Once again, I have inadvertently killed my desktop PC with my as-yet-unexplained power to compel electronic devices to self destruct.  I really would have preferred some other special “gift” if I’m to have one at all.  Telekinesis, spontaneous healing, flight — all would have been more than acceptable.  You know what would have been nice?  The ability to communicate with electronics and make them do my bidding.  I would be totally down with that.  Such was not my lot.  Quite the opposite.

I suppose I should be more grateful for my ability.  Perhaps the fate of the world will one day rest on my causing microwave ovens to keep cooking uncontrollably, regardless of button mashing.  (Sometimes pounding on it with a fist works, but not always.  Microwave-sensitive villains, beware!)

Back to the PC.  It won’t boot up.  It won’t do a damn thing.  We don’t yet know if we can salvage the hard drive.  We tried to connect the hard drive to another computer, but it was unsuccessful.  Now the other computer seems to be having some issues, so there may be a virus involved.  If so, THANKS, expensive antivirus software for being SO AWESOME. 

We have ordered a hard drive enclosure (something we need anyway), and will try transferring files that way when it arrives (unless viruses have destroyed us).  I’m not the computer expert in our home for obvious reasons, so don’t ask me for the details.  My job is only to bring smoking wads of metal and plastic to the resident expert and say “Oops, I did it again.”

The comic will continue to be on hold for the time being, as all my image editing software and comics files were on that PC.  I’m not sure what the update schedule will be upon the comic’s return.  I found it difficult to keep up with the Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule.  Right now my main concern is saving the data from the old hard drive.  Most of it wasn’t backed up.  The sad thing is, I was just starting to set up the backup.  If I’d done it a week or two earlier, my comics, documents, music, and photos might have been safe.  At least the comics.  That’s what I’m most worried about.

Thank you all for your support and understanding while the comic is on hiatus.  And now I’d better sign off before this laptop explodes.

-L

Ah, spring!  The time of year when I dig through my closets and boxes looking for a lightweight jacket and never find one right for the not-quite-warm-enough weather.  The time of year when I throw open all the windows and pretend airing out the house is somehow the same as cleaning it.  The time of year when I throw out my back doing the season’s first yard work.  What a marvelous time! 

I’ve fallen a few strips behind after tweaking my back earlier in the week.  Sitting and drawing was uncomfortable, and I was a little worried about my poor posture aggravating the injury.  Well, my poor drawing posture was probably partly to blame for my hurting myself in the first place, too.  I usually hunch over a drawing pad on the couch or armchair for the initial sketching and inking.  The sad thing is that I have an actual drawing table.  It’s just buried in so much STUFF that there’s no room for drawing.  Terrible! 

In summary, I blame my lack of new comics on my back injury, which I blame on drawing comics.  No, wait, I was blaming spring.  Sunshine, drawing, and lack of drawing.  Thse are my nemeses.  I shall ponder how best to thwart them while continuing to lounge around er… rest my back.  (More comics soon, promise.)

Happy fluffy bunny new blossom leafy time!

No, I’m not talking about the awful new Facebook layout.  I’m talkin’ ’bout PR Issues: Life of a Pack Rat having it’s own brand new Facebook fan page!  Come take a gander and become a fan for comic updates, news, discussions, and general packratty goodness.

PR Issues fan page

Update:  Link should work now!