload it and cross my fingers that the next few months will pass trouble-free. It's going to be at least that long until I can afford to buy that new hot-rod computer that I've been dying to get. In the meantime: "Hey buddy, can you spare a Mega-Byte?"

BIG DADDY Lives:  Several hours ago, Don Garlits completed the second stage of his latest comeback. Sixty-seven years young, Big Daddy went to the starting line at Moroso Motorsports Park (vs. Shirley Muldowney) in the first Top Fuel race of the new millennium. After seven years of absence from the seat of a digger, Don successfully completed his license update on Thursday afternoon, with a 5.30 at 273, on a very slick track. Since I can't get the scanner software to work and produce some thumbnails, you'll just have to go to the Auto Fest 2000 website and see the pics of Garlits in action. NOTE: He's driving Paul Smith's car; one that has been well into the fours at over 300 mph in the past. Conditions permitting, he plans to do likewise at some point this weekend. Go, Big Daddy!!!