It was a good, and trusted friend. Perhaps I was not as nice to it as I could have been. I did, for a time, replace it with another, but we all stray from time to time.

My laptop. Dead. Lost drivers, bad hard drive, I don't think I will be able to pull it through.

In fact, ti has been a bad week for old mechanical companions (Okay, a laptop is not excatly mechanical, but it does have moving parts. I mean, doesn't it?). I have a Motorcycle (Okay, several, actually, stay with me here, people), an XS1100H. Graet bike, just got a new motor (long story). Yesterday the weather was just wonderful, it had to be in the 40s, blue sky, for December in Wisconsin, just amazing. So, out I go to the XS11, nice and warm in the garage hooked up to the battery charger. I have not ridden in a couple of weeks, and that didn't go well (And it was on another bike a BMW. THe XS11 wold not start, dead battery. hence, the charger).

Well, the bike turned over like a champ, but would not start. Seems someone (*cough*me*cough*) left the fuel lines on Prime, which completely flodded the engine. Probably got gas in the crank case too. The bike was not going anywhere. And I had christmas shopping to do.

Well, the BMW was sitting there, where it had been, outside in the cold (It got into the negatives, you know) half buried in a snow bank, bt I figure "What do I have to lose?"

The BMW Starts right up. Didn't even need the choke. A few minutes of shovelling, and it was free, and I got my ride. Those germans, they make a good ride. Need a new tire, though. I guess I will have to work on that.

Well, if anyone actually reads this, I hope you have a Merry Christmas. Be safe, and keep the rubber side down.