Good News and Bad News...

Ok...so there really isn't any good news. I just didn't want to be a pessimist.

Here it is...$1600-$1800....that is how much it will cost to get the data off of my hard drive....I just got the phone call.

I suppose you could say, "Wait, Brian. There is good news. At least they can get the data from the drive. It could be worse..." Yes. I'm sure it could be worse. It could cost $1900 or $2000 to get it. So, yes, you're right. It could be worse. Stop messing with me.

The truth is...we'll probably shell out the cash. There are pictures on there that really can't be found anywhere else. So maybe we'll just take a few months and save up. The data isn't going anywhere. This summer we'll take the drive back to the data recovery people and get it done.

New Year's Resolution: Back up my stuff often.

Mickelson, out....

I'm finished vomitting...

I hope that is how you spell "vomitting". I'm not sure it is a word that I've used that often, so I'm not sure of the spelling. Anyhow...

I'm better now. I'm not fine with the whole hard-drive debacle, but I'll live. I did have a new hard-drive installed and I am studying up on the best ways to back up my "stuff". Just remember, moving your data from your hard drive to another drive isn't technically backing anything up. That's just moving the data. Your data needs to be in at least two places at the same time...

I did find this picture on my camera, along with a few others. I just edited this a few minutes ago. Hopefully I'll get all of 2008's images back in the next few weeks.




Also, here is a little secret something I'm working on for a family. They don't know about it (unless they follow this blog) and it isn't really a big deal, but I'm excited to do it...

"I think I'm gonna be sick..."

Let the following post serve as a WARNING to the rest of you. If you are reading this post (the 3 of you who still follow...) you are obviously geeky enough to use a computer and so you probably also keep files on your own computer. Stuff like pictures, movies, music, blah, blah...If this describes you -- listen up...

Yesterday my hard drive crashed (crashed, burned, broke, got hashed, whatever you'd like to call it) and with the death of my hard drive went every singe picture I have taken since December of 2007. Yes...every client photo-shoot, and every single picture I've taken of my wife and children. Not only those, but audio "interviews" I've done with my children, papers my children have written for school, my entire iTunes library. All of it. Gone.

Here is the news that stinks the most. I didn't back anything up. Ok, I did back up a few things. I backed up all of the pictures I took prior to November 2007 (a total of about 8000 images) which sounds pretty decent, but I've taken a ton of images in 2008. And edited many of them.

I feel sick about this...sick.

Now...there is a possibility of recovering some or all of this data. It will cost a minimum of $300 but probably more around the $500 to $800 mark. I hate that, but am willing to pay it.

Here's the lesson: Back up your data. That means put what you care about on an external hard drive. Do it regularly. The last time I backed up my data was November 2007. My external hard drive sits in my computer desk area and I think about backing things up all the time. If I had backed up my data weekly, I wouldn't have any problem. I'd pay $80 to have a new hard drive installed and I'd re-load all of my data and would have no problem.

So, there. Happy New Year...

I'm baaaa-aaaack....

Well, that real nice...

I haven't published anything here in about a month...mostly because I don't have anything to say. I'm tapped. Out.

Not that nothing has happened. Plenty has happened. Maybe that's why I haven't taken any time to post. All I have is this...

Today we celebrated Janese's mother's birthday out at J's brother's house (That's a lot of apostrophes). While there the kids were able to ride a little horse around the property. Everyone had a great time on the horse...well...except Ashley. Here's the proof:











Now, here's Ashley's picture:







Whie she was riding the horse tripped over a rock and stumbled just a little. The horse wasn't spooked, but Ashley was. And she wouldn't get back on. And won't get back on...ever (she says).


UPDATE: Google stinks because they won't make this blog look the way I want. I may never, ever post anything again. And I'm kind of relieved to say it.

Halloween!!!

Janese dressed up as a pregnant lady (it was easy...), Landon was the Grim Reaper, PJ was Darth Vadar, Ashley was cow, and Mads was a flower...I didn't dress up, so I decided to "dress" my picture up. Sorry to those of you who are a little sensitive to blood.

Jack-O-Lanterns

Our family used FHE to go and get pumpkins and carve the up! Nothing better than free pumpkins...

A New Way of Telling the Story

Ashley and I have been discussing a way to do a little photo shoot involving her ballet interest. So, we spent a few days trying to determine the best way to take the pictures, what to wear, what "props" would be best, etc. She was cute and "professional" about the whole thing. What we got turned out so great....it is worth checking out...

Click Here for Ashley's Ballet Photo-Shoot

Before you click...this gallery doesn't scroll up and down, it scrolls left to right. Get it? Left-to-right! Also, there are 3 pages of pics, so click on the "more" button at the far right of each page to see more....makes sense, no?

The Ladies...